God must be first.
In my previous blog I quoted Billy Graham the great American evangelist as saying,
Now although this post is posted on July 12th I actually write it a week or so in advance. Thus the date of my writing is July 2nd. As a result yesterday I was at Canada Day celebrations. Canada was celebrating its 151st year of independence and it was a good party. In just a few days July 4th the United States celebrates its 242 years of independence. And I’m sure Americans will have a good party also.
Both dates are for their respective countries a good time to celebrate. There is nothing wrong with having a big party to celebrate the birth of a nation. And the incredible freedoms both Canada and the United States enjoy.
Believers in Christ Jesus however need to carefully assess at such times where their commitment lies. Is it God first or country first?
It’s easy to get the two entangled especially with the incredible freedoms Canada and the United States have.
Ed Stetzer in a recent article published in Christianity today noted that a survey found,
“...though the U.S. Constitution makes no mention of God, 53 percent of Americans say they believe God and the nation have a special relationship, a concept stretching back to Pilgrim days. Even a third of atheists, agnostics, and those with no religious preference believe America has a special relationship with God.”
Stetzer pointed out that, that same survey said,
“...53% of Protestant pastors felt that their congregations sometimes love America more than they love God.”
Mr Stetzer points out rightly.
“When we love something more than God, the Bible calls that idolatry, and that’s the last thing that Christians should want.”
I couldn’t find any statistics for Canada. But I know of many particularly those claiming to be evangelicals here in Canada believe Canada and the United States have a special relationship with God. With many evangelicals calling the two nations to turn back to God.
Sadly for the most part Canada, the United States and every other nation on the face of the earth with the exception of Israel, have never had a special relationship with God. Therefor they have nothing to turn back too.
They are secular nations that have made many Judao-Christian principles as part of their laws. But there are other principles and traditions from other faiths and even Ancient Roman and Greek principles.
While I firmly believe we should live peacefully in the country of our birth or wherever we live. We should never fall under the delusion that any nation is truly Godly.
As I noted the only country mentioned in the Bible as having a special relationship with God is Israel and we as believers in Christ Jesus need to remember that.
Christians need to remember that we are citizens of Heaven. We need to hear and heed the words of the apostle Peter who said,
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Dear friends,
I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:9-12.
We need to remember the words of God spoken to Israel, recorded in the Book of Exodus, that are equally applicable to true believers in Christ Jesus. Exodus 20:1-7 reads
“And God spoke all these words:
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” Exodus 20:1-7.
Thus the question I would ask you is. What place does God have in your life?
Please think about it.
In my previous blog I quoted Billy Graham the great American evangelist as saying,
“My home is in Heaven.
I'm just travelling through this world.”
Billy Graham.
Billy Graham’s words are something all who claim to be believers in Christ need to consider.Now although this post is posted on July 12th I actually write it a week or so in advance. Thus the date of my writing is July 2nd. As a result yesterday I was at Canada Day celebrations. Canada was celebrating its 151st year of independence and it was a good party. In just a few days July 4th the United States celebrates its 242 years of independence. And I’m sure Americans will have a good party also.
Both dates are for their respective countries a good time to celebrate. There is nothing wrong with having a big party to celebrate the birth of a nation. And the incredible freedoms both Canada and the United States enjoy.
Believers in Christ Jesus however need to carefully assess at such times where their commitment lies. Is it God first or country first?
It’s easy to get the two entangled especially with the incredible freedoms Canada and the United States have.
Ed Stetzer in a recent article published in Christianity today noted that a survey found,
“...though the U.S. Constitution makes no mention of God, 53 percent of Americans say they believe God and the nation have a special relationship, a concept stretching back to Pilgrim days. Even a third of atheists, agnostics, and those with no religious preference believe America has a special relationship with God.”
Stetzer pointed out that, that same survey said,
“...53% of Protestant pastors felt that their congregations sometimes love America more than they love God.”
Mr Stetzer points out rightly.
“When we love something more than God, the Bible calls that idolatry, and that’s the last thing that Christians should want.”
I couldn’t find any statistics for Canada. But I know of many particularly those claiming to be evangelicals here in Canada believe Canada and the United States have a special relationship with God. With many evangelicals calling the two nations to turn back to God.
Sadly for the most part Canada, the United States and every other nation on the face of the earth with the exception of Israel, have never had a special relationship with God. Therefor they have nothing to turn back too.
They are secular nations that have made many Judao-Christian principles as part of their laws. But there are other principles and traditions from other faiths and even Ancient Roman and Greek principles.
While I firmly believe we should live peacefully in the country of our birth or wherever we live. We should never fall under the delusion that any nation is truly Godly.
As I noted the only country mentioned in the Bible as having a special relationship with God is Israel and we as believers in Christ Jesus need to remember that.
Christians need to remember that we are citizens of Heaven. We need to hear and heed the words of the apostle Peter who said,
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Dear friends,
I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:9-12.
We need to remember the words of God spoken to Israel, recorded in the Book of Exodus, that are equally applicable to true believers in Christ Jesus. Exodus 20:1-7 reads
“And God spoke all these words:
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” Exodus 20:1-7.
Thus the question I would ask you is. What place does God have in your life?
Please think about it.
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