The Only Way To #MakeAmericaGreatAgain

Most of us long to #MakeAmericaGreatAgain. But the only way to do that is to make God great again in America.

Historically speaking, America hasn’t always been great. Like the young nation of Israel in the book of Judges, we see a cycle of rebellion, judgment, deliverance, and repentance.

I believe America is currently under God’s judgment, and the only way we can make America great again is to give Him His rightful place in our nation and in our lives.

My goal in writing this post isn’t to delineate America’s wrong. Quite frankly, that could take more room than what one post will allow. Instead,  I hope to show God’s plan to be at the center (His rightful place) and how we have delegated Him to the fringes.

The only way to #MakeAmericaGreatAgain is to #MakeGodGreat
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#MakeAmericaGreatAgain – God’s Holiness Revealed

When God miraculously delivered His people from bondage to Egypt and began the process of building them into a nation, one of the main messages He gave them in regard to His character was that He was holy. In addition to teaching them about His holiness, God required that they also be holy as His people.

For I am the LORD that brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: you shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. -Leviticus 11:45

Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them, You shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy. -Leviticus 19:2

Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. -Leviticus 20: 7

I like how R.C.Sproul defines God’s holiness.

The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love, or mercy, mercy, mercy, or wrath, wrath, wrath, or justice, justice, justice. It does say that He is holy, holy, holy, the whole earth is full of His glory. The primary meaning of holy is ‘separate.’ It comes from an ancient word that meant, ‘to cut,’ or ‘to separate.’ Perhaps even more accurate would be the phrase ‘a cut above something.’ When we find a garment or another piece of merchandise that is outstanding, that has a superior excellence, we use the expression that it is ‘a cut above the rest. When the Bible calls God holy it means primarily that God is transcendentally separate. He is so far above and beyond us that He seems almost totally foreign to us. To be holy is to be ‘other,’ to be different in a special way.

When, as a nation, we lose sight of God’s holiness (a cut above, separate, and wholly other), we don’t reverence Him as we should, and we neglect holy living as a people. I think there’s a case to be made that this has become true in America.

In short: because God is holy, He deserves our reverence and we are to pursue holy living.

#MakeAmericaGreatAgain – God’s Perfect Plan For A Nation

Returning once more to the example of the young nation of Israel, we see God lay out very specific instructions for building the tabernacle how they set up camp around the tabernacle.

Why?

That’s what I find particularly striking.  The physical act of laying out their camp revealed a picture of God’s perfect plan for how they were to live.

In Numbers 2, we see God’s plan unfolded as He gave instructions for how the tabernacle was to be in the very center of their camp, surrounded first by the Levitical priesthood and then the rest of the tribes of the nation of Israel. It’s important to realize that the tabernacle represented God’s Presence among them. In fact, He was dwelling among them, pitching His tent with theirs. The reason for the priests to surround the tabernacle was to protect the holiness of God. And even the very names of various parts of the tabernacle (the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies) revealed His holiness.

The application for us is this: God expects no less from us as a nation. All over Washington D.C. and around our country are monuments and buildings inscribed with verses from God’s Word. On our money, we have the words “In God We Trust.” In our pledge of allegiance, we say “one nation under God.” If we’re going to tout His name and His Word as our standards, we’d better be prepared to live it. And honestly, if we don’t we are treating Him as unholy.

God doesn’t change. He is STILL holy. He STILL deserves the central location in our country and in our lives.

#MakeAmericaGreatAgain – We Can’t Have It Both Ways

It seems to me that as a nation we’re using God, His Word, and His Name for our purposes as a sort of fire insurance, all while delegating Him to the fringes of our national life.

Public prayer has become taboo. Sharing our faith, even by mentioning His name in conversation, is politically and socially incorrect. A prominent leader, who during his campaign labeled himself as Christian, spouted “America is no longer a Christian nation” once he was in office. And since then, he and others like him have done everything they can to push God further and further away.

God won’t stand for it. He’s made it very clear that He won’t play any other position but front and center. And as God Almighty, our Sovereign King, Lord and Savior, Creator and Sustainer, He shouldn’t be relegated to any lesser place.

Our job is to bring Him the glory He deserves. To make Him great.

Some of the saddest words in the Bible, revealed as judgment against the nation of Israel, are these:

Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple… -Ezekiel 10:18a

The very place that represented both God’s Holiness and His Presence then stood empty of His Holy Presence. We must not fail to make Him great and bring Him glory.

So in a nutshell, if we want to #MakeAmericaGreatAgain we have to:

Make God Great Again In America.
COMMENT CHIT-CHAT:
What steps do you think are necessary to make God great again in America?