Forsythia!

View Original

Holding Back Wrath

Hi Friends,

I have an important vision to share with you today.  And before I share its meaning, I would like to say that God cares about politics.  God cares about our nation and the leaders who are making decisions for us.  God cares about integrity, honesty, and virtue.  He is concerned for our country’s direction. 

As a city on a hill is seen in the dark, our nation was given the purpose to display the light of freedom to the rest of the world.  We chose to be self-governing, and to  limit government, so that we might enjoy the freedoms that bring peace, prosperity and equal justice for all people.  We have no king because we chose to honor to God as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Our president has limited powers, as is true for the House of Representatives, the Senate and the Justices of the Supreme Court.  We have States which have their own power limited by their laws, and divided between the three branches of their governments.  Even the cities, towns, villages and districts have limited government, balanced between their branches of government.  It is a plan that has worked well for over 200 years.

God is head over all.  “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.”  Psalm 33:12

This is an important quote by Alexis de Tocqueville, regarding America:

“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.”   

It was President Trump’s promise to our nation, “Make America Great Again,” that inspired excitement and strong support for him from most of America. President Trump saw that many of the leaders of our nation are not pro-American—they are in fact globalists. They have set their sights on a much larger goal. They have made deals with foreign nations and companies in an attempt to level the playing field. They are not interested in America having a strong military, or to being more prosperous than other nations. They are not interested in borders, they are not interested in stopping the inflow of drugs or concerned for human trafficking. They believe that President Trump and his desire to make us a great nation is a threat to their plans for a one world economy and a one world government. A strong national identity, with actual borders is in direct opposition to globalism.

This is not on the radar of most Americans. The idea seems ludicrous for us to give up our sovereignty as a nation to be a part of a global bureaucracy.  We as Americans do not want to give up our identity and more importantly, we do not want to give up our freedoms. There are leaders in our country who care more about developing a global government and global economy, than adhering to and supporting the American Constitution. Our freedoms that are clearly listed in the Bill of Rights are under attack once again. But for these men and women in high positions in government and in the private sector, this does not bother them at all.    

As Americans we have always fought to maintain our freedoms.  We have also fought wars to free other people groups from tyrannical governments.  But now we are fighting an enemy within our own borders.  The enemy is unseen.  However I am not speaking of the corona virus which is also unseen.  But the unseen enemy that we are fighting is a dualism: Humanism and Socialism.   These are dangerous ideologies that are diametrically opposed to the freedoms that we hold dear, and the Christian values which make us who we are as a people.

“Humanism is an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.”  (Lexico powered by Oxford - Dictionary)

Humanism is a teaching that has been introduced into our schools over the last 100 years.  It is the idea that people are great in themselves, and need not be accountable to the creator of the universe:  God Almighty.  This is the epitome of rebellion.  Those who support and teach others this philosophy, are tools in the hands of God’s enemy: the devil.  The devil represents all that is evil and all that is contrary to God.  He is not willing to submit himself to God, for his desire is to be equal to God and worshiped as a god himself.

We see this rebellious attitude in leaders who do not cooperate with the government by creating sanctuary cities where law breakers can hide. We see that those that have committed crimes against our people, are immediately released after being apprehended. They are allowed to continue selling drugs, and selling young girls as prostitutes. They promote anarchy, and use their power and influence to spread lies that slander, accuse, trap, and remove from office, good God-fearing people in high position.

Note: If you have not had a chance to read my last post, “Lies, Judgment and Seals,” I hope you will. For in it is a vision the Lord gave me regarding these people who spread lies. For the interpretation to the vision is this: “They will be turned on their heads, and their lies exposed.”  

“Socialism is a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

(in Marxist theory) a transitional social state between the overthrow of capitalism and the realization of Communism.”  (Lexico powered by Oxford - Dictionary)

Socialism is a dangerous political and economic ideology which would put our nation’s citizens at risk for losing their Constitutionally protected freedoms. When any government regulates, controls and owns the means of production, distribution and the buying and selling of goods and services, it becomes difficult if not impossible to reap a financial reward for hard work, ingenuity and personal enterprise. This is due primarily to fewer people in private industry and the grand majority of people on the government payroll who do not contribute to the nation’s economy. Socialism does not promote free enterprise, it promotes mediocrity and increased numbers of people on welfare. The extremely high taxes are necessary to keep an overly large government running.

As a designer years ago, a Swedish man who owned a decorating company (painting, faux finishes etc.) who was considered THE BEST in his trade, spoke to me once about why he came to America to open a business here.  He said that in Sweden, he and his crew worked long hours to make a living.  Yet, the government took over 70% of his earnings in taxes.  He said that it was simply impossible for him to get ahead.  He felt he was always just getting by.

The Lord wants America to be great again.  And for our nation to be truly great, we must return to him. We must recognize that God is Lord over all. He is sovereign over the affairs of men.  Too many people are oblivious to this fact, to the nation’s detriment.  That is why I have been praying earnestly for a revival.  I would love to see our nation turn back to God. It would be like having a bit of heaven on earth. Can you imagine if everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit?  Can you imagine if everyone preferred another over themselves? Can you imagine if everyone followed the Lord’s teachings? “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,”  and  “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  (Mark 12:30 & 31)

I am so thankful that President Trump was chosen by God to lead America out of harmful alliances and treaties that undermined our sovereignty as a nation. God wants us to be accountable to him alone. The Lord was angry with Israel when it made pacts and covenants with pagan nations, looking to them for support and help when they should have sought the Lord for his counsel and his help.  This brought upon them much unnecessary trouble.   Eventually the influence that the other nations had on Israel caused them to sin. The Lord warned them time and time again, but because they did not repent, the Lord sent them into captivity.

We as a nation should never make ungodly alliances and treaties which cause us to compromise with the world’s values and conform to the global mindset.  In doing so, we would certainly bring upon us trouble like we have never seen.  

I am praying and believing that at some point, President Trump will become born again, and filled with the Holy Spirit.  I hope and pray that he will seek the Lord for his counsel and that the Lord will become his primary advisor.  “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.  Titus 3:1-2

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God.  Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”  Romans 13:1-2   

Currently and for the last four years, there has been much division and discord in our nation.  Prior to the corona virus, our nation was hard at work. But now there is much uncertainty, worry and stress over the economic shutdown.  Many people have lost their jobs and have filed for unemployment. Many people are in jeopardy of losing their businesses.  But God is always the answer.

“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

Now is a very important time to pray.  Now is a time to seek the Lord; we need his intervention now. if we want our nation to receive the Lord’s blessing and to be healed and restored, we will have to humble ourselves and pray.  Tomorrow, May 7, 2020 is the National Day of Prayer. I hope you all will seek God in earnest for mercy over our nation and its leaders. Pray for our nation to be healed and restored. Pray that our nation will return to God in repentance and will seek his favor. Pray that God will send his Holy Spirit and that we will have a revival that will begin with our nation, and will spread across the globe!

Even though i received this vision several years ago, I believe that now is the time to share it.

A Vision of Pending Judgment over America  (May 17, 2007)

This vision begins with a small clear puddle of water on the floor.  I asked myself, “What is this?”  I saw a side chair beside the puddle, and I realized that the puddle was made of tears shed in repentance and intercession.  

Then the scene changed—I saw a simple frame house in a rural setting.  The house was weather beaten, and unpainted.  The grass in the yard was uncut.  There was a single tree in the yard with green foliage.  Suddenly, coming from the sky was a huge ball of fire. It was on route to collide with the house. But it stopped just short of hitting it. Suspended in mid-air, it resembled a miniature sun all aflame.

I began praying and asking the Lord to speak to me about its meaning.  I opened up my Bible and my eyes fell upon this passage:  “...the evil man is spared from the day of calamity.” Job 21:30 

Again I prayed.  This was what I believed to be the revelation:

A house is a metaphor for a nation, i.e. “the House of Israel.”  The house in the vision represented the American nation.  The tree and the long green grass are indicators of God’s past and current blessing upon our nation as with abundant rainfall.  However, the weather beaten siding on the house, as well as the uncut lawn, shows neglect.  We as a nation have neglected to pray for our our people and our leaders.   We have neglected our duty to insist that godly laws be passed, and that a Christian interpretation of those laws  be upheld. 

We have been like Essau, who despised his inheritance.  We have taken our freedoms for granted. We have not be vigilant and out spoken with regards to our right to freely practice our faith. Where was the church when prayer was removed for the schools? Where was the church when they wrote laws that allow our unborn children to be slaughtered? Where was the church when the attack on family and marriage was made. Marriage is a covenant relationship between a man and a woman and Almighty God. Anything else is an affront to him.    

We have forsaken our post as watchmen on the wall. The church is complacent. Because we have been unwilling to rock the boat, or speak out to protect our rights, we are to blame for the blatant immorality of our culture. We have failed God as a church. We should be ashamed.

“Woe to you, teacher of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cumin.  But you have neglected the more important matter of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”  Matthew 23:23 

This vision was given 13 years ago.  God wanted to show us that he was angry with our nation for forsaking him, neglecting our calling to be a light to the nation and a watchman on the wall.  On our watch we have seen the nation degrade before our eyes.  People are ashamed or afraid to speak your name in front of others, “For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.”  John 12:43 

The ball of fire was stopped from striking the house. God has restrained himself, showing us mercy. But we cannot continue in our unfaithfulness to him. Statistically speaking, the church is no different than the world around us. We have the same numbers of divorces, and the same numbers of children born out of wedlock. There is no indication that the church is a light to anyone. The Lord has been waiting for us to repent and turn to him. We as the church must turn away from following the world and its values, and once again dedicate ourselves to him.

The Corona Virus

I believe that God has allowed our nation, and the nations of the world to go through financial upheaval and sickness and death in order to get our attention. He wants the church to wake up and pray so that our nation will turn to him in godly sorrow, and in sincere repentance. It is very possible that he could choose to no longer restrain himself, and release his wrath—as a ball of fire! 

Many of you may say: “God doesn’t judge us.  We live in a time of grace.  Judgment was only for those of the Old Testament.   God will only judge people at the end of their lives or at the end of time.”

But, let’s us take a look at a passage in the New Testament:

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.  They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 18:32

Every night we see these sins in full swing. They are on parade in the news shows. The news broadcasters, and government leaders, and all the stories they feature, show every kind of sin, and every form of corruption.  Yet we must keep in mind that none of us are perfect.  No person, no matter how saintly, is free of sin.  “For all have come short of the glory of God.”  Romans 3:23

“All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”  Romans 3:12

It is so easy to see the sin in someone else.  And by comparing ourselves to “a sinner,” we look pretty good!    But remember we are to look at ourselves soberly in the light provided by the Word of God.  We are to look at our actions and thoughts with sound judgment, not allowing ourselves to be deceived by the praise of men.  It is the Lord who is perfect.  It is he, we are to please.  The Word of God is our standard and Jesus is our example.

There is no doubt that we are living in the end times, and close to the Lord’s return.  “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.  Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.”  Matthew 24:10-12

The time may be short—it is time to seek God, to fast and pray.

A Prayer

Lord Jesus, please forgive us for compromising with the world and its values. Please forgive us for being complacent and not speaking out to protect our faith, and our rights to exercise our faith. Please help us to live according to your word and to not take our freedoms for granted. Teach us your ways, and help us to hear your voice.  We ask for our nation to experience your love and blessing that comes through repentance.  Please help our nation to seek you first, to acknowledge that you, and you alone sit on the throne.  Please forgive our nation for its blatant sins and the sins that are hidden.  Please bring into the light the things that are hidden in darkness. We ask you to heal and restore our nation, reconciling each of our citizens to yourself. We declare that our nation is “one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”   (The Pledge of Allegiance) We declare “In God we trust,” and “If God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31

Thank you Jesus, for you are faithful to lead our nation in its return to you! Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!

Please share this—perhaps re-post it on your social media. It is important that people understand that God is patient with us for he wants no one to be lost. But there will come a day when he will use stronger measures to get our attention. “For whom the Lord loves he disciplines. Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.” Proverbs 3:12

And—Remember to fast and pray Thursday May 7, 2020- The National Day of Prayer!