when the nations of this world have gone astray (AND THEY HAVE)...

DEVOTIONAL READING
Oh, You Irreverent Nation!, a poem by Michelle Nicole Murphy
So lay down your arms,
And end the war.
Or your women and children,
Your youth and vitality,
Will weep at the gates,
Cursing their nation.

For you all desire god-status,
But yet you are not gods.
The One who IS,
The Alpha and Omega,
Is Our God. He is God.
So lay down your arms.
Oh, you irreverent nation!

So close your legs,
And cherish your loved ones.
Or your words and flattery,
Your truth and popularity,
Will be a joke among peers,
For their own benefit.

For your vitality builds nations,
But yours is stained.
The One who is not stained,
The Alpha and Omega,
Is Our God. He is God.
So be pure among the land.
Oh, you prostitute nation!

So bear your soul,
To the Alpha and Omega,
The First and the Last,
Our God.
Ask for vitality back,
Your youth and reputation.
Make your warriors busy 
To peacemaking.
Pray to the One who IS,
The Alpha and Omega,
Is Our God. He is God.
So bear your soul.
Oh, you irreverent nation!

John 18, Verse 36 - Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, Verses 1-11 - When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me."

James 1, Verses 2-3 - Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

1 John 1, Verses 5-9 - This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Matthew 5, Verse 16 - “Let your light shine before men [and women] in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

James 1, Verse 25 - But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
I live in a country, the USA, where its people are productive and capitalistic, and therefore materially abundant. The average low-income person here is richer than the average middle class person in European countries (and richer than the average person worldwide). Since inception the USA was set to establish and grow in power and influence. An in-depth study of liberty-doused material reveals, in general, that our freedoms have always come with strings - those strings are that our peoples support a strong, strong powerful State and the "State's will". The State is our god in America (similar in other nations) and few leaders hold powerful positions in America without the blessing of someone more powerful. The will of the people is molded to the will of the State. We must shape our will to God's will instead.

In the Bible, material wealth is a challenge because it is the poor who more easily inherit the kingdom of God. In the Bible, it is the Jews who expect a king and prophet to rule nations, and instead get Jesus, whose kingdom is not of this world. In the Bible, God deals harshly at times with the nations of the Old Testament, including His own Israel. I think today we are looking for a Savior - one for our nation, instead of looking to Jesus. And we have an inkling that a great judgment may be coming to many nations, including ours. Our leaders and citizens may call today on God to bless the nation, or give easy-speak to religious terms about national issues, but on a whole our nation has gone astray. The Pharisees of Jesus's day are back in a big way, with plenty of listeners. Our god, "The State", is worshipped in all nations, by many peoples. No nation is exempt from the State's will, and every nation is astray from God's will.

No single person is exempt from God's judgment. The Israel of the Old Testament no longer exists. God still deals with the elite, leaders and nations, but he also deals directly with the hearts of every one of his children. So what? Since God deals with our hearts, whether we feel materially or physically free in our own situation, we must seek out a life where we are not counted astray by God. And sharing that vision with others among the members of the church, within our family, friends, peers and fellow citizens is essential - evangelism. Matthew 5, Verse 16 says, “Let your light shine before men [and women] in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." And so we must walk in the light and not in the darkness. And we must have hope and take action that others will do the same. We must not worship "the State" or its leaders, but instead put our faith in God, Jesus and the saints. The the collective judgments on our diverse peoples and nation are counting on it. For James 1 says "testing of our faith produces endurance", and our inkling is more faith-testing and endurance will be needed up ahead.

DEVOTIONAL PRAYER
Dear God, I've often prayed for the leaders of nations and nations themselves. I continue that prayer today. Despite the great power of the State, Your power is much greater. Every person faces an individual judgment and yet our collective nation may have tougher times ahead. I thank you that every woman and man still has the freedom of liberty that Jesus spoke about and James 1 calls "the law of liberty", by which we are judged by our faith according to the sacrifice made by Your son. This is a blessing that is not conceivable most of the time. I pray for a more conceivable understanding of this blessing. Thank you for all the blessings in my life. I pray that you continue to prepare the people I care about, and mankind in general, for their individual judgments. In Jesus Name. Amen