"HOLIDAYS GOD" - THE UNKNOWN GOD

What does this world have in common with the ancient Athenian culture at Christmas?

I read in Acts 17 that the Athenians were worshipping an "unknown god." They didn't want to accidentally leave out some god whom they did not know and and thus offend (political correctness at its best [maybe worst] in Ancient Athens).  

Satan, the god of this world has led our contemporary culture down the same path of political correctness. Soon there will not be much left of the historic meaning of Christmas. We are left with simply a "winter holiday" devoid of its true meaning.

This is our challenge: As fewer and fewer people understand the true meaning of Christmas we must declare Jesus "whom they do not know" (Acts 17:23). 

The world worships at the altar of the "holidays god," whom they do not know. So, we must proclaim Jesus to them who do not know HIM and we must do so with joy at the opportunity. 

Christmas is a time to share the greatest message on earth: "Behold the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, meaning, God with us." (Matthew 1:23)"... The son of God who takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29)

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Post by Carman Licciardello.

"Holy Spirit, Pray The Perfect Prayer"

FROM MY ADOPTED DAD, BOB TAYLOR (October 26, 2014)

"Folks may I share my quiet time for this morning..

     Much Christian Love to all

           Oh LORD, --- I am concerned about our nation, our churches and the YOUR people who are called by YOUR Name -- It is time for us to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses and follow YOU. --- Holy Spirit please pray a perfect prayer for all Christians that we may all have a worldwide spiritual awakening and love YOU with all our hearts our souls, our minds and love our neighbors  the way You love us.  In JESUS’’ Name Amen.

                                              Deuteronomy 8:19-20 (NASB)                                                                                               ' (19) It shall come about if you ever forget the Lord your God  and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish. (20) Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to the voice of the Lord your God.' "

What Is Needed From Public Servants

Some time ago I had the privilege of addressing a city council in its chambers and praying for their evening agenda. I had been reading in Daniel chapter six and decided to share what I thought was Daniel's example of public service. This is what I shared with them:

Serve God and honor the king (Daniel 6:3-5). That is how Daniel rolled; how he handled every situation. He gave whole-hearted effort to both.

Detractors abound everywhere and in all places of government, business, education, and religion. No matter what the situation a public servant must first do what is right according to God's word. That's just what the man of God does. Then he/she must honorably serve the people. This is important because Romans chapter thirteen tells us that God instituted government for the good of the people.

Daniel soon proved himself to be more capable than all the other administrators and high officers in the kingdom. Because of Daniel's great ability, the King made plans to place him over the entire empire.

Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn't find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy..."

The way to stop detractors (those who would try to bring you down) is by living and working out your days with integrity (Be faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy). Daniel devotedly served God and honored the king (three kings to be exact) with a whole-hearted effort.

UNLESS I REPENT

"Those who drink the water I give will
will never be thirsty again." Jesus

If our beloved country is to experience Spiritual Awakening

then the church must know revival.

If the church is to know revival then she must repent of all known sin. 

If she must repent then it is this man who must first repent

and seek forgiveness for my sin. 

UNLESS I REPENT there will be no repentance. It is not "them"

who must repent, I need to repent. It is "I" who must repent

The priest Ezra, the prophet Daniel, began at a place of personal repentance.

(Ezra 9:6; Daniel 9:5,7)

So much is at stake Lord:

My relationship with you;  

My relationship with my wife; 

My relationship with my family; 

My relationship with my children and grandchildren;

My relationship with my church; 

My relationship with my ministry staff.

The outcome of my life; 

The outcome of my work and ministry; 

The outcome of my legacy. 

Lord, forgive me. 

I repent of my sins. 

Make my heart not despise to do good but to obey you; to exalt you. 

May my heart rejoice in grace and abundance 

for having surrendered fully again to you.

Fill me, revive me with your Spirit for the working out of your will in me. 

May your blood cover my multitude and magnitude of sin. 

I humbly ask for and receive your mercy and grace and forgiveness 

by the name of…In the name of…And for the sake of JESUS. 

And Lord I give you my humble thanks for your undeserved grace and mercy.

Lord, revive my church.

Send Awakening to my city;

to my county;

to my state;

to the southwest;

to my beloved country.

Losing Our Moral Imparitive (Jud 19:23-25).

Judges 19: This is one chapter in the Bible I would just as soon God left out. A man, for the sake of "social protocol", willingly offers his virgin daughter to a group of "gang bangers." Then, another man (both men Israelites) actually hands his concubine wife over to the same ruthless thugs. They rape and kill her. 

This is Israel's moral equivalent of "Sodom and Gomorrah." No one in this story shows any sign of moral conviction. 

When a nation turns from God, as Israel has here, and lives for its own selfish pleasure, it loses its moral imperative. The end result is a TRAGIC BREAKDOWN in society. America is following the same course. 

Lord, help me stand for what is right. I don't just want to be a "moralist" DOING the "right" things, I want to stand on God's Word and BE the right kind of person. Prepare me to explain moral imperatives to a post-Christian generation that does not know God. 

I pray for sweeping revival in the church and spiritual awakening in my beloved nation.

O To Praise Our God

Prayer adapted from 1 Chronicles 29:10-15:

O Lord, God of our ancestor Israel, God of our forefathers, may you be praised forever and ever! Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We are a people of your blessing.

O that my beloved country would adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor have come from you alone to this nation. You alone rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength. What we have we owe to you.

O our God, bring the heart of my beloved nation back to thank you and praise your glorious name! We have nothing of our own to offer you. Who are we that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from your hand, and we can give only what you first gave us!

We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace. Let us not further squander our opportunity to give you glory, honor and praise.

Lord, Do Not Leave Us To Ourselves

In His book, Moments For Families With Prodigals, Robert J. Morgan adapts a prayer written by Nicholas Herman, also know as Brother Lawrence, a 17th-centruy French Christian.

This is my intercessory adaptation of that prayer for my beloved nation today:

Lord, You have given my beloved nation a good disposition and a good will, but there is in her so much of this world and much rebellion against You.

There is no sense of holiness. She does not see herself as set apart FOR You, but has set herself apart FROM You.

Please forgive my nation's sins. She shall never do other-wise if You leave her to herself; it is You who must hinder her falling and mend what is amiss within her.

Lord, You have many ways of drawing the prodigal to Yourself.

May my beloved nation begin to be earnestly devoted to You as she once was. Let her cast everything that hinders out of her heart, and may we soon see the change wrought in her that we, yea, even You, would desire.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

A Prayer For America

May America once again exalt you oh God and King. May she praise your name forever and ever. May she praise you every day; yes, praise you forever.

You are great oh Lord! You are most worthy of our praise! No one can measure your greatness. May the generations of children in this nation tell their children of your mighty deeds; may they proclaim your power.

May this beloved nation meditate once again on your majestic glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. May your awe inspiring deeds be on every tongue; may America proclaim your greatness.

May everyone share the story of your wonderful goodness again; may they sing with Joy about your righteousness.

                                              (Psalm 145:1-7)

THE CHURCH 2014: Just "Holdin' The Fort" Or Storming The Gates?

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:18,19

THE CHURCH HAS NO EQUAL; NO COUNTER-PART, NO SUBSTITUTE. 

Further, she must be on the move against the very gates of hell. She must be on the offense. If she is not there no one, nothing else, will be there. Her prayers ought to arise from a soul bent on anticipation and not desperation.

To be desperate is to be in anguish, despair, and misery. To anticipate is to be expectant, joyful, confident, and hopeful. Hebrews 11:1 expresses it best. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."Anticipation is the confident expectation that the living Lord Jesus has all of our tomorrows in his hands.

To be desperate is to be on the defense. We're just "holdin' the fort." Circumstances may get desperate but the church of Jesus Christ can and must operate in a spirit of anticipation, expectation, confidence, joy, and hope. Her prayers - the prayers of her people ought to reflect that. The prophet Jeremiah lamented Israel's abandonment of their covenant with God. He felt grief, sorrow, regret, and mourning for their behavior. But he also had hope, anticipation of their return to God. Circumstances were desperate but the prophet was not.

In his book Prodigal Nation, Andrew R. Murphy said:
     "[Jeremiad] narratives of decline, chastisement, and renewal appear across time, culture, religion, and  geography, from classical Asian and Western cultures to yesterday's news. The sacred tests of many religious traditions lament declining moral and spiritual standards, and hold out hope for renewal and revival, if only the community will see the error of its ways."

Praying in the spirit of Matthew 16:18,19 means taking the fight to the gates of hell, to the very gates of the Devil's residence, binding and loosing as we go. We don't wait for the world, the flesh, and the Devil to bring the fight to us. 

We go on the offense for our lost friends, neighbors, and work associates. 

We go on the offense for the tearing down of satanic/demonic strongholds. 

We go on the offense for winning the battle in the spirit realm in the name of Jesus. 

We go on the offense for the reversal of the moral breakdown of the family and society. 

We go on the offense for revival in the church and awakening in the land. 

We go on the offense for the Christ-like transformation of our local, state, and national leaders.

The church has no equal, no counter-part, no substitute. She muse be on the move with great anticipation to win a desperate world in 2014 and beyond.