Prayer of National Repentance

          In my Sunday Morning Sermon this week I shared a prayer which was originally written by Bob Russell in 1995 who shared it at the Kentucky Governor's Prayer Breakfast.  In January of 1996, Pastor Joe Wright adapted the same prayer when he was asked to be the guest chaplain at the Kansas State House.  Later the same year its was used as an invocation in the Colorado House of Represntatives.  Eventually Paul Harvey got hold of the prayer and read it on his program.  Here is what he prayed from Bob Russell's Website www.bobrussell.org:

O God, we know that your Word says, “Woe to those who call evil good,” but that’s exactly what we’ve done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.
We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of your Word and called it moral pluralism.
We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism and New Age spirituality.
We have committed adultery and called it an affair.
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have neglected the needy and called it frugality.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn children and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have failed to execute justice speedily, as your Word commands, and called it due process.
We have failed to love our neighbor who has a different color of skin and called it maintaining racial purity.
We have abused power and called it political savvy.
We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have made the Lord’s Day the biggest shopping and entertainment day of the week and called it free enterprise.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our parents and called it enlightenment.
Search us, O God, and know our hearts today. Try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us of every sin and set us free. Though our sins be as scarlet, may they become white as snow. Though they be as crimson, may they be as wool.

As appropriate as it was in 1995, it is even more today.  In a time when the Supreme Court, (or as Huckabee recently dubbed them, "The Extreme Court") reverses the will of the people of California on the Defense of Marriage Act, effectively allowing one homosexual judge to reverse the will of the majority of the people of California and in the process also declares DOMA unconstitutional.  This Act of Congress was passed by both houses and signed into law by Bill Clinton! Yes, in a time when atheists unveil a 1500 pound granite bench for the sole purpose of protesting the nearby placement of the ten commandments monument, we need national repentance more than ever.   Blessings

Oh No! Not Again!

I just couldn't believe it!  When Fox News called Ohio for Obama, I felt this horrible sinking feeling in my gut!  It just couldn't be happening!  There is no way we could endure another four years of the administration!  How could this be happening?  The "Architect," Karl Rove, had predicted Romney would win, certainly not by as big a margin as Dick Morris, who predicted Romney with 325 electoral votes!  I really wanted to believe it would be a landslide for Romney.  We need things to turn around so badly!  I even followed Dick Morris' commentary as he tweeted through the election coverage.  He tried so hard to keep encouraging the folks who were following his comments.  His last tweet was, "don't give up!"  I found myself trying to hold to the idea that just maybe they were wrong.  All the votes would be counted and the outcome would be different.  We felt like the second verse of the Christmas hymn, I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day: 

And in despair I bowed my head: 

"There is no peace on earth," I said, 

"For hate is strong and mocks the song

of peace on earth good will to men."

Numbly I listened to the commentators.  What went wrong?  Many will play the blame game.  They will blame the candidate.  He certainly wasn't my first choice, but he was who we ended up with, and even though we differed on a number of things, I still believe he was the better man for the job.  Some will blame Sandy the "Frankenstorm."  If the storm hadn't hit and caused all this devastation, it wouldn't have given Obama, this opportunity so near the election to present himself as bi-partisan, and so presidential!  I guess we might even blame God, because He could have stopped or redirected the storm. Why would He allow this man, who has been the friend of Israel's enemies, to continue to lead our country for another four years?

I guess we need to sing the third verse of this Christmas hymn: 

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep, 

"God is not dead nor does he sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, 

with peace on earth good will to men."

One of Romney's sound bites on the campaign trail was that "America would be restored as the Hope of the world."  The truth is that Jesus Christ is the Hope of the world!  He alone is the answer for what ails America.  We desperately need Revival.  We can't allow our spirits to be overwhelmed by disappointment!  In Psalm 42:5 the psalmist writes:

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

I'm sure that Dick Morris didn't know what else to say after his last message, "Don't give up."  Perhps he was really right on target with those very words, echoed in the following old poem:

 Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Author Unknown

So... put your hope and trust in God, and don't give up.  Don't quit!

Blessings!

Financial Peace!

We are almost halfway through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University classes, and I only wish I could and would have taken this YEARS ago!  One of those things he reminds us of frequently is that this isn't just about money; it's about LIFE!  In one of the early classes he told us that if he could get that "man he shaves with," "the man in the mirror,"  "to behave," he could then be both rich and thin!

I find myself wishing I could "GIVE" the Financial Peace University to everyone, especially my family and friends.  There is however a problem with my thinking on this.  People usually value something more when they have some investment in it, and therefore tend to discount it, when they don't.  The opportunity that is here, especially for the young people, is priceless!  So, I am doing all I can to make these principles work in my life, so that (even though I am REALLY late at getting started) I may be a positive example, demonstrating the fact that these Biblical principles in Financial Peace really work!  Hey, you don't have to wait for a class to get started either.  You can start by just  prayerfully reading Proverbs.  Dave says you can get a degree in finance from the wisdom of the Proverbs.  For more information check out the link at www.daveramsey.com
Blessings

God's Miraculous Love!

Steve and Lady Walker

This past Sunday morning we heard an amazing testimony from a woman named Lady Walker, and I want to share with you here what I remember of this awesome account of God's miraculous love. 

Lady was suffering with rheumatoid arthritis, and things had gone from bad to worse.  Her feet were red and as she put it, "deformed."  Her doctors told her she could eventually expect to be in a wheel chair.  Meanwhile they gave her some special boots, that she called "moon boots."  They were big and ugly-looking but with them and crutches she could get around although somewhat painfully.  Understandably she didn't get out very much, and her husband Steve who is a sales representative for England Furniture asked her to go with him to the Atlanta market.  The change of scenery would be good, and she could enjoy the Hotel while he was working.  However, they arrived early that July morning, and there reservation were for that evening.  She waited at the market for a while, and then went to the Hotel to see about an early check in.  They said she could leave their baggage but couldn't get in to the room until sometime after lunch that afternoon.  So, she went to the nearby mall and waited in the parking lot, until it was too hot sit in her car any longer.  On  her Dad's recommendation she went in to the mall to look for a place to cool off and rest.  As she was riding up an escalator she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see three teenagers.  One of them spoke and said, "Mam, I see you have some trouble with your feet, and Jesus wants to heal you.  May we  pray for you?"  They found a place for her to sit down in a folding chair near the entrance to one of the shops, and asked her if she would take off her boots.  She responded, "no, please, my feet look awful."  The two young ladies knelt on either side of Lady and placing their hands over her feet they began to pray.  The young man stood in front of her and prayed.  As they prayed Lady felt heat in her ankles and in her feet!  One of the young ladies spoke, "Do you feel something?"  Lady replied, "Yes!"  Then the young lady asked, "Please, could you take off one of your boots?"  She responded by removing one of the "moon boots" to reveal a perfectly whole white foot, with no redness nor deformity!  She removed the other boot, and it was the same!  Her feet were healed!   Having no other footwear, she  put the "moon boot" on again stood up to go, but the young people were gone.   Lady believes they may have been angels sent from God to heal her.  The certainly were sent from God. 

As soon as she returned to the Hotel and went to her room, she called her husband, Steve, and told him what had happened.  He responded, "Are you sure you didn't just wake up from a very realistic dream?"  He even suggested that maybe she had had some wine!  After he returned to the Hotel, they decided to go to the restaurant across the street to eat.  She suggested they could just run across the four lanes of this busy street, and they did! 

After the market, Lady went to an appointment with her doctor, who was amazed.  She didn't tell him how it happened, and he commented that "This just couldn't be!  Your rheumatoid arthritis is genetic.  There just isn't any cure!  

The truth is God just manifested His awesome grace and love to Lady Walker, by healing her completely!  I want you to know that He loves you too!  In fact, I believe there is a miracle in the making for you!  Oh the wonders of our awesome God, and oh the depth of His miraculous love!

Resurrection Celebration!

It was an awesome Easter Sunday, beginning with a small group gathered in what will be our new sanctuary (when it's completed) for Sunrise Service at 7:00 a.m.  The acoustics in that place are amazing right now, with no carpet or seating.  There's no need for amplification.  We sang some Old Easter Hymns, celebrating the Resurrection, and simply worshiped our Living Lord together.  God's Presence was AWESOME, and the sunrise  service set the tone for the entire day!  On my way back to the house before Sunday School, I stopped at the Convenience Store near the interstate, and before I leaving responded to the need of the store manager by bowing my head and praying aloud at the front counter for the needs she mentioned.  I know it was a public place, but I still had the wonderful awareness of God's presence, and believe He really wanted her to know how much He cares for her (the manager).  Our Sunday School and Morning Worship Services were a continuation of this outpouring of His Presence, as we celebrated Jesus Christ the first fruits of the Resurrection!  My heart danced before the Lord as we worshiped together.

The GOP Race

In case your interested, I thought I need to comment about the GOP primary race.  Many of you know that I continue to support Rick Santorum, not because I agree with him 100%, but because he is the closest of the remaining GOP candidates to my values, and I believe that values will determine the kind of leadership we will have in 2012.  Santorum is the strongest candidate in the race on issues that matter most to me.

I am, however, concerned about a number of things that I need to address.  When you look at how the numbers have been stacking up and realize that even when Romney wins, most of the time more than 50 - 60 percent do not vote for him.  Real conservatives just don't have a passion for him, but if the nomination can be bought, he seems to be the one who has the money to buy it.  It just makes me wonder what the outcome might have been if real conservatives could have narrowed the competition to just one candidate against Romney.  Unfortunately it appears that some conservatives are beginning to bail, as the window get smaller.  I will however continue to encourage folks to vote values and principles, even if we don't win.  The GOP must hear the voices Christian Values and Godly Principles that have defined the Right for so long.  The more the message is watered down, the more difficult it is to tell the difference between the political parties. 

Pray for our nation.  We need someone to defeat the most un-Biblical President America has ever had.  We need REAL CHANGE in America now more than ever before!

Miracles: On the Street Where You Live!

Uncle David  and Dad

Miracles!  They can happen on the street where you live!  I thought about calling this article, "Miracle on Henderson Street," or "Miracles on Your Street."  The point is that there are miracles all around us.  We just need to open our eyes to see and our hears to hear all of the marvelous things God is doing every day!

Sunday we had a wonderful update on the Lofty's granddaughter, Kinley, who had nearly drowned.  We are all rejoicing in her amazing progress!  Then, this week, a man came into the furniture store and recounted the story of his wife, "Lady," being healed of Rheumatoid Arthritis!  The same day another man came to tell of the awesome comfort and strength God gave to his daughter at his grandson's funeral!  He said that he and others literally saw a glow around his daughter as she spoke at the funeral.  The same day, we heard from another man who shared about miraculous healing from cancer.

Then Dad called me last night.  The last week of November the doctor told his brother that his kidneys were failing.  He told the family that he had about a week to live.  Uncle David took it all in stride, because he's been ready to go to his heavenly home for a long time.  He has lived on about 25% to 33% heart function for about 14 - 15 years!  My cousin Donna uploaded a video that week with Uncle David singing about heaven.  Here is a man full of confidence about his eternal destiny!

This past Wednesday things didn't look so good, and Dad spent the night sitting up in chair in Uncle David's room.  If his brother was going, he was going to be there.  However, Uncle David woke up Thursday morning, and ate breakfast in bed.  He seemed a little better than the night before.  Then Friday morning, he got up and went to the kitchen for breakfast!  Dad went home for the weekend, but drove back to visit again Monday evening, only to discover that Uncle David wasn't at home!  He had gone out to eat!  Dad told me he was at Bob Evans.  Well the picture above was taken Monday night!  Does that man on the left look dead to you?  The apostle Paul says it best, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21)."

Let me encourage you today to have faith.  Miracles do still happen.  In fact they may happen on the street where you live.  May you have a Miraculous Merry Christmas!