IS AMERICA BLESSING GOD?

www.intouch.org ^ | JUNE 01, 2015 | Charles F. Stanley

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Psalm 33:12 teaches, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.” Our Creator has certainly blessed America in tremendous ways:

Abundant natural beauty can be found all across our land, including tropical beaches, green valleys, rich farmlands, towering mountains, and the Great Plains. We have a godly heritage. Fifty-two of the original 55 founding fathers who wrote our Constitution were Christians, and they established our country on Judeo-Christian values. Our land is blessed with plentiful natural resources, including water, oil, ore, and fertile farm land. America’s free enterprise system allows almost anyone the opportunity to rise from poverty to wealth. Imaginative entrepreneurs have created all kinds of inventions to improve our lives. Compared to most nations in the world, the United States has a high standard of living. We enjoy the liberty to speak our minds, worship as we choose, and live undisturbed, private lives. Our spiritual heritage is strong. We have been blessed with intellectual spiritual giants such as Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield, John Wesley, and Charles Finney. Through the years, pastors, evangelists, and Bible teachers have sustained that godly heritage. Why would God bless America as He has? I believe the reason is that He intends for us to influence the nations of the world. Not only are we an example of liberty and democracy, but we also have the resources and manpower to take the gospel around the world—and in many respects, the church has done just that. But what about the country as a whole?

America’s Response

Sadly, we have taken God’s hand of blessing for granted, declining to bless Him in return.

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I shall answer that question with this. It is a prayer that Minister Joe Wright presented before the Kansas State Senate many years ago.

THIS PASTOR HAS GUTS

It seems prayer still upsets some people. When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:

"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance.

We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.

We have abused power and called it politics.

We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!"