"God Bless America"

God wants to give national leaders instructions (2 Samuel 7:4-5) And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, 5 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?

I woke early this morning saying "Bless the Lord with all my soul", and then the words "God Bless America", came out. I knew it was the Holy Spirit and I went to my desk and started to pray and research on how to express the information which needed to be shared. While researching I found a sermon that spoke in the direction I was to go and was already researched. Below is an excerpt of part of the sermon. I encourage you to read all of the sermon. "God Bless America" by Franklin L. Kirksey.

Abraham was not just a God-fearer. Jesus said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad” (John 8:56). In Hebrews 11:8-10 we find, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” From Hebrews 11:1 and 6 we read, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. . . . But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Just as God set before His chosen people a choice to obey Him or to disobey Him (Deuteronomy 28); He allows us to choose blessing instead of cursing as a nation.

Our treatment of Israel will determine our blessing or cursing, as will our treatment of Immanuel, Jesus Christ the Lord.

The psalmist writes, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD” (Psalm 33:12). Blessing comes to those who are good to the nation of Israel and cursing comes to those who are not. David the psalmist exhorts, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: / ‘May they prosper who love you’” (Psalm 122:6).

Irving Berlin, born Israel Baline (1888-1989) in Russia, penned the familiar words “God bless America, land that I love” and introduced it on Armistice Day 1938.

Dr. Ed F. Vallowe (1919-2002) asks, “What part has the United States played in Israel’s growth? From the beginning the United States was sympathetic toward Israel, and the prosperous Jews in the United States were unhindered as they gave liberally toward the establishment of the nation of Israel.

Beginning with 1948, over the next 14 years, Israel received through the United States government, in all forms of aid, a total of 880 million dollars. Under President John F. Kennedy [1917-1963], beginning in 1962, the policy toward Israel showed a marked change. President Kennedy strongly supported [Gamal Abdel] Nassar [(1918-1970) former President of Egypt, founder of the short lived United Arab Republic, who fought against Israel twice, 1956, 1967] in his ambition to gain complete control of the Middle East. This displeased England and France. In 1962, Washington gave aid to Nassar totaling 250 million dollars. This was 30 percent of what Israel had received over a 14-year period.

It is a dangerous policy to take sides against Israel. Any nation that does will suffer dire consequences. God warned: ‘I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee’ (Gen. 12:3).

‘Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey’ (Jer. 30:16).

It was shocking indeed when the news was announced to the world of the death of John Kennedy, President of the United States. Immediately after his death, all foreign aid to the nation of Israel was reestablished under President Johnson.”[7]

Dr. David R. Reagan explains, “[Ronald Reagan’s (1911-2004)] successor, George Bush, became deceived by the vision of the ‘New World Order’, and in the process, he turned against the nation of Israel, forcing the Jewish leaders to begin the suicidal appeasement policy of trading land for peace.”[8]

Yesterday the following came to my attention, “The Veterans Administration is releasing new cemetery guidelines after complaints by local veterans and volunteer groups that there's a ban on religious speech at VA National Cemeteries. The Department of Veterans Affairs says invoking the name of God or Jesus is allowed and common. But a federal civil suit filed by the Liberty Institute against the VA claims the opposite. In one instance, the suit describes how a cemetery director told volunteers they had to stop telling families ‘God bless you’ at funerals and ordered them to remove the words ‘God bless’ from condolence cards. Several members of congress have expressed their concerns over the matter.”[9]

It is heartbreaking to see the once God blessed America becoming Godless America. It is heartwarming to see individuals across this land call for repentance and revival! May our heart-cry be, God Bless America.

More about Franklin L. Kirksey

~Bits and Pieces of Sermon by Deborah Webster~