"If you want to exalt this nation, be righteous."

Rurel Ausley, Lead Pastor of Niceville United Methodist Church, joined the Pastor's Circle this morning to talk about our nation, its founding principles, and our duty as Christians.

How do we talk about July 4th to our churches?

It is a difficult thing, because you don't want to glorify our nation as such. Because we want to talk about Jesus.

I talked about the scripture that says righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

The most patriotic thing you can do is give your heart to Jesus Christ.

If you want to exalt this nation, be righteous.

We may be coasting on our laurels now, but we're still reaping the results of many of those goods things that our forefathers did.

What are some of the principles you talked to you congregation about?

What I really tried to show my congregation....just the educational institutions that came from spiritual renewal...schools like Harvard and Yale and Princeton and Dartmouth.

Every time there was a movement of the spirit, intellectual institutions were born.

Harvard was a preachers' school.

What happened to these institutions and what could happen to America?

It happened with Israel too. God said if you obey, I'll bless you.

I think we're beginning to reap the consequences and have for some time when we reject God.

We seem to be moving more and more to a secular state.

If you were to offer up a blueprint of how we can get back in touch with holiness, what would you suggest?

I think I've been working on that blueprint for 31 years of ministry.

The first thing we need to do is know Jesus.

We need to be active ambassadors for righteousness.

How can we invite someone to righteousness, then two years later they're living like hell?

I think it may be worse than that. I think sometimes they next experience a change.

We just say words and you're in.

They never connect life change with the decision.

When I grew up, every where you went affirmed the same values.

Today, the only place you're hearing any kind of Christian teaching is within the hour or half-hour message on Sunday.

The sheer volume of the secular teaching versus how long we get people.

Are you hopeful that this nation can enjoy that righteousness again?

I really wrestled with that before the message Sunday.

So I came to the conclusion. I said, "Yes, I'm hopeful."

Because God responded to the remnant.

I told the congregation, "I'm hopeful, because we can be the remnant."

These movements of the Spirit, I pray, God, do it again for us.