I was singing over the weekend and had the opportunity to present a relatively new song that has created quite a stir within Gospel music circles. People seem to take to it immediately, drawn by its simplicity of melody and message.
The man who wrote it lives near the North Carolina mountains, and the song has a mountain flavor. Unfortunately, I do not have a recording of it to share with you. But I can share the words:
I Have Not Forgotten
words and music by Lance Carpenter
I have not forgotten God's only begotten
And the price that He paid for my sin.
I shall not forget in love not regret
He died on the cross for all men.
Lord, I have not forgotten.
Jesus, only begotten.
I was lost without hope
When the Lord saved my soul.
I remember that hour
By His saving power
I have not forgotten...
I have not forgotten...
He was bruised and afflicted as the prophets predicted
Despised and rejected of all men
But in His agony He paid the ransom for me
His blood brings me joy without end.
Lord, I have not forgotten.
Jesus, only begotten
I was lost without hope
When the Lord saved my soul
I remember that hour
By His saving power
I have not forgotten...
I have not forgotten...
I've been washed by His blood
His crimson flood
I have not forgotten...
I have not forgotten...
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You see, America by and large has forgotten some very important things in her history that made her a great nation. One of those things is her great faith, a deep abiding belief in the truths of the Judeo-Christian tradition.
I fear that unless those truths are recovered and affirmed once again, we will not survive as a nation. But there is always hope. As long as there is life there is hope.
In my view, Christians have forgotten that it was Calvinist Puritans and Pilgrims who settled this nation. Calvinists have clear vision of God as King. What's sad -- is that American Christians don't have a vision of the Kingdom of God that the Pilgrims, Puritans, and Founders did with Jesus as King. Today's Christians, by and large, want to "remake" the Kingdom of Heaven into a democracy and a republic in which they have power as voters. And God is allowing this entire democratic republic to implode. That's becuz if God needs to take away the republic so that the saints turn to the Kingdom -- He will.
ReplyDeleteSadly, most Christians won't even know what I mean.
God is not an American. God did not write the Constitution. God did not give us a flag. God did not give us a Federal Government. God is not a Republican. God is not a Democrat. God doesn't need our vote to be Lord, God, and King.
God is God. He's a King. If we will not receive His Monarchy, He delivers us to slavery.
Democracy and Republicanism -- is producing slavery. At what point do Christians return to the Bible and Jesus as King -- as our Pilgrim, Puritan settlers and founders did -- before there was a flag, a Constitution, or a Federal Govt?? (God needs none of these things to raise up a Christian nation. Rather, they've gotten in the... way. :(
I've given this quite a bit of thought, Suzie, and I am not certain the Constitution has gotten in the way. I believe that God was the author of it...not in the sense that the Bible was inspired by God, but that the concepts the Founders made sure were included in the document were, as they said, grounded in our rich Judeo-Christian history. The fact that people have strayed away from the Framers' intent does not mean the Constitution itself is standing in the way. THE PEOPLE stand in the way due to their apostacy and infidelity to God. This corruption has led to a corruption of the interpretation of the Constitution, in which original intent is basically disregarded.
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