Revival

For God to revive our nation as we look to the future with hope

Then we will not turn away from You; revive us, and we will call on Your name. Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make Your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.
—Psalm 80:18

O Holy God, only You are worthy of the praise of our lips and the songs of our hearts. Only You are worthy of glory and honor and majesty above all rulers, powers and authority! All hope is found in You and there is no hope apart from You. You are the Lord and master of time and I am so grateful that You look on us with love and compassion.

Today, O God, our nation is in need of a fresh wind from You. We are wearied by sin and disobedience to You and Your ways. We fall short of Your standard, and worse, we sometimes deliberately move away from You and toward sin and evil that will steal, kill and destroy. Revive us today, O Lord, revive us. Bring a spirit of repentance as we seek Your face. In Your kindness, renew our passion for holiness and righteousness today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

This is the latest in the series of prayers led by the Presidential Prayer Team for the new President and for our nation. If you are interested in receiving the email with each day's prayer assignment you can click here and sign up.

The Sins Of Sodom

OK, with a title like that I am sure that you are expecting a diatribe against homosexuality. Nope. Not going to happen - well, not a diatribe anyway. And frankly, this post really isn't even about homosexuality. So you can breathe a sigh of relief.

WHEW!

As many of you may know, I try my best to read through the Bible each year. (Not that I think that makes me super holy or anything, it is just some background information for what I am about to write.) I have been reading in the prophets now for quite a few weeks and at the present time I am reading in the prophecies of Ezekiel.

Reading through the prophets is a very scary thing to me, because each time I do I hear echoed in the charges brought against the people of Israel charges that could be legitimately brought against America. History has shown us how the Lord executed his vengeance against Israel with the conquests of the Assyrians and the Babylonians. It was truly a terrible time to be in Israel. Because God is just, I cannot help but believe that we face similar judgments. I have said this recently, and I believe it to be as true now as when I said it before.

Now before you turn me off, thinking that this is going to be another doom-and-gloom "thus saith the Lord" sort of message, please hear this encouragement. Throughout the prophets God tells His people that they can avert the coming judgment by repentance. So please keep that in mind as you read.

Anyway, as I was reading I came across a passage that compared Israel's sins to the sins of Sodom, and then it named the sins that brought about Sodom's judgment.

I'll bet you think you know what at least one of them was, don't you?

You'd probably be surprised to find that you are wrong. I was.

Ezekiel 16:48-50 says:

"As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "Sodom, your sister and her daughters have not done as you (Judah) and your daughters have done. Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it. "

Surprised? I'll admit that I was.

Sodom's greatest sins were as follows:

1.) They were arrogant
2.) They had abundant food and careless ease, but they did not help the poor and needy

The interesting thing is that the perversion of Sodom was not listed in the charges leveled against her - it was an outcome of her other sins.

I doubt that many could effectively argue that America is not guilty of these very sins, and the very tragic thing is that they are just as prevalent in the church as they are outside of it.

How many people inside or outside of the church truly believes that our military forces could be beaten by anyone in the world? Why is that? Is it because of our ingenuity? Perhaps we feel that way because of our technology. We certainly have some of the coolest weapons at our disposal. Maybe we even believe that we are morally superior to anyone that we would fight.

I hate to be the one to break the news, but the truth of the matter is that confidence in any one of these things is pure arrogance.

Do we really believe that our economy could collapse to the point that we would no longer be able to buy bread let alone a new iPod? Why? Because of our manufacturing greatness? Maybe we'll lean on that Yankee ingenuity again. Because it has never happened before? And there is good old fashioned hard work, grit, and determination too, right?

ARROGANCE.

Reliance on ANYTHING other than God's providence is pure unadulterated arrogance.

America is a nation of a great abundance of food (as my waistline can verify.) Can anyone deny it? I have heard reports that enough of our grain is eaten by rats every year to feed the whole world. Yet there are people within our nation that do not have enough to eat - and there are people the world over who are starving to death. With such abundance how is it possible that there are starving people? This very fact is a testimony against our nation.

Who has more leisure than Americans? Is there another people as over-entertained as we are? We feel entitled to entertainment in America. How much time is wasted every day on entertainment? How much time do we spend on YouTube, Facebook, or MySpace? How much time do we spend watching TV? How much time do we spend watching movies?

If you want a good idea to the answer to those questions consider these. How much of our time during the day is spent getting to know our neighbors? How much of our time is spent interacting with other people? (I'm not talking about grunting at your cashier at the grocery store - I'm talking about engaging with another human on a personal level.) How much time do we even spend truly interacting with our immediate families? (Once again, screaming at your kids for inconveniencing you and griping at your spouse about how they are not meeting your needs is NOT what I am talking about here.) Is there any time spent on personal growth and intellectual pursuit? (Computer Solitaire doesn't count.) How much time is left over for worship? How much of our time is truly dedicated to work?

Because we are overly content we are oblivious to the very real problems that exist all around us. Because we are overly entertained we can't be bothered to do anything about the problems that we somehow do become aware of. We are like morphine addicts drugged with food and pleasure - utterly useless.

What is the result? We don't care for the poor and needy. Sure there are some generous people. I'm not denying that. I will, however, question just how generous we really are. How many people do you know that really and truly give even 10% of their income to help those less fortunate than themselves?

Let's take it even further. How many people do you know that give 10% of their TIME to help those less fortunate than themselves? I daresay that the numbers are abysmally low on both counts.

If even 10% of our population gave either 10% of their time or money do you think that we would find the same situation in the world? Would the ghettos be getting bigger or smaller? I know we'll never eradicate poverty. Some people refuse to leave it. Some are too broken to live any other way. But how many could be helped if we truly put an effort towards ending it?

There is another outcome too. Our arrogant, contented, distractedness leads us to become haughty towards God which leads us into abomination.

Once again, even a casual observer of our culture would have to agree that this is the case in America. The perversion of our people has accelerated since the 1960s. Sexual sin so saturates our culture that even Christians don't complain when it is boldly portrayed in the shows that they watch or on the billboards that they see. Our nation brazenly murders millions of its children every year. More and more God is being forced out of the public life. Our attitudes say so clearly that we don't believe that we need anyone's (especially God's) help to succeed. We'll do it on our own thanks to our own power and ingenuity. Our culture has turned more and more to other gods - false religions and non-religions.

What was God's response to Sodom? It wasn't nice.

What is the proper response from us? Repentance. We have to begin to compare our lives and our culture to the template of righteousness found in the Bible. And when we become aware of an area where things don't match God's Word, we need to cut off that excess just as a tailor would who is cutting out cloth to make a suit. I pray that our nation will heed these warnings and repent before it is too late.

Confession And Repentance

For Confession and Forgiveness to Pave the Way for Powerful Prayers
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
—James 5:16

O Lord, in Your holiness and glory, You cannot tolerate sin. We thank You today that You have made provision for our sin through Your Son, Jesus Christ. We praise and thank You for Your healing, loving power that cleanses us when we confess our sins.

Today, may we corporately confess our sins before You—the sins we have committed as a nation and the sins we have committed individually. As we confess, Lord, bring freedom and release that we may be enabled to pray with effectiveness and power for our President-Elect, our leaders and our nation. Cleanse and heal us, O Lord, in Jesus’ name, amen.


This is the latest in the series of prayers led by the Presidential Prayer Team for the new President and for our nation. If you are interested in receiving the email with each day's prayer assignment you can click here and sign up.

Humility and Repentance

I have decided to republish the daily prayer assignment from the Presidential Prayer Team for the interim leading up to the inauguration of President Obama. I hope that you will join with me and the thousands of others who are participating in this prayer focus.

- Jonathan

For Humility and Repentance
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 I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
—II Chronicles 7:14

Holy God, as You move visibly in America, we are quick to speak of Your power and might. We praise and glorify You for such extraordinary strength and love, and thank You for Your faithfulness to our nation.

Lord, enable us now to come to You in humble intercession for our country, recognizing its sin and shortcoming, yet also knowing its potential and greatness. Forgive us for our transgressions, God, as a nation, and let us now move forward into a new day, preparing for a new administration. May we embrace the purpose You have for us. Let us see clearly Your destiny for us as a nation and as a people, and let us seek it, knowing that as we forsake evil, Your grace-filled forgiveness is guaranteed and Your healing is nigh. We ask this, Father, in Jesus’ name, amen.

If you would like to receive a similar prayer reminder every day you can go to http://presidentialprayerteam.org and sign up for the initiative.

I Am One Of Only Four Percent In America...

who believe the following things:

1. Absolute moral truths exist.
2. The Bible defines these absolute moral truths.
3. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life during His ministry on the earth.
4. God created the universe and continues to rule it today. He is omnipotent and omniscient.
5. Salvation is a gift from God. It cannot be earned through good works or behavior.
6. satan is a real living entity.
7. Christians have an obligation to share the gospel with the unsaved.
8. The Bible is accurate in all of its teachings.

This is according to a Barna poll that I learned about in an excellent article by Harry R. Jackson, Jr.

I must say that finding myself in such a minority in America is shocking to say the least. What was even more shocking was to discover that less than one in ten evangelical Christians hold to these 8 beliefs! (You can also reference the beliefs of those considered "Born Again Christians" by the Barna Group.)

According to Jackson's article,

Shortly after the Civil War, the Protestant church divided over this belief in a literal interpretation of Scripture. Liberals moved away from Scripture as the sole authority in order to accommodate “rational truth,” which they saw as incompatible with the Bible. These liberals embraced the “essence of Christianity” rather than the inerrancy of Scripture so they could synthesize their Christian thought with so-called scientific findings of the day.

One of the preeminent voices to emerge in defense of absolute truth shortly after the turn of the century was a Princeton Theological Seminary professor and Presbyterian minister, J. Grescham Machen, who would later lead a split within the Presbyterian Church over the rejection of biblical orthodoxy. In his definitive work, Christianity and Liberalism, Machen said that liberalism was not only theologically wrong but was not connected at all to true Christianity. “What the liberal theologian has retained after abandoning to the enemy one Christian doctrine after another is not Christianity at all, but a religion which is so entirely different from Christianity as to belong in a different category.” Machen felt that the argument was no longer between two views of evangelicalism, conservative and liberal, but rather a conflict between two religions. Liberalism is “a type of faith and practice that is anti-Christian to the core,” Machen wrote. (Emphases mine.)

I couldn't agree more. Mr. Jackson went on to share the statistics that I referenced at the beginning of this post and pointed out just how serious this problem is. He wrote, "Unfortunately, a growing number of Christians are influenced more by the popular culture than Scripture in terms of their worldview. Even younger evangelicals, who tend to track conservatively on most core social issues, do not consistently view the world from a biblical perspective." (Emphases mine.) If less that 10 percent of all EVANGELICAL believers hold to this definition of biblical worldview we have serious flaws in our foundation.

All standards other than the Bible fall far short of acceptability when judging the culture. The Bible is the only pure standard that we have. When we abandon that standard we are telling God that we are wiser and smarter than He is. That never ends well.

Mr. Jackson went on to say,

In light of these dispiriting statistics, Christians must return to emphasizing God’s truth and God’s love. America currently stands at a crossroad. Many of our national problems are a result of our churches abandoning truth. It is not the institution that needs to seek God – it is every individual in each one of the nation’s pews.

A truly repentant church will experience a spiritual renewal. A renewed church can once again be salt and light to the nation. A critical mass of godly Christians must be reached. If we use the imagery of today’s light bulbs we don’t yet have a high enough wattage light bulb to truly lighten our nation. Once we have reached critical mass, the Lord will pour out tangible blessings upon the entire nation in honor of a faithful church that lives and preaches biblical truth.

I pray to God that the church will repent. The consequences are too great if we fail to.

Thank you, brother for the awesome article.

Revive us O Lord.

Happy Holy Day

Sundown today was the beginning of Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement. Fortunately, I thought to look up when the holiday falls this year earlier today and discovered that it began this evening. I found out just in time.

I have often wanted to celebrate this holiday and have marginally a few times, but my fasting was often in conjunction with work. Tomorrow I have the opportunity to really take some time and focus on what the day is all about. However, I wonder if I should do the fast like Isaiah 58 suggests.

The day is technically supposed to be a complete sabbath to the Lord - working takes away from being able to focus on how you have fallen short of God's standard. I think the point being that God wants our undistracted attention on this, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

So how does a Christian celebrate the Day of Atonement? That's a good question. I mean our sins have been forgiven by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. I suppose a good use of the day would be to reflect on His sacrifice for me. But I think that it is also helpful to remind myself of just how much I need a Savior. Would it also not be a good day to do some things that show sacrificial love for others too? I will continue to ponder this question through the night and into tomorrow. I hope that the Lord will give me a clear picture of how He wants me to celebrate this day.

I have often wondered why the Day of Atonement was so far removed from the Passover. Perhaps it is so that God's people would have a semi-annual reminder of their need for God's grace. I guess Christ's sacrifice came at the Passover because the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread is a more joyous one - one that shows not only the crucifixion, but also the resurrection, and the cleansing that God's people display after He has justified them.

Regardless, I am looking forward to celebrating this day tomorrow. I truly hope that my Jewish brothers will come to know the truth that Y'eshua (Jesus) is their Messiah - the final, perfect atoning sacrifice for all that will receive God's gracious gift. I look forward to seeing the days that Isaiah foresaw so many years ago. May they come to pass in my lifetime. And may God richly bless you today and draw you to Himself.

Are You Saved?

I just watched an excellent sermon which I have embedded below. The main question that it asks is "Are you saved?" And then it gives an excellent, biblical way to tell. The video lasts about 48 minutes. It will take a while to watch it, but I thoroughly recommend it even if you are pretty certain that you are.



If Billy Graham believes that probably less than 5% of the people who came forward at one of his crusades really got saved, then perhaps it would be worth your time to set aside an hour and ask yourself some penetrating questions.

A Very Important Message

This is a message that is targeted primarily to my Christian readers, but should be of benefit to anyone who reads it. It is largely an excerpt of a post that I wrote for the Conspiracy of Kindness blog, but I believe that its message is important enough to duplicate it here.

Very few Christians would deny that God still speaks to His people. This communication can come in various forms: from general impressions, to visions, to dreams, and to a voice that isn't heard with our ears but is instead discerned by our spirits.

One of my friends has a particular fluency in their communication with God. Recently, in the midst of a conversation that this individual was having with God about a situation that they are dealing with, God shared something that I believe is very important for many to hear. Based on my experience with this individual, my knowledge of their understanding of the subject matter of the message, and the context in which it was given, I believe that this is a bona fide message from the Lord.

The Bible tells us to "Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment." While many in traditional and even evangelical churches are uncomfortable with calling someone a prophet today or even in allowing that prophecies are still given today, I hope that you will not be offended by this term. A prophet is merely someone who tells others what God has told them. It is our job as priests in the Kingdom of God to consult with the Holy Spirit to test the prophecy. It is with this caveat that I submit this message for your consideration:

If you have an abundance don't invest it in the stock market. That's going to crash later this year. It will be a lot like 1929, but for those whose investment is primarily in the Kingdom there won't be a problem.

Wealth, as America knows it is almost over.

Dave Ramsey's teachings about mutual funds work well in this season - this system, but the economic system is about to change dramatically. The same rules will not apply.

I'm getting ready for the great wealth transfer. Many will be saved. Those in debt will suffer the most. Many will lose everything. "But those who know their God will do mighty exploits."

Let me begin by explaining something of the context in which this message was given. What I have shared was an excerpt from a larger conversation between my friend and God. There was nothing before this in the conversation that even made mention of the stock market, although financial matters had been discussed. This is one of the reasons that I believe that this message is from God.

A second reason that I believe that this message is authentic is that my friend has no knowledge or understanding of the stock market or the economic factors that drive it. This individual has (as was indicated in the prophecy) listened to Dave Ramsey, but that is the extent of their knowledge. In fact, my friend hardly even listens to or reads the news. So I don't believe that this is an idea that could have come from this individual's own concerns about the economy or knowledge about it.

Where does this leave us then? One of the purposes of prophecy is to encourage God's people. The entirety of the context of this message served to strongly encourage my friend.

Another purpose of prophecy is to warn God's people of sin and/or impending events. Proverbs tells us "The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, but the naive go on, and are punished for it." and "A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, the naive proceed and pay the penalty."

I am no financial expert. I cannot tell you what to do in response to this message. Perhaps it would be wise to study the events of the Great Depression and look specifically to the areas that thrived in the midst of the collapse of the Stock Market. I have heard that when one type of investment falters there are often other areas that do well. This may be a time for God's people to be able to prosper because of this warning.

Perhaps it would also be prudent to move funds from stock market based investments to investments with guaranteed interest. (I'm thinking particularly of folks with 401-ks and that sort of thing.) However, once again, I don't really know what I am talking about. Your best bet would be to ask God what you should do with your investments.

I would also encourage you to ask God about expediting the payoff of any home equity lines and about refinancing your home if the mortgage is not locked into a long-term fixed rate.

Can I guarantee that this is a word from the Lord? No. But I felt strongly enough that it was that I felt a responsibility to warn as many people as I could about it. Please pray and ask God to show you whether this prophecy is true and to tell you what you should do about it.

One last thought... Christians are not to be motivated by fear. This message should not cause fear, but should encourage us to praise God for giving us a warning before this event takes place.

If you are heavily in debt this may cause you some distress. That is understandable, but do not operate out of fear. Cry out to God in repentance over your situation and ask Him how to fix it. Allow your faith to rise up and trust your God to take care of you and your needs. I can attest that He does and He will. That is not to say that you may not suffer loss, but God will not allow the righteous to be forsaken or their children to beg for bread.

For any of my non-Christian friends who are reading this blog, I hope that this information will benefit you too. If it does, my sincerest prayer is that you will give glory to God for giving you this warning and that you will submit your lives to Him because of His goodness. He truly loves you and wants the very best for you.

I, Too, Have A Dream

Today is the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. If you know anything of his story you have surely heard an excerpt from his wonderfully moving "I Have A Dream" speech.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood....

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today....

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

...And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

In no way do I want to detract from the injustices that are still seen between the races in America. Racism by anyone is a blight upon this country and a sin for which we must repent. There is, however, another greater evil that I want to address this evening that impacts all Americans and disproportionately effects black Americans - abortion.

Abortion is the greatest evil present in our society. It is worse than corruption. It is worse than greed. It is worse than racism. It is worse than perversion. It is worse than war.

Abortion is bankrupting our nation. It has spelled the doom of Social Security. Since its inception in 1973, abortion has wiped out more than the equivalent of the combined populations of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Delaware, and the District Of Columbia. More than four in every ten pregnancies have been aborted since 1973. The percentage is even higher in minority populations.

Abortion - for whatever reason - is the legally sanctioned murder of the innocent. According to the Bible, this sin makes God VERY angry.

During Jehoiakim’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded the land of Judah. Jehoiakim surrendered and paid him tribute for three years but then rebelled. Then the Lord sent bands of Babylonian, Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite raiders against Judah to destroy it, just as the Lord had promised through his prophets. These disasters happened to Judah because of the Lord’s command. He had decided to banish Judah from his presence because of the many sins of Manasseh, who had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. The Lord would not forgive this.
2 Kings 24:1-4

There are six things the Lord hates — no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family. Proverbs 6:16-19

The following chart graphically helps to put into perspective the toll that abortion has taken on our country. Each mark represents 25,000 killed. I used this graphic in a post earlier this year. I have added the estimated number of additional marks for the aborted lives of 2007 in red at the appropriate place.

The Revolutionary War: (25,324) !

The Civil War: (498,332) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

World War I: (116,708) !!!!!

World War II: (407,316) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Korean War: (54,246) !!

Vietnam War: (58,655) !!

Global War On Terror: (7,500) .

War On The Unborn (In The United States): (47,500,000+) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Where is the outrage? Where are the protests? Why aren't there people storming the Capitol Building in Washington and the Supreme Court because of this blood bath? You who decry the 'injustice' of the Global War On Terror, those of you who think that the toll of this war has been too great, those of you who declare the President to be a liar when you distort the truth about abortion; HOW DARE YOU BE SILENT over the injustice of abortion! Hypocrites!

I HATE abortion. I have a dream that one day the womb will not be the most dangerous place to be in America. I have a dream that the American people will no longer tolerate the murder of its citizens before they have even had the opportunity to breathe in the sweet air of liberty. I have a dream that one day the hearts of the fathers will be turned towards their sons and daughters, and that lives and relationships will not be sacrificed on the bloody altar of convenience. I have a dream that those who promote this great evil will repent with profusion of tears and contrition of heart or will be crushed by the hand of the Lord.

There is a choice. God has done something that is utterly amazing - He has offered pardon for even this great sin. But this pardon will not allow you to continue murdering the unborn. You can repent - you can utterly reject your sin - and turn to God for forgiveness, and in His mercy He will forgive you. Sadly, there are those who will not repent. They will mock at this warning and will continue in their sin and one day hell will open its maw to greedily receive them for an eternity of torment - a torment that makes the worst that humans can dish out look like a Sunday picnic. After reading of these horrors, I wouldn't wish them on my greatest enemy, but they will be justly earned by those who refuse God's gracious offer of clemency. Please cry out for mercy before it is too late!

It is time for the marks to stop being added to this list. Consider very carefully each candidate's position on abortion as you are voting this year. Hold them to account for their complicity with abortion and reward those who are working to bring it to an end in our land. Pray that abortion will end soon. It can't end too soon.

That's Just Messed Up

Man In India Marries Dog As Atonement

Now I've heard of some beer-goggle inspired weddings, but this dude married an actual pooch. Bizarre just doesn't come close to describing this.

What If?

As I have been reading the news for the last little while I can't help but wonder if America is getting set up for a big fall. It is becoming clearer and clearer that the ties between our enemies are growing stronger every day and their position is also being strengthened. There are certainly loose (or stronger) alliances between China, Iran, Russia, Cuba, Syria, North Korea, and Venezuela. China has also made overtures to nearly every country in South America. There is little doubt that Al Quaeda has at least some access to this alliance. Is it possible that these countries and Al Quaeda are preparing a strategic attack on the United States? Here is how it could play out:

Al Quaeda receives help getting nuclear materials for either a suitcase nuclear weapon or a dirty bomb into the United States and manages to detonate such a weapon in one or more American cities like Washington, DC, New York, or Los Angeles. A suitcase nuke or a dirty bomb in New York City would kill thousands upon thousands. Some of the most valuable property in the United States would become worthless. Imagine that multiplied by a factor 2 or 3 or, God forbid, 10.

The credit problems that we have seen in the past month have revealed the fragility of our economy. Even one successful large scale terrorist attack would likely put the economy in a tailspin - especially if that attack were to occur in one of our nation's financial or governmental centers.

Now suppose what would happen if immediately on the heels of that attack, Hugo Chavez and Venezuela begin "annexing" territory in South America. Russia invades Georgia (the country) and begins the process of re-establishing the iron curtain. Iran and Syria attack Israel. And China knocks out key military satellites, overwhelms Taiwan, and militarizes the Panama Canal.

To make matters worse, terror cells are activated in America and begin attacks throughout the American heartland such as blowing up schools, executing sniper style attacks randomly around the country, and suicide bombings. What if they instigated a biological terror attack using an agent like smallpox? What if they were clever enough to spread agricultural diseases like hoof and mouth disease?

If that happened what would you do? Where would you turn? What would you hold on to?

Here in America we have had a good long run of prosperity and protection. I personally believe that this is because our country was founded largely by people who came here to create a new Christian nation that would be a "light on a hill" to the world. In many ways we have done that - America is still the country that sends the most missionaries into the world and the country that gives the most to missions - however, our light hasn't always burned with such a pure light. We are also one of the leading exporters of pornography in the world and one of the leading countries in the world in murdering the unborn.

Over the past 40 years or so there has been a great shift in American culture away from the spiritual underpinnings that have held it secure towards a great secularization of our nation. As our nation has turned its back on God, I believe that we are beginning to "reap the whirlwind" for the wind that we have sown.

The scenario that I have painted is admittedly hypothetical and worst case. However, it is entirely plausible. It shows you just how precarious our position is today, and just how much we really do depend on God (or how much we should) for our country's security.

The scary thing is that God is a just God. He will not allow a nation to continually turn its back to Him and sin the way we are sinning as a nation. As I wrote the other day, "'Should I not punish them for this?' declares the LORD. 'Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?'" (Jeremiah 5:9 and 5:29 and 9:9)

The good news is that if we will repent of our wickedness, God will forgive. Yes there will eventually come a time when the conscience of our nation is seared to the point that God will judge us, but He is also very patient and merciful to the penitent.

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. 2 Chronicles 7:14