Notes from this week's podcast: Are You a Blessing to God?

I want us to think about what might be on God's mind as we celebrate the 4th of July, the birth of this nation and what God did -- the "but God" moments that God did to birth this nation for us to remember Him and the purpose of this nation. 

God instructs us today to remember Him.

On the 4th of July, one thing we want to remember is what God did and what He went through to move through the heart of men and to move through circumstances to birth this nation. And then we celebrate God, celebrate the birth of this nation, and we celebrate our freedom, celebrate our religious freedom.

What was it that God was doing when He had America on His mind before He ever birthed it? It was to bring forth a nation, a people that knew God, lived for God, feared God, and would help spread the Gospel throughout the four corners of the earth. There was also, at that time, a plot of the enemy -- a plan for the people to forget God and for the people to be silenced that we would not share God, we would not share our faith, we would not remember what God did.

Today, this 4th of July, let us remember why God birthed us so that we would love God and obey God and be His witness around the world. It's not about us, what we can acquire for ourselves. This 4th of July, let's say: America, let's bless God. Bless God for what He has done. Because God promises to bless us. How does He bless us? Of course, out of obedience. And when we don't obey God -- when we forsake the ways of God, He brings things about to turn our hearts back to Him.

So God has called us and established America to be His witness in this land. And so God went through some extreme measures to discover this land, to put a people on this land that had God in their hearts and believed God and wanted to live for God -- wanted to live under religious freedom, not tyranny. 

There are a couple of things I want to remind us of -- the "but God" moments, how God brought this land into an existence for this religious freedom to help spread the Gospel.

We all remember "1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." Why? Looking for this land. He was an Italian who set sail to discover the world and the new land that he founded (Asia, known as China, the Bahamas, the Indies). In the 1600s, God was hiding America. He didn't allow it to be found and established then. Why was He hiding it from the free world then? Because He had a purpose for it.

It was for His name's sake, for His glory, not to elevate man.

Across the pond, He was working to revive His Word because the availability of the written word is what brought about the Protestant Reformation. The Church of England was the official church of the government, so the Catholics and the Puritans separated from the Church of England. The Catholics looked to the Pope. The Puritans looked to the Bible. They were realizing that they needed the Word of God for themselves. The Puritans wanted religious freedom. 

Some who were coming to America were focused on wealth and personal gain. But there was a segment of people who came because they wanted to live pursuant to the Word of God.

In the 1600s, there was a group who had permission to land at Jamestown. The King of England had granted them permission. (He still owned the land.) These pilgrims sought this religious freedom from the church government of England, thought that every person should be independent, and they should be self-governing. 

In 1620, God allows this land that had been "hidden" to be discovered, developed for His name's sake so that the Gospel would go around the world. The Mayflower set sail for America. (There were 35 Prostestants + 16 who were coming to America for economic gain.) But God brought a storm that pushed that ship to land at Cape Cod during the winter. It was diving Providence to experience this winter, encounter the Indians, pin the Mayflower Compact. They all knew their purpose for getting off that ship, touching their feet to this land. The would be a defender of the faith, having undertaken for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith. They knew why they had taken this journey -- not only for them but for the glory of God. 

We're to remember that this land was brought forth for the glory of God. So why did God insist that the Pilgrims land at Cape Cod and not in Jamestown? God had reserved land just for them. A few years before they had arrived in that area, it was filled with fierce Indian tribes, who would have killed all of them. But in 1617, there was a plague that wiped out an entire Indian tribe. So they were not there when the Pilgrims stepped on the land in Massachusetts. 

But an Indian by the name of Squanto (who had been captured in the 1600s, went over to England, learned the English language, came back to the land) was there and taught the early settlers how to survive in the land during these rough times -- taught them survival skills for the new land (which brought the First Thanksgiving). 

This land they discovered, they could now fulfill Scriptures mandate: occupy until I come. See, God had given Christians this land so that we would stand and occupy the land for His name's sake, until Christ returns. 

Following this, the Revolution came. America had to fight against the British for our independence. And we won our independence. God allowed some " but God" moments during that Revolution for us to seal the ownership of this land. And on July 4th, 1776, The Continental Congress declared the United States an independent State (actually signed on August 2nd, 1776, and delivered to Britain to declare independence in November 1776).

Today, in this season, we remember July 4th as a day, a declaration of independence. We are independent in ourself so that we can claim to be dependent upon Father God. The enemy wants to snatch this land so that he can take away your freedom, so he can take away our dependence upon Father God and be forced to depend upon a dictator, a ruler that would snuff out the name of God.

So many Christians have fallen asleep and need to wake up and pray. This 4th of July, we need to praise God for the birth of this nation that we can be independent so that we can depend on God and live for God. We've got to turn back to our purpose. We're headed back to oppression and bondage. So, we need to remember our freedom but also our responsibility. We've got to cry out to God and pray:

God, as You caused them to sail into that harbor, survive that storm and that winter all for Your purpose. God, would You help us to get back on track where You want us to go as a nation? As we cry out to You and remember You, as we are faithful witnesses for Christ.

We need to repent. We've defiled the land. We have propped ourselves up on a pedestal. And we've become an idol. We want to satisfy ourselves first. America, you're too young to die. If we return, God said He will bless us. Our authority is in the Word of God. It's the foundation of our moral principles. 

It's about being a blessing to Father God. Are you focused on being a blessing to God? Let's join God in His purpose. Let's join God in His celebration, this July 4th, for a nation that is one nation under God. Let's bless God, exalt God in the way we think, act, respond, by our witness, sharing our faith, praying for others. Make the opportunity to pray for our nation -- that our nation will wake up, that Christians will wake up because we are too young to die. There's work to do. The Gospel needs to go out. 

How do people need to see God this July 4th? Through you and through me -- our lives reflecting the Word of God. 

God, You stand ready to bless America. You want to pour out Your favor.  

Scripture for further study: Exodus 3:15, Luke 19:13, Revelation 2:4