Today, many of America’s citizens wrestle with the intent of the founding fathers when they established this country. More than 200 years after the fact, people debate whether or not our nation was God-ordained. Well, anyone who knows God knows He established America on purpose. There’s no other nation like it on earth. There never has been and there never will be, at least not until other nations are able to place God in control like He is here.

His control of this country goes back to the beginning. There was a covenant made aboard the Mayflower ship, binding America and the Lord together. In the same way that the nation of Israel has a covenant with God, the United States does too. And just like He held every Jew responsible for how the nation of Israel responded to His prophets and His direction, He holds Christians responsible for America.

Ordained and Separated

Let’s compare what the Lord said in Romans 13:1-3 with how God established the United States:

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers [or “civil authority” in the Greek text]. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same.

Years ago, I learned about America’s covenant with God and I approached the Lord about the ungodly leaders in this country at the time. I wondered how these leaders could be ordained and separated unto us by Him. Everywhere I looked I saw more ungodliness. God reminded me of Israel’s King Saul. He had never planned for Israel to have a king. It was only because of Israel’s covenant with God and their request for a king that He gave them what they desired. Even later, King David’s leadership was not in God’s perfect will because He never planned for Israel to have a king. But out of His mercy, He fixed a bad situation with Saul and called David to be king.

In the same way, God showed me that the ungodly leaders in this country at that time were put in place because His people-Christians-chose them, either by voting for the ungodly or by not voting at all.

He said, A lot of My people did vote, but they ignored the sin side of that administration on account of money. But it was not that political party nor that person in office that brought financial prosperity to this nation. It was because more people had begun to tithe…since so many people had been preaching about it and preaching about heaven’s economy. That’s the reason the economy began to get right. But when My people gave politicians the credit for it, down it went.

If this nation is seeking God, then peace, prosperity and goodness can grow and the gospel can go around the world. This nation has to prosper spiritually because we have to take the Word of God to the world. Other nations are also called to do this, but because of how America was founded and because of God’s work here, our nation has become the Cradle of the Gospel and the Cradle of Democracy.

It’s Our Responsibility

Government is serious business. Politics, prosperity and the economy have never been political matters. They are spiritual matters because prosperity comes from God.

We are responsible for this nation because God gave it to us. Remember

2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

If you think our government is a secular institution and you don’t have anything to do with it since you’re a Christian, think again. God didn’t say the whole nation had to repent from evil. He only said His people had to repent. Only then will He heal our land. As one of His people, you will be held responsible for this nation. As born-again believers, it’s time for us to stand up together and clean house.

Part of taking a stand is carefully considering which candidate receives our vote. In doing that, we need to look at fruit in that person’s life and make sure they have the same values we do. And if a candidate or the people supporting a candidate are pushing abortion, sexual sin, pornography or anything like it, we need to reconsider supporting that person.

The people in the world aren’t divided about whom to vote for. They support people who will make it easier for them to sin.

Changing the Course

As Christians in America we haven’t been united, and we’ve done a pitiful job praying for our government. Look at 1 Timothy 2:1-3: “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.”

I became aware of this verse during my first two years in ministry. For more than 30 years I’ve been praying daily for the leaders of the world. In fact, it’s the first thing I bring up before God in my prayer time. Each day I pause and allow God to show me where He desires to use me and my faith. And many times, a short while after I’ve prayed about a situation, I hear about it. It’s an exciting place to be-to pray and see God work in government situations and know that the devil received a knock in the head.

There have even been situations when the Lord later told me that if I hadn’t been obedient to pray, He couldn’t have moved in an area of my life like He did. Since you were My partner in that, He said, I’m going to be your partner in this.

Source and Original Content by Kenneth Copeland Ministries

If there’s one thing West Africans don’t want you messing with, it’s their Jollof rice. Or at least that’s how it seems from the online reaction to Jamie Oliver’s recipe for the dish.

Here’s how to think about Jollof rice: it means to West African nations what paella means to the Spanish, what fish and chips means to Brits or what burritos mean to Mexicans. The traditional dish is made with tomatoes and spices and it’s widely considered part of the heart and soul of the region. So when British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver published his own “interpretation” of the dish on his website, there was always the potential for controversy.

His recipe was posted in June and went largely unnoticed for months – until this week. The reaction from Africans began with dozens of comments posted on the chef’s website in the past week. The conversation then moved on to social media where it escalated. The Oliver recipe has attracted 4,500 comments, a large number of them seemingly from Africans – and many outraged at what they say are changes Oliver has made to the traditional recipe. In the past 24 hours Twitter joined the debate using hashtags like #jollofgate and #jollof.

Oliver is known for his quick, simple dishes, but it seems that with his Jollof rice recipe his sin was trying too hard. He uses coriander, parsley and a lemon wedge, ingredients that users online say are not usually associated with the recipe. But what really offended them was the 600 grams of cherry tomatoes “on the vine”. Jollof rice is popularly made from using a mix of blended, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and scotch bonnet. “This is the base,” says Lohi, a Nigerian food blogger. “Jamie’s recipe called for whole vegetables!”

Source and Original Content by BBC News