Author: John Page 153 of 166

Luke 14:23 “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”

As described in my previous post, the signers of the Mayflower Compact had a common purpose – to bring glory to God.  But, they also had a common mission – “advancement of the Christian faith.”  This was not a group of atheists.  It was not a group of agnostics.  It was not a group of mixed faiths.  It was not even a group of lackluster Christians.

Instead, it was a group of Bible-believing Christians.  These Christians were passionate about their faith, and were determined to carry it to the ends of the earth.  They understood, as should we, that their mission in life was to advance the cause of Christ in all that they did.  By confirming this mission in their foundational document, they combined themselves into a civil body for God’s glory.

As American Christians today, are we truly passionate about advancing the Christian faith?  Do we accept the Bible truth that we are to go out into the highways and the hedges?  Do we embrace our God-given responsibility to compel others to come in? Do we concern ourselves with the filling of God’s house?  If not, we should.  It is God’s command.  It is a command that the signers of the Mayflower Compact took seriously enough to make it their mission.

PLEASE PRAY THAT AS AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WE WOULD MAKE IT OUR MISSION TO ADVANCE THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.  In order to do so, we must get out to go out.  There is plenty to be accomplished in the highways and the hedges.  A four hundred year old example based on Bible principles should guide our way.

I Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

Veteran’s Day, celebrated annually on November 11^th, allows us to properly pay tribute to those who have served America in our nation’s armed forces.  It is fitting to recognize them in this way.  Yet, there is another group of veterans that we should remember on that day as well.  On November 11, 1620, a group of 100 or so pilgrims found calm within the safety of Cape Cod.  They were veterans of a 66-day journey from the old world to the new world, about to step onto dry land.  Before doing so, they drafted and signed what is now known as the Mayflower Compact, a document that bound them together with common purpose, mutual protection, and civil order.  The main body of this document stated:

“Having undertaken, for the Glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith and honor of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the Northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents, solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic; for our better ordering, and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.”

These American forefathers, in the midst of their foundational document, made their purpose clear – bringing glory to God.  They were not bashful about declaring that purpose, and used that declaration as a reliable basis for their society.  Indeed, that basis carried them successfully through the tough times that they would face.  Their faithfulness of purpose allowed them to endure and thrive.  Oh that Americans now would realize that the same faithfulness of purpose would allow us to endure and thrive today.

PLEASE PRAY THAT AS AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WE WOULD SEEK TO BRING GLORY TO GOD IN ALL THAT WE DO.  Like the pledge of those veterans of an Atlantic crossing four hundred years ago, we should purpose to bring glory to God in whatsoever we do.

Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”

Presumably by reading PLUS posts you are also PLUSing in your life.  If you are actively PLUSing, others may be encouraged by how you put PLUS into action.  I certainly would be.

If you are willing, please send me details about your PLUS experience (plusgroupsus@gmail.com).  Including just first names, I would like to incorporate your experiences into future posts.  Topics could include interesting places you have been able to PLUS (a few months ago I was able to PLUS in front of the White House), people you have encouraged to PLUS, PLUSing done regularly in groups, and the growth of a burden for our country developed through PLUSing.

PLEASE PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER SHARING YOUR PLUS EXPERIENCES TO ENCOURAGE AND EQUIP OTHERS.  Your experience may sharpen someone else who needs it.

Jonah 1:2-3a “Arise, go to Ninevah, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.  But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord”

Jonah 4:11 “And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?”

The last major reason why American Christians have become ineffective salt and light in our land may be because we no longer consider our land worthy to be redeemed.

Jonah received a clear call from the Lord to be salt and light in the wicked land of Nineveh.  Instead of arising to answer this call, he fled.  At the time of his flight from the call of God, it was unclear why he did so.  Yet, later in the Book of Jonah it became clear that he did not consider the Ninevites worthy of God’s mercy.  In fact, when these previously wicked ones repented and avoided God’s wrath, “it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.” (Jonah 3:10).

Have we gotten to the point in America where we consider our nation’s path so deviant that we welcome God’s wrath?  Have we gotten to the point where we consider our land so wicked that it is undeserving of God’s mercy?  While we should be ashamed of an affirmative answer to the first question, we should be contemplative of an affirmative answer to the second question.  Indeed, America is undeserving of God’s mercy.  Yet, so was I and so were you.  We were no more worthy of God’s grace at the moment of our salvation than the worst among us are now.  As you consider the wickedest pockets of our land, you should also reminisce about God’s undeserved favor that saved you.

PLEASE PRAY THAT AS AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WE WOULD ARISE TO MEET GOD’S CALL TO REACH THE UNDESERVING.  Instead of fleeing from God’s call, we should arise in a spirit of love and genuine concern.  Remember that we were all once in the position of needing undeserved mercy to redeem us from deserved wrath.

Lamentations 1:12 “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.”

The second major reason why American Christians have become ineffective salt and light in our land is our lack of passion.  It is as if we no longer care.

Jeremiah did care.  As he saw the desolation of Jerusalem, he was deeply pained: “for these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water” (Lam 1:16).  He had not given up on this once great city; he had not grown numb to the plight of his land.  Instead, he was sincerely troubled by what he saw around him.

Do we care?  Are we deeply pained by the direction of our country?  Have we given up on our once great nation?  Have we grown numb to the plight of our land?  Are we sincerely troubled by what we see around us?

We should care.  We should be deeply pained by the direction of our country.  We should not give up on our once great nation.  We should not grow numb to the plight of our land.  Instead, we should be sincerely troubled by what we see around us.

PLEASE PRAY THAT AS AMERICAN CHRISTIAN CITIZENS WE WOULD NOT BE SATISFIED TO PASS BY THE PROBLEMS OF OUR NATION.  If our national condition should ever become nothing to us, then our lack of care will insure our demise.