“Repent” is the “R” in R.E.C.I.P.E.
Will we Succeed as a Nation?
In the winter of 1777, Benjamin Rush sat next to John Adams in Congress, and whispered to him, and asked Mr. Adams if he thought “we should succeed in our struggle with Great Britain”. At that time, the colonies were engaged in a war with the world’s greatest superpower. Still, to Benjamin Rush’s question, John Adams answered “Yes—If we fear God, and repent of our Sins.” There has always been a connection between the state of the heart of the people of God, and His blessing upon them. Our founders, like John Adams in this conversation, realized this.
A LIGHT ON A HILL?
The United States has moved from being a light on a hill for the Lord, and honoring His Word, to being a place where we have disallowed the existence of God, or God’s Word, in our society. As a society, we strive to protect the right to kill babies by the millions, and yet accept that our children have no right to prayer, or the Bible, in their schools. Our society celebrates and passes laws to protect the “right” to participate in activities that God calls abomination, while we deny the very One who gives us breath. The Declaration of Independence declares our rights are endowed upon us by our Creator. If our rights come from God, then it is safe to say we do not have “rights” that directly conflict with His Word. There is no “right” to protection of homosexual behavior – God calls that an abomination. There is no “right” to have an abortion – that is taking away life God gave to a new baby. There is no “right” to things that have to come at the expense of others – like health care, or moratoriums of evictions from rental properties with delinquent payments. Those things are theft from someone else. When our society breaks God’s law, (and even celebrates the breaking of His law), we go from being in God’s blessing, to being under His judgment. God’s blessing flows from our obedience to His Word.
do you Desire God’s blessings?
When the Temple was completed in ancient Jerusalem, God told his people what to do when they found themselves under God’s judgment – He said,
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
– 2 Chronicles 7:14
Repentance
Let’s pray He will honor the same for us. For this reason, Patriot’s Hope will point God’s people to repentance as the first step to making our country better. It makes no sense to expect God’s blessing on a nation who has denied every influence of His Word and His hand which has been upon us since our founding. This is not to say we condemn those individuals who have been affected by these sins, but we do need to repent and turn away from these things as a nation. Without repentance – without God’s blessing again – even the best Constitution ever written will not save this country. Let’s repent of these things, change our hearts, turn from our wicked ways, and then ask God to bless our nation once again.
Acts 20:21 I have declared to both the Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
Paul’s words to the elders of the Ephesus church, and God to us.
Jeremiah 15:19-21 Therefore, this is what the LORD says: “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy , not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them. I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,” declares the LORD. “I will save you from the hands of the wicked and deliver you from the grasp of the cruel.”
Amen to both of these verses! Good stuff… The one in Jeremiah reminds me of another great one in Jeremiah… “At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.” – Jeremiah 18:7-10
Thank you for the comment!
Yes, Amen! Repentance is the key to forgiveness. It may look impossible from our eyes, but from God’s eyes nothing is impossible. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” I also like Deuteronomy 20:4 …”for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. Now we need to do our part…to pray and vote and leave the results up to God. Thanks, Jason and RaShell, for going that extra mile for us. Carol
Thank you so much for your comment! I love that verse in Deuteronomy you quoted… He will fight for us. So, as a nation we have to stop doing evil things, turn away from those things and return to God. It is our only hope as a nation. Thank you again!
Several things soared through my mind as I was reading. Amon them are:
1. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is one of my favorite verses. While most applicable to a Nation, I take it personally, in my humble attempt to walk the precepts of God.
2. Having left the East Coast (the Washington, DC area), many things saddened me:
a.) The things I was witnessing in Government. How far from the Founders legislators have fallen. The gross misinterpreting of the Constitution exercised by them in their deliberations and actions. How ignoring original intent is rampant.
b.) For all of the church’s in Virginia, DC and Maryland, so many of their congregants support Democrats. Democrat platforms spit in the eye of God on so many levels. And yet, that area is predominantly Democrat. Pulpits espouse social justice aims and encourage protests. Many churches united with BLM, a totally Marxist entity. Social Justice rhetoric has supplanted the preaching of the Gospel in many churches.
c.) For my entire life I have not understood, though I have researched to determine when and how, why Blacks vote for the very people who oppressed them and still oppress them, now mentally.
Texas has been a breath of fresh air for me. I came here in December of 2019. For two years I had been praying for “an exodus” from that toxic area. Initially, He led me to come here to visit the couple God mightily used to lead me to the Lord in 1982. The Pastor had developed Alzheimer’s and I wanted to come and help his wife. I was to stay for 3 months, though his wife was secretly encouraging me to move here. I was to leave in March 2020 and remember what happened? Covid 19. God opened another door to an affordable apartment (DC area is very expensive.). I have been here since.
When we live a life of repentance, “laying aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,…” (Hebrews 12:1), God’s Providence abounds in our lives. I came here with two suitcases and the church I was attending and new friends began the furnishing of my apartment – down to forks, knives and spoons! While I offered to repay, no one would accept it. God is amazing!!! How was that for an Exodus? Remember the Egyptians gave the Hebrews supplies as they were leaving Egypt? Well, I got here and several people equipped me. ; )
Now I have discovered “Patriot’s Hope” and I am overjoyed. I am being reminded of things my Republican father taught me and what my elementary school taught, my love for history, especially Ancient and Medieval because of its correspondence to the Bible’s historical accounts with which I was raised. I thank you and RaShell for giving of your time and efforts to educate us and excite our involvement in our Nation’s future.
Thank you for sharing your story with us here! We very much appreciate your participation with the classes and homework, etc. Yes, I hope we can be part of helping Americans remember (or learn for the first time) the founding principles of this great nation built upon the principles of God’s Word. Thank you again for your comment!
I think Texas is a great place to be I have been here since 2004 and in my current house house when we moved here from west Texas where there no trees yo speak of. I listen to AFR
on my app and get a lot of biblical news. I will not be moving back to Oklahoma to listen to the same radio station. I have heard so much that was wrong with ABC,CBS,NBC as well as the DC White House speaker with the and she has no idea what she is talking about. but they said also Nancy with all her ice cream started some this mess. With in congress the democrats have a mess and the do not as well as in the senate because of its of the nearly have of the senate is democrats nothing can not do anything right and they even do not like what the house has sent they mess it up so much the house cannot even pass it. We also know we have judges that make laws and all of then need to be replaced with constitution knowing loving Judges. We as Christians need to pray for our leaders and ask God to take back our country. He is the only way to take back our country. So please pray for our country.
Yes Maam, I agree we need to pray for our country. We need to repent and turn from the wicked ways we have embraced and turn to God. Thank you so much for your comment!
Repentance is so important, and it does matter. We need to turn away from the wicked things in this world. Thank you so much for this blog, it was a good reminder that we need to repent and ask God for forgiveness.
Amen – yes Maam! May our country humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, repent and turn from our wicked ways… Then may He hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land… Thank you for your comment!
I Believe repentance is the most important thing a Christian can do. However, you can’t “Repent” and then keep living the same sin. once you repent, that comes with a change in the way you were living or a change in behavior.
It is very sad to see that the world has turned away and started to believe in the non-existence of God. thank you for helping us remember that Repentance is key to forgiveness!
Amen! Yes, repentance is not just feeling sorry, but is, in fact, turning away – like turning around and changing direction! That is what we need to do for sure! Thank you so much for your comment!