PLEASING GOD IS MORE THAN SAYING "GOD BLESS AMERICA!"

Today is National Day of Prayer.  I cannot tell you how heavy my heart is.  Will our President and our National leaders take time today to pray for our country?  Will they confess her sins?  Do they even see her atrocities as sins before God?  Our forefathers, like our present leaders, were not perfect; they had their own personal issues.  However, what they did understand is God honors National confession, therefore they would set aside days when we, as a Country, would call upon the LORD confessing our sins and seeking His mercy.  It was far more than the patronizing closing statement to a speech: "God bless America!"  

What's really frightening is: Do our National leaders even know what sin is?  Do they call wrong right and right wrong?  How can we ask God to bless America and approve of the murder of innocent children in the womb?  How can we ask God to bless America and publicly endorse and approve of same-sex marriage?  How can we ask God to bless America and allow the persecution of Americans on foreign soil simply because they are Christian and make no 'real' effort to seek their freedom?  How can we … and the list goes on.  How can we continue to keep the poor impoverished with social programs that are enslaving rather than liberating?  How can we spend billions of dollars on weapons and our own go without food?  And … we can go on!

I recently received an email from a friend who referred to some in Political office as "amoral."  This was what he said: "I was reminded recently that people like __________ are NOT immoral but amoral.  An immoral person has a basis of morality and willingly violates it.  (We've all been there; well, maybe I should simply speak for myself — I know that I've been there — it simply called 'sin'.)  An amoral person has no moral center within them to violate, hence they sin with impunity without conviction."  Wow!  That's deep and profound, but true.  

It reminds me of the movie 'Kalifornia' — the story of a serial killer.  The person who tells the story was a journalist whose commencing thesis was: "Serial killers are like everyone else, the only difference is they have been shaped by environment."  However, at the close of the movie his conclusion takes a 180 degree turn.  He says, "There is a difference between a serial killer and the common guy, even criminal — he/she has 'no conscience'."  May we as people, we as a nation, never get to that place where our consciences are seared to what God calls sin — no matter what form it takes. 

This week's sermon was born out of our Intern Homiletics Class — "Recognizing His Voice."  Quite appropriate to this email and National Day of Prayer.  We will also sit at Table with our Lord as we celebrate Holy Communion.

Attached is an article I wrote after our First Family publicly approved and endorsed NBA player Jason Collins' 'coming out' and asking God's blessings on Planned Parenthood.  (The latter still has me gasping for breath and hiding from the next lightning bolt.)  "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people."  LORD, have mercy on our Nation, our National leaders and us His church.  And the Church said: "LORD, have mercy!" 

Respectfully,

in Jesus, 

PB

Pastor Bruce