Each year, America celebrates its official birthday on July 4th which commemorates the date that we chose to proclaim our independence from England. July 4th, 2008 represents 232 years of the United States being an independent country.

Hundreds of thousands of American men and women -mostly men-have spilled their blood and died on the battlefield to guarantee the continuation of the United States as a sovereign nation. The Memorial Day celebration that begins the summer, the July 4th celebration and the Veterans Day celebration in the fall all pay tribute to those who fought and died to preserve the sovereignty of our nation.

July 4th for most is a holiday filled with fireworks, family activities and vacation time. Unfortunately, far too few stop and consider the tremendous blessings that have been granted us, the citizens of this nation. Too many take for granted the blessings and bounty of this section of earth that has been granted us as habitation for the last 232 years. The land that lies between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans is not only awesome in size, but it is exquisite in beauty and natural resources. America is truly the most beautiful real estate on the face of this earth.

Several years ago, as my wife and I traveled the northern tier states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho and Washington, the sight of huge green farms and the awesome beauty of the landscape dotted with the western mountains and lakes were truly beyond description.

We continued our trip down the Pacific coast observing the beauty of the Cascade Mountains between Portland and San Francisco. This was a train trip which brought us to an eye level position so that we could better appreciate this God-given land.. The beauty around the bay area of San Francisco, the great deserts of the Southwest and everything in between provides the awesome spectacle of just how beautiful America truly is.

Truly the song that says "America the Beautiful" is an accurate description for this patch of real estate we call "The United States of America."

The question in our minds, because of our understanding of prophecy, is how much longer will we as a nation stand sovereign and independent without foreign domination and, yes, enslavement.

Too many times people do not appreciate what they have until it has been lost. This will hold true for modern-day America, just as it held true for ancient Israel and Judah.

All of us have heard the old saying that the "grass is greener on the other side." To the rest of the world, that "green grass" lies between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans called the United States of America.

As we traveled by train into El Paso, one could not help but be awestruck at the visual difference between El Paso and the Mexican territory on the other side of the Rio Grande. No wonder these people look across the Rio Grande and decide that the grass is much greener on the other side. Peoples of Europe and Asia look to America as the real Land of Opportunity and are willing to pay many thousands of dollars to come to America either legally or illegally.

When you consider our economic power and the stability of our government and people, it isn't hard to see why so many in the rest of the world see America as those "green pastures."

Why do you think that you who have been "lucky" enough to be born in the United States have been given the "choicest" of ALL the world has to offer? In this article, I will answer that question and also show you the end result of the direction America and its people are presently headed.

Founding Fathers

Many attribute the success of the American experience to the founding fathers of this nation. There is no doubt that the framers of the Constitution did so using great wisdom and foresight. In addition, the Constitution itself shows evidence of God's hand upon the writers who produced that historic document. The United States Constitution is unique in all the world, even though some Democratic countries have modeled their constitution after the U.S. Constitution.

George Washington was a unique individual and exactly the right man to be the first president. It was George Washington who established the Presidency over the U.S. military by resigning his commission BEFORE accepting the Presidency.

We see in many countries the President or Prime Minister wearing a military uniform, showing that the civilian leader is also part of the military. Kings and Queens attire themselves in military uniform which shows their power over the civilian and military parts of their governments. Only the U.S. and those who have chosen to follow the U.S. Constitution in great detail have a separation of powers between their national leader and the military. Even though the President is called Commander-in-Chief, he is not a military man and is, therefore, not entitled to wear the uniform of the U.S. military while he is functioning as President.

The framers of the Constitution recognized in their statement that "we have inalienable rights." Those wise men who wrote the Constitution recognized that these rights were granted from God, but could be taken away by the actions of human instruments in their governments. In order to guarantee that this could never be done, the Bill of Rights became part of the Constitutional foundation for the governing of the American people.

There is no doubt that the correct foundation was laid by the framers of our Constitution, which has contributed to the success of the American experience.

The Government

There are those who believe that our success and blessings are as a result of government programs and laws made by the various governing bodies. There are those who believe that Government itself is the source of all of our benefits and blessings. Those who believe this are unwittingly putting the government in a position as "god" over the people. They feel that it is the government's responsibility to take from the rich and give to the poor" to guarantee that all citizens, whether worthy or not, can enjoy the same prosperity and same benefits of living in the United States.

This concept of "redistribution of wealth" actually originated with Satan when he approached Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3) insinuating that God had not told Adam and Eve everything and, therefore, that God was being unfair because He had not revealed all knowledge. Satan then proceeded to advise Eve (verse 5) that, by following his approach, Eve would then have all the knowledge that God had, making her equal to God.

It's Our People

Others contend that America is great because of her people. They believe that the greatness of America is derived from the fact that we are a multi-cultured nation with all ethnic groups represented in this country. They believe that the diversity of ethnic backgrounds contributes to our success and prosperity. While there may be some truth in this belief as it relates to our prosperity, it continues to overlook the natural resources _ the land and the weather which we enjoy on this American continent. No diversity, no government, no political action can have any real effect upon the natural resources and beauty of this nation except in a negative way. The mountains, the natural resources, the climate are not man-made. Only man can have an adverse effect upon all three of these blessings which have been placed here by the Eternal God.

Why America the Beautiful?

Believe it or not, America is the fulfillment of a promise God made to our ancient ancestors long before the birth of Christ, the development of Europe and the first settlers arriving on our seashores in the 1600s.

God is fulfilling the promise He made to an ancient patriarch found in the book of Genesis. The name of that patriarch was Abraham. Now I know that many of you may say, "Now wait a minute! Abraham is the father of the Jews so why is he talking about Abraham?" You are correct, Abraham is the father of the Jewish race, but it is more accurate to say that Abraham is the father of the Israelite people. Judah was only one tribe out of 12 tribes of Israel. There are 11 other tribes which are not Jews.

As God began to deal with Abraham, He put Abraham through several tests to see if he was worthy to receive the blessings God wished to bestow upon him and his descendants. In Genesis 13, God tells Abraham of His intention to bless him.

(Verses 14-16) "And the LORD said unto Abram…, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered."

Notice, verse 16 indicated that Abraham's descendants would be as the dust of the earth. Question: Could it ever be said that the Jews were so numerous that they would be as the dust of the earth? Obviously, the answer is NO because the Jews have always remained a small people in number and, even in Israel's heyday, the population of the entire nation of Israel, among which Judah was only one tribe, according to most Biblical scholars did not exceed 30 - 50 million. A nation made up of only 30 to 50 million people can never be counted as the dust of the earth. Abraham was to be the father of a very special nation of people that would ultimately be made up of 12 family heads known as "12 Tribes."

God changed his original name from Abram to Abraham. God continued to test Abraham to determine if he was worthy to receive more blessings.

(Genesis 17:1-5) "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee."

Notice that God is promising the descendants of Abraham a great national physical blessing for his obedience and devotion to the Eternal God.

God found Abraham to be a very obedient man and each time God talked to Abraham, He increased the blessings He intended to give him and his descendants. We notice in Genesis 17:7 where God now makes the covenant an everlasting covenant throughout all of Abraham's generations.

"And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee."

At this point in Abraham's life, he did not have a son and, yet, God told him he would have a son and his name would be called Isaac.

Genesis 17:19 "And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him."

In the intervening years, Abraham continued to walk in the path that God showed him which greatly pleased God. Yet, there was one final test through which God intended to put Abraham, after which He intended to make the promise UNCONDITIONAL to Abraham and his descendants. Notice Genesis 22. Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice his ONLY SON, Isaac, and as Abraham's nature was, he obeyed God, even to the point of almost sacrificing his own son. At this point, God knew without a shadow of a doubt that Abraham would be OBEDIENT to Him under any and all circumstances. At the very last second, the angel of God called out to Abraham to spare the boy.

(Verses 15-17) "And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;"

These verses show that God promised to make of Abraham, through Isaac and then Jacob a great and powerful nation even if the descendants of Abraham refused to obey God.

The first fulfillment of this promise came when God rescued the Israelites from the bondage under their Egyptian taskmasters. God had previously promised that these descendants of Abraham would inherit the land of Canaan as their own homeland. This promise was fulfilled in spite of the fact that the first generation of Israelites leaving Egypt failed and they died in the desert. But, their children moved into the land under the command of Joshua to establish the new nation.

Taking it For Granted

The ancient Israelites soon forgot God when they moved into the promised land. They believed they were prosperous by their own hand and, deciding to become a nation TOLERANT of ALL THE PAGAN gods, began following the ways of the heathen nations around Israel. The period of Judges in ancient Israel was such a time of turmoil. In spite of all of all this, the Israelites continued to live in the land of "milk and honey," the land that the surrounding nations constantly eyed as a pasture much greener than what they possessed.

Ultimately the Israelites rejected God as their leader. They began to unite the nation under one great king and ultimately under David and his son Solomon, the country achieved great power in the world to the point that David and his son Solomon were world renowned in their leadership, prosperity and blessings which flowed to Israel. All the while, Israel's neighbors lusted after the land because they saw the blessings God gave to Israel and they saw it as a much "greener pasture" than the lands in which they lived.

Even with a human king, Israel became restless and a rebellion occurred which split the nation into TWO DISTINCT NATIONS. The nation of ISRAEL became the TEN NORTHERN TRIBES for approximately 200 years. The Israelites moved away from God until finally God removed them from the land and dispersed them for approximately 2520 years. Later the small nation of JUDAH followed in the footsteps of her sister Israel and she too was taken captive in circa 586 BC. For 2520 years Israel and Judah were punished for their idolatry. That punishment period of 2520 years was completed in 1800 for Israel and 1934 for Judah.

However, God had promised Abraham that his seed would receive unconditional blessings. The blessings received by ancient Israel did not completely fulfill the promises God had made to Abraham.

God had told Abraham that his descendants would be in control of the gates of their enemies and this never happened during the time of ancient Israel. Notice Genesis 22:17.

The "gates of your enemies" refer to the entrances by which access is gained to a nation. These gates are waterways and overland trails which control access to various nations. God promised Abraham that his descendants would have control of those gates as one of His promises. This never occurred prior to 720 BC with the fall of ISRAEL AND 586 BC with the fall of JUDAH.

However, after 2520 years and in the beginning of the 19th Century and through the 20th Century, only America and Britain achieved this awesome blessing. An example is America controlling the Panama Canal and Britain controlling the Suez Canal. Britain held the financial juggernaut of Hong Kong controlling the economy of the great Chinese Asian continent.

The fulfillment of those promises has a direct relationship to the promise God made to Abraham as restated in Genesis 22:17. In addition, God indicated that ALL NATIONS on the earth would ultimately be blessed as a result of Abraham's descendants being blessed. Notice Genesis 22:18.

"And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice."

England and America have been the leading nations to publish and distribute Bibles throughout the world. England and America have been the leading nations to open up Biblical truths to the world. America especially, because of its governmental system, has opened its airwaves of radio and television, as well as publishing, to provide the entire world the knowledge of who God and Jesus Christ are and how one might be saved. Only America has allowed the use of its land to be the home base for the vast majority of Christian religious organizations in the world. This also is a fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham.

Because God promised Abraham and his descendants prosperity, it became necessary to provide a LAND filled with natural resources and a climate suitable for growing foodstuffs that not only provide adequate food stores for America, but for most of the world.

As I traveled across America, I was struck by the vast areas of land producing all sorts of grains, fruits and vegetables. This could only be possible because of the quality of the land, the weather and the favorable growing seasons in America.

Too many of our people take for granted that the weather will always be favorable, the land will be fertile and the nation will continue to enjoy the blessings of the past.

Storm Clouds in Our Future

Even though God promised these blessings to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Israelites, Biblical history also reveals that when His people turn from Him and worship other gods, their time in the land will be cut short. Today, we have a religious system that is based on paganism, idolatry and falsehoods. As a result of our nation becoming TOLERANT of any and all gods, we are near the end of our road. As God destroyed ancient Israel, but saved a few, He will again destroy the modern-day Israelites _ America and England _ and yet He has promised to save a few. But don't be misled! God will once again bring His people, those survivors of the former Americans, English and others who make up the tribes of modern-day ISRAEL, will once again flourish. However, before this occurs, there will be a Great Tribulation that will ultimately destroy our nation except for a small REMNANT from which God will once again rebuild the nation of ISRAEL. During that time, ISRAEL will finally succeed in establishing itself as the TRUE NATION OF GOD and will become KINGS AND PRIESTS to the heathen nations of the world, leading them toward the God of Israel. At that time, America the Beautiful _ God's Nation, will truly be the nation of ultimate beauty _ the nation of God — the people of God. America (Israel) the Beautiful!

If you would like to read more about the blessings given to the United States and why,

ORDER the Book,

Our Lost National Identity,

by John Pinkston.

You may order online for a donation of $30. The audio book is also available for a $45 donation.

It is a fascinating read. You will want to have this book in your library for pleasure reading, as well as historical research.

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