Jesus told Nicodemus when he inquired of Him that in order to enter the Kingdom of God and receive eternal life, He would need to be born again, spiritually.
Then He told him how.
(John 3)
“For God so love the world, He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life”
John 3:16.
Jesus also explained to a Samaritan woman he met at a well, that it was not where we worship Him that matters, but how we worship Him is what is important, and the Father’s desire is that we worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.
(John 4: 1-26)
These truths are found in God’s Word, but because we no longer teach them in our schools and have allowed unbelievers to take our right to worship God anywhere and in our way and also to pray, many of our youth do not know they are in bondage and through faith in God’s Son, can be set free.
(John 8:36)
Columbus and Abraham’s Calling
Christopher Columbus’ ambition was not for gold or glory which the last 4 generations have been told, but rather in his own words it was to receive God’s commission to spread the gospel throughout the world. His passion in sailing to unknown territory, finding new lands were not founded upon greed but rather His faith:
“It was the Lord who put it into my mind to sail to the Indies. The fact that the gospel must be preached to so many lands-that is what convinced me.” Christopher Columbus
“No one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Savior, if it is just and if the intention is purely for His holy service.”[i] Christopher Columbus
Doesn’t sound like someone seeking glory for himself, does it? It reminds me of a patriarch named Abraham who was also called to journey from home to an unknown land, not for his glory, but for those whom God would give as an inheritance- the Promise Land. Neither Columbus nor Abraham saw those lands except through their eyes of faith.[ii] And neither one enjoyed the freedoms and liberties God promised to those who would inherit the bounty resulting from their obedience. But they trusted God and now many have experienced God’s salvation and the freedoms known in Christ.
The Pilgrims’ Calling and Pursuit
November 11th is a historical date and providential time for our nation, for on the 11th of this month 400 years ago, in 1620, a handful of pilgrims, after landing at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts dedicated themselves as a people to worship God in spirit and truth and be a light to others in sharing His gospel wherever it might be.
What catapulted the Mayflower 400 years ago to discover unknown territory through distant seas? It was their passion for God and the desire to escape tyrannical governments robbing them of the right to worship their God in spirit and in truth. So much was their faith a reality, they were willing to give up their lives to worship the One Who had set them free. Free from what, you may ask. Free from the wages of sin which is death and a life of misery. (Romans 6:23, Romans 8:1)
The Founding Father’s Calling and Pursuit
On July 4th 1776, the dream of Columbus and the Pilgrims to spread the gospel through distant lands became a reality at the birth of a new nation under God. The name of that new nation was America- the United States. On that day, the umbilical cord was severed from the tyranny of England, and a new nation was established for freedom endowed by our creator.
The Christian Patriots Calling and Pursuit
But presently, as a nation created for the propagation of the gospel, we have lost our way, immorality and the falling away from the faith which permeated our Constitution. Our Republic which inspired our children has been corrupted by those seeking a power of their own. The very thing we fought to be delivered, has crept in and eroded our schools, our courts, and the knowledge of God. However, just as Jesus said spiritually, we would need to be born again in order to enter the Kingdom of God, our nation as well with sincere repentance and God’s law restored, we too, as a nation of believers and with a revival and spiritual awakening, can be renewed.
