Thank God for Our Country

Thank God for Our Country.

November 7, 2004

Introduction

If you go on line, you can find the speech that Anthony J. Principi, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, will deliver this Thursday for Veterans Day. I will share part of that speech with you:

We are blessed, as Americans, to live in a nation gifted with rights and freedoms envied the world over. Those rights and freedoms did not come cheaply. Have you thanked a veteran today? (This is a theme which he uses at the end of almost every sentence, which I will not repeat.)

We are the beneficiaries of a struggle for independence from which we emerged as a nation of many States joined together as one shining Republic. We rise every morning empowered by a land of opportunities made rich and plentiful by a vigorous and open economic, agricultural, and industrial marketplace. We enjoy a bounty of goods and services unmatched in all the world. Have you thanked a veteran today? Even more importantly, have you thanked God today?

And we bow our heads, kneel on prayer rugs, and lift our voices in holy songs in mighty cathedrals, elegant churches, simple chapels, and in synagogues and mosques all across our nation, secure in the knowledge that our beliefs are sacred and our right to worship in our own way—or not to worship at all—is revered and protected. At day’s end, we sit down to dinner, in communities large and small, and share with our neighbors the immutable constancy of our freedom to raise our families under liberty’s open skies, and to fall asleep beneath the comforting blankets of our democracy. Have you thanked those who have fought for us and are fighting for us? Have you thanked our God for all He has done for us?

As we consider, Veterans Day, this year, let us seize this opportunity and offer our heartfelt ‘thank you’ to America’s former and current soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coastguardsmen. For 228 years, they protected the rich and seamless fabric of Freedom woven on the loom of conflict, washed in the blood of patriots, and preserved in times of peace through their fidelity in service to the cause of Liberty.

Forty-eight million of our fellow citizens earned our gratitude by donning our nation’s uniform. They are our ancestors laid down in their eternal resting places. They are our mothers and fathers, our sons and daughters, our neighbors, and our countrymen across the nation. They are our warriors still missing in action, and they are our former Prisoners of War finally released to Liberty’s loving arms. And they are our armed forces on the front lines of Freedom half a world away. This Veterans Day, let’s thank them all, but may we never forget the God Who gave us everything!

This past week has been a great week. It has been a week in which the liberal biased press expressed their shock. The right wing, extremist Christians had their voices heard. We were not ignored, and we elected a man who is known for his faith in God, and his seeking God’s guidance. Many fasted and prayed, even more prayed, and now I trust that many are thanking God. If we cherish our rights as Christians, we are going to have to stand with God if we want His continued blessings.

Body

I. Why are we honoring Veterans in a Christian Assembly?

God is concerned about honoring others.

(Rom 13:7 NKJV) Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

1. Our country was founded on Christian principles.

2. Our God is a caring God.

God is concerned about a good country for His people.

1. Sixteen times in the Old Testament, we find the expression, “good land.” Every time, it refers to the promised land.

2. In these verses, the message is clear: A good land is for good people. When you fail to be good, you lose the land.

II. A good land was to be given to a good people.

Joshua and Caleb tried to convince the Children of Israel that if God were with them they could have the land.

(Num 14:6-9 NKJV) But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; {7} and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. {8} "If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, 'a land which flows with milk and honey.' {9} "Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them."

1. This past election day, we had Dan Rather telling lies about our President and supporting his lies with forged documents.

2. We had Michael Moore fabricating a movie of lies and touring the country and being paid to speak against our president.

3. We had all the liberal press refusing to question John Kerry on a voting record which is more to the left than Ted Kennedy.

4. Yet for all of that, God gave victory to a man who fears God and His laws.

5. Yet for all of that, God gave victory to men and women in America who love Him and honor Him.

6. Our men in our armed forces are very important, and we honor them, but may we never forget God who gives us the victory.

(Psa 127:1 NKJV) Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.

Moses himself was denied entrance into the promised land.

(Deu 4:21-22 NKJV) "Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I would not cross over the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. {22} "But I must die in this land, I must not cross over the Jordan; but you shall cross over and possess that good land.

God denied those who left Egypt the right to enter the promised land because of their complaints.

(Deu 1:35-36 NKJV) 'Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers, {36} 'except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and his children I am giving the land on which he walked, because he wholly followed the LORD.'

III. When God’s people turn away, they lose the blessings of God.

(Dan 9:11-13 NKJV) "Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. {12} "And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem. {13} "As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth.

IV. Our country. What can we say?

Many brave men and women have fought and died to give us the country that we have today.
May we never forget that it is God Who has ultimately blessed us.

(Deu 8:17-20 NKJV) "then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.' {18} "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. {19} "Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. {20} "As the nations which the LORD destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the LORD your God.

Katie Couric and others may shake their heads and ask, “What are the Democrats going to do about this morality issue?” None of us better ever question how important it is.

Conclusion

I. We want to know all those who are worthy of honor and being remembered.

A. We appreciate our troupes and all those who have served, and are serving our country.

B. I appreciate our President for the unwavering stand he has taken for what is right.

May God protect his life and his family.
May he continue to stand for what is right.

II. May we never forget that it is God Who gives us everything we have, including our great country.

III. Is your life right with God?

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