Despots may plan and armies may march, and the congress of the nations may

seem to think they are adjusting the affairs of the world, but the mighty men of
the earth are only the dust of the chariot wheels of God's providence - T. Dewitt
Talmage

Today, we come together to pray for the greatest nation on the planet that we
have been blessed to be a part of. Even though that reality is true, we are
embroiled in a battle for the very soul of this nation, even the right to keep this
blessed day which has also been the recent target of attack by judges and
bureaucrats. Rights are being stripped away from people who have differing views
from the establishment. Tea parties are cropping up all over the nation in
response to a government that is out of control. Bailouts are being handed to
people at the expense of the hard working, taxpaying citizens of this nation
without a vote or a voice. Alternative lifestyles are being pressed upon the
populace as being normal. Sex education is being taught to kindergarten children.
The list goes on.

The question that’s echoing throughout the country today is, “How did this
happen?”

It wasn't always this way.

Of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, 29 0f them held

Dr. Benjamin Rush, on of those men and founder of the Sunday School
movement, said this:

The only foundation for a republic to be laid is to be laid in religion. Without this
there can be no virtue and without virtue there can be no liberty and liberty is the
object and life of all republican governments.

Patrick Henry, famed American Revolutionary and orator, said:

It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was
founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel
of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded
asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.

James Madison, the Chief Architect of the Constitution and the 4 th President of the
United States, said:

Religion is the basis and foundation of government. Before any man can be
considered as a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of
the Governor of the universe.
William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania and preacher wrote to Peter the Great,
Czar of Russia:

If thou wouldst rule well, though must rule for God and to do that, thou must be
ruled by Him....Those who will not be governed by God, will be ruled by tyrants.

These patriots and influential members that helped found this nation, believed in
the utmost importance of God being a part of society not as an afterthought, but
as being central to the peaceful propagation of liberty and freedom. And how
have we fared since that day of independence from Britain? How have we, as a
nation, kept the truth of God and His greatness ever before us?

Simple. We've forgotten him.

Not only have we have forgotten Him but we've turned our back to Him. We've
kicked Him out of our public schools, kicked Him out of our government, kicked
him out of the workplace, and in many cases, kicked Him out of churches. We
scream, “God bless America” while frustrating Him at every turn to penetrate our
lives and curse those who are made in His image because they have a different
political viewpoint.

The nation has abandoned the One who built it. We have given in to a lie that
says that there should be a separation of church and state at the expense of
religious liberty. Professors on campuses across the nation are being mollified and
discriminated against if the express a belief in the One true God of the universe.
Children are stripped away from parents who simply want to make sure that their
children are being taught the truths of the scriptures. To mention the name Jesus
brings verbal attacks disdain, and vilification.

Throughout all of the hoopla, anxiety, and trepidation, one thing has remained
constant: God is still running things. He has remained the sovereign King on the
throne, the Everlasting, the Alpha and Omega, the great I AM.

Sovereignty – one having supreme power and authority.

God is sovereign, able to do what He wants, when He wants, how He wants. And
who is able to stay His hand?

Understand: God is not surprised. As the Joker says in the movie Dark Knight,
“It’s all part of the plan.” God rules and reigns over everything. He controls the
outcome.

God only directly supports those things which agree with His word. The Bible is
rife with kings that were evil: Ahab, Ahaz, Manasseh, Jeroboam, Nadab, and
others. God did not condone their evil reigns, but allowed it under His sovereign
hand.

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it
whithersoever he will. (Proverbs 21:1).

Taking the freedom He gave to oppress people, either a little or much, is not in
His will.

It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established

It’s because of man’s evil and the acceptance of it that we’re where we’re at
today. Complacency and compromise in morals, virtue, integrity, and honor.
Excusing evil and trivializing sin.

Yet, God is still in control. That should make us smile and give us strength as a
people for our next move. That should make us grateful and thankful.

I have a lot of conservative associates who have the mentality of those nine
lepers. They know where their blessings come from but they’re ungrateful for
them.

They cry incessantly about the state of the country yet never thanking the Lord in
their rants that they’re able to speak and proclaim the truth.

They vilify liberals with some of the most horrid expressions not once thinking
about how this reflects on the One who gave them a voice, life, and breath.

They look at the government as the ultimate evil and are oblivious to the true
enemy behind it all. The political spectrum is one of many arenas where the
battle is being fought. It's fought in churches, in school classrooms, on college
campuses, and in the family.

Why do hey do this? It’s all about them. They wrap it in descriptions like truth,
liberty, freedom, the Constitution. But when you look closely through the malaise
of verbal gyrations, it’s really all about them, what they want, and how they want
to live. Again, God is not in the picture.

Martin Luther, the great Reformationist said:

If in His gifts and benefits [God] were more sparing and close-handed,we should
learn to be more thankful...The greater God's gifts and works, the less they are
regarded.

We should be thankful for so much from the Provider of all things. We should be
grateful for being chosen to stand for Truth. We should be thankful that He uses
us one more day. We should be thankful that we still have the freedom that many
don’t have like brothers and sisters in churches all over the world who are
persecuted for their faith and killed in many cases. We should be thankful we can
walk, talk, type, breathe, and that we exist.

Praying will make you leave off sinning or sinning will make you leave off praying
– Charles Spurgeon

The one concern of the Devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing
prom prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our
toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray. - Samuel Chadwick