Twenty Years of Calling for Prayer for America
October 22, 2020
David Cloud, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061
866-295-4143,
fbns@wayoflife.org
Prayer
Since 2001, we have been calling on God’s people to pray for America. Are you praying? Is your church praying?

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CHURCH FOCUSES ON PRAYER. Friday Church News Notes, December 28, 2001 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org) – Religion Today for Dec. 21 reported on a church in Greeley, Colorado, that has been focusing on prayer and has seen great results. The pastor said God was dealing with him about “going back to the basics,” and he has led his people to come together by the hundreds for weekly prayer services, including one from 9 p.m. to midnight on Friday evenings. They pray for their city, for missions, for unbelievers, for schools, and for the government. This church is Assemblies of God, and we do not support their doctrine and practice, yet their zeal for prayer is a challenge to any church today. If ever there were an hour in which churches need to be on their knees, it is now.

HEAD OF U.S. SPECIAL FORCES CALLS FOR PRAYER. Friday Church News Notes, February 22, 2002 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org) – At a January meeting of the National FAITH Institute, the head of the U.S. Army’s Special Forces praised his Christian mother and spoke of the need for prayer. General William Boykin said his mother raised him to be a Christian and that she is a true prayer warrior. He said, “Whenever I have a big decision to make, I call her and get her to pray.” He also testified that before Special Forces missions, he prays with the men, asking God for guidance and protection, and then they sing “God Bless America.” He said that the war on terrorism is a “war against the forces of darkness and not against a mortal that you can see” and that “it will be won on our knees.” With this, we could not agree more. I do not know anything about General Boykin other than what I have written here, but I do know that he and his fellow soldiers have a difficult job and, I believe, a noble one, and may we not forget to pray for those in authority. “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Tim. 2:1-2).

“If ever there were a time to pray for America it is now. In 1 Timothy 2:1-4 God has given strong encouragement for us pray for nations” (March 19, 2004).

“The root of America’s problem is not the weakness of the military; the root is the apostasy and cowardliness of the nation’s preachers who refuse to proclaim the fear of God boldly and without compromise. As a result, the nation has been robbed of its wisdom and power. The solution, therefore, from the Bible believer’s side is not to focus on politics and immerse himself in conservative talk radio; the solution is to focus on godliness, in our individual lives and in our churches. “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” (2 Chronicles 7:14)” (Nov. 13, 2009).

“Politics is important. Politics affect our lives. God’s people should vote and do what they can to affect politics within the bounds of Scripture, but we cannot disobey the Bible and expect God’s blessing. A Bible-believing Christian can do much to bring God’s blessing on the nation. He can live a godly life in Christ and be faithful to a good church and proclaim the gospel and pray every day for his political leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2). God’s people do not have to be a majority to have a vast influence if they are in the place of God’s blessing. ‘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’ (2 Chronicles 7:14).” (Sept. 3, 2010).

“What are you doing in your personal and church life to demonstrate true repentance and godly obedience to God’s laws? This should be our focus, because this is the only hope for America or any other land. ‘Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people’ (Proverbs 14:34). ‘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’ (2 Chronicles 7:14)” (Sept. 24, 2010).

WHY IS AMERICA SO FOOLISH? (Friday Church News Notes, January 7, 2011, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - I love America and am thankful to God that I was born in this once great nation 61 years ago, but America today is extremely, fundamentally, and frightfully foolish. It’s politicians are foolishly spending the nation into bankruptcy. The TSA foolishly treats every person as an equal threat rather than focusing on real threats. The military foolishly court marshals some of its best soldiers for “mistreating” our vicious enemies. The courts foolishly rule by judicial fiat based on humanistic philosophy and European law rather than honoring the U.S. Constitution. The mainstream press foolishly treats Marxists, moral perverts, and Muslims with more respect than Bible believers. Our president foolishly accepts the global warming myth and seeks to put the nation under bondage to ridiculously unproductive and economically destructive environmental laws. He and congress foolishly make solemn disarmament pacts with known enemies and liars and hinder the military’s preparedness with politically correct nonsense such as putting females on combat duty and foisting homosexuals into the already weakened system. A thousand other evidences of America’s folly could be cited, but what is the cause of this mess? The root cause is spiritual. It is the apostasy and compromise of her churches. As in Israel of old, the profaneness that characterizes America today can be traced to the pulpits. “... for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land” (Jeremiah 23:15). America is foolish because she doesn’t fear God, the fear of God being the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9:10), and she no longer fears God because preachers typically do not preach the fear of God. Unless that issue is resolved, no amount of “conservative” political activity and “moral majority” do gooding will be effective in changing the course of things. God’s people need to focus on pursuing spiritual revival in their individual lives and in their churches. “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). “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” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

POLITICS IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT WON’T SAVE THE NATION (Friday Church News Notes, August 5, 2011, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - There is no doubt that politics is important in this present evil world. God’s people are affected by politics, and it is not wrong to participate in political activism as long as it does not cause us to disobey Scriptures such as Romans 16:17 and 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (e.g., joining the National Day of Prayer or Glenn Beck’s Third Reformation, Concerned Women for America, Faith and Freedom Coalition). At the same time, politics won’t save America for the simple reason that politics is only symptomatic of the foundational issues that are destroying the nation. I was saved in the early 1970s when “conservative” activism was on a dramatic increase, but nearly a half century of fervent conservative activism hasn’t changed the moral climate of America or even slowed the frightful descent into the depths of depravity. Homosexuality has become mainstream. The vile pop culture with its open rebellion against God’s holy laws is as omnipresent as ever. America’s working philosophy is “It’s your thing; do what you want to do.” But even these things are but symptoms of a more foundational issue, which is the apostasy and compromise of the churches. America is under God’s judgment because it has no fear of God, and it has no fear of God because the fear of God is preached from so very few pulpits. The “conservative” political movement does not and cannot address this, since the vast majority within the conservative coalitions have little or no problem with these sins and lack spiritual discernment. It was that renowned conservative president Ronald Reagan who launched U.S.-Vatican relations to a new high. Under his administration formal diplomatic relationships were established between the U.S. and the Vatican. In 1986 Reagan sent a telegram to the Pope commending his wicked syncretistic prayer meeting in Assisi that brought together leaders of Christian denominations and pagan religions to pray for world peace. Reagan exhibited his spiritual blindness by thanking the Pope for his efforts to “lead humanity toward a more tolerant, just and peaceful world” and assured the Mariolator-in-Chief of his prayers (Christian News, Dec. 22, 1986). It is obvious that “conservative” politics does not equate spiritual wisdom and does not address the root problems of the nation. I would challenge my fellow Baptists as follows: First, what are the objectives of the Tea Party, the latest incarnation of the “conservative” renaissance, and do these objectives address the nation’s root moral and spiritual problems? If every Tea Party candidate were elected, would it change the moral downslide of the nation? In fact, would it even have a serious shot at dismantling the welfare state or the the Statist school system, which is a vast anti-christ indoctrination machine? Second, how many of the Tea Party leaders and the “conservative” talk show personalities represent true Biblical morality? How many of them oppose the homosexual agenda and the filthy pop culture, and do these wield any serious influence on these issues in the “conservative” movement overall? Politics is dirty business, and effective politics is all about compromise. As Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “I think it’s important to have a national party that can win in every part of America. And, if you do that, you’ll have a big group instead of a small group. If we had a group of 30 or so who all agree on everything, we’d be entirely cohesive and totally irrelevant” (“McConnell Embraces Big Tent GOP,” CQ Politics, Sept. 17, 2010). McConnell is right about politics, but that thinking is not Biblical. Third, what are you doing in your personal and church life to demonstrate true repentance and godly obedience to God’s laws? This should be our focus, because this is the only hope for America or any other land. “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). “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” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

POLITICS IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT WON’T SAVE THE NATION (Friday Church News Notes, August 5, 2011, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - America’s root problems are spiritual, and the only real solution is spiritual. The only thing that will help America out of her terrible plight is a true revival, and there could be revival. Though the time on God’s prophetic calendar is late, there is no reason to believe that genuine revivals can no longer occur. But revival in America or Canada or England or other lands with anything like a biblical heritage will happen only on the basis of 2 Chronicles 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” (2 Chron. 7:14). This is a promise for Israel, but it has application to the church age. See Romans 15:4 and 1 Corinthians 10:11. Nothing like a revival and lasting change will happen through Moral Majority programs or Tea Parties or Chick Fill-A Days or Duck Dynasty support campaigns. As these have been tried repeatedly and enthusiastically over the past few decades, the moral depravity has only increased and the power of the forces for right and liberty has only decreased because these are carnal weapons that only deal with symptoms and cannot affect the foundational spiritual issues. These are bandaids on cancer. They can win socio-political skirmishes but not spiritual wars. Keeping Duck Dynasty on the air is not a sign of moral victory at a fundamental level; it is a sign of the power of the almighty dollar. At the very same time that A&E was being pressured into keeping Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson on the air by an outpouring of support via social networking and “new media” sites, federal judges were ruling against biblical marriage in Utah and Ohio and the Supreme Court ruled against biblical marriage laws in New Mexico. Which of these events will have the most far-reaching and lasting consequences? The heart of the tree is being eaten away even as the watchers are rejoicing at keeping a few leaves alive. Revival could happen if individual Christians and individual churches repent before God at a deep level, repent of their adulterous love for this God-hating world, repent of their lukewarmness, and beseech His help. If even 100 Bible-believing churches took 2 Chronicles 7:14 seriously, who knows what would happen? If they started a weekly prayer meeting specifically for revival, specifically to beseech God’s help for the nation, if they called for fasting and prayer, and if the members of those churches would spend time seeking God’s face in a persistent manner, who knows how far the forces of evil could be driven back? God has never needed a majority. Gideon’s brave and vigilant few are enough. The very fact that it is unlikely that even 100 Bible-believing churches would call for such prayer meetings, and that the majority of the members would not attend such meetings even if the pastors exhorted them to do so, is evidence that what I am saying is true about the root problem being the churches themselves. Even the best, for the most part, are lukewarm, settled down and comfortable in the world, not pilgrims but dwellers, mighty for pot luck and parties but weak for spiritual warfare.

GRAMMYS ILLUSTRATE THE ROOT OF AMERICA’S PROBLEM (Friday Church News Notes, February 7, 2014, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The Grammys last week illustrate the root of America’s problem, which is the apostasy and spiritual compromise in the churches. Hollywood is filthy, but Hollywood is not the root problem. The Democratic and Republican political parties aren’t the root problem. Nashville isn’t the root problem. The White House isn’t the root problem. The self-serving officers on the Joint Chiefs of Staff aren’t the root problem. America no longer fears God and is mute before the vilest sin because the vast majority of churches no longer preach the fear of God. Every preacher and every Christian in the country with even a flicker of Bible-believing faith should have denounced this filth from the pulpit and by every means at his or her disposal, and in this day and time the means are significant. The Bible says that if we hear cursing and do not condemn it we hate our own souls (Proverbs 29:24). There are a few voices, but overall the silence is deafening. In fact, multitudes of “Christians” watched the filth on television and the web and others were present for the blasphemous performances. Some even accepted awards from that sorry outfit and expressed gratitude. What folly! Does it please and glorify God for His people to accept rewards from those who hate Him? The film/music industry has represented a godless crowd going back even to the silent movie days. In those days there were enough churches pushing against them that they had to watch their mouths, keep their clothes on, and hide their ungodliness in a closet. The churches in general were more salty then, and that salt was a preservative for society at large. As churches have lost their spiritual power, the society has gotten progressively more wicked. Many smart, conservative people have identified the multitude of problems that exist today at every strata of American government, industry, and society, but they can’t fix the problems. We have brave soldiers with amazing training and equipment, but they can’t even fix the military itself. We have some wise people in politics and in high levels of business and industry, but they can’t fix the problems. We have well informed, passionate people in Tea Parties and conservative news outlets. But it’s as if their hands are tied. It’s as if they can only rail against the night. It is as if America is under a curse. Bingo! This is not a problem that can be solved by anyone or anything other than the churches. Are you praying for America every day, my Christian friend, or is it business as usual even as the enemy as it the gate? “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” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

DID YOU OBEY 1 TIMOTHY 2:1-4 TODAY? (Friday Church News Notes, May 9, 2014, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - I am convinced that if the Lord’s Bible-believing churches would earnestly, regularly, and often pray for the nation, great things could happen. This is true for any nation, but here I am referring specifically to America. We are in dire straights. There is no wisdom in high places. If we would stop leaning on the arm of the flesh (e.g., political activity, conservative talk radio, Fox News, complaining and fretting) and instead cast ourselves fervently upon the arms of the Almighty, we might see real supernatural change for the better. Could we not have some special prayer meetings just for this purpose? Could we not pray with fasting? At the very least, could we not bring this matter before God at every meal and in every church service? Is our liberty and our grandchildren’s liberty not worth the effort? Sure, the signs of the end times are everywhere, but the mystery of iniquity has been working for 2,000 years and the reigns of the times are in God’s hands, not the devil’s. Jehovah is the God of the times and the seasons (Daniel 2:20-21). He is the One who “now letteth” or restrains the devil’s program (2 Th. 2:7), and He can restrain as long as He pleases and as much as He pleases. Do we believe that God’s hand has gone slack in these apostate times? I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:1-4). “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” (2 Chronicles 7:14). “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3).

“I am convinced that in this time, instead of throwing our hands up and saying, ‘It’s all over,’ we should fall on our knees and beseech God for His mercy and miracle-working power. It’s not all over until God says it’s all over. Ultimately, the reigns are in His hands, and He is a prayer-answering God! When Israel was dancing naked with the golden calf and God had determined to destroy them and start over, one man prayed earnestly and saved them. ‘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’ (2 Chronicles 7:14)” (Nov. 14, 2014).

REVIVAL COULD COME (Friday Church News Notes, March 25, 2016, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The America that exists today simply could not do what it did 70 years ago to save the world from oppression. What’s missing today? God’s blessing. This is the answer that secular libertarians and unregenerate political conservatives don’t understand. Though America was not a godly nation in the 1940s when measured by the perfect standards of God’s Word, she was a nation that loved Israel, and she was a nation filled with churches that were much more faithful to God’s Word than they are today, and she was a nation of people that were much more God-fearing than they are today. The unchurched generally believed in God and feared Him and respected the Bible and respected churches and pastors, which was the salty influence of God’s people. Even Hollywood was bound by a moral code. The military chaplaincy program was robust and nearly universally respected. What was true during the war in my mom’s Baptist church in Kathleen, Florida, was true across the land. The church was open every day, and every day people knelt before God and confessed their sins and begged His help. American’s victory in WWII was not a foregone conclusion. Had Hitler developed the atomic bomb first, he would doubtless have used it first on Russia and then on America, and it could have been America surrendering rather than the Axis Powers. America’s root problems are spiritual, and the only real solution is spiritual. The only thing that will help America out of her terrible plight is a true revival, and there could be revival. Though the time on God’s prophetic calendar is late, there is no reason to believe that genuine revivals can no longer occur. But revival in America or Canada or England or other lands with anything like a biblical heritage will happen only on the basis of 2 Chronicles 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” (2 Chron. 7:14). In context, this is a promise for Israel, but it has application to the church age. See Romans 15:4 and 1 Corinthians 10:11. Nothing like a revival and lasting change will happen through Moral Majority programs or Tea Parties or Chick fil-A Days or Duck Dynasty support campaigns or bombastic, foul-mouthed Trump candidacies. As these have been tried repeatedly and enthusiastically over the past few decades, the moral depravity has only increased and the power of the forces for right and liberty has only decreased because these are carnal weapons that deal merely with symptoms and cannot affect the fundamental spiritual issues. These are band-aids on cancer. They can win minor socio-political skirmishes but not spiritual wars. Keeping Duck Dynasty on the air two years ago was not a sign of moral victory at a fundamental level; it was a sign of the power of the almighty dollar. At the very time that A&E was being pressured into keeping Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson on the air by an outpouring of support via social networking and “new media” sites, federal judges were ruling against biblical marriage in Utah and Ohio, and the Supreme Court ruled against biblical marriage laws in New Mexico. Which of these events will have the most far-reaching and lasting consequences? The heart of the tree is being eaten away even as the watchers are rejoicing at supposedly keeping a few leaves alive. Revival could happen if individual Christians and individual churches repent before God at a deep level, repent of their adulterous love for this God-hating world, repent of their spiritual carelessness and lukewarmness, and beseech His help. If even 100 Bible-believing churches took 2 Chronicles 7:14 seriously, who knows what would happen? If they started a weekly prayer meeting specifically for revival, specifically to beseech God’s help for the nation, if they called for fasting and prayer, and if the members of those churches would spend time seeking God’s face in a persistent manner, who knows how far the forces of evil could be driven back? God has never needed a majority. Gideon’s brave and vigilant few are enough. The very fact that it is unlikely that even 100 Bible-believing churches will call for such prayer meetings, and that the majority of the members would not attend such meetings even if the pastors exhorted them to do so, is evidence that what we have often said is true about the root problem being the churches themselves. Even the best, for the most part, are lukewarm, settled down and comfortable in the world, not pilgrims but dwellers, mighty for pot luck and parties but weak for spiritual warfare.

MOURNING OR FEASTING (Friday Church News Notes, September 9, 2016, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - “And in that day did the LORD God of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: And behold joy and gladness, and slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die. And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the LORD God of hosts” (Isaiah 22:12-13). When Isaiah delivered this prophecy, Judah was in a desperate situation. Assyria had either already destroyed the northern kingdom or was on the verge of doing so. The land was filled with idolatry and moral filthiness. In that dire time, God graciously but forcefully called upon His people to mourn and repent and seek His face, but instead they partied and proclaimed that there was no hope for help or revival. This is exactly what is happening in America, Canada, and other Western nations today. Politically, morally, and economically, the situation is dire, but instead of calling for repentance and earnest prayer as per 2 Chronicles 7:14 and 1 Timothy 2:1-4, most Bible-believing churches are content with their lukewarm spirituality, their infantile discipleship, their shallow biblicism, their smooth preaching, their entertainment agenda. They blame the moral reprobates, the atheists, and the liberal politicians for the nation’s problems, but it is more likely that the root of the problem lies at their own doorsteps. America and Canada don’t fear God because 99% of the churches don’t preach the fear of God. “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

THE U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION (Friday Church News Notes, November 11, 2016, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The results of the U.S. presidential election were interesting, to say the least, and it was satisfying to see the Clintons go down in defeat after their attempt to thumb their noses at the nation’s laws, but nothing of substance has changed, morally and spiritually. An immoral man lacking in true wisdom will occupy the White House, and his character will not change when he takes the oath of office. While he and the Republican majority will doubtless accomplish some things that will be improvements over the last administration and will probably appoint a better man to the Supreme Court, they will not change the character of America or stop the downward slide. An anti-constitutional, judicial activist mindset will still be promoted in the law schools. The government will not shrink. The deficit spending that is bankrupting the nation will not stop. Onerous government regulations will not be rolled back. The homosexual agenda will continue its breathtaking progress. The foolish addiction to alcohol and drugs will continue to spread, as evidenced by the legalization of marijuana in four more states plus the District of Columbia. The Muslim goal of establishing sharia law will not be stopped and probably not even hindered. The public school system will remain a vast humanistic indoctrination program. The murder of unborn children will continue apace. The nation will remain more frightfully divided than since the Civil War. The rampant wickedness and idolatry that permeates every level of American society will remain a stench in God’s nostrils. The only way that substantive change could possibly come would be if the Bible-believing churches really moved on to “praying ground” and committed themselves to serious intercession for the soul of the nation. “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” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

THE ROOT OF AMERICA’S ILLS (Friday Church News Notes, April 3, 2020, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The bottom line is that America needs to repent of her wickedness before God. Radical political action and multi-trillion dollar national debts will not solve America’s ills, because the fundamental issue is her terrible sin against the God that has shown her such light and mercy. And the very root of it all is the apostasy, corruption, compromise, worldliness, and lukewarmness in her churches. And that includes the majority of the most staunchly conservative, evangelical, “fundamentalist,” and even “independent Baptist”! From my perspective, most “Bible-believing” churches in America are lukewarm at best. I believe that the promise of God to Solomon at the dedication of the temple has a proper application to God’s people in America today. “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” (2 Chronicles 7:14). What happens in God’s house dramatically affects the White House. It’s high time to exchange a frivolous fun and games program, an entertainment program with a thin veneer of religiosity, for a program of serious prayer, serious Bible study, serious Bible preaching with exegetical substance and plain reproof and rebuke, serious holiness, serious separation from the wickedness of this fallen world, serious pilgrim Christianity, serious Christian living in the homes, being serious about the fathers being the heads of the homes and the mothers being the keepers of the home, serious about putting God’s will before economics, serious about training children and discipling youth, and above all, serious about a regenerate church membership!

PASTOR BLAMED THE 1918 FLU EPIDEMIC ON THE CHURCHES (Friday Church News Notes, April 10, 2020, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - In 1918, Pastor John Quincy Henry of First Baptist Church in San Francisco, held an outdoors meeting and blamed the churches for the Spanish flu epidemic. He said, “[Churches] have been lamentably weak in moral and spiritual leadership and have not yet risen to the august occasion confronting them. Our churches have become conventional, cowardly and worldly. Not only the people, but the churches must repent their sins, and when they do the plagues will cease” (The American Influenza Epidemic of 1918-1919: A Digital Encyclopedia). The situation hasn’t changed in nearly 100 years. “The bottom line today, as then, is that America needs to repent of her wickedness before God, and that is doubly true for the churches. Radical political action and multi-trillion dollar national debts will not solve America’s ills, because the fundamental issue is her terrible sin against the God that has shown her such light and mercy. And the very root of it all is the apostasy, corruption, compromise, worldliness, and lukewarmness in the churches. And that includes the majority of the most staunchly conservative, evangelical, “fundamentalist,” Baptist! From my perspective, most Bible-believing churches in America are lukewarm at best. One pastor wrote to me recently as follows: “Will independent fundamental Baptist pastors cancel their services and keep their church doors closed if this goes on for months? If they do, I believe that their people will get so used to watching church online that they won't see the need to assemble together as a real church.” I replied, “I would say that if church members would stop attending church because of a few week’s closure, they shouldn’t be church members in the first place. That isn’t a regenerate church membership. And this is truly the fundamental issue--the sad spiritual state of the vast majority of so-called Bible-believing churches.” I believe that the promise of God to Solomon at the dedication of the temple has a proper application to God’s people in America today. “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” (2 Chronicles 7:14). What happens in God’s house dramatically affects the White House. It’s high time to exchange a frivolous, fun and games entertainment program with a thin veneer of religiosity, for a program of serious prayer, serious Bible study, serious Bible preaching with exegetical substance and plain reproof and rebuke, serious holiness, serious separation from the wickedness of this fallen world, serious pilgrim Christianity, serious Christian living in the homes, being serious about the fathers being the heads of the homes and the mothers being the keepers of the home, serious about putting God’s will before economics, serious about training children and discipling youth, and above all, serious about a regenerate church membership!”

PRAY FOR AMERICA (Friday Church News Notes, June 12, 2020, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Prayer is the only thing that will have a significant effect on America’s terrible spiritual and moral condition. Almighty God, who is in control of all earthly authorities, has specifically instructed His people to pray for their governments. Surely, we can pray such a prayer in perfect faith that He will answer and help us. “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). God’s Word says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will” (Proverbs 21:1). That goes for presidents and congressmen and governors and mayors and justices, etc. Effectual prayer on the part of God’s people will do far more for the nation than political activity. Forty years of conservative political action has gained what? A vilely immoral, bitterly divided nation. Where are the praying churches? We have a praying church, and I know some others. How about your church?



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