THREE SEASONS OF PREPARATION FOR EVERY BELIEVER

When I was about to go into full time ministry my dad took me aside and told that there would be no shortcuts cuts for my life and that God would not make it easy for me.

Little did I know how true that would be as I proceeded out on my own.  God went to great measures to prepare me for what He had planned for me.

Elijah was also a man that God prepared for ministry.  God wanted to use him in a powerful way to stand against an evil king.  He took him through 3 distinct seasons of preparations in his life.

Elijah means – “The Lord Is Jehovah.”

God goes to great lengths to prepare Elijah for a powerful ministry to confront Israels rebellion against God.

THREE SEASONS OF PREPARATION FOR EVERY BELIEVER

1-   A Season of Isolated Pain and Loneliness

I Kings 17:1 says  that Elijah prophesies that there will be “No more rain” because of their rebellion.

In vv. 2-3 God takes him away to a solitary place for a season of ministry to him.

1 Kings 17:2-3 (NKJV) 2  Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 3  "Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.

Cherith, (Hebrew – Kerith) - it means, “cut off,” or it means “cut down.”  It means to be cut off from the source, to be cut off from the blessings, or very literally, it means to cut down like you would chop down a tree.

You could almost sense what God is, is saying here.  It’s as if God is going to say, “I’m going to take you through a season of breaking.  I’m going to cut you down.  I’m going to humble you.  I’m going to teach you to be totally dependent on Me, and I’m going to humble you privately before I use you publicly.  I’m going to do something in you that’s very, very deep, so later on, you can do more than you ever thought possible.  I’m going to take you down privately, so I can use you publicly.”

Psalm 34:18 (NKJV) 18  The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Some of you right now, you, you would say, “Man, I’m living in the Cherith Ravine.  I’m, I’m there.  I’m being broken.  It’s like I’m being cut down.  Those things that I used to depend on, I no longer can depend on.  I’m in the Karith Ravine.”

God may say, “No, you’ve got to understand.  I’m doing something in you.  There’s a preparatory work going on.  I’m teaching you something that you couldn’t learn any other way.  I’m doing this work in you, so I can do more through you.”

2-   A Season of Total And Complete Dependence

1 Kings 17:4-6 (NKJV) 4  And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there." 5  So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 6  The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.

In the middle of a drought, there’s no water at all, and this brook comes up.  In the middle of the drought, no rain, there’s this brook that he gets to drink from.

Then, we’ve got God’s Heavenly catering service.  

These birds go out and find bread and meat, and every morning and every evening, they deliver them straight to the prophet.

What was God doing?  God was very clearly and very distinctly saying that no matter what, and for always, “I will be faithful.  You can count on Me to provide for you.”

Many of you right now, you are in a season where there was something you used to trust in for your security, and it’s been taken away.

You don’t have anything else to trust in, but the giver life and giver of all good things.

You are having to learn that when everything else that you used to believe in fades away, God will forever and always be faithful to you.

Forever and always, God says, “I will be your provider.  When you can’t depend on what you used to be able to depend on, I will deliver what you need.”  

Here’s the cool thing about it is, God didn’t give him two days worth of food.  God didn’t give him a weeks worth of food. God didn’t give him a three-month supply.  What did God give him?  Enough for the day, enough for the day.

Some of you, you are going to learn that right now.

You are in a season where you’re hurting and you’re alone and you’re afraid, but guess what?  God delivers enough for the day.

3-   A Season of Unconditional Obedience

Here’s the third thing that God does with Elijah: God takes him through a season of what I call unconditional obedience.  

There’s isolated pain.  There’s total dependence, and then, there’s a season of unconditional obedience.

1 Kings 17:7-9 (NKJV) 7  And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. 8  Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9  "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you."

Verse 7, the Bible says, “And it happened after a while…”

What happened?  The brook dried up. God then tells him to pack it up and go to Zarepath.

Now, let’s put ourselves in the prophet’s place.  It’s been months that he’s been by this ravine, and it’s been feeding him daily water.

God told him to go there, and then the brook dries up, and God says to move on.

In my mind, I’m starting to think, “Okay, God, where are You?  What’s the purpose of being here?  You gave me water from the brook.  

Now, the water dries up. Did I do something wrong?  You’re telling me to go on.  Did I miss You the first time?  Am I hearing You, God?  I don’t quite understand.  The brook dried up.  Why would the source of what used to feed me dry up?”

And he’s going to learn that the same God who gives water can take water away, because often, God may cause the brook to dry up to give us the courage to leave where we are and to go where we are supposed to be.

God, the same God who gives water, may cause the brook to dry up to give us the courage to take a step of total obedience.

And  God causes him to go into this new place - Zarephath.

He moves, and then he travels to this place, maybe a hundred miles or so, across a barren land.

And he comes and sees this widow, who God says is going to provide for him.

And so he humbles himself, and he says, “I’m really thirsty.  Could you give me some water to drink and maybe a little snack, ‘cause I’m kind of hungry?”

And the widow looks at him and goes, “Are you, are you the only guy that doesn’t know, it hasn’t rained!  We’re dying.  There’s a drought here.  I’m a widow.  I’ve got one son.  He’s back at the house.  I came out here to get some sticks.  I’m going to go make the last meal.  I’ve got a little bit of flour left, and I’ve got a little oil in the jug.  That’s all I’ve got left, enough for one last meal.  We are going to eat, and then we are going to die.”

And because of what God is doing in Elijah’s life, he says, “No, you’re not.”  And he looks at an impossible situation and speaks faith into it.

He says, “The flour that you have will not run out.  And the jar of oil will not run dry.  Go back and bake me some biscuits.”  

And she does, and they ate the biscuits, and the flour did not run out and the oil did not run dry.

And they, they ate, and they ate for weeks and months.  God again, supernaturally provided for Elijah in his unconditional obedience to God.

Then one day, tragedy struck, and the son died mysteriously.  The mom freaked out, as you would expect, and said, “ Is this God’s judgment on me because I turned against the one true god, to these false gods?  Elijah, did you come here so this would happen?”

And Elijah, because of all that had happened, because God was shaping him, did something that to our knowledge had never happened before in history. There’s no previous record of this in the Bible.  

He takes a dead boy, carries him up to the upper room, puts his body on top of him, looks up to Heaven and says, “God, I think You could heal this guy.  I’m asking You to do it,” and God raises a dead boy to life.

Why did this happen?  Because God took him to the Cherith Ravine, where he was cut down.

God took him to a season of total dependence, where he couldn’t depend on anything at all but God, and God alone.

Then, God dried up the brook, so that he would leave where he was, to go to where God ultimately wanted him, so once again, He could perform a miracle and raise the dead back to life.

God used the horrible things to shape him into a true man of God.

How could Elijah have such faith?  Because he had been through the Cherith Ravine.

Some of you right now, you are in a season of, of deep pain, and God may just say, “I’m doing something in you, because one day, I’m going to do more through you.”

Verse 1, Elijah was described as Elijah the Tishbite.  He was known with where’s he’s from.

23 verses later, he’s not known for where he’s from, but instead, for Whom he’s from.  And look at how the story changes.

Verse 24, the end of the story.  The woman of God, He’d just raised her son.  She, she says to Elijah…

1 Kings 17:24 (NKJV) 24  Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is the truth.", “Wow!

God may allow you to go through the Cherith  Ravine, so one day, someone could look at you, say, “Now, I know.  I see it.  I see it.  I see.  Wow!  You are a man/ woman of God.  Now, I see it.  You are child of God.  Now, I see it.  You are a man of God.”

And, I’ll tell you right now, I praise God for all the pain and all the shaping experienced, and all the hurt, and all the brokenness, and all the supernatural provision, and all the unconditional obedience, because I pray that when people look at me today they wouldn’t say, “Oh, yeah, there’s Bill Burnett, that guy from the High Desert.”

But instead, they say, “Oh, there’s Bill Burnett.  He’s not perfect, but we know he is a man of God.”

MIRACLES DON'T HAPPEN IN YOUR COMFORT ZONES

“Then the Lord spoke his word to Elijah, ‘Go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I have commanded a widow there to take care of you.’ So Elijah went to Zarephath” (1 Kings 17:8-10a NCV).

I've been a Christian for a long time. I've watched how God moves and how He brings miracles into our lives.

Yes, we can say that God is sovereign and that He can move in people's lives at any time and at any place.  But I've noticed a pattern about God and miracles - that miracles often take place when we are at our wits end and when we are most desperate in life.  

I've also noticed that when we need a miracle - For often takes through uncomfortable places.

When you’re scared to death and vulnerable, you don’t know where you’re going, you don’t know how long it’s going to take, and you don’t know what’s going to happen when you get there, what do you do?

You remember that the path to a miracle often goes through uncomfortable territory.

The Bible gives an illustration in 1 Kings 17:8-10: “Then the Lord spoke his word to Elijah, ‘Go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I have commanded a widow there to take care of you.’ So Elijah went to Zarephath” (NCV).

God told Elijah to walk more than 100 miles during a drought through dangerous territory, where everyone knew who he was and that King Ahab had a price on his head.

When Elijah finally made it to Zarephath, he met a poor widow who was going to feed him. But how could she help defend or protect him from a pagan town full of people who wouldn’t hesitate to kill him?

Miracles don’t happen when things are comfortable. Miracles happen when things are uncomfortable.

Elijah didn’t say, “God, there are three things wrong with this plan. One, you’re sending me in the wrong direction. Two, you’re sending me to the wrong location. And three, you’re sending me to the wrong protection.”

Elijah just obeyed.

God’s path to a miracle often takes us through uncomfortable territory because it forces us to depend on him.

For instance:

When Moses led the Israelites out of slavery to the Promised Land, they had to go through the Red Sea first.

Before David could slay Goliath, he had to walk onto the battlefield.

God told Jehoshaphat to put the choir before the army, and he’d win the victory. How much faith do you think that took?

Miracles never happen in your comfort zone, when everything’s great and convenient. You don’t need a miracle when everything is settled in your life.

You only need a miracle when you’re on the edge, when you’re scared to death, when you’re insecure, when you can get hit at any angle.

Are you at a place right now in your life where things are a little uncomfortable — financially, emotionally, relationally, or physically?

You’re a little nervous, a little on the edge, a little insecure. Congratulations. You’re on the path to a miracle!

Just like Elijah, God wants you to obey so you can see his miracle at the end of the road.

Don't be afraid, if while waiting for your miracle, that you find yourself in places that are out of your comfort zone.  

It is then that  you are fully trusting God and when you are calling out to Him that you are in a place to finally receive your miracle.

Inspired by Rick Warren

WHAT IS RIGHT ABOUT AMERICA

Yesterday I had the priviledge to teach my congregation about some of America's  history.  

When we were homeschooling one our daughters we used a History Book that had stories about how our nation was birthed on the principles of God and the Bible.  (This is not the stuff that is in school issued History Books.) 

This, plus the research of David Barton (www.wallbuilders.com) and Melvin Newland helped me in preparation for this sermon.

Being this is July 4th - I thought you would enjoy my notes...WHAT'S RIGHT ABOUT AMERICA!

Psalm 33:12 (NKJV) 12  Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. 

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)  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 will forgive their sin and heal their land.  

Psalm 144:15 (NKJV) 15  Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the LORD! 

Let’s suppose that sometime this week you turned on the TV News & heard these 3 announcements: 

#1 - “The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has just issued this statement: ‘Divine Providence (that’s God) has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty… of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.’" 

#2 - “Inquiries by our reporters reveal that almost every state legislature has now passed a law requiring all elected officials to take this oath: ‘I do profess faith in God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ His only Son… and I do acknowledge the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be given by divine inspiration.’" 

#3 - “Legislation was passed today in Congress to affirm that, ‘The Congress of the United States approves of and recommends … the Holy Bible for use in the schools.’”

What do you think the response to these announcements would be, especially in the media? 

I think there would be more reaction to them than we could even imagine. 

But the amazing thing is this: Every one of these statements is historically accurate and factual. 

It was John Jay, the very first Chief Justice and often called the “Father” of the Supreme Court, one of the primary writers of our Constitution, who wrote, "It is the duty… of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers." 

It was the State of Delaware (along with most of the others) which required officeholders to take an oath affirming their Christian faith before they could take office. 

And not only did Congress in 1782 approve the use of the Bible in our schools, they even paid for them with tax dollars. 

And, in 1844, when someone sued to remove them, the Supreme Court ruled: “Why should not the Bible, and especially the New Testament, be read and taught as a divine revelation in the schools? Where can the purest principles of morality be learned so clearly or so perfectly as from the New Testament?”

Just think about this: If these people, who were so instrumental in establishing our nation, were here to say and do those things in our country today, they’d be considered right-wing radicals, and a threat to our nation. And I don’t think that’s an exaggeration. 

We’ve gone a long ways away from our roots as Americans. So, one of my goals this morning is to do a little bit of education. 

This is stuff that we need to know because it deals with our roots as Americans. If we don’t talk about it at church - where then are people going to hear it.

Our school systems and colleges and universities have become so secularized - so distanced from religion - that huge chunks of information about the spiritual roots of our nation are neglected, and unless you hear it from Christians, where will you hear it?

Did you know that Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell and Dartmouth  all started out as places to train Christian ministers and pastors?

PROPOSITION: So, here are some things that are worth knowing about the roots of our nation, about what’s right with America:

1. America Was Settled By People Looking For Religious Freedom

The first thing right with America is that our earliest settlers were people who came here primarily looking for religious freedom. 

Other nations, for the most part, came into existence by conquest for selfish and ambitious motives. But it was primarily in the atmosphere of God, not gold, that America was born.

The hardy souls who sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 fled from tyranny and oppression. 

And in the Mayflower Compact which they signed beneath the swinging lantern in the cabin of their ship, they proclaimed that they had come to the new world for "the glorie of God and the advancement of the Christian faith."

INTERESTING: In the early colonies the first public building to be erected was a church house and the first public exercise was the worship of Almighty God. 

When sorrow came they gathered at the church to appeal to God for help. When bountiful harvests filled their barns they gathered at the church for thanksgiving to God.

INTERESTING: In 1643, as more and more people arrived on these shores, they joined together to form “The New England Confederation.” 

They wrote a constitution, the first constitution written in the New World, and it began with these words: “Whereas we all came into these parts with one and the same end and aim, namely to advance the kingdom of our lord Jesus Christ, and to enjoy the liberties of the gospel in purity and peace…"

These are our spiritual forefathers who came to the shores of America so they could worship and practice their faith without fear of persecution. 

So the first thing that’s right with America is that its earliest settlers came here primarily looking for religious freedom.

2. Our Founders Had A Strong Desire To Be Pleasing To God And To Do His Will

The second thing right with America is that the founders of our nation had a strong desire to be pleasing to God and to do His will.

But before I go any further, please remember that around 150 years passed by from the time of the earliest settlers to the beginning of our nation. 

And we’re not very proud of some of the things that happened during those years.

Some of the things done to the First Nations are ugly and dark and shameful.

You see, as time passed, and the original settlers died off, many of their descendants were more concerned with increasing their wealth and comfortable living than being faithful to God and His Word. 

And as wave after wave of immigrants arrived, many of them came for other reasons and with entirely different motives than those earliest settlers.

For example, whether out of concern for them, or just to get rid of those considered “undesirable,” England began a program of emptying its prisons by making it possible for prisoners to come to the New World as “indentured servants.” 

At the same time, the King of England granted vast tracts of land in the New World to his special friends, and slavery was introduced into the colonies to work these plantations. 

The spiritual atmosphere deteriorated rapidly. 

Churches were dying and many of them that had once sought religious freedom for themselves were now being intolerant of others. 

And it was during this time that some went off in strange spiritual directions. 

For example, in 1692 a slave girl was brought by her master to live in Salem, Massachusetts. She began to tell young girls there wild and vivid tales about the power of Voodoo, and it wasn’t long until fear filled the community and the Salem Witch Trials began. 

The end result of it all was that by 1730, only about 10% of the people in the Colonies attended church at all. 

That which had begun “for the glorie of God and the advancement of the Christian faith” had almost disappeared from our land. 

By the way, much of what you hear derogatory about our early history comes out of this period. 

Those who oppose Christianity love to point out the faults of that time.

But then something amazing happened! Beginning in 1734, a handful of preachers – 

Jonathan Edwards
George Whitefield
Gilbert Tennant
John Wesley

And others – began to preach in the churches and in the streets and in the fields. These soon turned into great crusades and revivals that spread throughout the 13 Colonies.

So many people came to Christ during that time that it came to be known as “The Great Awakening.” 

Tens of thousands dedicated their lives to Jesus Christ and were baptized. 

So many people came to hear Whitefield as he traveled the colonies that he had to hold open-air meetings because there just wasn’t enough room in the churches.

Benjamin Franklin wrote, “It was wonderful to see the change soon made in the manners of our inhabitants. From being thoughtless or indifferent about religion, it seemed as if all the world were growing religious, so that one could not walk through the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in different families of every street.”

In fact, Franklin was so impressed with George Whitefield's preaching that he helped build an auditorium to accommodate the crowds of up to 30,000 that came to hear Whitefield preach. 

By the way, Philadelphia had a population of only 25,000 at that time. People were coming from everywhere to hear these preachers preach! 

And it was not just in Philadelphia, it was all throughout the 13 Colonies. And openly-devout Christians were no longer just 10% of the population. Now they made up 50% or more.

Why am I telling you all this? Because this “Great Awakening” was a precursor to the American Revolution. 

   

Our Founding Fathers, the signers of the Declaration of Independence (1776), those who wrote our Constitution and the Bill of Rights, those who put their lives on the line, who fought and died that we might be free – all these grew up and came into leadership while this “Great Awakening” was engulfing the land. 

The generation that experienced the “Great Awakening” became the leaders of the American Revolution!

Check out this prayer recorded in the personal diary of George Washington, and in his own handwriting: 

"Let my heart, gracious God, be so affected with Your glory and majesty that I may ... discharge those weighty duties which thou requirest of me ... Again, I have called on thee for pardon and forgiveness of sins ... for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ offered on the cross for me. Thou gavest thy Son to die for me; and hast given me assurance of my salvation."

I don’t care what you have heard about George Washington from the modern debunkers of our history. He was a devout Christian! And he wasn’t alone in his faith!

INTERESTING: Over a 10-year period, political-science professors at the University of Houston collected AND cataloged 15,000 writings by the founding fathers. Their goal was to determine the primary source of ideas behind the Constitution by identifying the sources quoted most often by them. 

Guess what that primary source was? It was the Bible. 94% of the quotes of the founders of our nation were based upon the Bible.

The point of all this is that the cultural environment on the eve of the American Revolution was undeniably spiritual. And this focus dramatically affected the men and women who gave birth to this nation.

3. America Was Founded By Men And Women Who Acknowledged God’s Supreme RULE Over Men and Nations

Here’s the third thing that I think is right with America: “America was founded by men and women who acknowledged God’s supreme rule over men and nations.” 

They weren’t perfect. They weren’t all devout Christians, but they all acknowledged that God was the supreme ruler over man and over nations.

Declaration Of Independence

Sometime you ought to read again the Declaration of Independence. Most of you are familiar with the prologue that says, 

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” 

They’re saying, "We want a form of government whose job is to protect what the Creator has given to each of us." 

Then, after listing a series of charges against the actions of the King of England, they make two more references to God:

"We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled,” (listen to this) “appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World…” They’re saying that God is the Supreme Judge of the World!

And then they end their Declaration with these words: “And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence” (that’s God), “we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes & our sacred honor.” 

I’ve seen a painting of the first Continental Congress. And many of you have heard the story of how they were discussing and debating the Declaration of Independence. 

Finally, one of them suggested they all get on their knees and ask God what should be done. And these gramers of the Declaration of Independence all went to their knees as one man and began to pray and seek the wisdom and guidance of God.

John Adams, in a letter he wrote to his wife, Abigail, about the meeting of the First Continental Congress, said, “The most amazing thing occurred. Even the stern old Quakers had tears gushing down their cheeks.”

Wouldn’t it be wonderful today if our president, our congress, and our Supreme Court, if they would just get down on their knees like our forefathers did and ask, "God, what do you want for this nation?" 

John Adams also said "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 of the sun, let His Kingdom come."

So that’s the third thing that’s right with America: “America was founded by men and women who acknowledged God’s supreme rule over men and nations.”

4. America Was Protected And Directed By God In Its Founding

The British Empire at the time of the Revolutionary War possessed the most powerful fighting forces on the face of the earth. 

The rag-tag assembly of volunteers, farmers and tradesmen who composed the ranks of the Continental Army were out-manned, out-gunned, and out-financed. 

The colonies had virtually no chance of winning a war against England, short of God’s miraculous intervention. And that intervention seems to have happened. 

In fact, both American and British observers of that time recorded their conviction that God had actually sided with the colonies against the British Empire. 

For example, on Aug. 27, 1776, just 25 days after the Declaration of Independence was signed by the final delegate, Washington’s army of 8,000 found itself trapped at the water’s edge of the East River, near Brooklyn, NY. 
20,000 experienced British soldiers were poised to attack. But for some reason, they delayed their attack, possibly waiting for the British fleet to sail up the river and close the trap.

But suddenly, rains came and a strong northeast wind arose, preventing the fleet from sailing.

When night fell, Washington began to evacuate his army across the mile-wide river in small boats, a few men at a time, trying to save as many as he could. 

As morning approached, he knew that the boats would become easy targets for the British artillery.

But just as the sun arose, an unusually dense fog formed and visibility dropped to just 6 yards. 

The fog remained in place until the very last boat, carrying Washington himself, set off across the river. 

Then it suddenly lifted, and the British were stunned to see the shore empty of men. Guns were fired at Washington’s boat, but it was out of range. And not a man of the Continental Army was lost! 

Of course, we could just consider that a “lucky break.” (After all, there’s no proof that God had anything to do with the sudden rains and wind and unusually dense fog.) Yeah, right. 

But many of the American soldiers kept diaries of that event, and almost all of them attributed the "coincidental happenings" to the intervention and protection of God.

Another amazing "coincidence" took place at the end of the war. By that time, the French had become our allies and an opportunity arose to trap British General Cornwallis in Virginia. 

But to do so meant that Washington had to march an army of 7,000 men all the way from New York to Virginia (approximately 400 miles); a French army had to land somewhere along the coast and find its way to meet Washington; and the French fleet had to keep the English from sending any reinforcements. 

And all of this had to be done in complete secrecy, without the English suspecting a thing.

According to one historian, "The junction in Virginia had to be coordinated by two different national commands separated across an ocean without benefit of telephone, telegraph or wireless.” 

That this was carried out without a fault seems accountable only by a series of miracles."

In fact, the ending of the war at the Battle of Yorktown, in 1781 is actually referred to by some historians as the "Miraculous Convergence."

Once again, it may have been just another “lucky break.” But could it be that God did guide and protect our young nation, not just in New York and Yorktown, but all throughout our quest for independence? 

Could it be that the fruit of the Great Awakening - a love for righteousness, a sense of destiny, moral courage and unreserved dependence on God - moved the heart and hand of God? 

I believe so. And so did many of our founders. 

5. America’s Government Is Patterned After Biblical Principles

Fiftly, “America’s government is patterned after biblical principles.” 

Do you know where the framers of our government got the pattern for 3 branches of government? As you know, we have an Executive Branch, a Legislative Branch that makes laws, and a Judicial Branch. 

Where did they get the idea or pattern for 3 branches of government?

Not from any country in Europe; not from the writings of Plato or any of the other philosophers. 

No, when the framers of our government got together to determine, "How can we best organize our government?" they looked to the word of God. 

They were influenced by Isaiah 33:22 which refers to God in those same 3 aspects. 

Isaiah 33:22 (NKJV) 22  (For the LORD is our Judge [that’s judicial], The LORD is our Lawgiver [that’s legislative], The LORD is our King [that’s executive]; He will save us); 

6. American Law Guarantees Our Religious FREEDOM
TO PRACTICE and PROCLAIM OUR FAITH.

And finally, another thing right with America is that: “American law, as written by our founding fathers, guarantees our religious freedom to practice and proclaim our faith.” 

Let me read to you the First Amendment of the American Constitution: "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." 

Now, much has been made in the last few years about the so-called "wall of separation" between church and state. I challenge any true student of history to study the background of where that comes from. 

The so-called "wall of separation" was never intended to insulate our government or our culture from Christian influence. It was originally and always intended to protect the church from governmental influence and interference. 

By the way, did you know that in 1892 the Supreme Court declared this about Christianity in America? "Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based on and must include the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible for it to be otherwise. To this extent, our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian." 

That’s what the Supreme Court said a little over a hundred years ago. Yet in recent years the Supreme Court has totally repudiated that stand. 

But there is hope. Remember, members of the Supreme Court do come and go. And they do change. 

And there are also many people who are determined to find some way to exercise their right to practice and proclaim their faith, regardless of how vocal and strident the opposition may be today. 
I

For example, in May, 1991, the Supreme Court of the State of California ruled that no longer could high school graduations have a prayer or a blessing. 

One graduation service had always included a prayer of blessing upon the graduating class, but the Supreme Court of California said, "You can’t do that this year." 

At the graduation, student after student came to the microphone and gave a little speech, but the final speech was the one that got a standing ovation. 

As the last student walked to the microphone, on a pre-arranged signal, he sneezed. And as one voice, the entire graduating class of 92 kids stood up and said together, "GOD BLESS YOU!" There was their benediction, there was their blessing.

Another incident happened in Calvert County, Maryland. 
One student, 17-year-old Nick Becker, lodged a complaint through the ACLU about an invocation being prayed at his high school graduation service. 

The ACLU threatened the school board that if they permitted a prayer at that graduation, they would be sued. To avoid that, they came up with the decision to observe a moment of silence instead of prayer. 

So when the time came, 17-year-old Julie Schenk, one of the Senior class leaders, stood at the microphone and requested the crowd of 4,000 people to stand and observe the moment of silence. 

The crowd stood. And then in the crowd, a single student began to recite the Lord’s Prayer, "Our Father, who art in heaven…" 

By the time he got to the second phrase, nearly everyone in that crowd picked it up and began to pray it with him. And as one mighty voice, like rolling thunder across that auditorium, they prayed the Lord’s Prayer together. And then, they sat down.

Cal Thomas, the journalist, had this to say about that event: 
Cal Thomas

“Those Maryland parents and friends discovered an authority they had forgotten they had. Frustrated by the aimlessness of Washington and its inability to do anything except focus on self-preservation and survival of the politically unfit, this audience at the Calvert County graduation, decided to practice what ‘We the People’ actually means. When those Marylanders were told that they had no right to speak of God publicly, they chose to speak to God publicly. Ladies and Gentlemen, whatever the Supreme Court says, they cannot stop us from practicing and proclaiming our faith wherever and whenever we choose.”


When somebody says you can’t do it, you just smile at him or her and you practice your faith. You proclaim your faith. 
I believe with all my heart that America has been blessed above many nations because of the character and faith of its founders. 

And the Bible still says, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."

Now let me close by telling you a story of something that happened, not in the United States, but in the former Soviet Union. 

An American choir was on tour in Europe. And one of the leaders of the choir writes: “It was 1993, and 36 of us were over in the former Soviet Union presenting what I guess could be called an Americana concert. We dressed up in red, white and blue. And the first night of the concert, the Yalta concert hall was filled with about 3,000 people. We had gone through the greater part of our concert when we came to the song ‘America the Beautiful.’ 

“We were not prepared at all for what happened. As we began to sing ‘America the Beautiful,’ this crowd of people, who for 70 years had been under the fist of godless Communism, stood to their feet in honor of America. And we began to lose it. I mean, it got so hard for us, we were so affected, that we couldn’t even sing. 

“Then another amazing thing happened. This crowd of people began to sing ‘America the Beautiful.’ And we finished the song together!” 

Folks, I know that America is not perfect, but I do believe that it is the greatest nation on earth. And the reason it is the greatest nation on earth is because our forefathers acknowledged God and their dependence upon Him. And we must not lose sight of the heritage that they have entrusted to us.

ONE MORE THING: By the way, do you know what the tallest structure in Washington, D.C. is? It’s the Washington Monument. And by law, nothing taller than the Washington Monument can be built there. And do you know what is inscribed at the pinnacle of the Washington Monument? 

These words in Latin from scripture: "Let God be praised." 

There may be legislators who don’t know that. There may be presidents who don’t know that. There may be Supreme Court justices who don’t know that. 

But at the very top, the pinnacle of our nation’s capitol are these words, "Let God be praised."

America, lift up your eyes and praise God for the greatness and the blessings of this country in which we live. Let’s pray.

THE INFLUENCE OF A SERVANT

I was so impressed this week as I watched all those serving our children at our Daily Vacation Bible School.  As a pastor, it was very gratifying to walk around the campus and see ministry taking place and the great influence all the workers had with each of the children.

Here's a good story that will encourage your day...

Miss Thompson taught Teddy Stallard in the fourth grade. He was a slow, unkempt student, a loner shunned by his classmates.

The previous year his mother died, and what little motivation for school he may have once had was now gone.

Miss Thompson did not particularly care for Teddy either, but at Christmas time he brought her a small present.

Miss Thompson's desk was covered with well-wrapped presents from the other children, but Teddy's came in a brown sack.

When she opened it there was a gaudy rhinestone bracelet with half the stones missing and a bottle of cheap perfume.

The children began to snicker but Miss Thompson saw the importance of the moment.

She quickly splashed on some perfume and put on the bracelet, pretending Teddy had given her something special.

At the end of the day Teddy worked up enough courage to softly say, "Miss Thompson, you smell just like my mother . . . and her bracelet looks real pretty on you too.

I am glad you like my presents."

After Teddy left, Miss Thompson got down on her knees and prayed for Gods forgiveness.

She prayed for God to use her as she sought to not only teach these children but to love them as well. She became a new teacher.

She lovingly helped students like Teddy and by the end of the year he had caught up with most of the students.

Miss Thompson did not hear from Teddy for a long time. Then she received this note: "Dear Miss Thompson, I wanted you to be the first to know. I will be graduating second in my class. Love, Teddy Stallard."

Four years later she got another note: "Dear Miss Thompson, They just told me I will be graduating first in my class. I wanted you to be the first to know. The university has not been easy, but I liked it. Love, Teddy Stallard."

Four years later: "Dear Miss Thompson, As of today, I am Theodore Stallard, M.D. How about that? I wanted you to be the first to know. I am getting married next month. I want you to come and sit where my mother would sit if she were alive. You are the only family I have now; Dad died last year. Love, Teddy Stallard."

Miss Thompson went to the wedding and sat where Teddy's mother would have sat.

She made a difference. She let God use her as an instrument of his love an instrument of encouragement. 

Some of the greatest blessings in life come when you humbly realize someone else is more important than you are.

If you want to be somebody, put others before yourself. It is as simple as that. I 

Now we, as Christians are always under a microscope.

Are you living a life worthy of being called a child of God Or are yo just .....a hypocrite wearing a mask.

Who are you trying to impress?

Become great ...... by becoming a servant. Become the greatest ....... by being the servant of all.

A pompous-looking deacon was trying to impress upon a class of boys the importance of living the Christian life.

"Why do people call me a Christian?" the man asked.

After a moments pause, one youngster said, "Maybe it is because they do not know you." 

Christ said I come to serve not to be served.

What influences do you have or could you have with others?

Your influence is measured by your willingness to serve others.

Let me share with you this final story:

During the American Revolution a man in civilian clothes rode past a group of soldiers repairing a small defensive barrier.

Their leader was shouting instructions, but made no attempt to help them.

Asked why by the rider, he retorted with great dignity, "Sir, I am a corporal!"

The stranger apologized, dismounted, and proceeded to help the exhausted soldiers.

The job done, .......he turned to the corporal and said, "Mr. Corporal, next time you have a job like this and not enough men to do it, go to your commander-in-chief, and I will come and help you again."

The strangers name was George Washington.

I conclude this morning with these thoughts from people who are far greater than I am..

These thoughts come from two of the greatest servants this world has ever known. Mother Teresa and D. L. Moody.

--Mother Teresa
"Let no one come to you without feeling better and happier when they leave."

--D. L. Moody
"The measure of a man is not how many servants he has, but how many he serves."

From a humble and grateful pastor - Thank you for all that you do in the service of our king!