Journal – July 4, 2021
II Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
A NATION UNDER GOD
Psalm 20: 1-9
May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob defend you; 2 May He send you help from the sanctuary And strengthen you out of Zion;
3 May He remember all your offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah 4 May He grant you according to your heart’s desire and fulfill all your purpose. 5 We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. 6 Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God. 8 They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright .9 Save, Lord! May the King answer us when we call.
The first five verses are a prayer for David, King of Israel, according to our version he was the author. David was a man of prayer; we do know the circumstances for this prayer, but it appears the king has gone to the tabernacle to pray before leading the army into battle with their enemies. The prayer reminds us that the king is religiously devout for he has offered up sacrifces. A nation is blessed if it is favored with godly leaders.
On Independence Day 2021 I think it is fitting that we remind ourselves about this nation, our rich heritage, and God’s amazing grace, because there are some who desire to destroy all of this and make us a 3rd rate banana republic, with Socialism as our form of government. NOT ME!!! I thank God for those of you who have been home schooled and have not been fed this garbage fed by our public schools that our founding was by white Europeans that make slavery the basis for our land.
What about our country? This Psalm speaks of a time when America had such leaders in our 245-year history; but today if you listen to some evangelicals that are so duped by liberal professors they speak of our deists, skeptics, or unbelievers—well there were many. But since it is necessary to correct this national error and remind ourselves of our nations leading figures. John Winthrop the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony wrote the following at the age of twenty-four. “I desire to make it one of my chief petitions to have that grace to be poor in spirit. I will ever walk humbly before my God, and meekly, mildly and gentle towards all men. . . . I do resolve first to give myself—my life, my wits, my health, my wealth—to the service of my God and Savior who by giving Himself for me and to me, deserves whatsoever I am or can be, to be at His commandment and for His glory.”
George Washington, a devout Anglican, wrote in his youth. ”O God, who art rich in mercy and plenteous in redemption, mark not, I beseech thee, what I have done amiss, remember that I am but dust, and remit my transgressions, negligences, and cover them all with the absolute obedience of thy dear Son, that those sacrifices (of sin, praise and thanksgiving) which I have offered may be accepted by thee, in and for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ offered on the cross for me. . . .Direct my thoughts, words and work, wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the Lamb, and purge my heart by the Holy Spirit.”
In Philadelphia, when the vote for American independence was taken on July 4, 1776, there was a moment of solemn silence after which Samuel Adams spoke. He voiced what many were thinking: “We have this day restored the Sovereign to whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and. . . .from the rising to the setting sun. May His kingdom come.”
Even Benjamin Franklin, who was not a Christian but who had deep respect for many who were, broke a serious deadlock in the debate over the American Constitution in 1778 by calling for daily prayer. He was eighty-one years old at the time. In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. . . . And have we now forgotten this powerful Friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance? I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see this of this truth: “that God governs in the affairs of man.” And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?
We have been assured, sir, in the sacred writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building, no better than the builders of Babel; we shall be divided by our little, partial local interests; our projects will be confounded; and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a byword down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing government by human wisdom and leave it to chance, war, or conquest.
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention did pray and God again did answer. The results were the first written constitution in history in which representatives of a people sat down to devise the principles and laws by which they would be governed. Our constitution became a monument to freedom and an inspiration for millions who yearn for it. On Independence Day 2021 I think it is fitting that we remind ourselves about this nation, our rich heritage, and God’s amazing grace; because there are some who desire to destroy all of this and make us a 3rd rate banana republic, with Socialism as our form of government. NOT ME!!! I thank God for those of you who have been home schooled and have not been fed this garbage that our founding was by white Europeans that made slavery the basis for our land.
Now there are a couple of instances I would like to observe before moving on, we don’t hear much about the history of England. There was a victory over the Spanish Armada in the days of Queen Elizabeth 1. The fate of the English Reformation was at stake in that battle, as well as the English throne. The Spanish ships outnumbered the English, Spain was a mighty power. People all over England were praying, as a result, the English navy achieved a stunning victory, and the work begun on the southern portion of the channel was completed by a sudden and unexpected storm which drove the escaping Spanish ships northward and wrecked most of them on the rocks off the coast of Scotland. A second deliverance was given at Dunkirk when God sent unseasonably calm weather allowing England to evacuate its European Expeditionary Force in the face of what seemed to be certain destruction by Hitler’s encircling panzer division. On that day many in England were praying the very words of this Psalm.
What about our country? America had many such people at one time. But we have fallen
along way from those early days of divine blessing, haven’t we? Sadly, I must say it is so, it is difficult to point to many leaders and Politician’s that are genuinely prayerful or devout or who openly seek God’s blessings and guidance for our national affairs. I want you to read and consider the last verse of our text O Lord save the king! Answer us when we call.
Now don’t get bent out of shape about ‘King’, the reference is to the leader of the land, the same applies to the president. For a moment I want you to think about Benjamin Franklin, history tells us that he was a Deist, but it is hard to believe because a true Deist believes that at the creation God wound the world up like a clock and is sitting back watching it run down without interfering. Franklin made quite a few speeches suggesting that prayer be made to God and quoted events from Scripture. Prayers were made, the requests happened. I know you can say that was then but today it is different. Well after the Second World War was over the people of Romania wanted to get rid of socialism. The president, Nicolae Ceausescu, stated that apple trees would bear pears before socialism ceased to be in Romania. He never lived to see how wrong he was. The populace set up vigils around the homes of the Protestant Pastors demanding that socialism be cancelled, the police fired upon them, some were wounded but the people won and called it God’s miracle.
Now we who enjoy God’s protection, have His promise, are we willing to step out in faith and rid our land of the error that threatens us? If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways then I will hear from heaven and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14. If we really give it an honest try, I believe God will move on our behalf. Think of it, Americans on their face before a holy and omnipotent God, what miracles we would see! But if we continue down the path of forgetting and denying God we will be overwhelmed by tyranny despite our religious roots.
Younger Catechism Question 104
Q: Why did Christ appoint these sacraments?
A: To distinguish His disciples from the world, and to comfort and strengthen them.
Matthew 28:18-19a
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them. . .”