God? Bless? America?

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003399" TEXT="#080000" background="040c8c00erkjxk.jpg"> <div> <B><U>Chris Humphrey</U></B></div> <div> <B>is the pastor of Immanuel Covenant Church in Crescent, Oklahoma.   He is married to Audrey Lynn and they home school their four daughters.</B></div> <div> <B>He can be contacted by writing to him at </B><B>P.O. Box 59, Crescent, Oklahoma, 73028</B></div> <bR> <div> <B> </B></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="7" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Brush Script MT" ><B>Restoration Ministries</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFF99" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#CC0000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Arial" >  |  </FONT>   <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Restoration Ministries"><U>home</U></A></div> <div>                                                   </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="0e61c480.jpg" border=0 width="540" height="72" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>by Chris Humphrey</B></div> <div> <B>______________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> Time has sufficiently passed now for us to step back and reflect upon all that has transpired since September 11, 2001. Some have proposed that the terrorist attack upon our country is indicative of God<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s judgment upon the United States. The kind of response generated by Americans, and in particular those who name the name of Christ, may be more indicative of the judgment we have been under for some time now.</div> <bR> <div> I am not referring to the heroic efforts of rescue workers, or the outpouring of sympathy and contributions that have pulled our country together. Even in fallen sinful man, man retains enough of the image of God to do noble deeds to help out our fellow man. Those humanitarian efforts do not win God<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s favor, though. It may win our favor, but God is not pleased with anything that is not done in faith and not done for God<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s glory alone.</div> <bR> <div> Typical of the response I am referring to is the beloved patriotic number,<B> God Bless America</B>. We have heard that song sung more times than Kate Smith could ever count.  If we break that song title down word by word, we should be baffled about what exactly is meant. </div> <bR> <div> <B>God . . . .?</B></div> <bR> <div> Start with the word “God”. That may sound simple and non-controversial enough, but the picture is very confusing. What exactly do we mean by the word “God”? What God are we singing about? What God are we asking to bless America? Which God do we mean?</div> <bR> <div> Like many Americans, I saw the National Memorial Service the Friday after the terrorist attack. We had representatives for all kinds of Gods there. We certainly did not want to offend any God, or to leave any out. Plus, it would be wise to cover all our bases. Sounds awfully familiar to those Athenians who erected an idol to every God they could think of, and just in case they overlooked one, they built an idol to the unknown God.</div> <bR> <div> Which God are we asking to bless? The Muslim God? The Jewish God? The Catholic God? How about the Mormon God? Don<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>t forget the Hindus and Buddhists either. The Gods are endless.</div> <bR> <div> Seriously, was Jesus Christ, the one and only true God, well pleased and honored by a service that gave him equal time at best with the other gods of man?</div> <bR> <div> Someone please enlighten me on which God we are asking to bless America. Don<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>t be so sure that you have the answer, because your God may not be the same God of your neighbor who is singing just as loud, <B>God Bless America</B>. Like one man in town told me some time ago, many people worship the God of their own convenience. Gods are a dime a dozen, and that is about ten times more than they are worth.</div> <bR> <div> I am sure many Americans, including evangelical “Christians”, were deeply moved by all faiths coming together at a time like this. A well-known TV preacher in California invited to his church a Muslim cleric to speak. They embraced each other in a show of solidarity to the thunderous applause of thousands gathered for worship.</div> <bR> <div> So many Christians today don<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>t have a clue as to what kind of God they worship and believe in. That results from pulpits that shy away from solid doctrinal preaching. About the only thing we know about God is that He is a loving God. Of course, my retort is, “oh yeah?” Did God love Judas Iscariot like He did Peter? Doesn<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>t the Bible say that God hated Esau but loved Jacob? </div> <bR> <div> Doesn<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>t the same Bible say that God is angry at the wicked every day? Doesn<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>t the same Bible say that God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy? Doesn<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>t the same Bible say that God called out Moses but hardened Pharaoh? To separate one attribute of God from all His other attributes is just as bad as the Athenians who had several Gods to call upon.</div> <bR> <div> God is loving, but God is also holy and just and omnipotent. Are we asking a one-dimensional God of our own imagination to bless America?</div> <bR> <div> Rush Limbaugh, a conservative talk show host, is up there in the minds of many evangelical Christians as the fifth gospel. You know, there is St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, St. John and St. Rush. He may have his pulse on the political environment in our country, but a biblical theologian he is not. Yet most today would agree with his theology. He said recently that God does not send misery to anybody. God gives us all a free will and in Rush<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s own mind, God is all love and would never send anything bad to an individual.</div> <bR> <div> Has Rush ever heard of Job? Better yet, has Rush ever heard of Jesus?</div> <bR> <div> On the evening news it was reported that many Christian ministers are struggling with providing an answer to their congregations of what happened in New York City and in our nation<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s capitol. One prominent preacher told his church that God could not be blamed for what happened, because God could have done nothing to stop it.</div> <bR> <div> So are we asking a powerless, ignorant God who is at the mercy of man<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s free will and who has not complete control over everything that happens in the universe — are we asking that kind of God to bless us? No thanks, we should say. But that is the kind of God we love to keep tucked away in our darkened minds.</div> <bR> <div> Judgment has fallen long before September 11. The aftermath of September 11 is only bringing out how extensive that judgment is.</div> <bR> <div> Early in the 1900s, the conservative evangelical fundamentalist Christian denominations were appalled at the liberal World Council of Churches, which was hell bent to make ecumenicalism the law of the Christian jungle. To that I say, move over World Council of Churches, you have met your match. Your former critics have caught up with you and have passed you on by.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Bless . . . ?</B></div> <bR> <div> Then there is the word “bless”. What are we asking this hybrid God to do? What do we mean by “bless”? Does it mean for God to give us a free pass with our sin? That this God would come for us in the clutch so that we can continue living our lives most of the time as if there were no God? Does it mean that God can bless our mess, so that this God will quit messing with our blessing?</div> <bR> <div> Spontaneously our elected officials on the Capitol steps erupted into the singing of <B>God Bless America</B>. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">In this group of leaders are many that have innocent blood on their hands. They have supported fully the right to slaughter millions of unborn babies.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">In this group of leaders are an untold number of Gary Condits, minus a missing intern.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">In this group of leaders are avowed homosexuals and lesbians. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">In this group of prestigious leaders are people bent on destroying other<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s reputations and doing whatever it takes to advance their own power. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">In this group of people are people who make lying an art form. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">In this group of people are people who will sacrifice whatever few principles they have to make riches now and later. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">In this group of people are men and women who are involved in malicious rancor and will do whatever it takes to get elected and re-elected.</div> <bR> <div> Yes, I know not all are like the above. But the above describes more than just a tiny minority, especially when it comes to matters such as abortion and “homosexual rights.”</div> <bR> <div> So, what are these congressmen asking this generic God to do? Are they asking God to get us out of a fix, or are they asking God to have mercy upon themselves as unworthy wicked sinners? Would it not have been a far better sight if we saw on the Capitol steps men and women of all stripes fall on their faces before a holy God and begin repenting of specific sins, just like King David did? Instead of robust singing, we have repentant sighing. Instead of patriotic fervor, we have God-induced passionate calling out to God for forgiveness and salvation of their lost souls.</div> <bR> <div> There is rejoicing in heaven not over our lighting of candles, or of our holding hands and singing a patriotic song, or of our wearing ribbons on our lapels, or of our organizing relief efforts, but over one sinner who repents.</div> <div> Are we asking God to bless us, so that we can continue mocking Him?</div> <bR> <div> I only caught a glimpse of the Friday night two-hour musical special by the Hollywood elite. Now here is a group of outstanding moral citizens we should want our children to emulate! In times like these, we turn to the real “spiritual advisors” in our pop culture — the icons of entertainment. That in itself should show us how far we have slipped and how deep and wide the judgment of God has reached. </div> <bR> <div> The Hollywood left, as they are called, make no bones in ridiculing God, Christians, the Bible, spiritual values, God<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s commandments and the like in their movies and songs, and yet here they were on stage singing together both <B>God Bless America</B> and <B>America</B>. Collectively, they use God<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s name in vain more often than they would ever use His name in holy praise.</div> <bR> <div> What God are they talking about? Certainly not the God of the Bible who commands everyone to repent. What do they mean by “bless”? Certainly not the idea that God will bless those who have upright hearts.</div> <bR> <div> Yet, it was shown nationwide, and it was such a beautiful inspiring event, and it provided much needed emotional relief, and it did much good in raising so much money, and on and on goes the rave reviews, even by those who call themselves Christians. It doesn<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>t matter that we are asking God to bless our immoral, disobedient, decadent, ungrateful lifestyles.</div> <bR> <div> My wife and I stayed up late one night, as I was doing some work on the computer. After our evening local news, David Letterman came on for the first time since the terrorist incident. My wife and I were ready to turn off the TV, but I said, “No. Let<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s see how Letterman and his guests handle this crisis.” His guest was Dan Rather. The censors were asleep at the wheel that night, because Letterman went on a tirade of profanity in the use of God<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s name which I have never heard before on TV. And all that time, he did not blush nor hesitate to ask for God<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s blessing on our country. While we curse God with our lips and lives, we turn around and want God to bless us. Does anybody out there in sanity land see a huge discrepancy?</div> <bR> <div> <B>America . . . ?</B></div> <bR> <div> Finally, there is the word “America”. Before anyone accuses me of being an ungrateful, unpatriotic American for the following remarks, let me preface everything by saying I vote at all the elections and not just every four years. I put out a flag after the terrorist attack — it is a big one nailed to our tree. I love hearing our national anthem played. I am disgusted when people at sporting events act so flippantly during the playing of the anthem. I would rather live here than any place on earth. And yes, I believe God has richly blessed our nation like no other in recent history. We have fulfilled a God mandate in the working out of His providence.</div> <bR> <div> In all this, though, let it be known that God does not need America. Our patriotism (God and Country) gets in the way of seeing the big picture. The big picture is God<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s kingdom, which transcends any national boundaries. God<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s kingdom goes beyond these purple majesties of ours, and well beyond from sea to shining sea. God<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s kingdom has no flag, has no earthly capital, has no human leaders, has no geographical boundaries, and has no political constitution. God<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s kingdom does have an election, but we don<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>t have a vote.</div> <bR> <div> Let us not wrap the Stars and Stripes around the Bible. We do not serve an American God, we know and worship the God of the universe, the God of creation and the God of redemption.</div> <bR> <div> America is a relatively young nation. Some may have the idea that God was not able to get much accomplish on this earth of His until l776 AD. America had a beginning date, and it will have an ending date. God<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s kingdom never ends. Terrorism can cripple and destroy a nation, but not even the gates of Hades can rattle the church of Jesus Christ.</div> <bR> <div> In Isaiah 40:15, we read that all the nations are nothing more than a drop in the bucket. Picture a large pail under a faucet. Visualize a drip of water. There goes the USA. See another drip. There goes China. Another drip. There goes Russia. Another drip. That is Great Britain. Another drip. That is Germany. Then Japan. Then India. And the list goes on and on. Mighty nations are nothing more than a drip in God<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s vast bucket.</div> <bR> <div> During the Vietnam war days at the height of civic unrest on college campuses and in our streets, a popular rallying cry was heard by the patriots, “America — Love It or Leave It.” I love America, and unless God calls me elsewhere, I plan on staying. I love God and His kingdom more. I love His church more. Jesus died on the cross for His church; I don<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>t read that He died for any one nation, though. </div> <bR> <div> Does God love Americans more than He does the Chinese, the Arabs, the French, etc.? The answer is that God loves His people wherever they are and whomever they might be. Like Abraham, we look for a city whose builder and maker is God. Around God<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s throne are people from all nationalities. Americans will not get the front seats.</div> <bR> <div> <B>God? Bless? America?</B></div> <bR> <div> Has judgment come upon our land recently? Is God mad at America because of this or that?</div> <bR> <div> Judgment has been resting upon our country long before our lives were disrupted on September 11. If we look closely and if we take the time to investigate things thoroughly in the light of Scripture, we can discern that how we have responded to this incident only reveals how pathetic and anemic the modem church is. Can we expect secular culture to be any better than the church?</div> <bR> <div> We don<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>t have a clear, consistent, Scriptural, strong message to give to the world. We are groping ourselves. We don<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>t know which God to believe in. We don<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>t know how to answer the hard questions of life. We are clueless. We are afraid to take a bold stand for doctrinal truth. We don<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>t even know what doctrinal truth is, and worse than that, we don<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>t care. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We want God to bless our churches so that we can continue doing the same old thing. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We would rather have results than real revival. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We would rather have success than obedience. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We would rather follow the God of our own creation and imagination than to heed the whole counsel of Scripture. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We would rather have a God we can tame than a God who is totally sovereign. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We want a God we can push around by our free will than a God who will see to it that His will and purposes are always fulfilled. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We want a helpless, feeble God that we need to protect by our lame arguments. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We want a God who is loving and nothing else. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We want a God who never sends any misery or trials in our lives. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We want a God who wants nothing but prosperity and good times to come into our lives. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We want a God that matches the values on Wall Street and in Hollywood. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We want a God who comes under sneak attacks Himself. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We would rather have a God under our control than a God who is in full control. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We want a God we can keep at a safe distance. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We want a God who will not disturb our neatly arranged lives. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We want a God that only blesses and never curses. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We want a God that makes only promises and makes no demands. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We want a God that is tolerant. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We want a God that strokes our self-esteem.</div> <bR> <div> In other words, we don<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>t want the God of the Bible as revealed through His Son in the power of the Holy Spirit. The God at the National Memorial Service will do nicely. The God in <B>God Bless America</B> will do. Any other God would suffice. Just pick one.</div> <bR> <div> This can not be fit into any rearrangement of the popular patriotic song, but my rewording would be something like this:</div> <bR> <div> <B>GOD</B> — the one true sovereign, holy, gracious God as revealed in Scripture through the person of His Son Jesus Christ</div> <bR> <div> <B>BLESS</B> — bless you with a heart that will turn away from sin and will follow after Christ in loving obedience to His Word</div> <bR> <div> <B>GOD</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" ><B>*</B></FONT><B>S KINGDOM</B> in America, both North and South, Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, Antarctica — so that God<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" >*</FONT>s people everywhere can be the light of the world and the salt of the earth.</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>