​Millions of citizens in our nation are fussing, fuming, feuding, and fighting over politics.
 
No matter who is pushing agenda buttons, little, if any, progress is being made to restore our nation to the principles our founding fathers instituted in The Constitution and Bill of Rights.
 
The foundation of their deliberations and decisions were grounded in Judeo/Christian truth and principles revealed in the Bible. Almighty God set America apart as a Christian nation to be a bright, shining witness to a world lost in spiritual darkness.  
 
I am emotionally frazzled, worn out if you will.  Maybe you are too. Why? Because men and women in authority and their Kool Aid drinking followers are missing the mark regarding what America should look and act like. Its like a person shooting a bow and arrow who strikes the target, but never hits the bullseye.
 

• My friend, America’s greatest, deepest, and most pressing need is not political, social, racial, or economic. It is spiritual and moral.

 
So, what is the solution for our moral drift and spiritual waywardness?
 
I am glad I asked. Concerned Christians across America are faithfully and fervently praying for revival, and rightly so. But a revival of what?
 

• A revival of righteousness is what our nation needs. 

 
To revive means to live again, to quicken. Righteous simply means acting in accordance with divine or moral law, justified. To be righteous is to be made right. Right what?  Right in the sight of the Lord.
 
God is serious about righteousness. The words righteous, righteousness and unrighteous are used no less than five hundred and ten times in the Bible. The word right is also used many, many times. God cares immensely about what is right or wrong.
 

• A revival of righteousness is all about living again in right relationship with the Living God of the Bible and doing what is right in His sight.   

 
The wisdom writer Solomon makes it clear about what makes a nation great in God’s eyes. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Proverbs 14:34.
Sin, choosing to disobey God’s Word and will is disgraceful, a curse that robs a nation of God’s favor and blessing. On the other hand, righteousness exalts, promotes, prospers, and blesses a nation. I like the blessing hand, how about you?
 
Christians are the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Righteousness is secured through God’s only Son who died on the Cross.  His blood, shed for the forgiveness of sins, makes the unrighteous righteous.
 

• Getting our life right with Jesus makes our life right with God.

 
The Bible, God’s holy Word, is the blueprint for a righteous life and a country’s conduct.
 
What A Righteous Nation Would Look Like
  

• The God of the Bible would be reverenced, respected, worshiped and obeyed.,
• The Bible would be sacred, taught and obeyed for what it is, God’s Word.
• Freedom of worship would be firmly established as a sacred, God-given right.
• From the womb to the tomb, human life would be protected, promoted, and celebrated.
• Marriage between one man and one woman for life would be honored and held in high esteem.  
• Sexual immorality, moral perversion, and promiscuous sexual behavior would not be tolerated. Sexual purity according to the Bible would be the standard of the day.
• Racial prejudice would be non-existent because God’s love for one another, regardless of skin color, would triumph over hate. 
• Law, order, and justice would be upheld with no respect to persons in any way.
• Corruption would be exposed and disposed by God-fearing authorities.
• Any form of abuse of other human beings would be swiftly dealt with to the fullest extent of the law.
• Our nation would be grateful to God for His abundant blessings in our lives.

 
My spirit yearns for and groans within for a Holy Spirit empowered revival of righteousness that would sweep across our country, purifying our hearts and cleansing us morally.  I would love to spend the rest of my days raising up and handing off to my children and grandchildren a righteous nation. How about you?
 
Bottom line America: Being in right relationship with God and doing what is right in His sight blesses individuals and a nation.   
 

• My fellow Christians and all who do not know Christ as your personal Lord and Savior:  Get right with God. Stay right with God. Live right for God. Live right for people in God’s holy name.  

 

• Please join me in praying every single day for a revival of righteousness to spread like a spiritual wildfire from coast to coast across this nation we love and thank the Lord for.  

 
“How blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times.” Psalm 106:3
 
“For there they are in great dread, for God is with the righteous generation.” Psalm 14:5
 
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has formed for His own inheritance.” Psalms 33:12
 
‘If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray, seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14
 
A Word For Your Week: America’s only hope is in returning to righteousness.

It warms my heart to hear people say and sing GOD BLESS AMERICA.
 
Indeed, America is a blessed nation when it comes to prosperity, comfort, our history and opportunity. No question the United States is the most blessed nation on earth regarding natural things.
 
But reality is this; can God bless us today in our spiritual and moral life?  
 
Almighty God, our Creator and Redemer cannot and never will bless sinful individuals and a sinful nation. We fool ourselves if we sing God bless America yet continue to live sinful lives in the sight of the One we ask to bless us. 
 
Spiritually and morally the United States is losing her way in a hurry. I wonder if we can call ourselves blessed when the vast majority of our citizens have willfully wandered from the Word of God.
 
According to Webster, blessed in relation to man means “to enjoy happiness, to enjoy the bliss of heaven, to bring pleasure and contentment.” Certainly, everyone in his or her right mind wants to be blessed don’t they? I know I do. But how can a man or nation be blessed, especially by God?
 
David lays out personal and national blessing in our word for this week.
 
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen for His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12
 

• Blessed nations make God the Lord of the land. Lord means supreme leader. Top dog. Head Fred (in a holy sense) if you will! When the God of the Bible is Lord, when people reverently and obediently look to Him to call the shots, a country is not cursed, but blessed.

 

• Acknowledging the Lordship of Jesus Christ blesses a nation. When Jesus Christ, who is the only true and living God, rules and reigns in the hearts of a people, then, and only then, can a nation be blessed by God.

           
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to a people.”  Proverbs 14:34
 

• Righteous living blesses a nation. Righteousness means what is right. So ,what is right? What is right in the sight in God is what is right. Right and wrong is determined by our Maker, not man. Living right, according to the Bible, lifts up a people. Sin, living wrong, in defiance of God’s holy standards, brings down a nation. Instead of being graced by God, a sinful people bring disgrace upon themselves.

 

• Righteousness is the need of this perilous hour. If we want America to be blessed and exalted, God’s righteousness, which has been provided for us by the sacrifice of His only Son Jesus Christ, must reign in the heart of citizens who humble themselves before the Lord, repent of their sins and return to Him.  

 
Our nation’s spiritual life and moral future is not about rhetoric; it is about repentance and righteousness. It is not about haughtiness or personal happiness; it is about humility and holiness. It is not about playing or paying; it is about praying. It is not about handouts; it is about reaching out with our hands to God for help. It is not about winning someone over to a political point of view; it is about turning from our wicked ways.
 
Being blessed as a nation is all about turning to God with repentant hearts and receiving His forgiveness…then He will heal our land.
 
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, pray, seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14
 
The people who know the Lord and those who don’t must fulfill the above verse if America is to be blessed by the heart and hand of God.  
 
Ø  My friend, join with me in praying for spiritual and moral revival to sweep across America so we may once again consider ourselves blessed by God.
 
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer for them is their salvation.” Romans 10:1
 
Ø  If America is to be a truly blessed nation, it is up to people like you and me to love and lead others to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
 
 A Word For Your Week: The blessings of God on His terms is America’s greatest need and only hope.
 

​“My gosh, I cannot believe this is happening.” Many people are feeling this way these days. 

• Are you surprised at negative things that are happening in our society and world?

 
Let’s list some negatives. Abortion. Homosexuality. Same sex marriage. Transgender perversion.  DEI. Unemployment. Home invasions. Family slayings. Terrorist attacks. Runaway inflation. Unprecedented debt loads and deficits. Corporate and personal greed. Political corruption. Government intrusion and overreach.  Discrimination. Wealth redistribution. Moral scandals. 
 
Worldwide pandemics. Catastrophic natural disasters. Disrespect for lawful authority. Cancel culture. Intolerance. Division. Disunity.  Hostility. Violence. Lack of self-control. Unconstitutional legislation aimed at curbing free speech and the right to bear arms.
 
 Anti-Christian attitudes. Scathing attacks on Christian values. Public maligning and mockery of all things innocent, pure, holy, and decent. 

• Sadly, America has lost its spiritual bearing. Our moral compass is broken. 

 
The people of the United States have blown huge holes in our moral cover. Evil runs rampant, unrestrained. Unrighteousness is not only tolerated but is becoming the order of the day. Clearly, most of our people have lost their way, hurtling blindly toward the hellish abyss of a Christ-less culture. A day of reckoning is coming. 
            

• Personally, I am appalled, angered and deeply saddened, but not surprised, by what is transpiring in my country. I am grieved in spirit, mourning that we have turned our backs on God.

 

• Daily I must keep my faith focused and guard my personal peace.

 

• The truth is Christians should not be surprised about what is happening. God’s Word says it will happen. 

 
Peter, writing in a day when Christians suffered persecution from the hands of an evil, unbelieving, anti-Christian society wrote to God’s divinely loved ones.
 
 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.” I Peter 4:12
 
Fellow Christians, the “fiery trial” you are experiencing is “no strange thing” if you name the name of Christ. Honestly, the world’s opposition to your faith and mine should be familiar to you by now. It is a daily occurrence if you are a believer who does not have his/her head buried in the sand.  
 
So, what were Christians to do? The exhortation is clear: “Do not be surprised” and “keep on rejoicing.”  Rejoice? Are you serious Peter? Do you have a loose screw or two brother? Has persecution’s heat melted your mind? 
 
NOT AT ALL! Peter had a sound mind in Christ. He understood the times in which he lived. He knew trials would test our faith. Peter qualifies his statement in verse 12 with a further explanation in verses 13-16.
 
“But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name, let Him glorify God.” 

• Wow! Talk about a big-picture perspective. Hey believer…. do not be surprised at what is happening. Rejoice instead. Why? 

 
You are blessed, yes blessed, not cursed, when as a Christian you share in the sufferings of Christ. Do not be surprised when the world attacks you, your faith and your values. The world persecuted Christ, so they will persecute you who bear His name. Do not be ashamed of your relationship with Jesus Christ. Stand firm in your faith. Glorify God amid the societal shaking going on. 
 
Peter is saying that when the time when all this anti-Christian persecution is fulfilled (and only God knows the exact time), Jesus will return for His holy bride the church. Jesus is coming back! He said He would. While we wait expectantly for Jesus to appear, the Lord expects His followers to not be surprised by the suffering and persecution that is setting the stage for His glorious return.   

• What does this word mean for you and me? It helps steady us when we read or hear the latest breaking news which I encourage you to tune out and turn off!  

 

• I do not rejoice in what is happening. I do rejoice in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is running the real show.  

 
Things will proceed from bad to worse before the return of Christ. Please read Matthew 24, II Timothy 3:1-14 and Jude 10-25. If you think things cannot get any worse, think again! All of this is setting the stage for the glorious return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 
Do not be surprised. What we are experiencing is predictable. 
 
Take heart fellow Christian. Rejoice. Do not be surprised by the fiery trial upon us. Stay prayed up. Confess the Word. Walk in God’s wisdom. Hold your head up high in Christ. Stand up boldly for Him. Persevere. Endure. Guard your peace. Share your faith. Encourage others to look to the Lord during these tumultuous and troublesome times.     
 
I would not be surprised if Jesus, in all His glory, accompanied by the heavenly host, splits the eastern sky soon and catches us away to heaven! 
 
I am ready…. how about you and your loved ones? 
 
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.
 
“Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God…For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” 
                                                                                                            II Timothy 2:8, 12 
 
“You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
                                                                                                                        James 3:8
 
A Word For Your Week: Do not be surprised by things that should not surprise you. 
 

​Recently I met with someone facing a critical life decision. After I gave counsel to this person, they shrugged their shoulders and commented “I guess I will just take my chances and hope things work out all right.”
 

• Life is not about chance.

 

• Destiny is not determined by the toss of a coin or the roll of the dice. Life’s direction and destination is determined by choice.

 
It is an inescapable fact: DECISIONS DETERMINE DESTINY.
 
Joshua fully understood this timeless truth. At the end of his earthly life, Joshua challenged God’s people to make a choice.
 
“Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the lord.”  Joshua 24:15
 
The choice was simple: Israel could choose to serve the Lord or not. Joshua had already made his decision: he and his family would serve the Lord. But what would Israel do? Their choice would have significant consequences.
 

• From firsthand experience with God’s people Joshua knew that decisions determine destiny.

 
Joshua traveled with Israel from the exodus from Egypt to the crossing of the Jordan into the promised land of Canaan. A journey that should have taken a mere fourteen days ended up lasting forty years! How could that have ever happened? I guess they did not have MapQuest and Global Positioning Satellites at their disposal.
 

• A pivotal decision was the difference between two weeks and four decades.  

 
That destiny determining decision was made at the critical crossroads called Kadesh-Barnea. You can study the scenario in Numbers 13 and 14. In summary, Moses instructed twelve tribal leaders to spy out the land and bring back its fruit. God’s plan was for them to go in and take the land God had already given to them by promise. They were told to be courageous.
 
Returning from their covert mission, they showed Moses the fantastic fruit. There were some giants and fortified cities too. But the land belonged to Israel. God assured His people of success if they would trust Him and obey his Word.
 

• To go or not to go was the decision. To live or die was the destiny.

 
 Ten negative spies gave a depressing report. Paralyzed by fear, they personally chose not to go and lobbied the people to say no to God’s go. Two positive spies gave a glowing minority report. Joshua and Caleb were ready to rock and roll. The fruit was ripe for picking and the giants were set up by God for a licking! Fearless and full of faith, they were eager to inherit what God had promised.
 

• Decision time. The bad report was accepted. Good report rejected. No go.

 
The decision to accept the bad report of the majority resulted in God’s judgment. Doubting lead to death in the desert. No milk and honey nut cheerios for the fearful, faithless crowd. The doubters spun their wheels in the wilderness until one after another dropped dead in the burning desert sand.
 
Not only did the doubters die, but their innocent children had to experience their parents’ painful expiration. In addition to this they wasted forty years of their lives in the wilderness because of the faithlessness and foolishness of their fathers.
 

• Our decisions not only affect our destiny, but the destinies of everyone connected to us.

 

• PRINCIPLE: THE MAJORITY CAN BE WRONG!

 
But God remembered Joshua and Caleb. They were spared judgment because they made a different decision. All of God’s people under the age of twenty were also shown mercy and spared. Their destiny would be given another chance when they decided to follow Joshua and Caleb across the river forty years later. 
 
Joshua’s decisions determined his destiny. He physically entered the Promised Land. Jericho, which he conquered, is mentioned in the hall of fame of faith in Hebrews 11. And of course, upon his death, he received his ultimate destiny of eternal fellowship in heaven with the Lord God whom he had served on earth.     
 

• It is an inescapable fact of life: DECISIONS DETERMINE DESTINY.

 
Directions For Making Destiny Decisions
 
1. Search the scripture. Does the decision you want to make line up with the Word of God? Is there biblical backing for the course you wish to take? What scriptural examples are similar to your situation and shed light on the decision you should make?
 
·      Be certain that you have clear direction from God’s Word that this decision is His will for you.
 
2. Seek the Lord. Talk to God about your decision. Spend time alone with Him in prayer. Lay your decision before the Lord. Ask Him what you should do. Make sure you take time to listen for His voice. He will direct you if you seek His direction with all your heart.
 
·      Know in your heart that you have heard the spirit of God say to you, “this is the way, walk in it….. (Isaiah 30:21).
 
           
3. Share with a trusted friend. Bounce your decision off a Christian friend. Inform them of your plans. Then, sit back and receive their honest input. See if they see wisdom in your proposed decision. Remember, the power of agreement is powerful.
 
·      Make your decision with the backing of wise, mature believers in Christ.  
 
4. Step out by faith and walk out your decision. When you have made your choice, carry it out with confidence. Charge forward by faith to fulfill your destiny that this decision determines. You can go forward and fulfill God’s destiny for your life!
 
·      Be bold about the decision you make and the direction you take!
 
WARNING TO THE WISE: Because DECISIONS DETERMINE DESTINY, do not take any major decision lightly. Never make destiny determining decisions when tired, under pressure, burned out, angry, discouraged or depressed. Never delegate your destiny decisions to someone else. Always give serious, thoughtful, prayerful attention to decisions that determine your future.
 
Ø  Are you at a major decision crossroads at this time in your life? Trust the Lord to direct your steps every step of the way. It is not possible for your Heavenly Father to misguide or misdirect you!
 
·      Go ahead with confident faith and make a destiny decision this week.
 
“Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it.”                  Numbers 13:30
 
A Word For Your Week:  DECISIONS DETERMINE DESTINY…CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES.