Watching America go down.

Here I'm just going to link to Z's blog for information about just how close to Too Late America is getting. She covers all the relevant current events, as do the many blogs she follows, listed down the right margin -- many of them are very good though I don't take the time to review political blogs very much. The point is that anyone who wants to keep up with the horror story of what's happening to America can get a full education by following out her links.

Me, I'm focusing more and more on the only hope possible, true revival. It's about America but it's far more about the church which is in horribly bad shape, completely unable to respond with the necessary power to the current deterioration of the nation, and really, more fundamentally, are we even the Bride of Christ He is soon going to come for? The church you read about in the New Testament is not the church we have today. The church you read about in books about revivals is not the church we have today. America may well go under because of our lack of power and focus, because God is not present with us as He should be if we were living as we should be.

Muslims seizing opportunity while Christians are in disarray

The gathering of Muslims at the nation's capitol has come and gone. Apparently only a fraction of the projected 50,000 showed up, something like 3500. Perhaps the prayer of Christians had something to do with that low turnout? Some attendees insisted that their mission was peaceful, they love America and so on.

The problem of course, for a Christian, is that Islam is a false religion, and its blanketing our capitol with false prayer to a false God can't bode anything good for the nation.

I think it is a very bad sign, myself, that this could have happened at all. I think it's another step in our downward path to worse and worse judgment from God. I think nothing less than a massive revival of Christians in this nation can have any effect on this. And I'm glad to see that there's some stirring of Christian concern in that direction.

A smattering of reaction to the proposed gathering:

From an article titled Capitol Hill gathering to inspire Muslim aggression?:

Robert Knight is a senior fellow at the American Civil Rights Union and a senior writer for Coral Ridge Ministries. He says having 50,000 Muslims on Capitol Hill paints a very potent picture for Muslims around the world.

"It's adding up to a picture that the United States may not want to paint because there are a lot of Muslims who will be inspired, perhaps, to get more militant if they think the United States is falling into Muslim hands, basically," he points out.

According to Knight, many Muslims believe they have a sympathetic ear in President Barack Obama. "Obama held no National Day of Prayer events at the White House this year, but gave a very positive eloquent speech about Ramadan," he recalls. "And he also has said some very interesting things overseas about the emergence of Islam."
Organizers say it was President Obama's inauguration speech in January and his speech broadcast from Egypt in June that inspired them to hold Friday's event, scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. Eastern

And here's a site calling Christians "the usual suspects" and "racists" and "Islamophobics" and "hatemongers" for objecting to this gathering. They are warning that this was not a good time for Muslims to do this, for THEIR sake, as it may arouse hostility.

I wish it would arouse Christians to the most passionate fervent prayer we've ever done in our lives, prayer that starts with confession of sin, with pleas that God would in fact convict us of sin, because we'll never get His blessing if we don't start there. And I wish I myself had that degree of fervency. I make starts at it but perseverance isn't happening. I am preaching to myself more than to anybody else, but oh how I wish the church would rise up with the POWER WE HAVE THAT WE HARDLY EVEN KNOW ABOUT.

Combative methods will accomplish nothing. Rhetoric too, messages on T shirts, editorials, blogs, even the truest, will accomplish nothing without the Spirit of God. The temptation is always to do something in the flesh. But "the flesh profits nothing."

63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

From that article:

"It's unwise to ignore the 'optics' of such an event upon the paranoid segment of the American public -- who were out in force at the Tea Party last week on the National Mall -- who will certainly see the event as a threatening gesture which only validates their racism and Islamophobia."

Right, WE're the enemy, not the Muslims. The Islamization of America is just fine with these folks, who were also very happy that the huge tea party of conservatives was ignored by the media.

My theme here has been that America is under God's judgment, and such a gathering of Muslims is an expression of God's judgment. He's apparently restraining it, praise and thanks to the Lord, since the numbers were so low. Also, the lack of sympathy with the Christian cause expressed in this article is another sign of God's disfavor.

1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Some tell me that we can't know God's intentions. But WE CAN KNOW GOD'S INTENTIONS, certainly when it comes to His acts of judgment, we really can. All you need to know is what the Bible says about how He judges nations. Deuteronomy and Leviticus both have passages that detail how God deals with nations that disobey, and the rest of the OT is full of stories about how it happened to Israel and in fact to nations round about Israel. And ENEMIES TAKING OVER IN THE LAND IS A BIG ONE, ECONOMIC DISASTER IS ANOTHER, EVIL MEN IN LEADERSHIP IS ANOTHER.

ALL disaster comes ultimately from God:

Amos 3:6-8 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil [in the sense of calamity] : I the LORD do all these things.

That passage of Amos also says that God's prophets WILL know these things in advance, but scripture is also full of evidence that the people reject what the prophets have to say. The prophets reveal God's will. So VERY few Christians recognized at the time of 9/11 that the attack was God's judgment, but of course when the few said so, many objected to the very idea. Oh no, God Bless America, it's all the Muslims' fault, etc. etc. etc. (No, the Muslims are simply the victims of Satan who need to be set free).

If you object that God judged Israel differently than the rest of the nations, I'd agree only in that He may have been harder on them than the average heathen nation, but the principles are very much the same and you see them enacted over and over again in scripture on other nations besides Israel, and in history since then as well. Read the Book of Proverbs for more indications about how God's judgments work, in that context against individuals.

There are some signs that people are starting to wake up, churches fasting and praying and so on. I hope this continues. I especially hope that this kind of response far outstrips any ideas of violence in retaliation. The weapons that are "mighty in God" are far more mighty than physical weapons, and violence will only bring more judgment against the nation.

I don't know if He's using an outrage like the Muslim gathering to wake us up but I hope it might be so. The signs of that would be something more than we're seeing so far but we can hope and pray it will grow. I know I need a good kick to pray more myself.

The only reason to say these things is in the hope of spurring Christians to wake up and fight with SPIRITUAL WEAPONS, not physical weapons which are useless if God is judging us -- and THAT's in the Bible too. If some of us are waking up, fantastic, great, may the trend continue.

Here's an answer I got from someone at another blog to a post I wrote with a similar message:

"SPIRITUAL WEAPONS, not physical weapons"

With all due respect...it ain't prayers that are going to rid us of the Taliban, Al Queda, the koran, the iranian mullah scum or a muslims quest for world domination. We can stay on our knees while our very own self induced armageddon vaporizes us or the muslims convert us. I'd rather use conventional means that we know will send them into oblivion. And by God sos long as we have it at our disposal...we should use it first and do self reflection later.

We are not and have never been a PASSIVE NATION. We didn't get through 233 years of turmoil and conflict by bowing down before our declared enemies.

Once we realize where we came from and what we need to do...the muslims will crawl back under the black rock they revere and we'll be fine for another 200 years.

This is typical thinking of many on the conservative side these days. If they aren't Christians I can't expect anything different, but I hope that Christians know better and know that the power of God's Spirit is not only greater than any physical power we could muster, but that God WILL NOT BLESS any use of physical power that we try to use against an enemy if the enemy's presence is meant for the judgment of the nation. Anyone who knows the Old Testament should know that God often did not bless the wars of Israel, and it is usually made pretty clear why Israel lost a particular battle from God's point of view. Christians at least should know that there's no way we can win against God. If we aren't on His side we will not win. Lincoln was right when he said the important thing isn't whether God is on our side but whether we are on His. That's the key.

We also need to pray FOR the Muslims as we pray that God would defeat the power of Islam in this land. We should pray against our enemies, such as from some of the psalms for the purpose, like 64 and 31 and others, but also pray FOR those trapped in that murderous religion, that God would bring His mercy to them.

Here's a working list:

Pray for light on the sins of the nations and a heart of contrition and repentance.

Confess the sins as if they were all our own, and confess our own as well.

Ask God for mercy, to send His Holy Spirit across the land, to convict of sin and righteousness, of judgment and salvation.

John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Pray specifically against specific enemies, that God would restrain them, shut their lying lips, interfere with their plans.

Ps.31:18 Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

Pray specifically for salvation for Muslims.

Etc.

September 25 Day of Islam in Washington ought to set a fire under American churches. Will it?

50,000 Muslims are projected to be part of a day of Islamic prayer and Islamic Unity in Washington on Capitol Hill on Friday September 25th. That's a week from this Friday.

The message at the bottom of their website says "Our time has come," and who can disagree with them? They attacked us on 9/11 but in spite of that everything has gone their way since then and now they are declaring themselves a religious power at the center of American government.

This is just another stage of God's judgment against America and against American churches. Will we wake up or not?

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Islam is such a strong hold; Islam is a high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

Will we get on our knees for hours on end and pray down this aggressive move by the devil himself? Confess the sins of America, confess personal sin, pray for revival and pray from now until September 26th that God would intervene to prevent this outrage against Him from occurring in the seat of American government and increasing His wrath against the nation. Also pray for Muslims to turn to Christ, and for other Christians to become involved in praying down this outrage, and for strength for each to continue.

It could be done if we would do it.

The inexorable rise of Islam

Was sent this video today about the growing threat of Islam and its certain triumph over the West within years because of their high population growth and our low birth rate.

Front Page Magazine also has videos about the threat of Islam. Today there are four up but there are more in the archives. Also check out Jihad Watch for information about the activities of Islam.

This is a real threat and apparently it's already too late for us to do anything about it as far as catching up population-wise goes.

As usual, the solution is to seek reformation of the churches, as I've been describing, and revival, for the power of God to deal with this implacable enemy.

Nobody's listening but it's got to be said anyway

The prophet's task is a pretty thankless one. It's a prophet's work to bring a nation to repentance, to bring the church to repentance, to exhort the church to spiritual power. Leonard Ravenhill knew that thankless task very well. Hardly anybody listens to the prophets; nobody likes the prophets. They say hard things, they don't talk sweet and nice and friendly. They care only for God's glory, they don't give a rap about being popular, and, if they invite unbelievers into the Kingdom, which isn't their usual task but if they do, they're going to tell them it costs, they must repent and they have to die, they aren't going to say "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." The last thing we need is more coddled worldly-minded Christians. As Ravenhill says, we're supposed to put on the full armor of God, but today's church is more like a nursery than an armory.

The Old Testament prophets were persecuted by the people God sent them to warn and exhort; New Testament prophets are always trying to drag the church back to a strict walk and their lot isn't much more cheering. They get called legalistic and asked Who do they think they are and the like. After they're dead they get accolades. But nobody listens to them really, whether they're alive or dead. If they did, by now we'd have had revival because we haven't been left without prophets over the last century.

Nobody listened to Ravenhill. And Ravenhill points out that nobody listened to J Edwin Orr who preached some thirty years earlier that if we want revival The Church Must First Repent.

So the same situation is ongoing, though worse with each passing year. The church has not repented, has not listened to Ravenhill or any of the others, has not sought the power we so sorely lack, and goes limping along while the nations continue to degenerate and skip merrily to Hell all around us.

Another way to say it is that the church has not learned to die, although according to Jesus, who is supposedly our Lord and Master, it is only death that brings life.

So when I think of writing about all this I know it's probably a lost cause. I get that sinking feeling that goes with knowing what we need to do and that it isn't going to be done. Nobody is listening. There are plenty of postings out there on the net about these things, what good would it do to add my own voice to the throng that is not being heard anyway?

The answer is it may not do any good at all, but I still have to do it.

And as Edwin Orr says, it really only takes a few who are really dedicated to get the ball rolling. Not even as many as Gideon's army. Sometimes only two or one. Do I have it in me to pay the price myself? I'm not all that good at obeying my own advice either, so that's where I really need to start, with dying to myself and praying more. Praying first that God will give me the ability to do this because, really, I don't have it in me. I have the desire, even the yearning, but I'm spiritually weak.

WHAT THIS BLOG IS ABOUT

The dire situation of America came up again at Faith's Corner, just the day after America's birthday, and this time I thought I'd see what I can put together in a separate blog about whether there's any hope for the nation.

I don't know where my own hope came from but even to be thinking in this direction implies some hope. I'd pretty much given up, you see. I gave up on politics some time ago, but then I also gave up on the churches, and it's the churches that have the ultimate responsibility for what happens in the nation. Of course most Christians pray for the nation, but the church is in a bad way too, needing God's correction before there's much hope the nation can be corrected.

There are some prophetic voices out there trying to call the church back, trying to call the nation back, but there are also lots of false prophets making it difficult to hear the true. There are also lots of Christians who think they and their churches are immune to such problems, and while they lament the moral and spiritual degeneration of America they don't see themselves as having any power to do anything about it, or any responsibility for the situation in the first place.

The late Leonard Ravenhill was one of the strongest prophetic voices who spoke directly to America's moral decline and the church's role in it as well as the hope the church would wake up and experience true revival, which is really the only hope for the nation, and I want to start out this blog with his deeply concerned messages.