A Summer Diving Expedition - A Holy Nation - Dive 3




But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation
a people for his own possession, so that you may proclaim
 the praises of the one who called you out of darkness
 into his marvelous light (2 Peter 2:9 CSB).


America, America, God shed His grace on thee...words from the powerful, patriotic lyrics written by Katherine Lee Bates in 1895. Her words were put to music composed in 1883 by Samuel A. Ward - a church organist and choirmaster from Newark, New Jersey. (Wikipedia)

God has shed His grace on this nation from the very beginning. We were founded on the principles of God's truth, and the very fiber of our existence was woven together acknowledging His grace, mercy, and love. America, called The Great Experiment, was built with the mindset of a democracy, a government for the people and by the people, and with a heart of thanksgiving to the Sovereign One who gives and takes away. 

From a humble beginning, filled with hardship and suffering, the founders fought for something they believed in; something bigger than themselves; something the world had not tasted before. On July 4th, 2019, we celebrate 243 years of something bigger than ourselves - FREEDOM. Free from tyranny. Free from evil dictators. Free to build and live life without government weighing us down. 

A HOLY NATION

2 Peter 2:9, though, is not speaking about America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. The apostle Peter is pronouncing a nation that stems from, and is rooted, at the foot of the cross which, for the time being, is scattered throughout the world. A glorious nation like no one has ever seen. A nation of believers who worship in spirit and in truth. A nation of followers of Christ who walk by faith, proclaiming His praises to those who have not yet believed. A nation filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, taking the gospel of Jesus Christ into all the world. This is a strong and mighty nation; one that the gates of hell cannot prevail against, and one that will be joined together for all eternity on the day Jesus returns. 



The word holy means "set-apart." We are set apart for God's purpose. We have heard the voice of the Holy Spirit calling us out of darkness into His marvelous light to be light in a dark world. We have the honor and responsibility of proclaiming His praises so others will hear His voice too and become a part of a His holy nation. 

Those of us who have been blessed to be born in America or to have earned citizenship in this great country also have been blessed with the opportunity to hear and speak the truth of Christ in non-threatening ways for generations. But this once, God-fearing nation is transforming at a rapid pace into a God-hating nation. 

Dive #3 

Our final dive of the summer is probably the most serious expedition we'll take. Let's examine the treasure of our hearts as a nation, a Church, and as individuals. 

As a nation:
  • Would you have ever believed we would live to see the day when the evils of abortion would lead to killing human life outside the womb? 

  • Would you have ever thought we would see the day homosexuality would have a platform in America and called Gay Pride; that God's creation, the rainbow, symbolizing His promise to never destroy the earth again by water, hi-jacked to promote the exact opposite of God's design?

  • Would you have ever imagined a multi-billion dollar industry called human trafficking embedded in our communities?

These are just the tip of the iceberg examples of how our nation is imploding.

None of us are without excuse in contributing to the crumbling foundation of our country. We have all contributed to the destruction of the fiber of this nation by ignoring our personal sin and allowing sin play to out in the body of Christ. 

As a Church:

I believe with all my heart that the number one contributing factor to our demise is man's reinventing of the church and its mission given by Christ before He ascended into heaven. We've exchanged the bold, brave preaching of the truth of God's Word, submerged in the power of the Holy Spirit, for a weak, self-serving "preaching" that ignores the Word and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. 

How would you assess the spiritual temperature of the Church today? Cold? Hot? Lukewarm? I sense the lukewarmness of heart as addressed in the letter to the Church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22. A lukewarm people causes the stomach of the Lord to churn and vomit. Those who focus on self think they are rich in their own eyes. They depend on themselves for security and their wealth as their identity, therefore believing they need nothing else but themselves. But Christ says those who wallow in their wealth (self-sufficiency) are "wretched, pitiful, blind, and naked." They cannot see who they really are before the Lord and their great need for salvation.

The treasures of earth are dust compared to the Treasure of heaven.

As individuals:
Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 3:17 that the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [spiritual freedom].  

The opposite is also true: Where the Spirit of the Lord is not, there is spiritual bondage. We believe in a Savior who came to set the captives free. Having been rescued from the grasp of sin enables us with the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to live holy, righteous lives that stand out in a world in desperate need of a Savior.

A nation is only as strong as the individuals of the Church residing inside its borders. If we don't adhere to the sounding of the alarm now, I fear it will be too late for this great land of ours to continue ringing the so-called bell of freedom. 

Freedom in Christ is the only freedom that will last. 

Let's excavate the buried treasure, bringing back into focus God's sovereignty, His power, and His life-changing Word. It's up to you and me as individuals and as members of a God's holy nation; something much bigger than ourselves.Will you help to bring an acknowledgement of God back up to His rightful place of authority, even if it's not popular, before we lose the freedom to do so? 



My Pleasure,
Melanie

Don't forget to comment on this post and/or the other two expeditions to be entered into the drawing for three prizes from my Treasure Chest. Each comment (one per post) equals a chance to win. Contest ends at midnight (EST) on 7/7/19. Drawing will take place on 7/8/19.

Dive #1- a $10 Starbucks gift card
Dive # 2 - A Red Carpet Journal 
Dive # 3 - An autographed copy of my newly released Bible study ($14.00) and a two-year subscription to Living Real Magazine ($24.00).



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Comments

  1. Amen Ms. Melanie. The church in America has taken a back seat, allowing the government to do its job in many cases. We should not be surprised when it now attempts to control what the church can say and do. What folks don't understand is that the church was never ours to give away. It is Christ's and I believe He is coming to take back what is His. I pray soon.

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    1. Yes, sir. You are so right. We must remain faithful, vigilant, and prayerful as we seek to live obedient lives through Christ. Thank you for commenting and being a blessing to me. You are a winner of one of the 3 prizes! YAY! Private message me on Facebook so I can get your information to mail you your prize.

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  2. You've focused on a tough, but much needed conversation, we need to seek God, submit to His will for our nation, and do our best to keep His commandments and guidance at the forefront of all we do. It's a struggle to balance love and justice, to know how to show our love to all God's people, to reach out and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who don't want to hear it. But, we must...

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    1. Yes, Katherine, the struggle is real to balance love, mercy, grace, and justice, and to live it out in obedience. Thank you so much for reading and commenting. You are a blessing. You are also a winner of one of the 3 prizes! Please private message me on Facebook so I can get your information to send you your gift. :)

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