Daily Devotional March 3rd 2021: God Bless America, but First...

Someone recently commented that responding to "God bless America" with "But first, America must bless God." here on the site was awkward, that it constitutes preaching to the already converted, to the choir, to those who are not responsible for the godless acts that are suffocating America and other once God-fearing nations with their godless evil. But that's not how God sees it. Scripture states:

Matthew 6:33
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Matthew 5:6
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

John 5:30
“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” 

My response was this:

It is the Christian church that has failed the country in the US, the UK, and elsewhere.

We cannot call ourselves a God-trusting nation if we permit the rise of that which is an abomination to the Lord without standing up for God's righteousness.

Man is fallible; we make mistakes; we are misled, and the greatest culprits in the pulpits are the preachers who don't address sin and repentance, who instead enrich themselves with the prosperity gospel (send us $100, it will be multiplied to you), or those that make globalist agendas their denominational doctrine. That's what's awkward.

Matthew 6:33
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

America must bless God before God can bless America.

The highest echelons of the church are misleading their flocks. Some denominational leaders preach the prosperity gospel, raking in millions of dollars while living in lavish mansions protected by armed security, crisscrossing the globe in private jets, and yet do little for the billions of people in desperate need. Some are false prophets and misleading teachers who align with the worldly religion of Marxism and globalism, the -isms. Commun-ism, Marx-ism, Global-ism, Social-ism. There is no -ism in Christianity. Here is an example of globalism-aligned false teaching:

A Second Flood?

The leader of Catholicism recently warned about the dangers of man-made global warming and corruption and injustices. Now, all righteous people hate corruption and injustice, for it is ungodly. But the mix-and-match doesn't add up because God promised their would never be a second flood. 

The First Flood

Genesis 6:17
“And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.”

The Second Flood

Genesis 9:11
“And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.”

Genesis 9-11, nevertheless.

Global Warming

Genesis 8:22
“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

... cold and heat... summer and winter... shall not cease. 

Who do you choose to believe? 

 But God never promised there won't be any more fire and brimstone events as it was in Sodom and Gomorrah and its surrounding cities.

Psalms 11:6
“Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.”

Revelation 14:10
“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:”

Revelation 21:8
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” 

The chapters of the Old Testament are filled with events of the nation of Israel suffering because they had forgotten their God; they had turned away from God to worship other gods, they had become wicked, engaging in adultery, fornication, and sodomy, just as it is happening in this once godly nation. History shows us nation after nation fall when they turn away from God.

 Don't we then better bless God, do His will, adhere to His statutes, and live righteously before we can expect Him to continue to bless this nation?

Hosea 4:6
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”   

Do you consider this nation rejected, or protected? Are you taking responsibility, or are you pointing at them, the godless?
It is OUR responsibility to reject evil. It is our responsibility to preach the gospel. It is God's command.

Mark 16:15
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” 

How to Pray

Always address our Heavenly Father, and pray in the name of Jesus.
Start by blessing God, and worship Him.
For hearts to be open, for ears that hear and eyes that see. 
Pray that Father God will give your loved ones His thoughts. He can poke their intellect with questions and cause them to see holes in the world’s indoctrinations. 
Pray that the Lord will raise up leaders in the body of Christ, and provide opportunities for relationships with hurting people. 
May we remain humble, weather temptation, and speak the truth in love. May the body of Christ stand for truth.

2 Chronicles 7:14
“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.”

2 Timothy 2:24 - 2:26
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all [men], apt to teach, patient,
25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
26 And [that] they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

In Jesus' name
Amen

Parts of the prayer suggestions by Lori Colley at Praying Citizen

#Devotional #Scripture4TheDay #justice #prayForTheEnemy #faith #blessGod

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