Take It Personally

“The LORD says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.  I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.  I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name.  All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people.  But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes.”  Isaiah 65:1-2 (NLT)

Imagine that your grown child is a busy executive, and that you stop by the office one morning just to say hello. The secretary announces your visit, but says that your son or daughter is busy at the moment and that you should have a seat in the waiting room.  One hour passes, then two, then three.  You decide to come back after lunch.  When you return, you wait patiently for another three hours and then ask the secretary to have your son, or daughter, call you at home.  The end of the day comes and you still have not heard from them.  How do you feel?  Sad?  Angry?  Unloved? 

Have you ever thought about the fact that the almighty, all-knowing, ever-present  God of the universe is waiting on you each day?  Let’s personalize the verses from Isaiah 65:1-2.  “The Lord says, I was ready to respond, but you did not ask for help.  I was ready to be found, but you weren’t looking for me.  I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to you but you did not call on my name.  All day long I opened my arms to you, but you followed your own wicked path…”  Is that any way to treat your Father?

God's Response to Isaiah's Plea

“I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.  I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.  I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name.  All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people.  But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes.”  Isaiah 65:1-2

This is stunning.  The God of the universe was ready and willing to respond to Israel, but no one called on Him, no one was looking for Him.  He knew they were rebellious, but He still kept His arms open to them all day long.  Israel chose to go their own way and make their own plans apart from God.  Isn’t this true of America today?  God’s people are going through the motions—we show up at church, we serve on committees, read the Bible and pray when it suits us—but are we really getting in touch with God? Do we consult with Him about how we live our everyday lives? In the book of Revelation, Jesus has this message for the church at Sardis: “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.  Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.  Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.  But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.”

Do we really think that “going through the motions” is enough to satisfy God?  Is that why Jesus died on the cross?  Is He the guiding force in our life or just an afterthought?  Jesus says there will be a price to pay if we do not wake up!

Isaiah's Plea

"Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down!  How the mountains would quake in your presence!  As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, your coming would make the nations tremble."  Isaiah 64:1-2

Isaiah’s heartfelt cry should be ours today—that God would visit us in His awesome power, that the whole world would acknowledge Him and fear Him.  Isaiah goes on to list some reasons why God has turned His back on His people.

• “We are constant sinners.” (verse 5)
• “When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.” (verse 6)
• “No one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy.” (verse 7)

We can’t just point the finger at others and blame them—we have to get honest and search our own hearts.  Notice that Isaiah didn’t say “They are constant sinners.”—he said “We are constant sinners.”  Intercessors must identify themselves with the sins of the people.   That is called humility.  Remember the prayer of the Pharisee, ”I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else.”?

A Prayer For America

Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,

that the mountains would tremble before you!

As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil,

come down to make your name known to your enemies

and cause the nations to quake before you!

For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,

you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived,

no eye has seen any God besides you,

who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

You come to the help of those who gladly do right,

who remember your ways.

But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry.

How then can we be saved?

All of us have become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;

we all shrivel up like a leaf,

and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you;

for you have hidden your face from us

and made us waste away because of our sins.

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.

We are the clay, you are the potter;

we are all the work of your hand. 

Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD;

do not remember our sins forever.

Oh, look upon us, we pray, for we are all your people.

Isaiah 64:1-9 (NIV)

Jeremiah's Tears--Our Tears

“How deserted lies the city, once so full of people!  How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations!...The LORD has brought her grief because of her many sins.” Lamentations 1:1,5 (NIV)

God’s history with the nation of Israel was one of mercy and grace.  Israel repeatedly went their own way, despite the warnings of His faithful prophets.  Eventually, their disobedience led to destruction.  In the Book of Lamentations, Jeremiah’s heart is broken over the desolation of Jerusalem.  All the warnings from God, all the passionate pleas to return to God, had been ignored.  The judgment of God fell hard on Jerusalem, leaving the city in ruins and the people destitute.  How did a city and a people, once so blessed by God, end up like this?  Lamentations 4:12-13 says that “The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the world’s people, that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem.  But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests…”

Could these verses express the fate of America?  A nation so obviously blessed by God from its very beginnings—we no longer fear God or honor Him today.  Will God continue to show mercy or bring judgment?

Desperation

“For thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land.  I will shake all the nations…’”  Haggai 2:6-7

What is it that makes people desperate for revival?  What is it that will make America desperate for God? Jesus has said that He is coming back—all signs point to the reality that it may be very soon.  Are we ready?  Are our loved ones ready? God has been shaking our world, but it seems that we are all asleep. Think of the things that have happened and are happening in America—terrorist attacks, violence in schools and work places, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, drought, the possibility of global financial collapse—these things wake us up only long enough for us to hit the snooze button.  Meanwhile our society, and the values that once made America great, are deteriorating rapidly.  Proverbs 28:2 says, “When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily”.  The Church really doesn’t have much to offer these days—the same sins that have overtaken the world have overtaken the Church.  We tolerate adultery, divorce, abortion, lying and cheating—not wanting to “offend” anyone.  What about the offense to God? What about being holy and set apart for His service? We are asleep—oblivious to the shaking that is going on all around us.

 Ask God to open our eyes to see the world (and the Church) as He sees it.  That should make us desperate. Repentance is the key.  If we get our lives right with God, maybe that will cause unbelievers to be desperate for what we have.

Lessons From Manchester Kentucky

“Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly.  Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.”  Joel 1:14.

What can we learn about revival from the story of “An Appalachian Dawn”?  For one thing, the people were desperate.  Young people were dying at an alarming rate and parents and leaders felt powerless to turn it around.  Church leaders led the way—they put aside their denominational differences and repented that they had been more concerned about their buildings and programs than they were about the people.  People came together to cry out to God, and God responded to their prayers.  The movement of God began with a handful of people. They believed that God would act and they behaved as if they knew He would act.  They began warning the drug dealers that they would either “get saved or get busted”.  When God began to move, it affected not only the churches, but city hall, the schools and the drug dealers. In the second chapter of Joel, God says: “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you”.

If you would like the back story of what happened in Manchester, go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2JW14zLT9o&feature=fvwrel

A Modern Day Nineveh?

“He (Jonah) proclaimed: ‘Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.’  The Ninevites believed God.  They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.”  Jonah 3:4-5

God sent a reluctant prophet, Jonah, to proclaim His judgment on the wicked city of Nineveh. Much to Jonah’s displeasure, Nineveh believed God and turned from their evil ways.  What was God’s response?  Jonah 3:10 says, “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened.”

Do we ever say “Our community, our city, our nation is beyond hope?  I am just one person bringing God’s message.  Who will listen?”  Be encouraged by the story of Nineveh and, also, by the story of Manchester, Kentucky.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwXc2SkUFZA

Politics, Elections and Such--Part Two

“Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power.  He controls the course of world events; He removes kings and sets up other kings.”  Daniel 2:20-21

In just a few weeks, we will be voting for president, for senators and congressmen, and many local officials.  Experts say this is the most important election of our time.  Vote.  Our country has abandoned God and the things that He values.  This is one way we can make our voices heard.  But it’s not the only way.  Too often we put our hope in men.  We think our country’s problems will be solved if we have the right people in office.  But kings, presidents and politicians are put in office by God and they can be removed by God. If we forget that God is the all powerful one, not the president, we have the wrong view of world events.  Tax cuts, healthcare reform, immigration policies, budget changes are the works of men.  Only God can bring about a heart change in America.  Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

Politics, Elections and Such

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”  1Timothy 2:1-2

Surely this verse doesn’t mean we should pray for evil or corrupt leaders—we only want to pray for the good guys—right?  What about those who are incompetent or have a philosophy we don’t agree with?  Instead of grumbling and complaining, and hoping they’ll be replaced someday, why not follow Paul’s advice and pray for them?  He says to pray for all those in authority--the good and the bad.  How should we pray?  Here are some ideas:

• Pray that they will know God and be guided by Him
• Pray for wisdom and pure motives in decision-making
• Pray they will be truthful in all communication, that lies will be exposed
• Pray that God will surround them with wise advisers and will remove any with a hidden agenda
• Pray that their policies will benefit all people and do no harm

Pray For Our Pastors

“Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.”  Ephesians 6:19

In these verses, Paul is telling the Ephesians how to pray for him.  I think these are excellent words to pray for our pastors.  I once heard someone say that a church will never be more spiritual than its pastor.  Those of us that want to see revival should be praying fervently for these men of God, that God would bring personal revival to their hearts and that it would spread throughout their congregations.  I’ve never heard of a revival that caught fire without the pastor!  If your pastor seems to be asleep at the wheel, God is perfectly able to wake him up through your prayers.  And don’t just pray for your pastor, but for pastors all over America.  Here are a few other suggestions:

• Pray they will be drawn into a deeper walk with God through prayer and God’s Word
• Pray their hearts will be broken over the spiritual condition of their churches
• Pray they will have God’s priorities with their time
• Pray for their marriages and family relationships
• Pray they will be equipped and empowered by God’s Spirit
• Pray they will be humble in God’s sight
• Pray they will fear God and not man
• Pray they will have courage to say the hard things
• Pray for protection from the enemy’s schemes

God's Perspective on Unbelievers

“When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”  Matthew 9:36

How do you view people that are not believers?  Do you see them as the cause of all America’s problems?  Are you angry with them, disgusted, even hateful towards them?  Do you judge them harshly for the way they behave?  Worse yet, do you avoid them at any cost?  Jesus said that they are like sheep without a shepherd.  What does that mean?  For one thing, they either have no direction—wandering aimlessly-- or they’re going in the wrong direction—following the wrong leader.  Without the protection of the shepherd, they can get in serious trouble.  Unbelievers are blind to the fact that they need a shepherd. 2Corinthians 4:4 says, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ…”  Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44).  Ask God to give you a burden to pray for those who do not know Him.

We need to stop blaming unbelievers for the condition of our country.  God puts the blame squarely on His people.  If we were behaving the way God intended, we would love these people and they would be begging to know our secret.  Instead, they call us hypocrites.  Shame on us.

God Speaks

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ’Whom shall I send?  And who will go for us?’  And I said, ‘Here am I.  Send me!’  Isaiah 6:8

I don’t believe that God is silently standing by—He is speaking.  But who is listening?  Being God’s spokesperson doesn’t require a seminary degree—but it does require a heart that is humble.  Isaiah saw the holiness of God and, in that instant, saw himself as he really was—a man of unclean lips.  What God saw was a broken and contrite heart.  I hope you will pray with me that God raises up a godly person like Jeremiah or Isaiah, who fears God and loves the Church in America enough to say the hard things.  But, maybe it’s you that He wants to use to stand up for Him.  You may not be a pastor or leader that addresses large crowds, but you can live a holy life, confront sin, and pray for our churches, our communities, and our country.