HEAL OUR LAND

Psalm 33:12 NLT

12 What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.

Yesterday our nation celebrated its 244th birthday! 244 years and America has grown to be world leader and changer, it has been used by God to send the Gospel around the World, it has stood for the freedom of all men, and yet our nation now stands at a tremendous crossroad.

I don’t know if I will be judged for being patriotic, desiring freedoms for all, resurgence of Covid have so many in fear and rightfully so, prophetic words seem to be pointing to many disasters this fall still to come if they are of God and not man. There is definitely a seeming warning about the future and stability of our nation.

I have never believed America would be prominent in end times according to Scripture, yet I have never wanted to live through its demise either...

How many desire for America to be a blessed nation??? Regardless of things that will happen in this world before Christ comes, if we Biblically apply our responsibility - it is to follow

2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

The further away our land goes from its Christian roots, the more freedoms are being taken, the more disaster occurs, the more division takes place.

America is in trouble --- no man can Make it Great Again, nor can a man Restore it ----

From within our nations is crumbling and our own freedoms seem to be choking us out. Our NATION IS IN NEED OF PRAYER!

This morning, I want to share three areas of concern for our land and three prayer points, and I have asked three members of our leadership team to come and pray for those things.

1.Judgment Worthy Sin in the Land

OK, my goal is not to discourage you this morning or come down hard, but the reality all sin is judgment worthy, and thankfully we live in a day of grace --- AMEN?

However, if we look to the Old Testament we can see some major moments of JUDGMENT that did not await the death of man to bring forth disaster!

A. The first is the SIN in the day of Noah!

Genesis 6:5–8 NLT

5 The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. 6 So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. 7 And the Lord said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.” 8 But Noah found favor with the Lord.

The sin and wickedness of Noah’s day ties back to the sin of Cain — from Cain violence and murder sprung up in the descendants of Cain which were now marrying with the descendants of Seth who were no longer seeking to follow after God...

Man had become a god in his own eyes, man had gained enough affluence that violence and wickedness abounded to the point of no return. God went from looking at His creation and saying it is good, to saying it is evil!

In Noah’s day they were living like we are today, affluence, building homes and businesses, celebrating and partying, but living life apart from God and not intentionally trying to tune into His will. It is even like this in the lives of many Christians these days.

B. Days of Sodom and Gomorrah

Another great judgment in the OT was upon the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah - once again, affluence and wealth in these cities, but sexual perversion beyond God’s natural plan.

Homosexuality was part of the sin, but also the sexual nature and depravity to doing whatever fulfilled sexual desire.

We have come so far from God’s plan for one man and one woman married and committed for life!

Pornography, sexual promiscuity and deviancy of all kinds has flooded the earth and is heralded everywhere, even taking the symbol of God’s promise to promote its own agenda.

The greatest lesson we see in the Biblical account of these two cities is in the wife of Lot who was told to not look back to but her desire for the good things in life caused her to look back and she lost her life...

Christians today want salvation, but they struggle with looking back at their old pleasures… worried about what they have to give up rather than what they will gain in following Christ!

C. Sacrifice of the Innocent

In the Bible it was Molech or Baal and gods of fertility that people would sacrifice their babies for the blessings of these deities. In more recent times, the Druids, the Incas, the Aztecs, and in Africa in the city of Carthage - the sacrifice of children.

It has been prominent in media this week the admission of abortion doctors and nurses the using of body parts, even the dismembering of children and the live birth of 4-5 month old fetuses with beating hearts having their hearts removed while alive for the purpose of vaccines!

The sacrifice of the innocent for the benefit of the grown! No different from these pagan cultures in God’s Word.

Jeremiah 32:35–36 NLT

35 They have built pagan shrines to Baal in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing. What an incredible evil, causing Judah to sin so greatly! 36 “Now I want to say something more about this city. You have been saying, ‘It will fall to the king of Babylon through war, famine, and disease.’ But this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:

The fall of Jerusalem and captivity in Babylon was a judgment for these atrocities before God!

God hates these things:

Proverbs 6:14–19 NLT

14 Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble. 15 But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing. 16 There are six things the Lord hates— no, seven things he detests: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, 18 a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, 19 a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.

These are three areas of sinfulness we see across our NATION today. Three areas that are stench in the nostrils of God — violence and wickedness, sexual depravity and perversion, and sacrificing children — all because of our desire for affluence, pleasure and power, and comfort!

It demonstrates that our nation is not UNDER GOD, but we have become gods unto ourselves. We need repentance!

(Have Adam come and pray a prayer of repentance over the church and nation)

2. Sickness in the Land

When we see Moses with the people of Israel in Numbers, we see them COMPLAINING about the Lord’s provision in their lives… God has not given them their choices and desires and they are ungrateful and unthankful for all He has done for them, even complaining about the miraculous provision of manna He daily brought to them...

Numbers 21:4–9 NLT

4 Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient with the long journey, 5 and they began to speak against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!” 6 So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died. 7 Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!” 9 So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!

Once again we see another judgment of God, this time because of the ungratefulness of a people for God’s provision.

Has America become so ungrateful for all God has blessed our nation with?

We have risen to the height of affluence in the world in under 250 years, people want to come to our shores because there is great gain to be had here, and yet we are not a thankful people!

Even our holiday to give thanks has gotten lost between a day to celebrate evil and a materialistic day celebrating greed instead of its original intent of the first coming of God into the world in Jesus Christ.

God made a remedy to remind the people of where their benefits came from and where healing is derived.

TODAY, we know that Christ on the cross is representative to that same healing.

John 12:32 NLT

32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”

Like that bronze serpent, JESUS LIFTED UP ON THE CROSS, would be a source to all who will look upon Him and believe and receive His salvation.

WE NEED TO LIFT JESUS HIGHER!!!! Even though many will reject Him and still die, for the one who believes there is healing.

Today our land is sick with COVID as much of the world is, but America is having a devastatingly harder time recovering. We are also the ones who knew the greatest blessings and are still complaining against God and rejecting Him.

Healing in our Land means not only repentance - but looking and seeking for Christ ---

(Kimberly is going to come and pray for healing in our land and for hearts to be turned to look upon Christ as the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE)

3. Division in the Land

WOW, is our nation in its greatest trouble because of the internal conflict and war in the hearts of its people.

Unlike the Civil War which regionally and culturally divided a people, across our land there is a great division within our communities and with one another, dividing families, friends, churches, and in general EVERYONE!

Mark 3:24–25 NLT

24 “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. 25 Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart.

Jesus was responding to a false accusation, but speaks words of truth...

Division destroys… and Christ told us people will be offended before He comes, and that the very Gospel we speak would create division… the love of this world will cause people to hate one another — even Christians can fall into trying to hold onto what we have at the expense of reaching the lost!

2 Timothy 3:1–5 NLT

1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

Matthew 24:6–14 NLT

6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. 9 “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. 10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.

Matthew 10:11–42 NLT

11 “Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. 12 When you enter the home, give it your blessing. 13 If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. 14 If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. 15 I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day. 16 “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. 17 But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. 18 You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. 19 When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. 20 For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 “A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. 22 And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel. 24 “Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. 25 Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names! 26 “But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. 27 What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear! 28 “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. 32 “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. 34 “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. 35 ‘I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 Your enemies will be right in your own household!’ 37 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. 40 “Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me. 41 If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs. 42 And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”

CHURCH - we need UNITY not DIVISION — if in our world there will not be unity, may there be unity in the body of Christ...

The lost may hate us, families may hate us, friends may hate us --- but we must stand for what is right and we must stand together — not for political causes, but for Christ to be lifted up.

Psalm 133:1 NLT

1 How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!

(Pastor or Keith brings the church to prayer for unity in the body of Christ and boldness to proclaim Jesus even if persecuted!)

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Conclusion

Close with the Pastor praying for America - whatever happens to her, for God’s will to be done!