Where Do Your Loyalties Lie?

This blog will not make me popular; in fact I may lose some friends over this one. I have had this spinning through my mind for quite some time and cannot put it off any longer.
I spent my childhood years during the peak of the Vietnam War. My dad did not fight in the war, so I had no personal connection. However, it did affect my life and was an integral part of my world. When I was in school we still recited the Pledge of Allegiance every morning. Love for your country and patriotism was still very evident. Later in my early teens, I was blessed to attend a private Christian school, where the only colors worn were red, white and blue (everyday). We recited the Pledge and raised the flag every school day.
I studied American history and loved the stories about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln along with the other heroes of our Nation. I also read the tall tales about Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill and many more great yarns. I spent many hours reading comic books and dreaming about being Superman, Spiderman and the Incredible Hulk. There was no shortage on heroes to emulate and I had a vivid imagination, so I wore all the hats.
Lately I have realized a horrific fact, as much as I love this country and the folklore that surrounds it, there is a truth that must be acknowledged. If we have an allegiance and we have heroes does it matter the source we draw these images from? If our Heavenly Father has a favored country what is it? Does the United States have some kind of leverage with YHWH and does He consider this Nation the “apple of His eye”?
What does it even matter if we are told stories from our youth that in fact may not be true? Do you know the difference between fact and fiction anymore? For example, George Washington didn’t really cut down a cherry tree and probably never said “I cannot tell a lie.” In fact that story isn’t verifiably true. Neither are the ones about Paul Revere, Davy Crockett, Johnny Appleseed Chapman and Daniel Boone. There may be elements of truth in some of these stories, but the truth mixed with lies creates a lie.
Have we become comfortable with telling our children lies? Does a world mixed with Harry Potter, Thomas Jefferson, Scooby Doo and Billy Graham really affect the lives of our youth? Can we continue to raise our sons and daughters to believe that the U.S. is God’s Nation? Where in Scriptures do you find this mindset to be acceptable? Can we continue to take verses like the following out of context?
Heb 13:17
(17) Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
1Pe 2:13-14
(13) Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the sake of YHWH: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
(14) Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
Where do we draw the line, at what point do we put our allegiance back towards our Heavenly Father?
I submit to you that YHWH does have a favored country. There are heroes worthy of our admiration. The truth is out there waiting to be embraced and believed.
Fasten your seatbelts; I am going to take the rocky road now. Is it possible that most of the wars this Nation has fought had motives that were less than honorable? Should we continue to wave the flag and propound the godliness of a nation that is by and large ran by men who don’t know, fear or love YHWH? Not every man who has wore a uniform and fought had noble and righteous motives, so a blanket endorsement of all those who have fought seems a little extreme. Recently I read a comment that was circulating on the web and cringed. The comment was, “If you want to burn this flag, wrap yourself in it first.” Is this what we have become? Are we so patriotic that we condone someone dying if they burn the flag? You may not agree with me on this one but the flag of the United States isn’t technically my flag. I have been exiled here due to the sin we have committed that is keeping us from our Land Israel. I am so thankful and grateful for being in this country, but if we hadn’t sinned in the first place I wouldn’t be here. Check your Scriptures, the sin of the people led to the dispersion to the four corners of the earth. We were driven from His Land, Israel, when we turned our backs on Him. Where do we end up? When we return to Him and His Torah, YHWH returns us to Israel and the two sticks become one again.
I know that I have risked offending some of those who have fought or had relatives who fought for this country. If you are offended, you have misunderstood my message. We are here until YHWH calls us back and we should be good stewards and be righteous within our community. But stop and consider your allegiance. In this day and time, our nation is changing. When the laws of this land demand that we violate the Laws (Torah) of YHWH will we still fly the U.S. flag? The day is coming when we will have to choose, and as for me and my house we will serve YHWH.