Prayers of Repentance Series: 13

Today we will investigate the intercession of the prophet Amos. His name means to “lift a burden, to carry.” He was thus a “Burden Bearer.” The Apostle Paul reminds us to be like Amos and so fulfill the law of Christ by bearing one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).

If you recall, Amos was a sheep breeder minding his own business until the Lord moved upon him to prophecy to Israel. Amos concluded, “If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it? Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy” (Amos 3:6-8)? His soul came alive with these truths and he obeyed the Lord.

Amos grew up in a nation similar to ours. Israel on the outside seemed prosperous, but on the inside greed, corruption, immorality, and injustice flourished. Israel’s flesh prospered and was pampered, but their souls had become lean.

The true devotion to God had become a mere formality. No surprise then when Amos denounced Israel’s worship, “I hate, I despise your feast days, and I do not savor your sacred assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream” (Amos 5:21-14).

Yes, they were still going through their religious ceremonies and drawing near to God with their lips, songs, and musical instruments, but their hearts were far from Him (Matthew 15:8).

This produced a false sense of security and nationalistic pride. Israel fell into this delusional mind set, time and again, throughout their stormy history with God. Many times, God used the prophets to remind them that they were not free to “shed innocent blood… steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations” (Jeremiah 7:3-11)?

When God rebuked, called for repentance and the acknowledgement of the truth, Israel relied on sinking sand. They would cry, “The temple of the Lord,” or pulled out the “We are Abraham’s children” card to ignore God’s warnings (Matthew 3:9; John 8:39-44).

Even in our Lord’s time when He dealt with Israel and her religious leaders, He declared, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23:27, 28).

Israel in Amos’ time had become a basket of rotting fruit that was ripe for God’s judgment. Hypocrisy, spiritual indolence and moral indifference ruled, and Israel would soon rue the day. They were facing famine, drought, plagues, death, and destruction and in their religious pride, they refused to bend their knee and repent. Amos in response to their defiance and refusal to return to the Lord declared, “Prepare to meet your God, O Israel” (Amos 4:12)! How many sober-minded Christians think America is prepared for this meeting today?

At first, Amos sets his sights on the pagan nations surrounding Israel. He called out their many transgressions and then pronounced the Lord’s penalty upon them. For those who think that Biblical theocracy, which means “God rules,” was just confined to Israel, how does that square as God warns other nations of His impending judgments?

These were not God’s covenant, chosen people. Yet, God warned them of His divine sanctions? What was the standard for His righteous judgment? It was the same standard by which He judged Israel, His Law/Word! Jesus reaffirmed this standard in the New Testament, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4)

Jesus did not just say Christians are to live by God’s Word. No, all men, the entire human race is to live by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). If this is not true, God has no business sending anyone to hell for disobeying His Word (John 12:48).

There is one special denunciation as Amos deals with other tribes and nations, however, that I want to call to your attention. It relates directly to America today. When Amos confronted Ammon, he declared, “For three transgressions of the people of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they ripped open the women with child in Gilead, that they might enlarge their territory” (Amos 1:13).

It was the tribes of Ammon and Moab that first introduced to our fallen world the idolatrous practice of child sacrifice and the shedding of innocent blood. Apparently, they were still steeped in their pagan ways and spread it abroad. They tore open women’s bellies and murdered their children in the hopes their territories would be expanded. How many Americans have followed in their pernicious ways and practiced the lie of Moloch, Baal, and Ashtoreth? “Give the child to me and all will be well with you!”

I would also be remiss at this juncture, if I neglected his reprimand against the women of Samaria. He called them, “The cows of Bashan.” They were a part of the feminist movement back in the day. Amos describes these women in this manner, “Who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, “Bring wine, let us drink” (Amos 4:1).

One could only imagine what Amos would call the feminists in our nation who demand women have the “right” to devour their own offspring, who promote homosexuality, the breakdown of the family, and goddess worship? Somehow, one would think what he said about “the cows” in his day would be considered tame as he witnessed the behavior of the “bulls” of Bashan in our day.

Amos proceeded to deal with Judah and Israel. It was clear God’s people despised His covenant and were content to violate His Word repeatedly. Their unbelief and disobedience determined their godless actions. This led to God showing Amos visions of His looming judgments coming upon Israel. Though Amos was obedient to declare God’s warnings, he also interceding on their behalf.

Twice he prayed. First, “O Lord GOD, forgive, I pray! Oh, that Jacob may stand, for he is small” (Amos 7:2)! Second, “O Lord GOD, cease, I pray! Oh, that Jacob may stand, for he is small” (Amos 7:5)! The Lord initially relented and then declared that He would establish a plumb line by which he would judge Israel and desolations were determined (Amos 7:9).

The truth is that same plumb line exists today for all men and nations. Nations can cross serious lines with God, which result in serious consequences coming upon them. One would have to be deaf, dumb, and blind not to see this Biblical reality coming to pass in our day. Perhaps, it would be wise to cry out to God like Amos and beseech the Lord to remember mercy in the midst of His judgments.

Praise God that the book of Amos ends with a promise of restoration (Amos 9). While that should give some measure of hope, it remains to be seen what will become of our nation in the short term. We certainly deserve severe judgments for the abominations we have committed before a holy God.

No doubt, this Covid-19 has shaken our nation and this world to its core. Thankfully, God’s Word has something to reveal about this phenomenon:

“Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:26-29).

The prophet Haggai taking up this theme in the Old Testament declared the shaking of all things in heaven and on earth is for two godly purposes. It is so all men and nations would finally come to the Desire of all nations and God’s temple will be filled with His glory (Haggai 2:7).

Notice the word “desire” is capitalized. This speaks of Christ, the Messiah, and the Gospel of His Kingdom. The world may not know it now, but one day through tremendous shaking, their desires are going to radically change. They will experience what their hearts truly need and desire, which is salvation of the Lord our God.

Though nobody can determine the immediate fate of America and the world when it comes to Covid-19, we can know long term that God is going somewhere will all of this. He is going to shake this world till all that remains is His Kingdom, which is the Desire of all nations.

Be vigilant and keep pressing on saints to the high call and prize in Jesus’ name!

www.operationsaveamerica.org

#coronavirus
#covid19
#prayersofrepentance
#salvation

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Prayers of Repentance Series: 12

If you have served with Operation Save America through the years, you are keenly aware that when we go into a city to storm the gates of hell with the Gospel of the Kingdom, one of the first actions we take is to call for a Solemn Assembly. Typically, it will start on a Sunday evening as we try to mobilize the local churches to be involved.
To me, it is one of the most poignant aspects of our ministry. It sets the spiritual tone for the rest of our activities as we seek to meet the righteous conditions laid out in God’s Word. Biblically, we are doing what our Lord required, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5).
From this admonishment from our Lord, we corporately deal with our personal sins, the church’s sins, and our nation’s sins. Afterwards, we take on the death camps, the culture of death, and implement the mission to the magistrates.
First, we humble ourselves before God by tackling our personal sins based upon Psalms 139:23, 24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
In the battle to end the American holocaust, believe me, Satan will throw everything at you, plus the kitchen sink, if you dare cross the line of obedience. He will exploit every opening in your life to neutralize and paralyze you. You will be attacked with increased temptations. Evil will pound on your door. Your mind, marriage, family, and church will suffer from the battle from within and the battle from without.
This partially accounts for most of the church turning a blind eye and deaf ear to the injustice and suffering of the preborn. They instinctively know if they touch this, they touch Satan’s crown jewel. It’s electric. All heck is going to break loose in their lives. Who needs the added burdens, trouble, and trials? Right? It’s easier in life to avoid conflict, even though our neighbor we are called to love is being dragged away to the slaughter. God forgive us!
Why is this the case? Revelations 12:17 reveals the indisputable truth, “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
Satan could care less about the lukewarm, carnal church that is only concerned about their best life now. He is deeply concerned, however, about Christians who seek to destroy his works of darkness, lies and murder, (John 8:44) just like their Lord before them (1 John 3:8).
Next, we deal with the sins of the church. Remember, there are 2 categories of sins. There are sins of commission, whereby we outright violate the commandment of God and there are sins of omission.
Planned Parenthood keeps all the statistics of those who partake of their grisly trade. Their records reveal a lot of religious women partake of their bloody services. The documents they sign to procure an abortion demand they name their pastors and churches. BTW, if you wonder why the plea of the Gospel falls so many times upon the deaf ears of the workers of iniquity who staff the death camps, look no further than this hypocrisy in the church.
Obviously, this is a major sin of commission, whereby those who name the name of Christ purposely violate God’s commandment, “Thou shall not murder.” Beyond that, the greater sin in the church are the sins of omission. The Apostle James reveals the essence of this failure before God, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).
Is it good to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39? Is it good to rescue those unjustly sentenced to death (Proverbs 24:11)? Is it good to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 31:8)? Is it good to defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked (Psalms 82:3, 4)? Is it good to wash ourselves, make ourselves clean; Put away the evil of our doings from before God’s eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; Seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow (Isaiah 1:16, 17)? Is it good to practice pure and undefiled religion, which is to care for the widow and orphan in their time of distress and keep ourselves unspotted from the world (James 1:27)? You get the point.
Lastly, we deal with the sins of our nation, which are many and grievous in the sight of the Lord. President Donald Trump has touted as a political campaign slogan “Make American Great Again.” For his reelection campaign, he has revised it by declaring “Keep America Great.” There are some who question whether our nation was ever great, so why push such nonsense?
There was a French historian, however, Alexis De Tocqueville, who did believe America achieved greatness in the world and was curious to learn the secret to our success. He came over to American on a fact-finding mission. The following is what he discovered.
“I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers – and it was not there . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce – and it was not there . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution – and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people (Proverbs 14:34). It is in righteousness alone a nation finds security and peace (Isaiah 32:17). America will never return to any sense of greatness, while we celebrate with demonic glee our national abominations. We violate God’s truths to our own harm and demise. It is in this context, the book of Joel grants guidance.
“Now, therefore,” says the LORD, turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. So, rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him—A grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?
Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room. Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God’” (Joel 2:12-17)?
It would be good brethren to gather with your family and fellow Christians to prayerfully go through these godly instructions articulated by Joel. In the hopes, we meet the righteous conditions God set forth and perhaps, “He will turn and relent” of the judgment we so richly deserve as a nation.
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Prayers of Repentance Series: 11

I’ve been hearing back from folks commenting on this “Prayers of Repentance” series. Some are using these teachings to rebuild the family altar. They are using the series as the basis for Bible study, worship, and intercessory prayer for their family, the church, and our beleaguered nation.

Others have used these prayers of repentance at their local death camps. They are pleading with the Lord from His Word to arise and end this holocaust in Jesus’ name! It is good to know the Lord is using these teachings in men’s lives to further His Kingdom despite the Covid-19 fiasco.

Today, as promised, we are going to observe King David’s specific prayer when the Lord finally busted him for his adulterous affair that led to the murder of Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband. It is probably the most Biblically specific prayer that needs to be applied in our day.

Both, David and now America, have been staggered under the weight of blood guilt. It is a serious offense before a Holy God. To demonstrate how serious, included in the comment section will be a shorter version and a longer version of a message preached called “The Doctrine of Blood guiltiness.” It will expound on the dangers we face due to this national sin that is bringing national calamity upon us. In fact, if we do not repent, like David, Covid-19 could just be the beginning of woes visiting our defiled land.

As an aside, I love Uriah. He is one of my favorite men in all the Bible. Him, along with Joseph, the stepfather of Jesus, I consider the two most underrated men of faith in redemptive history. I love their devotion, dedication, loyalty, sacrifice, faithfulness, and obedience to the Lord. If rarity determines value, then these men provide a great example for churchmen to emulate.

Meanwhile, back to David. There was a reality check coming that would produce a broken and contrite heart that God will never despise. If you recall, God tapped Nathan, the prophet, with the precarious task of confronting David. Nathan had to hold this powerful, warrior king, accountable for his detestable acts that warranted the death penalty according to the Law of Moses. David was so fierce in battle and bloodied, God forbade him to build His Temple. No, that would be left to David’s son, a man of peace, Solomon, to build.

It appears God gave Nathan much wisdom and tact to bring David to self-incrimination. He started with a story, a parable that captured David’s heart and ignited his keen sense of justice.

Nathan stated:

There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him (2 Samuel 12:1-4).

After hearing this report, God’s Word testifies that David’s anger was deeply aroused against the man who had done this injustice. A holy shock was about to hit his sin-soaked soul, however, when Nathan lowered the boom and dropped a nuclear bomb in David’s heart. “YOU ARE THE MAN!!!”

The two-edged sword of God’s Word brought about the desired impact in David’s life, “So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD” (2 Samuel 12:13). The following is his prayer of repentance recorded in Psalms 51.

I cannot emphasize enough how important this prayer is when it comes to our bloodstained nation. We are guilty of shedding much innocent blood that is drowning our nation. Just like David, America is using murder to falsely atone for our sexual immorality. It didn’t work for him and it will never work for us. Days of retribution are upon us and every drop of innocent blood must be held to account. Our nation will never escape God’s justice nor receive His mercy, until we repent and abolish abortion once and for all in Jesus’ name!

This prayer is pertinent to our government who instituted this national evil, parents who have partaken of this murderous evil, the medical personnel who have performed this grisly evil, and the church, who for the most part, have ignored this evil.

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight—That You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.

Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise. Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar” (Psalms 51:1-19).

Brethren take your time going this one and beseech the Lord to deliver our nation from the guilt of bloodshed in Jesus’ name!

www.operationsaveamerica.org

#coronavirus
#covid19
#prayersofrepentance
#salvation

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Prayers of Repentance Series: 10

The inspiration for today’s teaching will come from the book of Hosea. The name Hosea means salvation. Joshua and Jesus are derivative names that discloses the key Person responsible for salvation “Yahwey Is Salvation.”
If you recall, Hosea was commanded by God to marry a known prostitute revealing the unfaithfulness of Israel. The nation had played the harlot once again and gone a whoring after other gods. Though the Lord is patient, loving, long suffering, and merciful, He is also a jealous God that desires we walk in fidelity to Him and our covenant brethren.
The two great commandments given by God to His fallen creatures are to love Him with all our hearts, souls, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). Jesus explained that all the law and the prophets are summarized in these two great commandments.
It is important to note that our Creator, Lawgiver, and Savior commands love. This means love is not centered in romance, feelings, or sentiment. Love is centered in our will. This helps to reveal the significance of the wedding vow. When challenged to be faithful to our spouses till death do us part, the expected response is “I do, I shall, and/or I will.”
Human passion and love can only go so far, it is ultimately the love of God governed by the Word of God in a Christ centered marriage that establishes the faithfulness to keep the covenant. A three-fold cord is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12).
Interestingly, God promised through Hosea that He would wean His people from the lovers of this world and His people would return to their rightful “Husband.” The Valley of Achor would become that door of hope. This is tremendously significant since Achor was a huge blight upon Israel during the Exodus.
Achan and his family had disobeyed the command of God by taking the spoils of Jericho. This sin in the camp made Israel vulnerable to military defeat, though God promised them victory. Huge lessons are to be learned from this Biblical narrative. Psalms 81:13, 14 concurs, “Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn My hand against their adversaries.” The Biblical lesson is clear, obedience to God leads to victory, while disobedience ends with defeat.
It is there (The Valley of Achor) God promised to woo us, “I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the LORD” (Hosea 2:19, 20). He stated right before this precious promise that the day would come when we would no longer call Him Master, but Husband (Hosea 2:16).
In Hosea 4, however, the Lord presented His case against Israel that is so relevant to America today. Using Hosea, the prophet, as His prosecuting attorney, God brought charges from Heaven against them. Pay close attention to the divine accusations and how they relate to our nation.
“There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed. Therefore, the land will mourn” (Hosea 4:1b-3a).
Notice the progression is very similar to Romans 1:18-32 as nations spiral downward in rebellion to God. There is also one very telling allegation. God did not mention there was “no knowledge of God” in the church. That was not His concern. His issue was there was no knowledge of God in the land. No fear of God in the public life of the nation.
The consequences of that godless void are what put Israel and now our nation in much jeopardy. Vulgarity, profanity, lying, stealing, sexual immorality that leads to child sacrifice and the shedding of innocent blood has produced the bitter fruit afflicting our broken, defiled, and mourning land.
Supreme Court decision after Supreme Court decision expunged God from our government, schools, and culture. They proceeded to unleash bloodlust and perversion through their wicked decrees. They demanded the church privatize their faith and God’s people were willing to cooperate to our own detriment.
Fulfilling the Great Commission and being salt and light to the world were minimized as a priority amongst God’s people and what are the terrible results? Our tyrannical government and the culture of death is God’s report card. Jesus warned if the church ever lost its saltiness, “It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men” (Matthew 5:13). Or to put in in post Covid-19 terms, the church is “non-essential.”
Considering this, what was Hosea admonishment to Israel to make amends? He declared, “O Israel, (America) return to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity; Take words with you, and return to the LORD. Say to Him, take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride on horses, nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’ For in You the fatherless finds mercy” (Hosea 14:1-3).
This prayer is rare amongst the prayers of the Bible. The Lord is actually providing the words that he longs to hear from His people. God calls them to not trust in the governments of men, their military might, the work of their own hands, (their economic prowess) nor the idolatry that put them in this precarious situation in the first place. He desires for them to return and find mercy.
This coming week is Holy Week where the church celebrates the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is therefore fitting and proper to end this article with another passage from Hosea that sums up our only hope in a hopeless, panic-stricken world.
“Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth” (Hosea 6:1-3).
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Prayers of Repentance Series: 9

Today we are going to investigate the prayer of a man God calls “beloved.” Most of you know him as the one who survived a night in the lion’s den for praying on the behalf of his captured nation.
Daniel was studying the Scriptures and knew from the book of Jeremiah that the time of Israel’s deliverance was drawing near. God promised after 70 years in captivity, He would arise and bring His people back home. Instead of just waiting for it to come to pass, he committed to intercede.
It was this commitment to intercession that led to the showdown with the Babylonian government and their ill advised, idolatrous decree. There was a prayer and worship “lock down” issued by the Babylonian government. No “petitions (to) any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king. Otherwise, they “shall be cast into the den of lions” (Daniel 6:7b).
Daniel, not just acting as a private citizen, but a lesser magistrate, interposed and ignored and defied the unjust, wicked decree. Later, after miraculously surviving the lion’s den, he continued his ministry of intercession. Pay close attention to this prayer and perhaps model it as you pray for yourselves, your family, the church and our beleaguered nation.
In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.
“O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
“As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. Therefore the Lord has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice. And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly!
“O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us. Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on [b]Your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
One comment on this prayer. Noticed that Daniel stated “we” a lot. Even though, he personally did not sin as his fathers nor the people of his nation. God, who is not shy about exposing the failures and sins of his most chosen men, had nothing negative to say of Daniel. He was the ‘beloved” of God and yet Daniel took ownership for the sins, abominations, and rebellion of his nation before God.
This drives home one of the definitions of true intercession. Part of intercession is to “take the place of.” Most of our nation as they are struggling to come to grips with the “new normal” do not have the Biblical and godly sense to humble themselves, cry out to God, repent and acknowledge the truth, whereby their souls might be saved.
It is left to us who know the Lord to follow Daniel’s godly example to stand in the gap and make up the hedge, lest, the warning of Ezekiel goes unheeded.
“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God” (Ezekiel 22:30, 31).
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Prayers of Repentance Series: 8

As you may know, I’ve been going through the Scriptures to reveal pertinent prayers when national sin brought national calamity upon men and nations. God is not going to judge us, He has been for years, but we still had safety nets to blunt the blows. Now, even the safety nets are being removed and people are panicking.
The robust economy is grinding to a halt, unemployment is through the roof, investments are being plundered, retirement plans dwindling, and businesses are closing at a record pace. Moreover, we do not know how long this will continue and what our nation will look like after this plundering of our economy is finished.
In the days of Nehemiah, the governor, and Ezra, the priest, Israel came back home from captivity to face a nation in shambles. Their sins had reached heaven and towered over their heads. The manifestation was broken walls and burned gates. Walls were their national protection. Gates were the seats of their political and judicial authority, plus, the seat of commerce.
Just look at the state of our politics. In the time of national emergency, we are more polarized then ever. The corrupt political parties and the fake media continue to tear at each other’s throats, while our nation struggles to survive. Our judiciary has been the tyrannical branch of government that has unleashed the blood guilt, perversion, and godlessness that has led to the mayhem we are experiencing today. As a result, our economy is tanking. What should we do in the midst of this dilemma?
Nehemiah, after hearing the devastating report and the distress taking place, he sat down, wept, fasted and prayed. The following is his prayer:
I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. -Nehemiah 1:5-11).
Nehemiah was a cup bearer for the king. He, indeed, found favor to return to his homeland to roll up his sleeves to get to work after his intercession for his beleaguered nation. He, along with Ezra, the priest, went to work to return, revive, restore, and reform their broken, wounded nation.
The question for America is will we follow their godly example in the days of our distress as our gates are being burned and are walls are crumbling right before our very eyes?
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Prayers of Repentance Series: 7

In these days of uncertainty, fear, and panic, some real, while others manufactured by those with an agenda, I thought it prudent to investigate the Scriptures to see how those in times past facing impending doom, God’s judgment, or an unwarranted attack that threatened their existence, responded to God.
It is good to know there are others who went before us who faced similar challenges or even greater woe and survived to give praise to God! All men are prone to have a limited perspective based upon the confines of their generation.
As a result, we can’t see the forest in the midst of the trees. Generational thinking allows us to be aghast at the atrocities like slavery and rightly condemn those who practiced it, while turning a blind eye and deaf ear to the atrocities we allow in our generation, like abortion. Generational thinking is somewhat convenient in that regard.
Today, we are going to cast our attention upon King Asa. Like all men, he was a mixed bag. He did good in the sight of the Lord and then pride got a hold of him. God grants grace to the humble, but He resists the proud (James 4:6). Proverbs 16:18 warns, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
At first, Asa received a glowing report from the Lord. He made the prestigious list of whom God categorized as a “good” king. Out of all the kings of Israel and Judah, only a few made the “good” list. Even those who made the “good” list, however, ultimately failed in their administration due to a big BUT.
The High Places Remain
In the specific battle to end the American holocaust, it is interesting to discover that the high places God warned about in the Old Testament are still with us today. The high places in the Old Testament were one of God’s plumb lines to judge the faithfulness of the kings of Judah and Israel. The other plumb line of judgment was the standard bearer, King David (1 Kings 15:9-15).
Most kings God viewed as wicked. Some He pronounced righteous, but even then, if the high places remained under their administration, they failed the Lord in their civil duty. I believe it was only Hezekiah, Josiah, and Asa who fully obeyed the Lord when it came to the removal of the high places (2 Kings 18:4; 2 Kings 23).
Though man has progressed technologically, we still are enticed and held captive by the same ancient evils, bloody idolatries, and demonically inspired false gods of previous ages. Case in point is Tophet in the valley of Hinnom. It was also known as the Valley of Slaughter. It was the location in Israel where the altars of child sacrifice were set up. Some Old Testament references mention this place as Gehenna, which Jesus taught as a reference to hell, the eternal abode of the wicked. Taken together, the place of child sacrifice was literally hell on earth.
The word Tophet derived its meaning from the word drum. While children were offered in sacrifice, drums beat to drown out their cries. The fire that consumed the helpless babes came roaring from the idol’s hollow belly. Homer W. Smith, author of Man and His Gods explains, “The custom of burning children long persisted at Jerusalem.” Smith describes how the young victims “were rolled from the hands of a bronze image of the god into a pit of fire.”
Baal and Moloch, pagan deities, seduced the children of Israel to pass their children through the fire. Their lying message appealed to the basest nature of men. They convinced many in Israel to place their children upon these pagan altars so all would be well with them. These false gods inspired by demons promised prosperity, if people would shed the blood of their own children.
Though thousands of years have passed, and we no longer have pagan altars, high places, and tree groves of idolatry today, yet, the pagan ritual persists. These ancient rites continue through modern clinics established by organizations, such as, Planned Parenthood in the abortion industry.
The setting has indeed changed, but the lying message and brutal practice remains. Moloch and Baal still whisper, “Give your children to me and all with be well with you.” Can you hear it today? “You are too young.” “You have to think about your schooling and career.” “You cannot afford a baby.” “It will leave stretch marks,” ad nauseam.
This grave evil was such an offense to the Lord that He said, “I did not command or speak, nor did it come into My mind (Jeremiah 19:5).” What does it mean when the all-knowing God admits this practice never entered His mind?
I promise you that it is not due to a lack of knowledge. This would violate the omniscience of God. No, I believe this cruel act is so foreign to God’s commandments, character, and creative order that He refuses to acknowledge it. In other words, this despicable practice is so far off the charts, so beyond the pale, that God will not dignify it with any sense of rationality. For parents to sacrifice their own children in order to obtain a better life is unthinkable in the mind of God.
Based upon this Biblical criteria, every magistrate today that refuses to stop child sacrifice and abolish the shedding of innocent blood is failing in their duty before God. They may do good in other areas, but their main duty before God is to protect innocent life and stop the shedding of innocent blood.
Back to Asa. He was facing a mighty army intent on wiping out his nation. He was greatly outnumbered and the prospects were bleak. He did what a lot before him and many since have done when faced with annihilation, he cried out to the Lord in prayer.
2 Chronicles 14:11 records, “And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, ‘Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!’ ”
When we are overwhelmed, O God, lead us to the rock that is higher than all (Psalms 61:2).
Lastly, I’ll leave you with this admonishment from Psalms 106. After God’s people committed child sacrifice and other pagan abominations, this angered the Lord. What does that look like in the real world? Those that hates us will rule over us. We will be subject to unjust laws and oppression, whereby we cannot abide. Any of this looking familiar in these days?
Even after all that, God’s Word brings hope:
Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, when He heard their cry; And for their sake He remembered His covenant, and relented according to the multitude of His mercies. He also made them to be pitied by all those who carried them away captive. Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the Gentiles, to give thanks to Your holy name, to triumph in Your praise. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise the Lord! -Psalms 106:44-48
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Prayers of Repentance Series: 6

Today we are going to look at an incredible episode in King David’s life. if you recall, he was a man after God’s own heart, but was deeply flawed like all of us. He committed adultery and then had the husband of the wife he had the affair with murdered. Both were capital offenses according to the law of Moses and yet our Lord performed a legal miracle and allowed him to live, though the sword never left his family.
As a part of this series, we will look later to David’s prayer of repentance for the evil he committed against the Lord, Bathsheba, Uriah, his family, the nation of Israel, and his own body.
It is extremely relevant to the abominations our nation has committed before God. Abortion is King David’s solution applied in our day to provide cover for our sexual immorality. We seek a false atonement for our fornication and adulteries by shedding the blood of our innocent children. We callously and vainly believe that murder will remove the consequences of our sexual sins. It didn’t work for David and it will not work for us. God willing, more on that topic later.
At this point in this whole Covid-19 scare, I don’t know how desperate or fearful some of you might be, but it is important to have something to compare to in order to gain a clearer perspective. David’s life (like ours at times) was full of challenges, turmoil, and danger. It got so bad at one point, he had to feign madness and go to Israel’s sworn enemy, the Philistines, just to try and find a little haven to ease his hunted soul.
In 1 Samuel 30, however, there was another incident that rocked David’s world. David and his mighty men received an intense hit that devastated all of them to the core. While they were out, the Amalekites invaded Ziklag where David and his little army kept their families and their supplies. It was burned to the ground and all their families were taken captive.
The Bible records their anguished response, “Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep” (1 Samuel 30:4). Keep in mind, these were not soft, whiny, wimpy, skinny jeaned, hair gelled modern day American males. No,these were men of valor, fierce in battle, brave, strong, and courageous.
Though, I’m sure David was tempted to adopt a “woe is me” self-pity party, he did something we all need to do when the going gets rough, he encouraged himself in the Lord. He followed the advice of the Psalmist, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance” (Psalms 42:5, 11; 43:5).
Yes, the circumstances were really bad. A lot worse than what we are facing as a people today, but the Biblical solution remains the same. It is time to seek the Lord, cry out to Him, and encourage ourselves in the truth of His Word. We must repent of our many sins and bring forth fruit meet for repentance. We must feed our faith and starve our fears. As the world is being shaken, our duty is to build up ourselves and others in our most holy faith through the power of the Holy Ghost. We need to stabilize our souls in the Lord to provide some sense of security to those who depend on us.
David sought the Lord in his desperate situation. He cried out to God when his whole world fell apart and the Lord answered, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all” (1 Samuel 30:8).
I’m not sure where this Covid-19 virus will lead our nation. It could lead to national revival, national ruin, or somewhere in between. Regardless, God’s word still stands true:
Therefore do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble (Matthew 6:31-34).
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Prayers of Repentance Series: 5

Operation Save America

Today, we are going to investigate some more prayers of the Bible, when things were bleak, dangerous, and threatening to nations.
I’ve heard a lot of testimonies in my life on how folks came to know the Lord and experience His great salvation. I never heard one who said my life was so good, I was on top of my game, and all the stars were aligned in my favor, so I thought it was a good time to surrender my life to the Lord. Not happening!
Every single testimony revealed people were at their wit’s end, the consequence of their sin had taken its toll, and the smell of death was stalking them. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
What is true for individuals is also true for nations. Many times in America’s history, Presidents called for official days of prayer, fasting, and repentance on the behalf of our nation when times were difficult. Unfortunately, it is rare in these days. Our statist government is too busy taxing us to death to replace the true and living God in the life of our citizens and replace fathers in our homes. America is going broke providing a Messianic state for its people.
We are already trillions dollars of debt pursuing this maddening course, so what do we do when a supposed “crisis” like Covid-19 hits the planet? We pass another bill for 2 trillion more. Who is going to pay for this?
Instead of Americans humbling themselves and turning back to God and crying out to Him, we turn to the same 3 failed policies that accumulated this massive debt in the first place: more bail out money, more government programs, and more education (Tack on more incredible debt upon our young).
Meanwhile, in 1 Samuel 7, Israel was in hot water again. This time their ancient foe, the Philistines, were at the door and threatening to attack. Israel lamented their plight. Samuel, the prophet of the Lord, gave them sound advice before he prayed to God for their deliverance. He declared:
“If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only” (1 Samuel 7:3, 4).
With all America’s technological advancements and higher learning, I find it interesting the nature of man does not change, apart from God’s intervention. We still fall for the ancient evils. We are still prone to be ensnared by the altars of Moloch (child sacrifice) Baal, and Ashtoreth.
Asherah was identified as the moon goddess who belonged to the family of gods associated with Baal the sun god (Judges 3:7; 6:28). Worship to her included sexual immorality, prostitution, divination, and fortune telling. As a result, the Mosaic Law spoke specifically against Asherah worship (Deuteronomy 16:21).
Feminism, which has led us to abortion and helped to establish the homosexual agenda, is steeped in goddess worship. If you ever minister at a death camp, you will realize how defiled our nation is with this pagan idolatry.
As Israel is experiencing the consequence of their idolatry, however, they, at least, had the sense to go to the prophet and implore him to intercede, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 7:8).
Samuel proceeded to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. In typical deliverance fashion, the Lord thundered and sent confusion in the enemies camp. The Philistines were routed and Israel experienced a great victory in the Lord. Samuel, in honor of the Lord’s intervention set up a stone “and called its name Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us’ ” (1 Samuel 7:12).
In trying times like ours, if you are a believer, look back to the Ebenezer stones in your life. Call to remembrance the faithfulness of God in times past. The Apostle Paul stated, “Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us” (2 Corinthians 1:9, 10).
If you are an unbeliever, I would adjure you to forsake your idols, your religious pride, and your rebellion against the true and living God, the Creator of the heavens and earth. God’s Word declares this promise to you:
“Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6, 7).
Today could be the day of your salvation, when you come to understand that your idols are impotent to save you from your sin, disaster, and death. Only the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ empowered by the Holy Ghost can deliver you from the evil that lurks within your own wicked heart and the deadly plagues that men and nations fear to the point of panic as we see in these days.
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Prayers of Repentance Series: 4

The book of Judges can be broken up by two distinct statements that defined much of Israel’s stormy history with the Lord. The first was “The children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord.” The second was “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
There was a cycle throughout most of the book of Judges. The people would sin, commit national idolatry, and do evil in the sight of the Lord. God would lift His hand from their nation, and Israel became subject to oppression. Once they acknowledged their sin, however, and cried out to God for deliverance, God raised up judges (champions) to deliver His people, who restored them in righteousness and peace. When Israel, at least, knew they were involved with evil, there was hope for the nation.
This process was repeated until a new saying emerged, “There was no king in Israel.” Israel came to the place where there was no standard of ultimate judgment to determine truth, expose error, or protect from deception. Besides, there was always a king in Israel. It was the Lord, God Jehovah, Himself.
What was the consequence of rejecting the King of kings and the Lord of lords? Every man did what what right in their own eyes. This leads to all of us like sheep going astray and a terrible predicament where no one does good, no not one.
No longer was God and His objective truth the guidance His fallen creatures needed to negotiate through the challenges of this life. No, every man became a law and god unto himself. The latter part of Judges reveals the bitter consequences of what took place when Israel refused to believe they were doing evil and in great need of repentance. It is the most shocking, brutal, bloody and perverted part of Israel’s history.
The historical lesson is clear. When men and nations forsake the true and living God, violence, perversion, and oppression always replace Him. This is why the reformers throughout redemptive history cried obedience to God was the best defense against tyranny and oppression.
Jeremiah reminds us, “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13).
Notice two profound truths that troubled Israel that is so applicable today in our current distress. Not only did God’s people forsake Him, which led to a hosts of problems and bitter consequences, But when they suffered, instead of humbling themselves and turn back to God, they doubled down on stupid.
They tried to provide answers, lasting solutions apart from God and so their cure became worse than the disease. Is our nation making the same mistake now as we look to government, money, and the trillions of dollars of debt to bail us out of this perceived threat?
My recommendation, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
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