God has spoken the following to me, and I pass it on to you, "The punishment of America has been decreed. It cannot be turned back. Privation and hunger are determined. America the proud will be debased. And with the church which calls itself by My name, I am especially furious. The earthly church which has cast its lot with those who cried out for the crucifixion of My Son will be burned as stubble. This is only the first punishment. Repent not, and the trumpets of Revelation will sound." (December 29, 2006)
Prayer is an open channel to the Creator of the universe; our telephone line to God. Through prayer, we can receive divine guidance for living, and power to accomplish our divinely appointed tasks. The Lord Jesus said:
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
" (Matthew 7:7-11)
The Lord taught us repeatedly that God is our Father, and that we can approach Him openly and freely with all our needs. In fact, Jesus addressed God as "Abba", which is Aramaic for "Papa" or "Dad", and the Apostle Paul taught us to address God likewise. Many of you, who are parents, would give all that you have for your children, including your own lives. And if you love your children this much, know that God loves His children even more.
Calling yourself God's son or daughter, and approaching Him as your Dad, is the source of personal power and meaning. Indeed, it is the only way to come before God. The Gospel of Luke tells us:
And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when [his] disciples saw [it], they rebuked them. But Jesus called them [unto him], and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein."
(Luke 18:15-17)
And how does a child receive the Kingdom of God? The parent of any young child knows the implicit trust and faith an innocent toddler places in his father and mother. Mommy and Daddy are his world, and he reaches out to them to love him, to protect him, and to care for him.
But the young child does more than trust his parents. The young child can be forceful and demanding with them. "I want this!" or "I want that!" the little one declares. Most little boys and girls are not the least bashful about letting their parents know their Christmas wish list. And when Christmas morning comes, they rush to the tree to rip the wrapping paper from their presents. Unlike adults, they show no cynicism or calculation when receiving a gift. They do not worry about future obligations to the giver. They do not concern themselves with whether they have done anything to earn the gift. They simply grab the present and shout for joy. (And quite frequently they shout the word "Mine!" as soon as the present is in their hands.) Be the same way when seizing the gift of the Kingdom of God from your Heavenly Father's hands. Just accept it without trying to earn it.
There is a cryptic saying attributed to Jesus. "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." (Matthew 11:12) The violent men in this passage may parallel eager children who almost violently seize a present from their parents' hands. Do not be bashful with God.
Charles Spurgeon wrote:
"'But,' says one, 'do you wish us to understand, that if a man is to be saved he must use violence and vehement earnestness in order to obtain salvation?' I do, most assuredly; that is the doctrine of the text. "But," says one, "I thought it was all the work of God." So it is, from first to last. But when God has begun the work in the soul, the constant effect of God's work in us is to set us working; and where God's Spirit is really striving with us, we shall begin to strive too. This is just a test whereby we may distinguish the men who have received the Spirit of God, from those who have not received it. Those who have received the Spirit in verity and truth are violent men. They have a violent anxiety to be saved, and they violently strive that they may enter in at the strait gate. Well they know that seeking to enter in is not enough, for many shall seek to enter in but shall not be able, and therefore do they strive with might and main."
Jesus even told a parable about pestering God with your demands.
"And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth."
The Lord Jesus is saying to figuratively pound on God's door, and to pester Him without shame or embarrassment. Forget any adult sense of propriety. Be as demanding as the little child.
And for those who approach God as their Father, trusting in Him and believing in Him, and showing no bashfulness about declaring their needs, even making demands of Him, there is great power in prayer. Jesus said:
Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them]." (Mark 11:22-24)
James, the brother of our Lord, recognized the power of prayer. He said:
"Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:13-16)
Notice, that James says, "The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects." If you live in the light of God, following His laws, loving others; your prayers will have greater power than if you live in darkness. This is not to say that if you have sinned, God will turn His back on you. But if you want to be heard, come to God with a contrite and humble heart. Turn from evil and embrace the good, and God will hear you.
There is also power in numbers. Jesus said, "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:19-20)
Now, is this to say, that if you make a request of God, and your request is not granted, then there must be something wrong with you or with the way you have prayed? Not necessarily. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou [wilt]." (Matthew 26:39) Jesus, the very Son of God, Creator of the universe, our Savior, prayed this prayer three times. Yet, the Lord Jesus' request was not granted. Sometimes, we meet horrific challenges in life which were meant to be. And they will not be taken away no matter how much we pray. Yes, God answers prayer. But we must remember, that God answers prayer in His own way, as He decides.
And, yet, do not think that God the Father did not hear His Son's prayer. Although the Cross could not be taken away, the Father was there with the Son, comforting Him, annointing Him, empowering Him. No, the Cross was not taken away. But, through prayer, Jesus gained the strength He needed to become the Savior of the world. Prayer will give you strength too.
The words of Jesus are so true. For if you approach God as Father, and place a childlike trust in Him, you will find that prayer, of a surety, changes things.
And, further, when God answers your prayers, do not be ungracious and withhold thanks, but give praise. The Gospel of Luke tells this story:
"And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up [their] voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw [them], he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on [his] face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where [are] the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole." (Luke 17:11-19)
Taking time to give thanks has a powerful effect on the human soul. For it helps us to realize and appreciate the good things from God. Giving thanks can turn away a negative spirit and give you an attitude of faith. And in the end, the man of faith lives a far better, more powerful life than the man of doubt.
Luke 22:36 Then said He [the Lord Jesus] unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
The Lord so commanded. Therefore, do not argue. Every Christian man, and even woman, should own a gun and know how to use it. Gun control laws do not matter. In Christ's day, the Romans made it illegal for subject peoples to own swords. But, yet, Christ commanded His followers to be prepared for their own self-defense. And it is He Who must be obeyed, not man.
Are you a ready to fight for Christian Civilization?
