America today must heed the proclamation made by Abraham Lincoln on March 30, 1863. Otherwise, God will bring judgment down on America and our "government of the people, by the people, for the people" will perish. Then, the dead shall have "died in vain."
If America perishes the world will be lost. The world will be turned upside down and America will become a people for the government rather than a government for the people.
If we allow this to happen, and it is, then Communism will have won the day. And Americans will no longer be entitled to our unalienable rights - life, Liberty or the pursuit of happiness.
On the other hand, if America returns to God we shall have another "new birth of freedom."
Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.
And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.
And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!
It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.
I, Jonah, believe America must humble itself, repent and seek forgiveness. "Build back better" is the opposite. We are repeating the same hubris and mistakes Israel made which led to it's destruction thousands of years ago. Israel too was warned.
America began as a City on a Hill dedicated to God.
In his 1630 sermon John Winthrop made a now famous proclamation that “we shall be as a city upon a hill.” Winthrop’s text has been quoted by almost every president to hold office.
Sadly, many American's fail to know, understand or appreciate our history. There was just significant historic anniversary. Did you miss it?
We must return - return to God.
Hashivenu Adonai (Restore us God).
Glory Altarpiece in Saint Paul's Church NYC |