In the aftermath of the San Bernardino Islamic terrorist attack, some called for prayers for those families who had suffered a death or a wounded family member. I hope you yourself spent some time praying for their healing/ comfort and ability to move on. My wife and I lost an infant son 33 years ago this month, and I can only imagine how painful it must be to lose an adult young son or daughter – or husband or wife. It would have to be worse than what we went through, which was incredibly painful also.
But no sooner had Republicans like Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Rand Paul and Paul Ryan, tweeted out their prayers were with the victims and families when a liberal NY newspaper – the Daily News -- headlined: “GOD ISN’T FIXING THIS”.
It’s a sad, sad day when people who call on God are mocked by the press and the liberal left. This country was indeed founded on the Bible. Our dollar bill has stamped on it “In God we trust.” References to God and his word abound all over our public buildings, and one by one, groups who hate God or anything to do with God are doing all in their power to make this country an ever more godless nation. At the forefront of this effort are the liberal media and groups like “Freedom from Religion Foundation.”
Wake up, America. Don’t sit back idly by. Resist those who wish to make you part of a godless nation. I know, I know – prophecy says the whole world is headed downhill fast in the final years before Christ’s return. But I still think God would be pleased to see that some of us don’t just slide merrily down the godless slope without some resistance.
We certainly have gone downhill rapidly. I feel we become more nationally impotent in direct relation to the degree we boot God out of our classrooms, our public life, our universities, our congress and Supreme Court – and pass laws or legal decisions that go against everything we read in God’s word. For example, we know how evil Roe v Wade has been as violence of the worst kind is perpetrated against millions of innocent, defenseless unborn babies. Maybe you’re feeling it yourself: it’s not even shocking anymore to hear or talk about unborn babies being killed or ripped out of their mother’s womb – by the hundreds of thousands each year in the USA alone!
Prayer has been kicked out of the classroom. Prayer and believing in God is mocked in universities.
But what about it? To those of you who come to this site, nothing beats communing with a very real Creator. And DO pray for the victims and their families. I believe Yah is moved when he sees his children moved by the violence and terrorism around us. That’s the whole lesson of Ezekiel 9. Yahweh actually orders a mark of protection put on those who “sigh and cry for the abominations in the land.” We MUST feel the hurt others are going through and lift them up in prayer to God.
Prayer in fact leads us to our biggest source of protection, comfort, peace… and yes, it works. Never doubt it. The days are coming when we could witness thousands falling on one side but we are spared – because there is a living God. See Psalm 91 to understand what I’m talking about. On the other hand, if God decides to let us die or suffer, we true believers will do so without slipping in our faith in Him.
As for the editors and writers of Daily News? God is not mocked. Though he is very merciful, there are instances in the scriptures where God intervened mightily against those mocking him. One example was when Assyrian King Sennacherib proclaimed, as he was attacking Judah, how he had destroyed all the nations who stood up to him and that their gods were useless -- and Israel’s God would also be useless. But then --WHAM! God struck him in a huge way. You can read the story in 2 Kings 18 and 19. Note especially 2 Kings 18:28-35 and note the words of the Assyrian spokesman Rabshakeh. Verses 34 -35—“Where are the gods of” – this and that place, and he mocks Hezekiah and the Jews relying on Yahweh.
Well, Hezekiah prays – yes, prays – and receives a response through Isaiah the prophet – but not before he got another threatening letter from the Assyrians.
Click on “Continue reading” to the right to see what Judah’s king does, and what God does in response.
2 Kings 19:14-21
“And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of YHVH, and spread it before YHVH. Then Hezekiah prayed before YHVH, and said: "O Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. 17 Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, 18 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands — wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. 19 Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone."
20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, "Thus says Yahweh (the LORD) God of Israel: BECAUSE you have PRAYED to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard.'
What if King Hezekiah had felt and believed like the misguided folks at the Daily News – and not prayed? What if?
Then in 2 Kings 19:35-37 God annihilates the Assyrian armies, Sennacherib the king of Assyria returns home, and soon after – two of his own sons strike him down with the sword while he was worshiping his false god. In the end, ironically, it was Sennacherib’s god who could not deliver HIM!
2 Kings 19:35-36
“And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of YHVH went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses — all dead. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh.”
Then in the next verse it explains how his own two sons assassinated him.
So don’t mock God. Someday soon, you and I will have to stand before him in judgment. And from what I see, as merciful as he is, God doesn’t always take it lightly when people mock Him or His power to intervene for His children. So I’m also praying for mercy for the folks at that tabloid newspaper who mocked God. I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes right now.
And never doubt the effectiveness of prayer and communing with the Creator in spite of what others are saying now. In the coming times of severe stress, terrorism and persecution, you and I will do well to keep the lines of communication open with our Maker. There is a peace and calm that comes upon those who put their trust in Him. He IS going to let many of his own saints go through a ton of trials in the coming years. Yes, he is. But true life is not about this life. The lie that we only live once is a terrible lie. The main life we have is the eternal life that we’ll receive in full at Yeshua’s return. Therefore we don’t focus on the problems of the here and now but keep our eyes fixed on the kingdom to come. That’s OUR kingdom, our City, our government, our King, our leader. Stay focused on IT.
And by the way, pray for your country too. It sure could use some prayers. And pray for Israel. There’s a promise of blessing for all who bless Israel. If you feel you should NOT pray for your country, or if others are telling you that, please hear the sermon I gave after Hurricane Katrina hit “Katrina – helping and praying for the world.” Just do a search in the search bar on the top left side of the home page -- and type in the word “Katrina” -- and it should pop up. I gave it Aug 14, 2005. In that sermon I ask – “Should we be praying for victims of disasters? Would you have prayed for Babylon? Or Sodom?”
The answers may astound you.
Or you can just click on the link below.
http://www.lightontherock.org/index.php/message/katrina-helping-and-praying-for-the-world
But never, never ever give up on belief in the one true living God – and in prayer to him.