🎶God bless America
Land that I love.
🎶

More than a song—it’s a prayer, sung with yearning and heartfelt connection. My country, my people, my family, my home. I am grateful to those who have sacrificed for her betterment, and I am hopeful for her shining posterity.

My patriotic journey in four sentences:

1. In my youth, I learned how American history coincided with my faith, whereby my love of God became synonymous with my love of country.
2. My youthful and naive ideals kept me in a sort of patriotic fantasy that left me dogmatic that no people on earth had been so blessed and favored by God as Americans.
3. As a young adult, my American pride carried my attitude to dizzying heights, so I looked down on every other nation in the world.
4. Years, experiences, and growth in Jesus have helped me see my place and purpose in America more honestly and humbly.

Hear what the Lord said to the nation of Israel when He was bringing them into the promised land. I believe the principles in this statement apply to us today:

“For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. 

“Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God…” ~ Deuteronomy 8:7-14

“Bless the LORD your God. Keep His commandments… don’t forget the LORD your God.”

Beware of earthly politics that would distract and divide the beautiful Body of Christ.

America is facing some challenges, but the truth is simple. As a person IN JESUS, He is my KING and LORD. I am a citizen of God’s Kingdom, first and foremost. Such are all who name the name of Christ, whether assigned to the US or any other nation in the world.

As the Church (Ekklesia), we are citizens of God’s Kingdom and subjects of a theocratic government where Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Bless Jesus. Keep His commandment (1 John 3:23). Remember Him. Let every activity of your day be done in relationship with Jesus. He is the subject of our affection, loyalty, and patriotism.

A nation filled with the presence of Jesus, through His devoted Ekklesia, is blessed.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD…” ~ Psalm 33:12

You might wonder how this has anything to do with photography and inspiration. Some of the most profound conversations with the Lord happen when walking in His creation, camera in hand. He teaches me through connecting truth with my outdoor nature experiences. Our recent conversations have been about the USA, politics, and His people (Ekklesia). The Holy Spirit never shies away from talking about religion and politics 😀. Photographing eagles often triggers these conversations.

The Lord has been impressing upon me the significance of the Apostle Paul’s statement in Philippians 4:20:

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”

And in Ephesians 2:19:

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God…”

As a citizen of Heaven, my first and foremost loyalty is to God’s Kingdom and to my brothers and sisters in Jesus. It must be my only priority, perspective, and purpose.

Jesus came to earth under an oppressive Roman Government and a religious Jewish government that had lost its way. He came to reveal His Father’s Kingdom – the Kingdom of God.

“…but He [Jesus] said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent. ~ Luke 4:43

One way the Prophet Isaiah described Jesus is He would come with the government upon His shoulder.

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder.” ~ Isaiah 9:6a

This prophetic word further confirms Jesus came bringing the Kingdom of God: an authorized kingdom governing humankind on earth and in Heaven for eternity.

Jesus’ purpose was not to make any nation great except His Father’s. He came to reconcile humankind with God, filling His Kingdom with His most precious creation.

The Jewish people who recognized Jesus as the Messiah (Savior/liberator), expected that He would make Israel great again. Jesus dodged and discouraged this purpose at every turn. Instead, He pointed His followers to His Father’s Kingdom and its liberating policies and practices.

The Apostle Paul further declares that we who have been reconciled to the Father through Jesus are AMBASSADORS for Christ. As citizens of Heaven, we each have our assignment on this earth. We are sent like Jesus and directed to imitate God as His dear children.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

As an ambassador for Christ, representing His Kingdom in the United States, what is my true assignment from Heavenly Father?

Similar to the Lord’s warning to Israel as they entered the promised land, there is a warning in my heart that we (the Ekklesia) do not forget or neglect the purpose of our assignment. The danger is that we are enamored and preoccupied with the place of our assignment and lose sight of the Person of our assignment.

Where have we set our affection, patriotism, loyalty, vision, purpose, and practice?

Do I find myself more disturbed by our elected officials, policies, and their impact on my quality of life than I am for the lost souls of my neighbors and their quality of eternity?

These are challenging questions upon which I have been reflecting.

Am I willing to break a relationship or alienate a brother or sister over their political views and choices?

Beware of earthly politics that would distract and divide the beautiful Body of Christ, leaving the lost with an ineffective, distracted ambassador.

“God bless America.” It’s a wonderful sentiment. But I wonder if another prayer is more in line with my true citizenship.

“Father, how might I bless you and your Kingdom today as your loyal ambassador? How might I manifest your kingdom in my little corner of the earth? Thank you for your divine power which enables me to reconcile lost souls to Jesus.”

Maybe the best thing I can do for the USA is to simply live true to WHO I am in Jesus – an ambassador for Christ, a citizen of His Kingdom, and a fellow saint with all the members of God’s household.

I wonder what the future of the United States could be with a united patriotic Church (Ekklesia), loyal to Jesus and His Kingdom, intent on fulfilling her assignment as His ambassador on the earth.

1607 Covenant

Pastor Robert Hunt and the 1607 expedition that arrived on Virginia Beach prayed a dedication of this land (later to become the United States).

“We do hereby dedicate this Land, and ourselves, to reach the People within these shores with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to raise up Godly generations after us, and with these generations take the Kingdom of God to all the earth. May this Covenant of Dedication remain to all generations, as long as this earth remains, and may this Land, along with England, be Evangelist to the World. May all who see this Cross, remember what we have done here, and may those who come here to inhabit join us in this Covenant and in this most noble work that the Holy Scriptures may be fulfilled.”

“Patriotism”