Standing on a Firm Foundation

Back in 2009 I wrote a blog article on the state of things in the church, and in the world.  I borrowed the lyrics from a song from the 90’s by Arrowsmith called “Living on the Edge”.  The first verse starts with "There's somethin' wrong with the world today, I don't know what it is. Something's wrong with our eyes. We're seein' things in a different way, and God knows it ain't his. It sure ain't no surprise ..."

 

Ecclesiastes tells us that there is nothing new under the sun. The fact is, I could have written the blog article yesterday, last year, ten years ago and it still would be the case. Something’s wrong with the world today- with America, with the church, but I do know what it is.

There has been evil in society since the fall of man. Even with the ‘first’ family, Cain murdered his own brother, so no there is nothing new about corrupt societies, but when the church is strong with a firm foundation, when a nation such as America recognizes and build’s its foundation on Biblical principles, society is better off. Not perfect, but better.

America has had its ups and downs as far as any nation, but there was a time when something incredible swept the land.

The Great Awakening was not just something which affected the Christian church, but the whole nation benefited from the renewed commitment to living a life worthy of Christians.  Many people from all over participated, or were spiritually gifted to contribute to the movement. Pastors such as the Rev. Samuel Davies, who delivered such sermons from his pulpit in Virginia that a young man was so impressed that he imitated his skills in speaking and eventually delivered one of the most famous speeches of American History which concluded with the words, “Give me Liberty or Give me Death!”

It was because of Patrick Henry’s opposition to the ratification of the Constitution that helped bring about the Bill of Rights because he firmly believed in the God given rights of individuals and through them the rights of States against Federal Government intrusion.

Rev. Davies became president of Princeton University, succeeding a friend of his, one of the most influential pastors of the Great Awakening, Jonathan Edwards, who was famous for his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”.

The Great Awakening was a spiritual renewal which began with people like John and Charles Wesley and George Whitefield in England and spread to the American Colonies during the first half of the 1700s. But how many people realize that the Awakening’s biggest effects were evident the way it prepared America for Independence?

In the decades before the Revolutionary war, people realized that they could be outspoken against religious authority and that when churches weren’t living up to the believers’ expectations, the people could break off and form new groups, new congregations. Speaking against the religious powers of the church affected other areas of life in the colonies and public gatherings, revival and prayer mixed with fiery sermons from pastors like Jonathan Edwards; the Awakening also had effects in cultural and political life.

Through the Awakening, the Colonists realized that religious power resided in themselves, rather than in the hands of the Church of England, or any other religious authority and they began to see that political power was not in the hands of the Monarchy, but in their own desire for self-governance. Not all the Colonists shared the same theological beliefs but they did share the desire of freedom and the Great Awakening brought about change in people’s spirits which made the American Revolution possible.

The ideas of covenants were popular among Puritans and showed the biblical understanding of association. Within the Mayflower Compact, Colonial Charters and later forming the foundation to gain independence from Great Britain, the idea of a covenant grew to join religion and politics and is evident in the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution Bill of Rights.

Back in the Colonial days, and during and after the Revolutionary war, church pastors and elders could be found among the signers of our founding documents. They could be found on the battlefields among the "Minute Men" fighting at a moment's notice against the British. They could be found in the earliest congress- not as career politicians, but as servants to the people, their flocks. They viewed public service as their God given duty to shape and help the new nation grow into a prosperous and morally driven nation, begun for, Blessed by and "under God".

America from the onset has been a nation of immigrants.  From the days of the first pilgrims from the Godspeed to the Mayflower, people have been coming to America for one thing; Freedom. They came for Freedom of religion; freedom to speak without reprisals or persecution from tyrannical governments; freedom to live, to work, to provide, to enjoy the fruits of their labors, for their pursuit of happiness.

From the beginning, the people dedicated their settlements to God, and their desire to spread the Gospel of Christ. During and after the Great Awakening, the people re dedicated their lives to make a new nation, free for all people, because they knew that God is the giver of rights, not government, and that God created all equally, they formed a government that was to be by the people for the people.

American society held integrity, modesty and character as virtues to be achieved.  People worked hard, and helped their families and neighbors in time of need. Families were strong, and society mirrored that strength.  Immorality was shunned, because people had a strong faith.  When America continued to build on the strong Biblical foundations, America prospered. America has been the bread basket of the world. Her colleges and universities were the greatest in the world. America was the beginning of the Industrial revolution- the first automobile, assembly line, electricity.  America was exceptional.

Something happened though, around the time between the late 19^th and middle of the 20^th centuries. People began ignoring the foundation, and cracks started to form. Not many noticed at first, a few more decades of decay, a lawsuit to remove the Bible and prayer here, a change in law there… All of a sudden people noticed that much of America’s foundation had crumbled completely away.

Socialist and humanistic philosophies filled the vacuum that the removal of God had created, not only in society, but in the Christian church, people began to question, then mock the existence of an Almighty God, and have been searching out every other god and idea ever since.

What began as a New Republic, the first truly free nation on earth, one in which the  Government branches- the Legislative, the Judicial and the Executive, were based on the core of Biblical principles, has become ungodly and progressivism has created a welfare state, an elite class who rules the people instead of the People ruling the government. We have gone from that great cry given by Patrick Henry's "Give me liberty or give me death!' to just plain give me, give me, where people believe in free stuff more than they do Freedom.

People believe that morality and truth is whatever they believe it to be. To so many, there is no plumb line in which to measure it.  When America believed in God, Americans read the Bible, and knew what was right and what was not. They had a standard in which to try and live by. Today, even among so many churches, young pastors have come out of seminary not believing the whole Word of the Bible, not believing even the core doctrine of the Christian faith, so is it any wonder that our society no longer reflects what used to be when men such as Edwards and Davies preached.

One thing I have heard often in the past decade or so is that social issues aren’t important when it comes to politics. People are understandably concerned with things such as a bloated federal government, fiscal responsibility, unemployment, the economy. Even among tea party groups, many focus on economic and Constitutional freedoms which are important, but not believing social issues matter and generally staying out of those discussions altogether. They don’t realize that without a strong moral foundation, we will never have a strong and prosperous economy. How can we expect amoral people who believe its ok to cheat on taxes, to cheat in business, to cheat by insider trading to run our government honestly? How can we have fairness in justice- when those who rule have no standard to judge by but only by what they feel is right?

It’s a judgment against an immoral society that cares more for what feels good, what they can get from the government when immoral politicians are reelected in the first place. How can we expect our government to work for the people when we reelect career politicians who have highly questionable character and very little if any integrity?

 

Our Founders knew that integrity, morality and Biblical values are the most important issues facing our nation.  George Washington said, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”  He also said, “In vain that would man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness… The mere politician equally with the pious man ought to respect and cherish them.”

America is at a crossroads. It’s not only Christians who see and sense this. There are only two paths which this nation can go on; either continue on the slope that we’ve been on which has led to godless government intrusion, which will lead to outright tyranny as history has proven over and over again. When people give the government, a small ruling elite the power to give rights, that government also has the full power to take rights.

Or we can choose the path of our Founders, one which was laid on the Biblical principles which made this the freest nation on the face of the earth, the one which more people still struggle to come to from oppressed nations, one that knows that rights are inalienable and come from God, which can never be given or taken away.

We need a spiritual Awakening. Some of my friends have felt God moving, I have too. He is drawing us into groups who encourage each other, drawing out our talents, our gifts, to benefit each other, to glorify Him.  He is helping us find each other, for such a time as when we need to pray together for our nation and fight for it. He is working in groups all over the country, just as God reminded Elijah that He had seven thousand who were praying,  I know that there are more groups just like the ones I am a part of.

 

While I would clearly love to see a smaller, more just government, filled with men and women of integrity, with a servant’s heart- not a career oriented mind, we will not have that as long as we allow society to destroy America’s spiritual, Biblical foundation.  We who are believers must spend time in prayer, on our knees, pray for our churches, pray for our pastors, pray for changes of hearts- our own and our communities. Pray for those in leadership now, and pray for another Great Awakening.

  Its time for us to put on our Armor, we’ve got a serious battle ahead.
CAE 2013