We have a sure foundation

"For He established a testimony in [the new land],

And appointed a law in [America],

Which He commanded our fathers,

That they should make them known to their children;

That the generation to come might know them,

The children who would be born,

That they may arise and declare them to their children,

That they may set their hope in God,

And not forget the works of God,

But keep His commandments." Psalm 78:5-7 (Words in brackets added)

Our Lord and Savior lead a brave group of Pilgrims to cross over the sea to a new land, a land where they could worship God freely, establish laws based on God's word to govern the people, and build a nation under God. They landed on the shores of a region that would become the State of Massachusetts. Yet 11 years ago the Supreme Court of Massachusetts declared there was no foundation of law to exclude marriages other than that between a man and a woman. In other words, they chose to ignore the foundation of law, the Bible, on which their state had built their laws. And this decision was made in the month in which we, just as their forefathers first solemnly celebrated, remember and give thanks to God who blessed them and still blesses us.

These men, and ultimately our whole nation if we don't repent, are moving into a dangerous position, one without a foundation. In Luke 6:48-49, we are reminded of the importance of a foundation: "He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great." The first man built upon the rock, and in 1 Corinthians 3:11, we discover the identity of the Rock: "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

Systematically our present leaders and their followers have been pulling out our firm Rock foundation and resting our nation on the shifting sands of modern morality. Proverbs 10:25 states: "When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation."

Our nation has seen many natural disasters in recent years, disasters that have swept away homes and people. These should serve as warnings to our rebellious nation, but instead we (many national leaders and much of our population) continue to try to push God from the national conscience. Let us not forget, however, God always has His remnant (let us be faithful to be in that remnant).

This Thanksgiving, God's remnant must earnestly pray, not just in thanksgiving, but also in confession of our national sins (note Daniel 9). Perhaps the whole of the remnant will fail to see the need, but if we (as if just one in number, like Daniel) earnestly pray, and seek God's face, perhaps God will heal our land.

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Pastor Jim Duncan is the pastor of Mountain Bible Church in Jacket, Mo. He can be reached at P.O. Box 146, Pea Ridge, AR 72751; (417) 341-8504; www.jamesduncan-writer.net; or http//:bloggingwithjames.jamesduncan-writer.net.

Religion on 10/08/2014