America has a broken heart! As Gary Bauer says, "There is a sickness eating away at our hearts." Our souls are empty (especially those of our children); we are all looking for something to fill the void. God is calling. He is stretching out His arms, calling us to amend our ways and return to Him so that He can "relent concerning the calamity" He purposes to bring on us because of "the evil of our doings" (see Jer. 23:3). It is possible revival is breaking out in Littleton. How will America respond? How will the Church and her preachers respond? Will we return to the Lord, repent and cry out for national deliverance? Or will America continue in rebellion and hurtle headlong into irrevocable madness? America and the Church of Jesus Christ are at a crossroads! These words from Isaiah 65:1-3a and the comments on them by Matthew Henry* are very pertinent to the situation in which we find ourselves: "Those who had long been without God in the world shall now be set seeking Him; those who had not said, Where is God my maker? shall now begin to enquire after Him. Neither they nor their fathers had called upon His name, but either lived without prayer or prayed to stocks and stones, the work of men's hands... "With what pleasure does the great God here speak of His being sought unto, and how does He glory in it, especially by those who in time past had not asked for Him! For there is joy in heaven over great sinners who repent... "Their character in general was such as one would not expect of those who had been so much the favorites of Heaven. First, They were very willful. Right or wrong they would do as they had a mind. 'They generally walk on in a way that is not good, not the right way, not a safe way, for they walk after their own thought, their own devices and desires.' If our guide be our own thoughts, our way is not likely to be good; for every imagination of the thought of our hearts is only evil. God had told them His thoughts, what His mind and will were, but they would walk after their own thoughts, would do what they thought best... "Secondly, They were very provoking. This was God's complaint of them all along-they grieved Him, they vexed His Holy Spirit, as if they would contrive how to make Him their enemy; 'They provoke me to anger continually to my face.' They cared not what affront they gave to God, though it were in His sight and presence, in a downright contempt of His authority and defiance of His justice... "Behold God, behold him, turn towards Him, fix the eyes of your minds upon Him, acquaint yourselves with Him, admire Him, adore Him; look off from your idols that you have made, and look upon the living God who made you.' Christ in them said, Behold me, behold me with an eye of faith; look unto me, and be you saved... "God Himself, by His prophets, by His Son, by His apostles, stretched forth His hands to them, as Wisdom did, Prov. 1:24. God spread out His hands to them, as one reasoning and expostulating with them, not only beckoned to them with the finger, but spread out His hands, as being ready to embrace and entertain them, reaching forth the tokens of His favor to them, and importuning them to accept them... "When Christ was crucified His hands were spread
out and stretched forth, as if He were preparing to receive returning
sinners into His bosom; and this all the day, all the gospel-day.
He waited to be gracious, and was not weary of waiting; even those that
came in at the eleventh hour of the day were not rejected." (The
order of several paragraphs has been rearranged to enhance understanding
- also, some of the emphases are ours.) PLEASE JOIN WITH ME IN AGREEING PRAYER:** "Lord, we are so grieved! Our hearts are broken. As a nation and as Your Church we have forsaken You and Your Laws. The deception is so great that we call evil good and good evil. As a matter of fact, we celebrate evil! Henry is right - we are willful; most everyone does what is right in his or her own eyes; and we hold Your authority and Your Laws in contempt. We have provoked You and You are justifiably 'vexed'. "But, Lord, You seem to be on the move, bringing revival in Littleton. You are reaching out to us, calling America and the Church of Jesus Christ TO REPENT AND RETURN TO YOU. Help us, Lord Holy Spirit; in Your Mercy breathe on us and revive us again! We ask You for one more chance. Lord, turn our hearts and cause us to respond to Your gracious call. Thank You. "We pray these prayers in Jesus' Holy Name. Amen." * Matthew Henry was a renowned Puritan preacher and biblical commentor from Chester, England, during the early 1700's. could you encourage us by e-mailing back with your "Amen"? Or if you would like to add a prayer of your own which we can "Amen", then reply here. Thank you.
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