Days Of Awe

The Coming Days Of Awe

From 2001

This journal is being written about a week after our nation suffered its worst attack at the hands of a foreign enemy in two separate attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. These events are but the tip of the ice berg for a greater judgment coming to America if we don't repent. Our only hope is to turn back to God. In Jewish tradition, there was a ten-day period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to determine whether a person would live or die known as the Days of Awe. We are facing such days in America right now. This may not be our very last chance to avert judgment but are we willing to take that chance? This event on Tuesday is not the worst that's ahead if we don't come back to God. We have sinned not ignorantly or without knowledge. We have sinned against LIGHT and when you reject light the only alternative is darkness and destruction. God is not rejoicing over the loss of innocent lives in these attacks but He is also not happy about the millions of innocent babies our country has slaughtered in our abortion clinics either. There is a price for sin and if we continue down this road the price will continue to rise. It's time to repent!

By Chris McDonald

TEXT: 2 Chr 7:13-14 - "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (NIV)

According to Jewish tradition, the 10-day period from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur (the two high holy days of Judaism) is known as the "Days of Awe." Accordingly it is a common teaching of Judaism that during this 10-day period divine judgment is rendered to determine whether a person will continue to live or die in the coming year. It is believed that God reviews the books of judgment on Rosh Hashanah (Tishri 1) and metes out final judgment on Yom Kippur (Tishri 10). These 10 days are believed to be the last chance to repent before God's judgment is finalized for the coming year. Thus, the title given to them "the days of awe," since such an awesome choice rests with each member of the Jewish race.

According to this same teaching, three books are opened on Rosh Hashanah:

The Book of Life for the wicked,
The Book of Life for the righteous
The Book of Life for the in-between

As God the Father, the Judge of the Universe reviews mankind deeds for the past year, He inscribes the name of every individual in one of these three books. Judgment against the wicked is final and irrevocable; they will have life cut short in the coming year. Those recorded in the book of the righteous will be mercifully granted another year of life and prosperity by the Lord. For the remainder (those not written in either of these books), the sealing of their fate is deferred and hangs in the balance until Yom Kippur. If they sincerely repent during the DAYS OF AWE, tradition holds God will grant them life until the following Yom Kippur. Reflecting this tradition, the common greeting during the Days of Awe is "leshanah tovah tikatevu" which means "May be you inscribed (in the Book of Life) for a good year!"

This judgment-book tradition, although greatly embellished, finds its origin to some degree in the Bible. King David penned the words:

Psalm 69:28 - Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

Moses pleaded with the Lord the following:

Exodus 32:32-33 - Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. [33] And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

Because the Days of Awe are such a solemn time of self-examination, joyful activities are usually forbidden. Weddings and other festive occasions are postponed until after Yom Kippur. The week before Rosh Hashanah is usually marked by the recitation of penitential prayers called Selihot (forgiveness). These heart-rending prayers for forgiveness are in preparation for the Days of Awe and customarily begin at midnight the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah As part of this soul-searching a Rosh Hashanah ceremony known as Tashlikh ("cast off") is carried out that symbolizes self-purification and the shedding of one's sins. It arose during the Middle Ages and is still widely observed today. On the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah, observant Jews congregate near a body of water such as the ocean, a river, or even a well, to recite the Tashlikh prayer. In Israel, thousands of worshipers, with prayer book in hand and dressed in their holiday attire, can be seen on the beaches of the Mediterranean or in Jerusalem at the Pool of Siloam, reciting the Tashlikh prayer on Rosh Hashanah. The brief prayer is composed of several Hebrew Scriptures in the following order:

Micah 7:18-20 - Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoned iniquity, and passed by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retained not his anger for ever, because he delighted in mercy. [19] He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. [20] Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

Psalm 118:5-9 - I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place. [6] The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? [7] The Lord takes my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. [8] It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. [9] It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.

Psalm 33:1-9 - Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. [2] Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. [3] Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise. [4] For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. [5] He loved righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. [6] By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. [7] He gathered the waters of the sea together as an heap: he lays up the depth in storehouses. [8] Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. [9] For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

Psalm 130:1-8 A Song of degrees. Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. [2] Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. [3] If thou, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? [4] But there is forgiveness with thee, that you may be feared. [5] I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope. [6] My soul waits for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. [7] Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. [8] And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Isaiah 11:9 - They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

After the prayer, the worshipers will often shake their pockets or cast bread crumbs into the water. This action symbolically rids them of clinging sins so that their sin may be carried away and remembered no more.

Rosh Hashanah is often referred to as Yom Ha-Din (Judgment Day) by the rabbis since it began the Days of Awe, the traditional time of God's judgment. Consequently, repentance has always been foremost in the Jewish mind at this time. Beginning with the sabbath before the new moon of the sixth Hebrew month and continuing throughout the month, the shofar is blown every morning after the Shakharit (morning prayer service). It serves as a call to repentance and a solemn reminder that the most awesome holy days on the Jewish calendar are approaching.

In relation to these days of awe, Satan is also called into accountability before God. Both Christian and Jewish theology view Satan (Hebrew for "the Adversary) as the great enemy of God and His people. In the Bible, Satan is often seen in the role as an accuser of God's people:

Job 1:6-2:7 - Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. [7] And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence come thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. [8] And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God, and eschewed evil? [9] Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for naught? [10] Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

Zech. 3:1 - And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

Rev. 12:10 - And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Jewish tradition teaches that, on Rosh Hashanah, Satan appears before the Almighty to accuse Israel as the books of judgment are opened. The ancient rabbis, therefore, suggest the traditional purpose for the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is to confuse Satan leading him to believe that the Messiah has arrived and his authority had ended on earth and his place in heaven as man's accuser to God and God's accuser to man stops. Based upon this tradition, it is customary to sound a total of 100 shofar blasts on each day of the Rosh Hashanah synagogue services.

America's Days Of Awe Are Here

Be it Jew of Gentile we are living in a time when we need to repent! While most of this 10-day celebration is based upon tradition, the theme of repentance is something very vital to the salvation of the church and our country in this awful time in our history.

The worst terrorism ever experienced on our country took place last Tuesday at 8:45 AM in two separate attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and about 45 minutes later at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. There has been a dagger driven into our hearts as a nation. While these events have not torn us apart, these events have not brought us totally back to God either. His name is mentioned, but for us to survive what is ahead, it will take more than mentioning His name. It will take repentance - both corporately and individually.

This has been an awful week for most Americans. We have sat glued to our television sets watching image after image go before us of carnage, destruction and horror. We have heard story after story of loved ones looking for a miracle underneath the rubble of the World Trade Center in New York. You'd just about have to be non-human not to have shed tears with each story and hear the despair in the voices of those directly affected by this tragedy. Lisa and I both were in New York Harbor on a boat near the Statue of Liberty the Thursday before these attacks. We took pictures that afternoon of the New York skyline not knowing that four days later the two towers that loomed in the picture on Thursday would be nothing more than ash heaps on Tuesday the 11th.

In addition, Lisa flew out of Boston's Logan International Airport on Monday the 10th, one day before the hijackers took two planes from the same airport and used them to murder thousands of innocent Americans. We had tried to find her a ticket for Tuesday so she could stay an extra day but every time we tried either the schedule wouldn't work out or the ticket price was too high. Now we know that God was looking out for us in the most powerful way. Our Heavenly Father was watching over us and we THANK HIM for that. Had she left on Tuesday she may been directly involved in this.

I have been working in the New England area this week talking to those who were either directly or indirectly affected by this tragedy. People are scared. People are angry. People are shocked how a group of 18 terrorists could enter a mighty nation like America and drive a dagger into her heart unlike any formidable national foe has done in the history of this country. Even the Japanese didn't cause the carnage at Pearl Harbor that these 18 men did on Tuesday. Millions all over the country are searching for answers to the one question I don't think we will ever really have an answer for - WHY? Why did God allow this to take place? Why did we lose nearly 5,000 innocent lives at the hands of demonically inspired and demented individuals who used airplanes as weapons of mass destruction? Many are angry and God understands those feelings, as the Rev. Billy Graham said at the National Prayer Service in Washington on Friday. Our President, George W. Bush, with tears in his eyes has vowed to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice for these cowardly acts. A wave of unprecedented patriotism has swept across America. We are proud of our country as we should be.

There is no room for those who are not proud to be Americans right now. This is still the greatest land on the face of the earth. This is still the most powerful nation on the face of the earth. We were birthed from England with the single purpose to establish a place on Earth where men could worship God freely without the bonds of the national governments and kings telling them what to do or who to worship.

So as I write this journal, I write it as a proud American. I know God loves this country. I know God even loves those men who did this. He takes no pleasure in the acts nor the death of the wicked. He wills that ALL MEN BE SAVED. I am very proud to be an American. I'm proud to a citizen of the greatest country on the face of the planet. I know we are not perfect but there is no other place I'd rather live than right here in the United States of America. We are free people at this moment by the grace of God. We are able to worship God freely without limits on how we worship and where we worship. But with war on the horizon I am concerned about the future of our country - especially for those who don't know the Lord Jesus Christ. We have sinned against God. And no theologian, no preacher, no priest, no politician, no Senator, no Congressman, can change that fact. And SIN MUST BE DEALT WITH. Sin separates us from God. Sin separates us from the love our Heavenly Father so wants to show us through His Son, the Lord Jesus.

There is no "positive" way to put this. Driving through New York City four days after the attacks I heard of a vigil of 200 people who were gathered to honor the dead. A man stood up in the middle of them and started preaching about Jesus and our need for more than protection in our search for redemption. The radio reporter reported the man was not rude but was just asking those gathered if they were ready to go into eternity should such an attack repeat itself and those gathered were killed. The crowd got very agitated at him and told him that they didn't want to hear such a "negative" message right now. They went back to their vigil asking God for His protection without any recognition that America has done anything wrong. Friend, that just isn't so. We have sinned and we have sinned grievously.

It's not popular to hear nor will some of you reading this agree BUT THE PRICE FOR OUR SIN IN AMERICA HAS GOT TO BE PAID - EITHER NOW OR IN THE FUTURE. And repentance does not need to start on the corner of the French district -it needs to start in the halls of our CHURCHES!!!!!

Call me negative. Call me "gloom and doom." Call me one of those "turn or burn" ministers but I know in the deepest recesses of my heart that what the Lord is saying right now is not a call to patriotism in our country - it's a call BACK TO HIM and RIGHTEOUSNESS! Does that mean we don't need to be patriotic? God forbid. Does that mean we do not need to good Christian citizens and support our country and help those who have been hurt and wounded in this? God forbid. We need to love America and support our President. We need to fly the American flag with pride - but we also need to understand that America is not great because America is good. America is great because of GOD. America is great because of GOD. America is great because of GOD! America is great because God shed His grace on the United States of America. America the beautiful is only America the beautiful because of our LORD JESUS CHRIST who 2000 years ago shed His precious blood on Calvary's bloody cross and purchased a freedom more powerful than any bomb or bullet can protect or keep. Glory to Almighty God. America gives us liberty but JESUS CHRIST gives us the love that sets us free from sin. Praise God.

The attacks on the trade center towers and Washington may have been God's down payment for something far worse if we don't turn around. This is the backdrop for this journal. I know people are hurting. I know many families are so hurt that words don't even skim the surface. I know the last thing a woman who lost her husband in these attacks wants to hear is "are you ready for eternity?" I know the last thing a mom or dad who lost their son or daughter in these awful attacks wants to hear right now is "are you ready for eternity?" As cold as this may sound but we must let the "dead bury the dead." We cannot bring them back. We owe it to their memory to do more than just retaliate against terrorists - we owe it to their memory to repent as a nation and see God's glory return to the greatest nation on the planet. GLORY TO GOD. Do you hear what I'm saying to you here? I'm not for one second condoning nor even minutely hinting those who did this cowardly, despicable deed were justified. What I am saying is that when a nation turns it back on Almighty God we open ourselves up to just this type of circumstance. And before we can in good conscience believe God is going to be there for America, we must take a look at what we have done to offend the God we petitioning protection from.

From Heaven You Pronounced Judgment...And Your Wrath Against Men Brings You Praise

Ps 76:8-10 - From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet--when you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land. Selah; Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained. (NIV)

Wow, what a powerful Psalm written by David, the sweet singer of Israel. David knew first hand the results of war with Israel's enemies as Her king. There were many occasions when God blessed David's efforts to destroy heathen nations around Israel so His chosen could rest in peace and not be threatened by outside enemies. But throughout Israel's history, she often backslid on God and during those times of backsliding, Israel faced defeat many times at the hands of some of those same enemies God had given Her grace to defeat in earlier battles. Israel has always had enemies around Her who have always sought her destruction. Was the same God who sent Her to destroy her enemies the same God who was allowing her enemies to destroy her? YES.

You see, God loves all humanity. EVERYTHING HE DOES IS ROOTED IN HIS LOVE. He just doesn't have love, HE IS LOVE! There is no dark side to God. Every GOOD gift and PERFECT gift comes from above. In HIM there is NO DARKNESS. When He judges a nation or an individual it is always rooted in His love for them to remove anything that would hinder that love being returned to Him. He's not a tyrant in heaven who sits back and enjoys seeing thousands and thousands of innocent lives lost in war. Everyone who died in those attacks on Tuesday were loved by God. But many who died in those attacks did not love God. Many were lost and went out into eternity without Salvation which deeply wounds me more than even seeing the images of collateral damage suffered in New York and Washington. Many who woke up Tuesday morning never realized that Tuesday would be their last day on Planet Earth. And that's the issues here.

We have built idols throughout our land that has blinded us to our need for God and offended Him. We have blocked His love to us by our choices to love money, wealth, power, greed, lust, pornography, our own lives, more than Him. Abortion is the ultimate act of selfishness. It's a decision a woman makes to take the life of an unborn baby so she will not be inconvenienced by its existence. Many argue that if the baby is deformed or the mother's life is in jeopardy we still need to abort the baby. Friend, that is selfishness. It's rooted in the same thought, "what about ME?" That baby inside a woman's womb is a LIFE, not a choice! Do you think God is any more hurt over the 5,000 lives lost last Tuesday than He has been over the countless slaughter of the innocent MILLIONS of unborn babies in this country alone?

You can't separate the two. These babies had lives just like those in those twin towers and at the Pentagon had lives. God loved them all. Their blood just very well may have been required at our hands and the tally may be just beginning. David wrote, "Lord, You rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land." Those babies did not have a defender. They were murdered by choice in a selfish act. We need to repent!

Your Wrath Against Men Brings You Praise

What a strange statement coming from a loving God. His wrath brings Him praise. America is scared and quiet right now - just as the Psalm indicates the land becomes when God judges a nation. God will get glory from this mark my word. People are coming into the Kingdom of God as a result of this tragedy. Families who lost loved ones in those towers are going to take a hard look at their lives and realize that life is more than Wall Street or the stock market. Life is a choice that we all make to either love God with all our heart or soul or love wealth, money and the things which profit us nothing. MONEY could not save our American citizens on Tuesday.

All of America's intelligence could not save these fallen citizens on Tuesday. All of America's power and might could not keep her safe during this 45-minute reign of terror on Tuesday. The land is quiet and scared right now. It's a time we need to be looking UPWARD and recognizing there is a God in heaven who has been offended at America for a long time now. His patience is long and He is longsuffering. He loves all of humanity not willing that any should suffer loss or die without Christ. Satan was the agent of destruction but God allowed the enemy to do it. Nothing Satan does on earth is done without God allowing him to do it. But what Satanically inclined terrorists meant for evil will be turned into GOOD for the United States of America. That is, IF WE REPENT and humble ourselves before the God of the Universe, the Judge of the Earth.

I find it somewhat amusing if you can find anything amusing about this right now, that the only voices that have been utterly silent on these events are the entertainment industry. Hollywood actors and actresses who have often and loudly in the recent past spewed anti-God venom when this country sought to right itself and allow righteousness to rule are now stunned to see just what happens to a nation when it forsakes God. Where are their voices now? Where are the voices now that were demanding prayer be taken out of our school and public meetings? Where are the voices of the atheists in this country who have fought to keep God out of our society and our land? Where are those voices who blasphemed God by making fun and lampooning God's people? Where are the voices of the preachers in this land who have sit back and allowed America to spiral into oblivion without speaking out against sin because the popular feeling in our culture today is that "we need to be positive, not negative."

It's sad it takes a tragedy like this to make us pause and be silent like we see right now but that's the entire purpose behind these attacks. America as a whole was proud and arrogant before these attacks and even now to a degree after these events. But there is an eerie silence etched in the faces of our citizens right now. Is it anger? More than likely yes. President Bush himself said in one of his speeches that he felt a quiet anger building in our hearts because of what happened and friend there is really nothing wrong with that. We are all appalled at this cowardly deed. But our anger seems to be directed at "terrorists," instead of Satan who was truly behind these attacks. The enemy "steals, kills and destroys." But the combination of Satan's work and God's wrath has brought PRAISE back to Him. People are at least looking at the fact that America NEEDS GOD. And that IS positive! That's what being TRULY POSITIVE means. It's not faith in man- it's faith in GOD!

I am thankful we have a Christian President who is not afraid to call a national day of prayer. I am reminded of Abraham Lincoln who called on this same type assembly during the days of the Civil War. Mr. Lincoln too I believe was a Godly man who feared the Lord and really sought to keep America on the path of righteousness. Morality, justice and righteousness are not loose terms that only Bible-thumping preachers use behind pulpits. Those terms are what hold up the very fiber of heaven. It's those same fibers that America so badly needs to repair and quickly if we are to continue to face what is ahead.

Ps 85:9-13 - Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps. Ps 89:14 - Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.

Prov 14:34 - Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

David wrote that "righteousness" looks down from heaven. Righteousness and "peace" always kiss each other. The implication is simple, the lesson eternal. When a nation practices righteousness it usually remains a peaceful nation. Love and faithfulness - all good virtues that America stands for are being tested right now. At greater issue is not whether we can find Osama Bin Laden or defeat the Afghanis in battle, it's whether we can recover the LOVE for God and the faithfulness TO GOD that we had when this country was founded over 230 years ago. Those virtues have been loss in our government, our institutions, our schools, our business world and in our daily lives. The church of the living God must show the world the love of Christ if the world is to understand this concept. As the church goes, so goes the nation!

All This Evil Has Come Upon Us, Yet We Have Not Made Our Prayer Before The Lord Our God To Turn From Our Sin And Understand The Truth

Daniel 9:13 - As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.

Evil has come to America in unprecedented form. The evil that has come upon us will conquer us if we allow to divide us instead of it bringing America to her knees to God to repent and then in turn understand the truth of God. There seems to be a deep sensitivity right now in this country as not to offend our Arab brothers who believe Mohammed is the way to God. Again, not to sound like a broken record, but friend, Mohammed is NOT the way to God - Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father. We walk around like people who have been stunned yet we don't really have humility right now. Yes, we are shocked by what we see. Yes, we shed tears for those who have lost their lives and for their families. Yes, the tears we shed are genuinely felt as we have compassion as all American's should. But those tears will do us no good unless they cause us to seek GOD!

Trouble is coming. As I write this I have no doubt in my heart that we are about to enter into a global conflict with at least one, if not more countries in the Far East. Afghanistan leaders as late as yesterday warned America that if we plan to invade their country they will make Afghanistan an "American graveyard." The religious fiber of this region is held together by one of the most demonically inspired religions in the world of Islam. It doesn't matter whether these terrorists were a fringe element of this religion or not. The religion itself is still from hell. MILLIONS are deceived into its teaching and need to have salvation come to them in the LIGHT and the GLORY of the FACE of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are stories we hear everyday of Jesus physically appearing to many Muslims all over the world. That is going to increase even more the closer we get to the rapture.

America I don't believe understands fully YET what we are up against. I wish I could say the church in America will be a source of light and encouragement and truth during this time but we have so drifted away from the CROSS and the foundational message of the gospel, most of what the church teaches here in the West can be likened to the blind leading the blind and both falling into a ditch. WE NEED REVIVAL! We need to turn from SIN. Listen, God loves the homosexual but HE DEPLORES and DETESTS the act of sodomy and homosexuality. Lesbianism and all other perverted forms of sex have crept into American society over the past 20 years and we have made it so commonplace that same-sex partners getting married don't even make us blush anymore. Jeremiah addressed this feeling when in deep weeping he was crying out to Israel to repent and turn back to God before destruction:

Jeremiah 8:8-18 - How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. [9] The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them? [10] Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one deals falsely. [11] For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. [12] Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.

Has America been ashamed of her sin? No. We have made fun of it. Has America even blushed at the perversion she so gladly accepts? No. We applaud it and make movies of it. No one sin is greater than another but God's DIRECT intervention came upon Sodom and Gomorrah because of these acts. And as the late Leonard Ravenhill once wrote in a now famous book, Sodom had no Bible! Sodom had no churches. Sodom had no Christian television. Sodom didn't have the luxuries and wealth we enjoy today. It's not that we have done what we have done in ignorance. We've done it in spite of GREAT LIGHT that has been given to this country warning it of the repercussions if we persisted down this path. We have basically ignored and blasphemed God not caring about those things - AT LEAST NOT UNTIL NOW. And friend, when you sin against light, the judgment you receive is measured out proportionately in measure to the amount of light you have received.

So if these acts are a beginning of a greater judgment coming to this country which I believe they are, then we need to understand that our judgment here in America will be worse than any other country on earth because of the LIGHT we have been given by God to be a nation of righteousness and not evil. We have been BLESSED beyond measure financially. We have been protected for 230 years from foreign enemies. No attack has EVER occurred on our own soil outside Pearl Harbor in 1941 and that was done in the Hawaiian islands. Those attacks in 1941 never affected the 48 contiguous states where 99% of the American citizenship lives. That all changed last Tuesday on September 11, 2001. America's time of protection ran out and 5,000 lives paid the ultimate price for it. When we reject light, the only alternative is darkness. There is no in-between.

Jeremiah asks, "how do we say, we are wise and the law of the Lord is with us?" while we hold onto our sin without confessing it and repenting? As a result, all the pens of the scribes are in vain. In other words, no matter how much we utter with our mouth, without repentance and actions to remove idols from our land that hinder our love for God - all of that is in VAIN and God is not listening to it.

He Has Put Us To Silence

Jeremiah 8:13-16 - I will surely consume them, saith the Lord: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them [14] Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the Lord our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord. [15] We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble! 16 The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein. [17] For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the Lord.

Powerful words from a powerful God. You might even say God sounds divisive here as many accused Rev. Falwell of being last week but friend the heart of God BURNS in passion for this country. He has blessed us with bountiful blessings, the choicest of all the good things of heaven He has given without measure to this country. He established us to be a beacon of freedom, light and the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He didn't establish us to be the world's leader in capitalism. He established us to be Israel's protector and Her ally - He didn't establish us for us to shake hands with the her mortal enemy and force her into treaties and pacts that destroy her freedom and protection. Jeremiah cried, "we looked for peace and no good came, we looked for a time of health and behold TROUBLE!" Friend, trouble is coming and it's coming to our cities. We can no longer say America is safe because we are not safe outside God's protection. But we must confess as Jeremiah did for the nation, "we have sinned against the Lord."

Ps 94:14-15 - For the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance; Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it. (NIV)

2 Chr 20:9-13 - 'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.' 10 "But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." 13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD. (NIV)

Daniel Interceded For Israel Like We Must Do For America

Daniel 9:14-20 - Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice. [15] And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly. [16] O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us. [17] Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake. [18] O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. [19] O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name. [20] And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God;

Daniel 9:21-22
Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. [22] And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.

I'm sure this question has been asked a hundred times this past week, "Did God cause this?" I think the answer to that question lies somewhere in between two extremes we can ill afford to take. No, God does not get any joy out of killing 5,000 people so in the sense that He directly did this - NO. But there is another extreme that is just as equally dangerous when we don't recognize God had ANYTHING to do with this because at the very least HE DID ALLOW IT. The prophet Daniel was faced with the same questions I'm sure when after years of warning something similar would happen to Israel and Judah because of sin. Eventually, what God warned would happen did and the nation was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and taken captive into Babylon. While in Babylon, Daniel took up an intercessory prayer for the nation of Israel that I believe we as the church must take up for America in this hour.

In the 9th chapter of Daniel we see awesome visions of the future. But before the visions, Daniel prayed for Israel. He says the words, "we have sinned," or "we have transgressed against the Lord," more than 10 times in the first 20 verses of this chapter.

The Body of Christ must take up an intercessory stand for our nation if we are to avert further immediate judgment. God has granted us mercy here in America because of His people. But we have taken so much for granted here in this country - EVEN IN THE CHURCH - that we can no longer can count on the fact that since the Lord has always done it in the past He will continue doing it in spite of our sin. We need redemption in this nation! We need a revival where people are fleeing to altars weeping and mourning before the Lord over their condition. The patriotism we are seeing right night is awesome. There is a tremendous spirit of unity (at least on the surface) in America right now. Let's pray that continues. But the more important spirit we need to be seeing is one where we are concerned about our spiritual condition, more than the power of our military. The nations who supported the terrorists who did this to our country last week will have retribution, if not from America, from GOD. God will judge and avenge.

The powers of government that be are ordained by God. If a country lives by the sword they will die by the sword. America has never started any war in Her history. She has only responded to war when she is provoked or attacked. We have been attacked AND provoked. As President Bush has said, these are not acts of terrorism, they are acts of war. These cowards were but arms of a bigger coward hiding in the caves of Afghanistan. They are now realizing in the pit of hell that Osama Bin Laden's promise of immortality and heaven for killing innocent millions at the hands of "Allah" were very much untrue.

We must take up the position of Daniel over America. We must confess our personal sin AND our individual sin to see God's grace return to this land. The Lord "watched the evil" that happened on Tuesday. More evil is coming if we don't turn around and turn around NOW.

Repentance Is An Act Of Love

Repentance is an act of forsaking sin and choosing the love of the Lord Jesus instead. It's a choice between sin and the flesh for the righteousness of Christ which sets us free. Repentance is not a choice between sin and our own righteousness. Self-righteousness only blinds us to our true need of Jesus. His righteousness gives us light and liberty. Jesus never condemns the world for these choices - if we refuse to repent and continue in that sin - we will die lost and in the end - HIS WORD will be what judges us at the last day. And friend, the WORD OF GOD is something even GOD HIMSELF cannot change. Once something is decreed over us, unless we repent and God repents of the evil He has wished upon a nation - that nation is doomed!

This is a subject for another journal but Nineveh's plight is a great example of what happens when God decrees His judgment and repents. He sent Jonah to warn Nineveh that judgment was coming if they did not repent. When the people heard Jonah's word they believed God, declared fast and ALL OF THEM, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. Even the king took off his royal robes and sat down in the dust. When God saw the national repentance He was moved with compassion, LIKE OUR LOVING FATHER ALWAYS IS, and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

Jonah 1:2 - "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."

Jonah 3:5-10 - The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish." 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. (NIV)

That is America's hope as well. I firmly believe judgment has been decreed BUT we can avert further judgment if we will repent as Nineveh did and humble ourselves. Notice though it was not just a few who did this in that nation. EVEN THE KING humbled himself and repented before God. I believe we have a Godly man in the White House and through his leadership we will be strengthened during these times of calamity that may be ahead. But as much as I love and respect our President, he is still just a man. It will take everyone - from HIM down to the lowest person in our country - to REPENT. If we do, the Lord is gracious and merciful. He will be QUICK to show mercy and become America's defender again. But it takes REPENTANCE. It takes us turning around. It takes us forsaking sin and clinging to God. It takes redemption.

The Call To Repentance May No Longer Be A National Call Much Longer, But An Individual One

Rev. 3:20-21 - Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. [21] To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

In the very last message to the seven churches, Jesus issues a call to come in and "sup" with us. That call is not a call to a nation, a country, a state, a city or even a church. It's a call to a MAN. It's an individual call. IF ANY MAN hear my voice, and open the door, He says, I will come in to him. Friend, who knows whether or not God will grant mercy to this nation on a large scale or if His call now will become more and more pronounced to INDIVIDUALS who will hear His call and flee from the wrath that is coming. I believe as we get closer to the rapture of the church that will be even more the case. The call of the gospel has always been to individuals. If the nation as a whole doesn't repent, then we as individual citizens can.

Individual repentance is where revival starts. Daniel confessed "his own sin," first, THEN he confessed the sins of the nation. That's powerful! It's getting late neighbor. Time is running short. Don't be lulled into sleep by a generation that is living for today only, not caring there is an eternity after this life is over. Jesus said a man's life does not consist in the number of THINGS he possesses but it's how rich that man is towards GOD that counts eternally. And the word that the Lord Jesus will use more and more and more before He comes is "REPENT."

Luke 13:3 - I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

America's Hope For The Future

Ps 85:6-13 - Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints-- but let them not return to folly. Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps. (NIV)

The prayer of David is our prayer today. Lord, "please revive us again." America needs revival. But before America sees revival corporately, it must begin INDIVIDUALLY in everyone of us reading this journal. The Psalm says "he promises peace to his people, his saints-but let them not return to folly." The salvation of the Lord is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. When the glory dwells in the land, the land will yield its "harvest." What is that harvest? It's millions of souls who will come into the kingdom as a result of the Lord's Spirit moving across the land. This gospel shall be preached! This is America's only hope for the future. It's not one of two or three possible things to hope for - it's our ONLY hope! There are no alternative plans available to us. It's imperative we turn to God and turn NOW.

America's days of awe are upon us. Who can say if this will America's last chance to repent before total judgment falls. Who can say that God was just getting our attention to bring judgment, but then glory and honor back to our land. Who can say that the terrible incidents of last Tuesday are but a foreshadowing of something coming on a global scale? Who will be able to stand the wrath of the Lamb when it's released in its total fury? These are the questions we need to ponder and ponder NOW during our days of awe. Some, if not all, of these answers will say a LOT about the future existence of the United States of America.

As I close I feel the word of the Lord to Joel is the word He is saying to us here in America right now:

Joel 2:12-14 - 'Even now,' declares the LORD, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.
13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. 14 Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing-- grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God. (NIV)

As Joel says, "who knows?" Maybe the Lord will turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing. I believe with all my heart that will be left up to how we respond to this tragedy we have just experienced in America. We can either seek God and return to Him with all our hearts or we can face whatever wicked scheme the enemy has in mind for us next. The Lord wants to be full of grace, compassion and slow to anger, abounding in love - RELENTING from sending calamity. But if we continue to sin against light in America, darkness will be our lot and friend, HOW GREAT WILL THAT DARKNESS BE! My dear brother summed it up perfectly the other night when he said, "brother, what is going on here in New Mexico epitomizes what is going on in the nation - the local adult video store has a XXX sign in front that has 'God bless America' on the bottom and 'adult toys and films' on top." Folks, God WANTS to bless America but the time for us not dealing with the sin in our land has come and gone. It's time to get things right with an offended Creator.

The Days Of Awe were a 10-day period to give individuals a chance to repent. And THESE ARE THE DAYS OF AWE for America. We repent or we die. Not a real complicated message here but one I believe is coming from the Lord. Pray for our country. Be a good citizen and support our President. Continue this unified spirit we have. But more and most importantly - let's offer our confession to God and see His glory be our protection and reward as we face uncertain and more than likely turbulent days ahead.

Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus I come to you Lord interceding for America. Forgive us of our national sin and for the shedding of innocent blood in the numerous abortion clinics across the land. Lord, we know this country has a remnant of Your people here who still love You with all their heart, soul and mind. For their sake, protect America from her enemies and give us grace during this hour. But as You give us that grace make us very aware of our responsibility before you as a nation to once again become a nation that is worthy to say, "In God we Trust." Let it no longer just be a meaningless slogan on a bumper sticker, but something that each and every American truly does. Lord, save the lost who don't know You tonight. Save those out in sin. Send the Holy Spirit to them to convict and to convince them of judgment, sin and of righteousness. Let us as the Body of Christ see the harvest as You see it - with compassion, mercy and grace. Thank You Lord for touching the hearts of the hurting and wounded here in America. Heal those who have lost loved ones in this awful tragedy. Touch those who have been injured. Help the firefighters and rescue people who are working tirelessly to find as many survivors as they can. Give them extra grace for this task. Help our President and his Cabinet make the right decisions for America that we may once again be a nation with a Biblical heritage and honor that shines the light of the gospel to other countries who are sinking in the darkness of the Islamic stronghold spread by Satan. Protect us by Your might and hand. Give us wisdom as we repent. Show us our national sin so clearly Lord that there will no room to question what our responsibility is before You. Restore our foundations of righteousness that once girded us in our days of inception. Bring back a Godly fear among our citizens. Thank You once again and we love you LORD JESUS. Thank You for allowing us all to live in the greatest country on earth - the United States of America. And help us serve the Lord Jesus - who died for us and gave us TRUE liberty from the bondage of our sins - in Spirit, TRUTH and in faithfulness. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen!

Because It's Getting Late Neighbor

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