Given the times and political climate we live in, and considering the 250th anniversary of the birth of the USA in the Declaration of Independence that we are rapidly approaching; I know that many believers, no matter their political persuasion are hurting and discouraged by the current state of division that exists on any number of levels in the nation and in many arenas of lifestyle and influence. And, I understand that, I am all too often swallowed up by news channel information that tends to get me a bit too exercised in passion that I often wish were matched in my zeal for the LORD and His eternal purpose.
And that is just the point! If after all the writing, speaking, energy expended (books, podcast, films, prophecy, voicing concern, and railing and ranting) on the issues of our time; have the warnings to the culture been heard? Has much been changed?
Many believers have acted as if the Eternal Purpose of God and the Kingdom is in jeopardy. May I encourage you today, It Is Not!
Our God still has an eternal purpose for us, and for man, in the earth. May I suggest, as in all things and particularly the building and manifestation of the Kingdom, we can easily be distracted (by principalities and powers) to run to the wrong battle, fight the wrong fights, resulting in wasting time and resources. We must remember, as Israel coming into the promised land had proven to them many times, that the battle is the LORD’s. We get our orders from Him. If we battle on our own abilities, and from our understanding, we will be discouraged and defeated. You see, we co-labor WITH Him in the building and defense of the Kingdom and restoring the temple. We don’t labor FOR HIM. To do that is to displace, replace, usurp Him. We do not force Him to do anything by our labor or even our prayer based on our desire or sense of justice. Even if we most passionately and sincerely call on Him to do so. He has a plan and a blueprint that is His and He will not divert to ours.
As we look at 250 years as the American nation, it is obvious God has favored us, and made us a great and powerful nation. Our history, despite some darker moments and positions that have been and continue to be worked on, is that of a glorious past and His hand upon us.
That being said, it is important that we believers, here in the USA, not get too proud of accomplishments by “our” nation, nor too discouraged by what many, if not most, see as its current decline. The future and destiny of our nation beyond 250 years, not to mention that of the Kingdom of God, is in God’s hands and is permanently secure there. Much, much, much more so than if it were our hands and control. You see, it is not about us,… Republicans or Democrats, who is President, Muslims and Jews, Israel or Ukraine, fossil fuel or green energy, etc. They all matter in our present state, but they are not prime determining factors apart from being tools in His hands and for His purpose. God uses all nations and rulers according to His eternal purpose and plan. In His omniscience He is not surprised. In His sovereignty He is in control. He uses nations and their leaders as He will. ( [Proverbs 21:1 NASB95] 1 The king’s heart is [like] channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes. ) And we, as the church, His (Jesus) body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all (Ephesians 1:22-23) are the prime determining factor on the face of the planet today. What He is doing, and will do, He will do through us as a primary tool.
As the church/believers in the midst of a great nation we have a responsibility as ambassadors of the Kingdom to represent our King and stay focused on His purposes, even as we are living in “our” earthly nation and surrounded by distraction.
[Philippians 3:20 NASB95] 20For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
I sometimes think the Lord chastises us, and the nation in particular, through various leaders and political situations hoping to bring our attention and hope back to Him. Our nation was founded on the principle of God given rights and liberty. We constructed, a bit after the declaration, a constitution and government that severely limited government and protected individual rights. It has been a blessing to us among all nations on earth. But, over the last 50 – 70 years (post WWII) we have seen that liberty move more and more toward an occasion to the flesh, if you will.
Independence and rugged individualism, trusting our intellect and technologies and our wealth and money has led us far from the idea of dependence on the LORD/Jesus, and more into depending on ourselves. As I indicated, I think we often leave the Father no choice but to break our willfulness, but not our spirit and commitment to liberty, through chastising us to bring us back to understanding His eternal purpose in us as the church and Kingdom…as well as our earthly nation.
Self sufficiency and the pride of reaching Him in our own way results in Babylon and of needs must be humbled.
[Genesis 11:4 NASB95] 4 They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top [will reach] into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
Many years ago the political mantra of one campaign was “Yes! We Can”. It would have fit in well in Babylon as the people sought to reach heaven on their own terms and to make a name for themselves. That attitude is far removed from Jesus’ instruction, which we as His body have charge to manifest,… apart from me you can do nothing!
[John 15:4-6 NASB95] 4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither [can] you unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
It is obvious nothing really matters for us but abiding in, being in, Him.
Trump, Newsom, Netanyahu, Putin, Zelenskyy all join a long line of others Pharoah, Caesar, Herod, Pilate who held position in nations, and in His hand, but were only like channels of water through His hand for His purpose, and held next to no effect on Jesus nor the Father’s eternal purpose in Him.
We must not confuse the Kingdom of God and His eternal purpose with the temporal. Some believer’s make this mistake and give our nation, albeit a great nation, too much weight equating it with eternal purpose and even the Kingdom of God. Yes, He loves us and has used us, has bestowed favor upon us, and has blessed other nations and peoples through us. And, He has blessed us above all nations in many ways. But, we must remember His heart is for all His creation and man, and they will all one day be required to come before Him, and bow the knee before Jesus and confess that Jesus is LORD to the glory of the Father ( Philippians 2:11). Jesus alone is central to His eternal purpose.
As the church/ekklesia, manifesting the fullness of Christ Jesus and His Kingdom, as His body and as His peculiar people may we be the kind of salt and light that calls our nation, as we celebrate 250 years of Declaring our Independence and liberty, to dependence on and abiding in Jesus in God’s eternal purpose. Let us call all to Him and recognize Him as LORD now.
[1Peter 2:4-5, 9-10 NASB95] 4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
… 9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE , A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR [God’s] OWN POSSESSION (KJV- peculiar people), so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
Let us consider that our God will not share His glory with those captive in Babylon, trying to reach heaven/Him in their own way, through their own plans, building with bricks (instead of stone, God’s preferred building material), and mostly…. trying to make a name for themselves. Let us call ourselves and others unto Him, laying down our idols of material wealth, technology, and more… tearing down the high places where the culture has called our youth and others to sacrifice before idols of – sex -drugs -“my truth” – and more. The end of worship of these idols of our own making on these high places is being deluded and disillusioned by gods of our on making.
May we give an example of commitment to the one true King and His Kingdom in our love for Him and each other, and in trusting nothing but Him. Jesus. In that, may we issue a call to radical repentance and joining us in co-laboring WITH Him in building, manifesting, and establishing the first fruits of the Kingdom.
You see, I think with all our (American) resources, God still has purpose in the church… in America… for effecting the world He so loved that He gave Jesus. Let us turn away from Babylon – self made religion and the making a name of ourselves through self made success… even in “our church/fellowship” and a god made in our likeness – and turn to Him that has called us to Himself for an eternal purpose. Let us press on and and into that for which He laid hold of us.
[Philippians 3:12-14 NASB95] 12 Not that I have already obtained [it] or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of [it] yet; but one thing [I do:] forgetting what [lies] behind and reaching forward to what [lies] ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
May this be so for us, and for us as believers (the church/ekklesia)… and, for our part in our nation as we look back at 250 years and having the liberty to press on to His call for what is yet ahead.