Nahum's Burden

A Message of warning to a nation gone adrift from God and facing certain judgment unless we repent

The Burden of Nineveh is the burden of America. Nineveh repented under Jonah's preaching only to backslide into greater sin some 100 years after the great prophet came with God's word. Nineveh's judgment was greater because it had received greater light. When a nation or individual sins against light the measure of their judgment is tied directly in proportion to the light that nation or individual receives. America's sin is great but it is even greater in the face of the LIGHT we have received as a country. Jesus had a great deal to say about nations who rejected light - He said in the day of judgment it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah who had no light than for those who have been given great light. We as the church of the living God are the light that shines in the darkness. But our light is not from ourselves - it's the light of our HEAD - the Lord Jesus Christ.

TEXT: Nahum 1:1-8 - The burden against Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite; God is jealous, and the LORD avenges; the LORD avenges and is furious. The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies; The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The LORD has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, and the flower of Lebanon wilts. The mountains quake before Him, the hills melt, and the earth heaves at His presence, yes, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him. The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him. But with an overflowing flood he will make an utter end of its place, and darkness will pursue His enemies. (NKJ)

Before I get into this message today I want to share two prophetic visions we received over the past few months via email. One is from Bill Yount, founder of Blow the Shofar ministries concerning intercession:

I heard the heavens rumbling with angelic activity scrambling as their urgent assignments were being shouted out: "Alert every minister and ministry to call in their reserves! There are many whose wall of prayer protection is breached and they don't know it!"
Ministers and ministries must call in their reserves of "intercessors" whom they have overlooked in the past but are urgently needed now.

"OVERLOOKED INTERCESSORS WHO ARE NEEDED FOR MINISTRY BREAKTHROUGHS!"
I heard the Captain of the Lord of Hosts commanding strong orders to ministers: "In this 'emergency' mode, every brother or sister who has wounded you or you may have wounded must be forgiven and reconciled and called upon to intercede for your life and ministry this hour!" I saw some brothers and sisters who were holding offenses against one another, and were actually hindering their physical healing and spiritual advancement. Some of their brothers and sisters whom they refused to forgive and be reconciled with had the gift of healing for their bodies! These were some of the most powerful intercessors who were born to be a major power in the lives of these ministers and ministries. No wonder the enemy had worked overtime to separate them!

"OVERLOOKED FAMILY MEMBERS ARE WAITING IN RESERVE TO RECEIVE THEIR CALL OF DUTY!"
I sense overlooked family members are some of the most powerful forces that will launch many ministers into never-before breakthrough -- including the prayers of their children and grandchildren! Yes, even "unsaved" family members. I know myself and of others in ministries who have humbled ourselves before unsaved loved ones and asked them to pray for us. I sense they were at first shocked that we would respect them that much. And then the Holy Spirit seemed to begin to hover over them to cause them to seriously consider . . . "Maybe I ought to learn how to pray since I have been asked to." It knocks the walls down between the saved and the unsaved, and the Holy Spirit begins to agree with us to call those things that are not as though they already were (by faith calling the unsaved, saved!). Many have experienced seeing their unsaved loved ones praying themselves right into God's Kingdom with this kind of request of them.

"YOUR WIFE IS YOUR MOST POWERFUL INTERCESSOR ON EARTH WHO IS WAITING IN RESERVE FOR YOU!"
I have many intercessors around the world who pray for me and my ministry. One day, in a meeting, God showed me in the Spirit many prayers from intercessors rising up to the Throne for me. Then, all of a sudden, I saw my wife's prayer shooting upward like lightning, surpassing every other prayer on earth, reaching the Father's throne room instantly, and getting immediate response! I am not saying to just ask your wife to pray "for" you, but to actually pray "with" you. As you come into agreement in prayer you will see victories that will take place no other way! Especially praying in the Spirit together, which will cause you to become the most intimate with each other, spiritually, bringing breakthroughs in the natural realm.

"THE NAME OF JESUS ALONE IS WAITING IN RESERVE TO SHATTER THE ENEMY TO PIECES!"
I sense many who, being in a hurry and who are not taking prayer seriously, are overlooking the name of Jesus! The name above every name! Use it continually! When you just can't seem to pray . . . whisper the name of Jesus! He lives forever to make intercession for you! Remember, He is praying for you and His prayers always get through! And pray much in the Spirit. It allows you to pray perfectly as the Spirit Himself prays through you!

"THE RESERVE CALL FOR MINISTRIES TO CONNECT, PRAY, AND FLOW TOGETHER IN BATTLE!"
Has the Lord called you to a ministry and then seemingly left planet earth? Does He seem like He is not paying much attention to you and "your" individual ministry? The reason the Lord is not paying much attention to "individual" ministries right now is because it isn't the season for individual ministries. God is seeing through corporate vision right now . . . He's got the whole world on His mind and heart. And the best thing we can do is to try to forget ourselves and "our" ministry long enough to humble ourselves and prefer and esteem other ministries above our own, and reach out and connect with them to receive the corporate anointing that He is releasing this hour. Each of us needs the corporate power for us to be launched into our destination! As ministries confess their weaknesses and pray one for another, healing will flow like mighty waterfalls!

"PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS AND CALL IN YOUR RESERVES TODAY . . . WE ARE IN WAR!"

The second prophecy concerns an email we received about a month ago summing up the words of three prophetic voices within the nation (all three from different parts of the country and no real connection to each other) about possible nuclear attacks on America's east coast sometime between August and October 2005. The prophecies were not 100% "word for word" alike with each other, but they were about 90% identical - all predicting warning of the same fate for the nation unless repentance comes quick and comes NOW. All three prophecies listed the same four cities in which the main threat was aimed at - Philadelphia, New York, Washington D.C. and Boston. (Click here for report from classified documents obtained in Joseph Farrah's internal report on WMD in America)

America is in trouble friend. As politicians continue to fight over matters that are political in nature, God is reaching out to us as a nation and individually on eternal ones. The fight right now over the Supreme Court vacancy is nothing more than a fight about abortion. Those who value human life want to see Roe V. Wade overturned - plain and simple. Whenever a nation allows a law that okays genocide within its own boundaries that nation has forsaken God. Yes, abortion is MURDER and GENOCIDE. It's the killing of a RACE - a HUMAN RACE - of people who, though innocent fetuses in the womb of a woman, are more than just tissue in the sight of God - they are human living organisms with a destiny and purpose that only God can give. They have a SOUL. God cares not which party you belong to. God cares not what your "political persuasion" is in the terms of "pro-life" or "pro-choice." God is actually both. He gives man free moral will to chose which way he will go but He puts one command on humanity and that is to chose LIFE - THE LIFE - JESUS CHRIST. In choosing CHRIST< man will always honor and cherish human life.

As we write this message in late July, America is also fighting a war on terror. Her enemies continue to increase around her seeking her destruction. All the while this is happening we are currently pressuring Israel into "disengaging" the West Bank and allowing the Palestinians to prop up a state beside her thinking that will bring peace to the Middle East. It will not! We have written numerous articles and messages in the past, as has others, warning of consequences should America keep pressuring Israel into giving up covenant land.

Joel 3:1-3
For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, [2] I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. [3] And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.

America's fate in many ways mirrors that of the ancient city of Nineveh. Nineveh of course, was the capital of the Assyrian Empire, which for more than 100 years before Nahum's day, had been one of the dominant powers of the ancient world as America has really for over 160 years as well. The northern kingdom of Israel fell to Assyrian forces in 722 B. C. Some prophets taught that this pagan nation was used as an instrument of God's judgment against His wayward people. But now it was Assyria's turn to feel the force of God's wrath. The armies of Nabopolassar of Babylon stormed Nineveh in 612 B. C. The entire Assyrian Empire crumbled three years later under the relentless assault of this aggressive Babylonian ruler. Thus, as Nahum prophesied, Assyria's day of dominance ended with their humiliation by a foreign power. This was not always so as Assyria was a once dominant world power during the time of Jonah. She was a great threat to Israel and as stated eventually conquered the Northern Kingdom.

Jonah was called by God to go to Nineveh and preach against their wickedness. Nineveh was a great city built by Nimrod (Gen.10:11, Han. 1:1), and served as the residence of the Assyrian kings. It was not always the capital of Assyria as it was during the time of Nahum but it always held great influence over the world. A little over 100 years before Nahum's deliverance of a final oracle of judgment against her, Nineveh had repented at the preaching of Jonah. Jonah as you know was quite displeased with God's mercy extended toward Nineveh, the enemy of Israel. He was, in fact, delighted at the thought of Nineveh being destroyed by God. Her repentance and prolonged life was a source of great discouragement to the prophet, who while in the whale's belly, had become aware that God would use Assyria to sorely chastise Israel.

Assyria was given a great reprieve by God to make amends for its cruelty and sin. But after backsliding into sin and apostasy that brought her to a state worse than her first state -Nahum decreed judgment that there would be no remedy for and no repentance accepted to stop.

Proverbs 29:1
He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

Nahum 1:1-5
The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. [2] God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. [3] The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. [4] He rebuketh the sea, and makes it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. [5] The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.

The message of the entire book of Nahum teaches us of the sure judgment of God against those who oppose His will and abuse His people. America as a nation and Nineveh as a city are in some ways very similar. After Jonah's mission, I'm sure there was a fairly large number of people who trusted God and lived righteously according to God's will. Through the course of time however, the city AND nation as a whole went back into the same apostasy God originally sent Jonah to cry out against.

The nation of America today is a little over 230 years old. There have been cycles of revival here and there even since it's founding by men whom I believe God raised up to make us a Christian land that would grant religious freedom and one day ultimately become Israel's protector.

Somewhere during the middle of the 19th Century, after the Civil War of 1860-65, God raised up men like Billy Sunday, Charles Spurgeon, Charles and John Wesley, and others to bring a powerful message of repentance to the nation. By all accounts America experienced one of her greatest hours of revival around the latter part of the 1890s into the early 1900s. The Azuza Street Outpouring took place in 1903 in Los Angeles, California, ushering in the latter day rain of the Holy Ghost spoken of by James:

James 5:7 - Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. [8] Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. [9] Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

Hundreds of thousands of men, women, boys and girls, experienced true salvation during this time. The nation's focus was God and righteousness instead of money, greed, wealth and pleasure. In the 1920s, when God sent great blessing on America the nation's heart turned against it's Creator. And by the 1930s and 1940s, America found itself at war with Germany and facing a moral crisis inwardly that would erupt into plain rebellion by 1960. The 1960s and 1970s saw the nation spiral out of control morally. Abortion, or the killing of innocent babies, was made legal in 1973. Rampant immorality erupted through pornography, homosexuality, free love and the destruction of the institution of marriage. New Age humanism began to get a foot hold in the 1980s as man began to think of himself as god instead of submitting himself to the God of the nation. It was during this same time the church in America began to buy into the same lie as doctrines such as Kingdom Now and the prosperity gospel began to take hold. Men stopped preaching repentance and instead turned to formulas and man-made theology to justify sin while at the same time neglecting to warn America of the dangers of losing its way with God.

Little by little God was removed from our society. First, it was prayer in schools; then it was the Bible; before long it became a sin to mention God or Jesus in a prayer before a high school football game. By the 1990s America's divorce rate - both inside and outside the church - skyrocketed to such rates that having children with more than one family was the norm, not the exception. The television industry along with Hollywood has gotten more brash and crude in its message and portrayal of morality to the point that all things Christian have taken on a distorted and perverted view. Persecution against those who truly know the Lord and name the name of Jesus has increased as well, and will just get greater as we near the end. Homosexuality has taken a front seat in America's mainstream and the very foundations of a once proud righteous land are being shook by the powers of hell.

Even in the last five years and in spite of 9-11-2001, God and all things related to righteousness and Christianity, have taken a direct hit from humanists who seek to remove all vestiges of the Lord from our nation's minds. Our children face the toughest battle at school, where demonically inspired theories such as evolution and gay-marriage are held up as norms in our society. We are truly living in perilous times in a nation that has received more blessings from God than any other nation on the face of the earth, other than Israel herself- God's chosen people.

2 Tim. 3:1-8
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. [2] For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, [3] Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, [4] Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; [5] Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. [6] For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, [7] Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. [8] Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

America has become reprobate concerning the faith! And because we have elected not to retain God in our knowledge, He has turned us as a nation (or at the very least IS turning us at this moment) into people with reprobate minds.

Romans 1:18-21 - For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; [19] Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. [20] For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: [21] Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: [25] Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

There is only one answer for the powers of darkness that grip America and it's the BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST!! It's the message of the gospel that can set the captives free and bring the power of God into a life that is bound by sin and wickedness. God reaches out His hand in mercy to America. He does not want our destruction. He wants us to return to Him with our WHOLE hearts and minds to embrace His ways once more. COME, let us REASON together, says the Lord, through your sins be as scarlet they shall be as wool, though they be red like crimson, they shall be white as snow!

Isaiah 1:15-18 - And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; [17] Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. [18] Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Nahum's burden serves as a dire warning to America that unless we repent individually AND corporately QUICK - our judgment and fate will be sealed as well - and that without remedy. Does that mean I don't think revival is coming to America? Hardly. In fact I have always felt that if 9-11-2001 did not usher in revival (which it didn't - it ushered in patriotism without repentance), then the Lord may have to deal even more harshly with us. The same prophetic word we mentioned earlier in this message was given with a footnote that after whatever would take place on America's East Coast that a move of God's Spirit would cover the nation for four years and there would be a great harvest within our border that would begin the birth pangs of the last days prior to the rapture and Lord's return to Earth after the Tribulation period.

If we are to take the prophecy literally on its face value then we can expect great trouble AND great glory ahead. The trouble that America faces though can be mixed with mercy if we will humble ourselves before God and throw ourselves on His great wonderful MERCY and cry out to Him for the soul of the nation. America, America, God shed His grace on THEE, and CROWN thy GOOD with brotherhood - from SEA to shining SEA.

As Nineveh rejected light, so has America AND Israel. Israel's greatest trouble is still yet ahead as a nation. Dark days lie ahead as the Antichrist will persecute her and will seem at times capable of totally destroying every vestige of the Jewish race off the face of the Planet. Without direct intervention of the Second Coming of Christ, Israel would be destroyed! Jesus warned the religious of Israel in His day that since they would not receive Him who came in His Father's name, they would accept one who came in his own name!

John 5:39-46 - Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. [40] And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. [41] I receive not honour from men. [42] But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. [43] I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. [44] How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? [45] Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuses you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. [46] For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. [47] But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

America and Israel are tied to each other prophetically without question. And it seems that just as Israel rejected the Light of the World in her day, so has America in these modern days. I can't help but wander how long will it be before we receive the same oracle as Nahum proclaimed against Nineveh. In addition to the rampant immorality over the past 50 or so years, America has relinquished it's call to protect Israel, which was reformed as a nation in 1948. As stated, God raised this nation up over 200 years ago to be a buffer for Israel against her enemies in the Middle East. At times America has done that, but at other times because of America's greed and rebellion, we have acted AGAINST Israel and sought to solve problems in the Middle East through pressure and manipulation in order to gain friendship with the Arab world. This was done many times at the expense of betraying God's chosen people and covenant land. America stands in peril friend and Nahum's oracle and burden cannot be far off unless we repent and repent quick.

Jonah 1:2
Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

Jonah 3:1
And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. [3] So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.

Nahum 1:1-3
The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. [2] God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. [3] The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. [5] The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.

It is interesting to see the three commissions God gave concerning Nineveh. First, He told Jonah to "cry against" the wickedness of the city. Secondly, He told Jonah to "preach unto it the preaching I bid thee." Then thirdly, with Nahum, there was neither a command or statement concerning crying out or preaching against it any longer. Nahum's message was strictly an oracle of utter destruction what would come on the city in 612 B.C. at the hands of the Babylonians.

One must understand this about the Assyrians. They were most despicable in their acts of violence and bloodshed against their enemies. Crosses lined the streets with babies attached at the end where human sacrifice and debauchery were highlighted to the casual visitor walking through the city. When Nineveh captured Israel in 722 B.C., those taken captive were subjected to severe torture and cruelty. God saw all this. And so did Jonah!.

Many believe, as do I, that while in the belly of hell, Jonah, seeing into the Spirit realm, saw that Assyria would be one of Israel's most cruelest persecutors. He knew that if God spared the city Israel would face horrible consequences. God delayed the destruction of Nineveh and the Assyrian empire for almost a century after Jonah's preaching. I want to interject this thought right here. This reprieve illustrates the fact that God's mercy and salvation are for both Jews and Gentiles ALIKE, to ALL who will repent and turn to Him. Neighbor, it doesn't matter what you've done or how despicable you and I have been. It matters not the depths of depravity we sink to in this life. We are NEVER out of the reach of God's mercy and grace if we will just open our mouths and confess our sins to Him and believe in our hearts in the death, burial and resurrectin of Jesus Christ. Jonah was to become a TYPE of the LAMB OF GLORY, to typify and illustrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as being the only hope for salvation for ALL - including heathen Assyria! If God could delay judgement on Assyria as despicable as they were - America can be saved too if we will but turn our hearts to GOD!

Matthew 12:40
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

2 Chron. 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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.

God's first commission to Assyria through Jonah illustrated the mercy of God. God's second commission through Nahum illustrated His justice that cannot condone sin and wickedness in a nation - or in an individual life! The God of Israel warns all men of their sinful ways, seeking to turn them from destruction. Not to be labor a point, but again, Jonah knew that his God was merciful and that is why he was fleeing; he did not want Him to show mercy to the enemies of his people. He wanted them destroyed (Jonah 4:2), but it would be unlike God to fail or refuse to warn man of coming destruction and give him an opportunity to avoid it (Genesis 19:20-22).

Remember this. Acts of inhumanity are acts against God, and He will serve as the ultimate and final judge. God sometimes uses a pagan nation as an instrument of His judgment, just as He used the Assyrians against the nation of Israel. Many prophetic voices tend to point to a foreign power one day being used against America as well. One such prophetic minister from Kansas City, Dan Bohler, said the Lord told him America would fall to a Babylonian power, just as God used a Babylonian power to destroy Nineveh. America's greatest enemies right now as we write this are terrorist cells in Pakistan, India and IRAN. Iran currently seeks nuclear weapons to use against both Israel AND America. This is how real it's gotten friend. This is how close we are to the coming of the Lord and a dramatic shift in the world's climate and atmosphere.

On December 26, 2004 a Tsunami hit southeast Asia that killed tens of thousands of people with many more thousands missing even at the time of this writing. The earth is STILL shaking from that event! The earth is reeling at this very moment sensing that something BIG is coming. Neighbor, that's how late it is on Planet Earth.

When Nahum arrived 100 years later in Nineveh, his message was changed from "cry against it," or "preach the preaching I bid unto thee," to a burden, or an oracle of judgment predicting utter destruction without hope of remedy or reprieve. As we close the first part of this two-part message, let me remind you of a fact probably not known by the casual Bible reader. Nahum, who incidentally is mentioned only once in scripture, was one of only three of minor prophets who carried such a message or a "burden" as the Holy Spirit penned it through their hands and writings. Malachi and Habakkuk gave similar addresses in the first verses of their respective books.

A burden was a heavy message of warning, many times denoting final decrees of judgment without hope or mercy. Neighbor, when God reaches that point it means a nation has totally apostatized and there is no hope of it coming back. Sodom and Gomorrah were such cities, and Nineveh became such as well. The question rings in our hearts today - "how far off is America as a nation coming into the same state when God decrees a final judgment against this land without hope of mercy or reprieve?"

I believe there is still a small window of hope left. It rests with preachers of the gospel who have not sold their souls to Satan or bowed their knee to the god of Baal and this worldly system which has so infiltrated the church we don't even recognize as such any longer. This is "the burden of Nineveh," or better put "Nahum's burden," meaning the oracle of judgment has been decreed and God will not turn back. He turned back His wrath under Jonah, but sent Nahum 100 years later to say "the end is here."

God spared America greater hurt and harm on 9-11-2001. Things could have been worse friend, believe me. It could have been 3 million lives lost instead of 3,000. God's mercy spared us greater judgment because of the remnant of people still seeking His face and those who are His own. When God judges again however, no one knows if that even will be enough to spare the nation greater sorrow. Since that time nearly four years ago now, we have slipped right back into the same sin and rebellion nationally, and in some cases worse than we did prior that fateful September day. The same spiritual temperature that existed months prior to that event is evident today. If you will pause to remember, a growing resentment toward God and Christians had began to surface and really bubble in the summer following the hotly contested elections of November 2000. Those in this nation who hated God saw that election as a slap in their face and vowed to get even with the numerous Christians who really made the difference. That same scenario was repeated in even greater terms in November 2004 when by all accounts President Bush was reelected mainly because of the support of the Judeo-Christian community here in America. Since that time, the vestiges of the resentment of 2000 have just grown hotter and hotter.

If you care about this nation, which I believe all who have made it this far into this message probably do, you need to take a special time right now and pray for America and her leaders. Pray for President Bush. Pray God will open his eyes on how to rightly handle Israel and be pleasing in God's sight instead of being worried about being pleasing in the Arab world's sight. Pray God will send a mighty Holy Ghost river of rain upon our land once more that will shake our hearts and melt our pride so we can see our true condition once more - and repent of that condition starting with every single individual reading this message today and going right up to the highest ranking governmental official in Washington, D.C. Revival will never start corporately until it starts individually.

Do you have unconfessed sin in your life today? Are there areas of selfishness and greed hidden from your fellow man that the Holy Spirit has revealed in the reading of this message today? Repentance, as revival, begins individually FIRST, then it can grow corporately. We need to repent neighbor. Not just of our wicked deeds, which are many, but of who we are, both GOOD and BAD and throw ourselves on the mercies of a loving God whose first actions are always GRACE and MERCY (and that He does as many times necessary as to advert judgment) before He moves in justice and wrath. We're getting close neighbor to something big prophetically. Jesus is coming soon. The hands are ticking down to the midnight hour on planet Earth. Are you ready for the rapture? Do you have unforgiveness in your heart toward anyone at this moment? If so, you need to make things right and RIGHT NOW! Don't wait. Eternity is so long and our lives are but a vapor. I pray the Lord will show us His heart for the nations and give us His BURDEN for the land again. Jeremiah said there was a "burden of the Lord," and we can only pray that each one reading this today will find that burden and align themselves with the heart of God. Praise God.