"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:32)
This week, we continue to press in during WEEK FOUR of the 40 Weeks of Prayer and Fasting, to offer prayers of repentance for the sin in the church, the sin in the nation, and the blessing of Israel.
We now address these areas:
1. SIN IN THE CHURCH: IDOLATRY
2. SIN IN THE NATION: POST-ABORTION HEALING
3. THE BLESSING OF ISRAEL: THE TWO COVENANTS
| SIN IN THE CHURCH: IDOLATRY | |||
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REPENTANCE FOR SIN IN THE CHURCH:
IDOLATRY
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? (I Peter 4:17)
"You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments." (Exodus 20:3-6)
God is a jealous God. We are not to have any other gods nor idols before us. Do we have idols of TV, computer or sports before us? Are our jobs, entertainment or ministries number one in our lives? What are our priorities in life? The order in which they should be is:
Our relationship to God, our Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit
Our relationship to our spouse, if married.
Our relationship to our children
Our job (if not a full-time minister)
Our ministry
Concerning the area of putting God first: If Satan can't make us sin, he will keep us busy doing good Christian works to keep us from fellowshipping with Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit. We need to learn to say "no" once in awhile. The Lord shouldn't be on your agenda today -- He should be your agenda. The church has been more captivated by the events surrounding the Lord's return rather than the Lord who is returning.
"Father, we thank You that You are a jealous God, and You command us to have no other gods before You. Help us to see the idols in our own lives that prevent us from enjoying an intimate walk with You throughout our days. Help us to worship You in spirit and in truth -- continuously. Forgive us for the sin of idolatry, in Jesus' Name we ask. Amen."
(Source: Riding with the King in Unity, by Giles F. Mack, P.O. Box 1761, Branson, MO 65615, pp. 1,2) REPENTANCE FOR SIN IN THE CHURCH: "You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments." (Exodus 20:3-6) God is a jealous God. We are not to have any other gods nor idols before us. Do we have idols of TV, computer or sports before us? Are our jobs, entertainment or ministries number one in our lives? What are our priorities in life? The order in which they should be is: Our relationship to God, our Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit Concerning the area of putting God first: If Satan can't make us sin, he will keep us busy doing good Christian works to keep us from fellowshipping with Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit. We need to learn to say "no" once in awhile. The Lord shouldn't be on your agenda today -- He should be your agenda. The church has been more captivated by the events surrounding the Lord's return rather than the Lord who is returning. "Father, we thank You that You are a jealous God, and You command us to have no other gods before You. Help us to see the idols in our own lives that prevent us from enjoying an intimate walk with You throughout our days. Help us to worship You in spirit and in truth -- continuously. Forgive us for the sin of idolatry, in Jesus' Name we ask. Amen." (Source: Riding with the King in Unity, by Giles F. Mack, P.O. Box 1761, Branson, MO 65615, pp. 1,2) REPENTANCE FOR THE SINS OF THE NATION: Last week, we acknowledged that, as a nation, we have been guilty before our Lord for the sin of the shedding of innocent blood. We cried out for mercy on behalf of the millions of unborn babies who, because their mothers chose to have an abortion, have never seen the light of day. As a nation and as a culture, we have condoned "a woman's right to choose." We all stand guilty, along with those mothers, for having the blood of these unborn souls on our hands. We thank God for His amazing act of Love on the Cross of Calvary, which washes away all sin, when confessed, obliterating the record of it. We stand on the promise of His Word, because it is written, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:8,9) This week, we come before our Lord, asking for healing for the mothers who have made this choice. When abortion was legalized in 1973, women were told it was a safe, simple procedure, but 32 years later, another reality is evident: Abortion is devastating and has long-lasting and far-reaching effects that include grief, fear, anxiety, depression, drug and alcohol abuse, suicidal thoughts and attempts, nightmares, intimacy problems with children and spouses, and other self-destructive behaviors. Many women have said, "If I'd only known." As we continue to stand in the gap before our Lord, asking His mercy in light of the shedding of innocent blood that continues in America, let us remember the mothers who have been wounded in this process. Pray for ministries like Operation Outcry: Silent No More, and others who are reaching out to post- abortive women, bringing healing from the trauma they have each endured. And pray, too, for the many crisis pregnancy centers now in place in every state in the nation. Ask that many women, who may be considering having an abortion, even now, would be drawn to these centers for help and that, through the anointed counseling that is available there, they would change their minds so that both they, and their babies, would be saved. For more information about how to help post-abortive women, visit Operation Outcry. THE BLESSING OF ISRAEL: THE COVENANT OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL VERSUS THE COVENANT OF THE "GOD" OF ISLAM Psalm 83:1-8 -- God Implored to Confound His Enemies. These enemies are clearly defined in this Psalm as they are the Islamic nations that surround Israel. Indeed, this prophetic Psalm is being fulfilled right before our eyes today, as the President of Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has boldy stated these words: "'Israel' must be wiped out from the map of the world. God willing, with the force of God behind it, we shall soon experience a world without the United States and Zionism." This Psalm declares that the enemies of the God of Israel -- now the nations of Islam -- have "conspired together with one mind and have made a covenant" against the God of Israel and the Jewish nation that the name of Israel will be remembered no more. So the issue is not about peace, nor about a Palestinian State, rather is it about "Covenant." The heart and soul of covenant is "Who is God?" Is Allah god, or is Yeshua God? Only one covenant will prevail. The issue in the Middle East is not about peace, rather it's about "Covenant!" We have the Abrahamic covenant written in Genesis 17:7-8 in direct conflict with the Islamic covenant described in Psalm 83: "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you." Note, this prophetic Psalm applies specifically to today. The Romans destroyed Jerusalem and dispersed the Jewish people in 70 A.D. From 70 A.D. until May 1948 there was no nation of Israel, as it had been destroyed. Yet, from the very day in 1948 when the Lord resurrected the nation of Israel, the Moslem nations listed in this very Psalm have tried through 6 wars to destroy the nation of Israel. Prayer: Recommended Reading: HE THAT FOLLOWETH ME Too many people consider Jesus Christ a 'convenience.' We make Him a lifeboat to get us to shore, a guide to find us when we are lost. We reduce Him simply to a Big Friend to help us when we are in trouble. That is not Biblical Christianity! Jesus Christ is Lord, and when a man is willing to do His will, he is repenting and the truth flashes in. For the first time in his life, he finds himself willing to say, "I will do the will of the Lord, even if I die for it!" Illumination will begin in his heart. That is repentance, for he has been following his own will --- and now decides to do the will of God. Before the Word of God can mean anything inside of me, there must be obedience to the Word. Truth will not give itself to a rebel. Truth will not impart life to a man who will not obey the light. If you are disobeying Jesus Christ --- you cannot expect to be enlightened spiritually. No man can know the Son except the Father tell him. No man can know the Father except the Son reveal Him. I can know about God: that is the body of truth. But I cannot know God, the soul of truth --- unless I am ready to be obedient. True discipleship is obeying Jesus Christ and learning of Him and following Him and doing what He tells you to do, keeping His commandments and carrying out His will.
SIN IN THE CHURCH: IDOLATRY
IDOLATRY
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? (I Peter 4:17)
Our relationship to our spouse, if married.
Our relationship to our children
Our job (if not a full-time minister)
Our ministry
SINS OF THE NATION: POST- ABORTION HEALING
POST-ABORTION HEALING
THE BLESSING OF ISRAEL: TWO COVENANTS
TWO COVENANTS
"O God, do not remain quiet; Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still. For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, And those who hate You have exalted themselves. They make shrewd plans against Your people, And conspire together against Your treasured ones. They have said, 'Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more.' For they have conspired together with one mind; Against You they make a covenant: The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them; They have become a help to the children of Lot."
His words are almost a direct quote from Psalm 83. "Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more."
(Source: Voice from Zion; written specifically for 40 Weeks of Prayer and Fasting.)
Father God, we repent that, by promoting the Road Map to Peace, our nation has honored the enemies of Israel -- those who serve a false covenant. We thank You, Lord, that Your Word is true and does not change, and that You have given this land to Abraham and to his descendants as a covenant forever. Help us now to find the grace to realign ourselves back to the center of Your will for Israel, by abandoning the false covenant -- the Road Map to Peace -- and by embracing the TRUE Covenant for Zion -- the boundaries of her land that You established in Your Word. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.
Decree:
"Come now, let us reason together. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow." (Isaiah 1:18)
Israel, God and America, by David Stein, Destiny Image Europe, 2006. ISBN 88-89127-27-9
By A. W. Tozer
. . .He that followeth me. . .shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)
That kind of a person is a Christian - and no other kind is!
