We Cannot Wait...

​Do not for one second think that the persecution of the Church is not taking place…and do not think it is not happening here in America. It may not look like the persecution our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world are facing (i.e. death, shame, banishment, stoning, prison, beheading, forced to worship other gods, etc.), but it is happening. If we are not careful, we, the Church, will allow it to escalate because we are too busy comparing our world to that of other parts of the world. Persecution is good, however, because it makes us aware of our need for Him and should cause us to draw closer to Him.
 
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all  over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are” (1 Peter 5:8-9).
 
It is very rare that we are killed for our faith here in the United States. Yet, our fears are derived from the cruelty that takes place in such places as the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Even my own children, while I was explaining how God has allowed me to minister to people in the Middle East and South Asia through social media, exclaimed in fear, “Mom, you have got to stop doing that. It could get you killed!” Dear children, I love them, but they have no concept of how our own Christian liberties are slowly being stripped away from us every day here in the United States and how the hand of God’s favor is slowly moving away from us. That makes me more afraid than anything any mortal could ever do to me.
 
No longer do we stand and proudly proclaim, “God bless America!” Instead, we are doing little things every day to turn our backs on God. Those who do their best to try and walk with God and follow Him are constantly labeled as “religious bigots,” “Christian nuts,” “religious freaks,” “do-gooders,” and “hypocrites.” Because we, as Christians, are trying our best to walk in a manner laid out before us in Scripture, we are called out. My question for you - do you think it was any different for those who walked with the Lord in the Old Testament and the disciples, apostles and followers of The Way in the New Testament? No, it was not.
 
Woven throughout Scripture is a dialogue of soap-opera-meets-reality-television-meets-CNN news types of encounters that could play out today. Brothers killed brothers who had greater favor, mothers killed sons because they wanted to worship false gods not the God of the universe, society wanted everyone to partake in sexual immorality and poked fun at those who did not, people were locked up in prison and people were cut off from their families.
 
As Solomon said, “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
 
We are looking at a time when we are morally and spiritually on the brink of complete bankruptcy. We gain enough ground to take a breath and then we are pulled back under by more laws that infringe upon our religious freedom and beliefs by politicians and judges who are not walking with the Lord (and if you think this country would never elect a president who does not somehow represent some form of Christianity…you better get on your knees and pray that does not happen come 2016). Our children and our families are under attack and the young generation coming up is accepting of everything because “it’s what everyone is doing so why not.”
​I recently posted this Scripture on my ministry Facebook page, “For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God” (John 16:2, NLT). Someone responded, “Prayers for our persecuted brethren in the Middle East!” Yes, certainly, we must pray for our brethren in the Middle East, but we also need to be praying for our brethren here in the United States!
 
We have our own issues in the United States. Lots of them…so many in fact that the list would take up too much word space! However, let’s be aware that God is bringing the nations to the United States right now…nations that are not predominantly Christian…in mass quantities. Like the captives being led away into the exiled lands in the Old Testament, God is allowing these people groups to come to the shores of the United States. Without getting into the issue of inter-marrying, I am going to get into the issue of inter-religion. We know what happened to the Chosen people of Israel when they were brought into captivity with the pagans. We know what happened when the Chosen people of Israel decided to mix and mingle with the pagan world. The Chosen people were lulled into worshipping their false gods…often while not completely denouncing their own God. We also see that God removed His hand from these people as they moved farther and farther away from Him.
 
On top of all that the Church in America is navigating, we will be navigating the treacherous waters of how we will respond to the influx of “religions” and “beliefs” being brought to our shores. Will we sit quietly by as we worship our God, but do nothing else? Will we be like the Old Testament kings who walked in the ways of the Lord, but did not demand the tearing down of idols and Asherah poles?
 
In 2 Kings 8 and 11, King Ahaziah’s own mother, Queen Athaliah, encouraged him to do evil. She was the granddaughter of King Omri and the daughter of the wicked King Ahab of Israel. After Azahiah’s death, Queen Athaliah proceeded to kill all of the remaining family members so she could reign. Why would she do such a thing? She wanted to continue to pull the nation of Judah farther and farther away from God. She had been plucked out of the northern kingdom of Israel and married into the royal family in the southern kingdom of Judah – the Chosen royal line of David and Jesus – to continue the influence of ungodly living.
 
Are we really any different today?
 
Persecution is defined as “hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of race or political or religious beliefs and persistent annoyance or harassment.” After viewing this definition of persecution, one can see that, while it may look different here in the United States, persecution is definitely happening within the American Church. We’ve seen a fire chief fired because of his beliefs, we’ve seen ordinances silently slipped into city laws without formally being on the voting ballots, we’ve seen monuments that portray Christ, Christianity or religion in cities taken down, we’ve seen prayer, the Bible and even the pledge of allegiance because it references God taken out of schools, and the list goes on and on.
 
We have got to get serious about praying for our country and our faith. We must seek the Lord first and stay in a season of prayer until we see the breakthrough. We cannot be weak in this moment because the Holy Spirit dwells in each believer and He gives us the strength to persevere. This is our time to be a nation whom God delivers from destruction. This is our time to be of a faith that is strong because He is strong. We cannot defeat the evils of this world without Him. Not now. Not ever. Prayer activates the heavenly armies. We need help. He will hear us if we cry out, but if we stay silent, our prayers will never be recorded in the bowl of incense in Heaven (Revelation 5:8). Our silence may be golden in a movie theater, but it is not golden to Him. 
I encourage you to read Jeremiah Chapter 2 today. While we cannot always apply Old Testament scripture to modern day context, this chapter creates a very vivid parallel between Israel once being blessed by God and slowly turning it’s back on Him. I believe the United States has done the same, and sadly, many Christians within the United States – perhaps lukewarm Christians – are doing what the Israelites did. The United States is not made up of a people group of Chosen people or one hundred percent believers. There are people who live and die here everyday that will be judged by God Himself because they have never put their faith and trust in Jesus. We cannot assume that God will save and heal our land…just because. We are a sick land, and a sick people in need of redemption and restoration.
 
We love to quote 2 Chronicles 7:14 as we seek Him in prayer for our nation. But, I ask you to take a moment to read the verses before and after verse 14. They speak volumes about what God allows, what God wants and what God thinks when His people turn their backs on them.
 
“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart. “As for you, if you faithfully follow me as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, then I will establish the throne of your dynasty. For I made this covenant with your father, David, when I said, ‘One of your descendants will always rule over Israel.’ “But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the decrees and commands I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, then I will uproot the people from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make it an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations. And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’ And the answer will be, ‘Because his people abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why he has brought all these disasters on them’” (vv. 13-22).

I pray your only response is on your knees and more appropriately, completely on your face, with a repentant heart. The country of Egypt is in mourning for seven days because of the recent beheadings of twenty-one Egyptian Coptic Christians by ISIS – seven days – and yet, we want to spend one day (in all reality just a few hours, really), but not until the designated National Day of Prayer in May to pray for our country. I say start now – right now! Let’s mourn and weep for our country and our faith today, tomorrow and the next. Honestly, I do not think we can wait until May.

No Comments


Recent

Archive

Categories

Tags

Abortion Alcohol Ashkenazi Beer Blogger Blog Christian blogger Daniel Loeb Drinking Gay Marriage Holocaust Intoxicated Church Intoxicate Margaret Sanger New Year Paul Singer Private Sin Public Sin Sandalfeet Ministries Sandalfeet Spirits Tim Gill Wine #Emerge #LiveUnashamed #TurnOffTheDark 'Tis the Season 1 Corinthians 13 1 Peter 3:18 1 Timothy 1:12-16 180 the documentary 1973 1and3 2 Chronicles 7:14 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 2015 2016 Vote 2016 2019 2020 2023 2024 40th Birthday 62nd National Day of Prayer 63rd National Day of Prayer 8 A Few Thoughts About the Starbucks Red Cup A Generation in Crisis A Savior is Born A Shining Star Aaron Abbott and Costello Abraham Acts 16:31 Adultery Advent Calendars Advent Devotional Advent Wreath Advent Against the Grain Agape Alabaster Jar Alaska Airlines Albaster Jar Albie Pearson Alcohol All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten Amanda Guyger Amber Gugyer American Church Ami Chapman Anglican Church Annie the Movie Are You Hurting Your "Friends"? Are You Hurting Your "Friends"? Are You Soaking Ascension Ash Wednesday Ashkenazi Ashley Madison Asma Al-Assad Assemble Aurora Auror Austin & Ally Austin Autumn Awaken Band-Aids Baptism of the Holy Spirit Barak Bashar Al-Assad Bathsheba Be a Voice for the Voiceless Beautiful Gate Beer Being Fed Beirut Attacks Bethel Music Bethseda Better Days Are Ahead Bible Fellowship Bible Museum Bible Study Bible Billy Graham Bishop TD Jakes Bitter Cup Blogger Boaz Bobbie Houston Boko Haram Born In A Manger Boston Marathon Botham Jean Brandt Jean Brian barcelona Bride BringBackOurGirls Brittany Maynard Broken People Broken things Burdens Busyness C.H. Spurgeon Caleb Castille Calling Canada Cancel culture Casting Crowns Catherine Mullins Change Charles H. Spurgeon Charles Spurgeon quotes Charles Spurgeon Charleston Church Shooting Charleston Chasing the Dragon Chick-fil-A Chicken Child Choose What is Better Christ-follower Christian Radio Christian blogger Christian blog Christian podcast Christianity Christian Christine Caine Christmas All Year Long Christmas Christy Nockels Church Climb a Tree Coffee Bar Colossians 3:13 Comfort Zone Comfortable Community Confirmation Contentment Content Cool Christianity Coop Coronavirus Corrie ten Boom Country Club Covid-19 Covid19 Craving God Ministries Creation Creator Cross Crown of Thorns D.C. DIY DOMA Dads and Daughters Dads Daily Devotional for Lent Daily Devotional Dallas Damascus Dandelions Daniel Loeb Darkness Darlene Zscheh Daughters Of the Deep Daughters Days of Elijah Deborah Defiance Deliverance Democrat Demon Possessed Man Dennis Bratcher Desensitization Deuteronomy Devotional for Lent Devotional Disorder Dominican Republic Don't Act Like a Chicken Don't Give Up Don\'t Give Up Don\\\'t Give Up Don\\\\\\\'t Give Up Donald Trump Doubt Dr. Tony Evans Drag Queen Reading Hour Drag Queen Drinking Dry Bones Dylann Roof ED Commercials Earthquake Easter Eight Practical Tips Election 2016 Election Elephant in the Room Elohim Emanuel A.M.E. Church Emanuel AME Emerge: It's Time To Turn Off The Dark Emerge: It's Time To Turn Off The Dark Emerge: It's Time to Turn Off the Darkness Emerge Emerging: Out of the Shadows of Voluntary Darkness Emerging Emily Lett Empty Tomb Encounters Entertainment Ephesians 1:3 Ephesians 2:8-9 Ephesians 2:8 Ephesians 6:12 Epiphany Erin Olson Erin Olson Dallas Erin Olson Sandalfeet Erin Olson Erin and Scott Olson Erin Esau Esperanza International Esther Evangelism Explosion Evangelism Evil Exodus 1:17 Ezekiel FORGIVEN If we are forgiven why can’t we forgive? How you can know if you are living in unforgive Facebook Live Facebook Faith Fall Family Relationships Family Fasting Father's Day Father's Day Festival of Unleavened Bread Fetter Firing Squad First Fruits First Great Awakening For Your Glory and For Me Forever 21 Forever Forgiveness - Unforgiveness : Revealed Through Your Fruits Forgiveness - Unforgiveness: Revealed Through Your Fruits Forgiveness Bible Study Forgivenes Forgivness Four Friends Friendship Friends Fruits of the Spirit Fruits Fruit Galatians 5:22-23 Garden of Gethsemane Gather Your Neighbors Gather Gay Marriage Gendercide General Revelation Genesis 3:15 Gentleness George Zimmerman Gerasenes Get Out of the Tree GetOurGirlsBack Gideon Gifts Give Credit To Whom Credit Is Due Give Gluten-Free God With Us God is Love God is With Us God is good God's Not Dead God's Will God's Word God's Not Dead God Golden Chord Good Friday Goodness Grace Greg Laurie Growth HIS Bridge Builders Habbakuk Haitian Earthquake Haiti Happy New Year Harvest America 2016 Harvest America Harvest What Does it Mean? Harvest Hate He is Risen Healing Healthy Habits Heart Heaven Kissed the Earth Hebrews 10:14 Hebrews 10:24-25 Hebrews 12:1 Helper Heroes of the faith Hillary Clinton Hillsong United Hipster Christianity His Redeemer Lives His Revelation Holocaust Holy Spirit Holy Week Holy Homeschool Home Hope Defined Hosanna in the Highest House of Prayer Human trafficking Hurricane I Can Only Imagine I Can ISIS Immanuel Impatience In N Out Instagram Intercession Intercessory prayer Intoxicated Church Intoxicate Is It Our Garden Moment Isaac Isaiah 7:14 Isaiah 9:6 Isaiah Israel It Takes A Village It'S Time To Turn Off The Dark It'S Time To Turn Off The Dark Jack Graham Jackie Pullinger Jacob Jael James MacDonald Jehovah-Jireh Jen Hatmaker Jeremiah 29:11 Jeremiah Jerry-Maguire Jessie Jesus Movement Jesus Revolution Jesus clubs Jesus is the Reason Jesus is the reason for the season Jesus' miracles Jesus' will Jesus Jim Cymbala Jimmy Valvano quote Jimmy Valvano Job 23:10 Job Joel Osteen John 10:10 John 14:6 John 15:1 John 3:16 John 8:12 John Hagee Join With The Angels Jonah Joy To The World Joy Judge Deborah Just Ask Erin Karen Wheaton Kari Jobe Kickstarter Kids Ramp Kindness King David King Herod King Hezekiah Kingdom Community Kingdom Winds Kirk-Cameron Lakewood Church Laodiceans Laodicea Las Vegas Leadership Legacy Lent Daily Devotional Lent Devotional Lenten Devotional Lenten Season Lent Let it Be Jesus Life Light In the Dark Light of the World Light Lioness Arising Lisa Bevere Listen to Him Liv and Maddie Live Unashamed Living Under an Open Heaven Lord's Prayer Lord's Supper Lot's wife Lot's wife Love Luke 10:42 Luke 11 Luke 2:46 Luke 2:7 Majestic Inspirations Majesty Malachi 1:2 Manchester Mandisa Manna Marathon Margaret Sanger Marilyn Monroe Mary Anoints Jesus Mary Magdalene Mary and Martha Matthew 12:21 Matthew 20 Matthew 21 Matthew 28:19 Matthew 5:9 Matthew 7:24-27 Mat May 7th May 7 Middle-class Mike Fechner Miracles From Heaven Miracles Missions Moms Mom Mordecai Moses Mother's Day Mother's Day Motherhood Motrin Movies Museum of the Bible Museum Music Muslim My Hope America with Billy Graham My Hope America NYC Names of God Narrow Gate Narrow Path National Day of Prayer National Prayer Walk Your Neighborhood National Prayer Walk Nehemiah Neighborhood New Beginnings New Blog New Year New York City NewSpring Worship Niagara Falls Nigerian Schoolgirls Nigeria No Longer Slaves Notes Obedience Oceans Of Mess and Moxie Office Shooting Olive Branch Olive Oil Olson On the Day of the Solar Eclipse One Thing is Necessary One Word One Year Later Open Heaven Operation Christmas Child Oregon's Death With Dignity Act Oregon's Death With Dignity Act Overcome Palm Sunday Parables Parents Pareto Principle Paris Attacks Paris Passion Passover Pastors Patience Paul Singer Peace On Earth Pecking Order Pentecost Perfect Timing Persection Peter Pick up Your Cross Planned Parenthood Podcaster Podcasts Podcast Pool of Bethesda PowerPoint Praise you in the Storm Praise Prayer Closet Prayer Room Prayer Works Pray Preparing for the Harvest Presence of God President Obama Presidential Race President Prestonwood Baptist Church Prestonwood Devotionals Prestonwood Easter Prestonwood Pregnancy Center Prestonwood Women's Ministry Prestonwood Priceless Priscilla Shirer Pro-gay Prodigal Son Progressive Christianity Progressive Promised Land Prophetic Word Proverbs 10:12 Proverbs 22:6 Proverbs 31 Psalm 118:1 Psalm 121 Psalm 31:19 Queen Esther Race Racism Rahab Raised to Life Rashness Rebuild America Red Cup Refrain Reinhard Bonnke Repent Republican Repurpose Reset 2016 Revealing Darkness Revelation 4:8 Revelation Rick Santorum Robert Fulghum Robin Hill Lane Robin Williams Roe v. Wade Romans 4:7-8 Romans 8:28 Ronnie W. Floyd Rooster Ruth SCOTUSA SYATP 2015 SYATP Sabbatical Year Sabbatical Samaritan's Purse Samaritan's Purse Same-Sex Marriage San Bernardino Sandafeet Sandalfeet Blog Sandalfeet Ministries Sandalfeet Minsitries Sandalfeet Santa Claus Santa Satan Say His name Scarlet cord Scott Olson Dallas Scott Olson Scott and Erin Olson Season Second Coming of Christ Second Great Awakening Second Kings See You At The Pole Self-control Senior Adults Senior Church Goers September 11 Serve Sex trafficking Sexual Abuse Shame Share the Message Shifting the Entertainment Atmosphere Sifting Silence Silent Night Simeon Simon Simplify the Season Sisera Sit At His Feet: Choose What is Better Sit At His Feet: Choosing What is Better Sit At His Feet Soak Social Media Sodom Solar Eclipse Solemn Solomon Sound The Trumpets Special Revelation Spenser Olson Spirit Rising Spirits Spiritual Atmosphere Spiritual Checkup Spiritual Food Spiritual Needs Spiritual Orphans the Book Spiritual Orphans: A Generation in Crisis Spiritual Orphans Spiritual Warning Signals Sprint Stand United Star of Hope Starbucks Start Serving Stop Complaining Stay Gold Stepping Out of the Boat Stormie Omartian Storms Storytellers Stress Strongholds Such a Time As This Supreme Court ruling Surrender Swim Upstream Syrian Conflict Syria TD Jakes Temple Construction Temple Temptation Tenacity Testimony Thankfulness Thankful Thankgiving Thanksgiving The American Humanist Association The Depot Podcast The Gathering The Great Commission The Katinas The King is Among Us The Mission of Motherhood The Ramp The Sisterhood The Tabernacle The Waiting Place The Weeping Prophet Theophany Third Child This I Beiieve Thomas S. Kidd Three Wise Men Tim Gill Time with God Timing Tony Evans Trafficking Transfiguration Trayvon Martin Triumphal Entry Twelve Days of Christmas Unashamed Unbelief Unforgiveness United 2015 Upstream Uzzah VBS 2012 VBS Vacation Bible School Valentine's Day Valentine's Day Vessel Vicky Valle Victor's Crown Virginia Grounds Virtual Academy Voice Institute Voluntary Darkness War Room Washington We Are Called to Forgive Weekend Project Weeping Prophet Whale What If What's in a Name Wheat and Weeds Who's on First? Who's on First? Wide Gate Wide Path Will You Stay Silent? Wine Wise Men Woman at the Well Woman-at-the-well Woodlawn Word for the Year Word of God Word of Life Words Works Worry Creates Pause Worship Music Worship Writing in the Sand Wubble Bubble Ball Wubble Bubble Yahweh Yes You Can You Are Not the Boss of You Your Love For Us Youth Zacchaeus Zechariah 9 Zechariah 'Tis the Season abortion adoption america anger authenticity author baby names blessing blog blood moons category 5 hurricane child abuse child trafficking children christians conversation crystal buck culture issues culture war culture densensitization depression divorce don't scroll don\'t scroll don\\\'t scroll east everlasting faithandforgive.com faithandforgive.org faithandforgiveness.org family family vision statement family mission statement stay-at-home mome flu epidemic flu vaccine flu forgivegod.org forgiveness forgive four blood moons fruit of the Spirit garth brooks god's approval governor abbott hand of God hand-of-god heart condition heroines hope housewarming shower hurricane harvey kinsman Redeemer legalism lost lukewarm marriage media ministry mobile sonograms mustard seed myhopeamerica.org nasa nineveh orphans orphan pandemic parable of the mustard seed parenting peace persecution posture prayer prestonwood baptist choir pro-choice pro-life prodigals prophecy pythonic-spirits python radical obedience radical reconciliation revival sadness sharethemessage.org spiritual health spiritual maturity spiritual-warfare steps of salvation stomach virus students thanks the Bible the Seed the depot podcast with erin olson the gift of conversation theatre shooting this blood time in His presence tragedy trials trust truth unanswered prayers unplanned pregnancy waiting watch why is it so hard to be a christian today? widow's oil workplace ministry