Slideshow image
Scripture for the day: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 Now as to the periods and times, brothers and sisters, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction will come upon them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, so that the day would overtake you like a thief.
Thought for the day: When conditions are ripe for forest fires, warnings are given using every media outlet possible so that as many as can be reached will, hopefully, take steps to avoid the destruction that comes with overly dry conditions in the forest. Fire permits are required and, if that isn’t enough, all outdoor fires are prohibited. To ignore the warnings is to invite disaster.
The same is true in the spiritual realm. The Lord has never brought judgment on his people without ample warning. In the time of the flood, Noah spent time warning people of what was to come. When Moses was commissioned to rescue the children of Israel, Pharaoh was given at least ten opportunities to avoid the destruction the Lord was bringing on his nation. The children of Israel were warned time and time again through the prophets and judges. Nearly every time, the people were, unable or unwilling to hear. I believe America is, even now, being warned of judgment to come. The question is: have we, as a nation, reached the point where we can no longer hear? Have we so hardened our hearts that we no longer see the warning signs?
James O. Davis said, “If God is consistent in His dealings with America the way He has always been with others, He will warn us of approaching judgment. Jesus said that the end times would be times of warning. Then He reminded us to keep our eyes on the fig tree, which represents Israel. when it begins to blossom, you know the end is near. Israel is the historical miracle in the world. She had been extinct for over 1900 years, but she was born again in one day. Isaiah predicted it would happen. On May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation again when David Ben Gurion signed their Declaration of Independence.”
In Matthew 24, Jesus said that judgment would be preceded by wars and rumors of wars, famine, deceitful preachers, pestilence, earthquakes in unusual places, and the persecution of believers. “The love of many will grow cold,” He said. In Luke’s gospel, He promised times of great persecution, such as we’ve never seen. Then He said, “When that happens, lift up your head for your redemption draws near.”
I could go on and on about all that is wrong, but there comes a point when we must ask, “Well, what do we do about it?” I think there is only one solution for the direction our nation and our people are going and, at the risk of being redundant, I believe that one solution is, or at least begins with, prayer.
2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “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.” But look at the context of this verse. V. 13 says, “When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence, …” and Verse 15: “My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.” Folks, this call isn’t to the world; it’s to the church, to the believers. When Daniel began to pray for the restoration of Israel, he said, “We have sinned…” He took responsibility for the sins of the nation even though he’d done nothing wrong personally. We must be willing to do the same for, if we do nothing, the end result is destruction, and much more quickly than we could have imagined.
Now, pray for yourself, your family and your nation. Then go take on your world. - Bill