Tag Archives: Church

January 7, 2016 · 10:01 am

Thursday’s Prayers for America (1/7/2016)

Although most Christian and conservative leaders declare the 2016 Presidential election as the most important election in the history of America, it is not. In fact, it is almost irrelevant because Donald Trump, Dr. Ben Carson, Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Rand Paul, Former Governor Mike Huckabee, Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Senator Bernie Sanders, or whoever cannot make atonement for America’s sin.

Only we believers can make a difference with our nation’s sin, in accordance with −

if my people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

This familiar verse is quoted over and over again, especially after a tragedy, like San Bernardino, but let’s be honest with each other, okay? We must be doing something wrong because it’s not working very well.

Over the years, we have memorized the words and mouthed lip service to 2 Chronicles 7:14, but have paid little attention to the context of why the Lord spoke His words. If we look at verse 12, we will learn that verse 14 was an answer to Solomon’s prayer in 2 Chronicles 6:14-42.

In his prayer, King Solomon prayed about the possibilities of Israel being defeated by enemies, overcome by droughts, famines, pestilences, plagues, and sicknesses and asked the Lord to hear. To hear what? Prayers and supplications.

Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. (Daniel 9:3 NKJ)

In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was He heard because of His reverence. (Hebrews 5:7)

Supplications are desperate, passionate, earnest prayers from the deepest part of our hearts, crying out to God for Him to intervene on our behalves. It usually includes weeping, crying, and fasting − that’s really what the verb “humble” denotes in 2 Chronicles 7:14.

A few times throughout history God has used an individual, such as a Moses, Samuel, or Daniel, or even a small group of people, such as Rees Howells and his college of intercessors during WWII, to stand in the gap to intercede for a nation. Yet at other times, God has required a large percentage of His believers to intercede on a nation’s behalf. The words of 2 Chronicles 7:14 suggest a large percentage of believers, rather than just an individual or a small group.

Now, I am not naive enough to believe we can get a large percentage of American Christians to agree on much of anything, let alone asking us to fast, weep, and cry out to God with heart-felt supplications. We American believers tend to look first to our government, second to a long list of possibilities, and last to God. So, until disasters and tragedies become everyday occurrences, I don’t expect national days of prayer and fasting to be much more than tiny blips on national radar screens with turnouts only large enough to fill small closets.

But then again, maybe God will bring forth a great move of His Spirit on America, right? The greatest outpouring of the Spirit of prayer on America was during the Businessmen’s Prayer Revival of 1857. That prayer revival ended up converting a million people and stirring up another four million believers, which totaled approximately fifteen percent of the nation’s population. But even so, the prayer revival did not stop the Civil War from taking place four years later.

Therefore, if God chooses to send a new revival to America, I’m all for it. Praise God! But I’ve been hearing about a supposed mega-revival coming to America for almost thirty years…and I’m still waiting. Let’s not make the mistake of placing all of our hopes on the “maybes” of wish-ions, but rather, let’s stand on something more concrete, like 2 Chronicles 7:14. (Common Sense 2016 by Larry Nevenhoven, ©2016, Amazon eBook)

My prayer for today:

Lord, I pray that every believer who has an ear will hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to America right now. (Based on Revelation 2:7)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you today?

Join with me on Thursdays to fast and pray for America.

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January 6, 2016 · 6:04 pm

“Are We There Yet?” (Part 14)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8 ESV)

Most of us know the above verse, but have we considered the following?

Moreover, Yeshua’s (Jesus Christ) being the same yesterday, today, and forever means that He is still Jewish and will return a Jew. The Messiah has not been transformed into a Christian (rather the word “Christian” refers to people who are being transformed by Him.) Yeshua was born a Jew, died a Jew, and was resurrected a Jew. He is a Jew now, serving in heaven as a Jewish cohen gadol (High Priest) [Hebrews 2:17]. He will return as a Jewish King to occupy the throne of His Jewish ancestor David. His humanity makes Him the Savior of all, both Jews and non-Jews. But He has not Himself been made over into a Gentile. (Jewish New Testament Commentary by David H. Stern, ©1992 by David H. Stern, pp. 721)

Our Lord is a Jew.

(Continued in Part 14…if you’re interested in this Hebraic Roots series, all of it to date can be seen here.)

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January 5, 2016 · 4:13 pm

Tuesday’s Prayers for Prisoners (1/5/2016)

BASECO Slum in Manila https://markpedder.wordpress.com

BASECO Slum in Manila
https://markpedder.wordpress.co

I’m a month away from being seventy years old. Both of my knees are mostly blown out from playing football in my youth. My energy level is certainly not breaking any records on the get-up-and-go charts. The dreams I felt the Lord gave me as a young Christian – almost thirty years ago – have not happened as yet…and maybe they won’t ever happen.

But who knows? I could live for twenty more years, ten more years, five years, or just one day, but no matter what, God has a day circled on His calendar for me —

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others… (2 Corinthians 5:10-11)

For the most part, I do my best to ask forgiveness for the things I’ve done, but this doesn’t bother me that much. It’s the things I haven’t done, and should have done, that frightens me.

So, do I like fasting?

No, not really that much.

But this one verse is like a laser burning a hole in my heart and pushing me forward each week —

Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. (Hebrews 13:3)

Every person in Asia who does not know Jesus is a prisoner of the kingdom of darkness. This breaks the Lord’s heart and it better affect me in the same way.

My prayer for today:

Lord of the harvest, I pray that You would send out more laborers into the harvest fields of Asia. (Based on Luke 10:2)

Join with me on Tuesdays to fast and pray for prisoners in Asia, according to Hebrews 13:3.

Why Asia?

1. 4.4 billion people live in Asia.

2.. 85.4% of world’s unevangelized people live in Asia. (Unevangelized means they may have heard the gospel but have no understanding on how to respond.)

3. The world’s three largest non-Christian religions – Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhists – are based in Asia.

4. Of the 37 countries of the world that are less than 10% Christian, 32 are in Asia. Of the 14 countries, that are less than 2% Christian, 12 are in Asia.

5. 600 million people live in abject poverty in the slums of Asia. 

6. 85-90% of unreached people live in Asia. (Unreached means that they have never heard the name of Jesus.) (Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation)

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November 28, 2015 · 11:35 am

When Prayer Fails…

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Yes, I ate too much for Thanksgiving and when I finally stopped, I looked around the table at our family. As I did, I had a divine interruption.

In a nano-second vision, I saw America in much the same way Choi Ja-Shil saw South Korea in the late 1940’s: a nation under the control of Satan and his kingdom of darkness. She immediately made up her mind to make a difference, no matter what it might cost her.

Choi Ja-Shil ended up fasting often and interceding up to ten hours per night for South Korea for the next ten years after her revelation. She did all of this while raising three children, attending a Bible school, and working to support her family.

Choi Ja-Shil’s prayers resulted in a meeting with Pastor David Yonggi Cho and starting a church in May, 1958. Eventually, the couple’s efforts produced Yoido Full Gospel Church (830,000 members), prayer meetings of 300,000 believers, and Osanri Prayer Mountain which has one million visitors per year.

Today, South Korea has the largest percentage of Christians of any nation in Asia. Not only that, Korean Christians – corporately and individually – are committed to prayer. Early morning prayer meetings, evening prayer meetings, and all night prayer concerts on weekends.

Now, how much of this was due to Choi Ja-Shil’s efforts? Only heaven knows.

Okay, what will I do with my revelation?

To be honest, I don’t know, but I’m willing to seek the Lord on what I should do.

So, for the next month or however long it takes, I won’t be blogging or on Facebook because I want to focus myself on this and also on some outside writing projects. If you have the time, pray for me to hear the Lord’s voice and to obey Him.

“When prayer fails, intercession begins.” (Rees Howells)

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November 25, 2015 · 10:02 am

Why Be Thankful this Year?

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One of my favorite stories is about a simple-minded, homeless person named Joe Bananas who lived on the streets of New York City. He survived by begging for money and scrummaging through garbage.

One day, Joe listened to a street evangelist and gave his life to Jesus. It so amazed him that the Lord could love a lowly person like himself that he made up his mind to tell everyone about Jesus. And that’s what he did.

So, without the ability to read, without attending a church, and only knowing that Jesus loved him, he stood on the sidewalks as Wall Street brokers, bankers, and Madison 5th Avenue admen rushed by him, preaching his message. He didn’t quote John 3:16, but simply said, “I’m just bananas about Jesus.”

Although Joe’s heart was totally changed, his life remained the same. He was still a filthy, smelly, homeless man who lived in cardboard boxes. Yet, he continued to faithfully preach his message on the sidewalks of New York City until he froze to death one night during a cold spell.

This would have been the end of the story, but some of the passersby who walked by Joe each day heard about his death and then showed up at his pauper’s funeral. Dozens testified how Joe’s simple message opened their hearts to receiving Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Why be thankful this year?

Because Jesus lives and loves us.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

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November 22, 2015 · 10:24 am

“Are We There Yet?” (Part 13)

A big dilemma for the early church was – did new Gentile believers have to be circumcised and then become Jews in order to complete their salvations?

This issue came to a head when the Apostle Peter visited Paul and Barnabas in Antioch. Peter ate with Gentile believers until a group of Jewish believers arrived from Jerusalem. Then, Peter separated himself from the Gentiles and only ate with the Jews because he feared what the Jews would think and say. Paul confronted Peter to his face about his hypocrisy —

“If you, who are a Jew live like a Goy [Non-Jew or Gentile] and not like a Jew, why are you forcing the Goyim to live like Jews? We are Jews by birth, not so-called ‘Goyishe sinners’; even so we have come to realize that a person is not declared righteous by God on the ground of his legalistic observance of Torah commands, but through the Messiah Yeshua’s trusting faithfulness. Therefore, we too have put our faith in Messiah Yeshua’s trusting faithfulness… (Galatians 2:14-16a Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern)

This confrontation resulted in Paul, Barnabas, and others going to Jerusalem to consult with the apostles and elders there. A decision was made that the Gentile believers just needed to abstain from:

(1) Things polluted by idols, especially meat sacrificed to false gods.

(2) Fornication, or any form of sexual immorality, including homosexuality and other improper sexual practices.

(3) What is strangled…that is meat from animals not slaughtered in a way that allows the blood to flow out.

(4) Blood, such as blood sausage.

(Taken from Jewish New Testament Commentary by David H. Stern)

These minimum conditions were placed on the Gentile believers so that the Jewish believers would not be offended to fellowship with Gentile believers. It was a good compromise.

Sadly, two centuries later, when the Gentile influence in the Body of Christ far exceeded the Jewish influence, a new dilemma developed – did new Jewish believers have to reject their Jewish roots and become Gentile Christians?

(Continued in Part 14…if you’re interested, the full series to date can be seen here.)

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November 20, 2015 · 11:23 am

If We Just Ignore Gays, They’ll Go Away, Right? (Part 10)

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First of all, if we believers are going to get serious about ministering to the gays in America, we have to get rid of our hatred and dislike for them. The only way we can do that is by being cleansed by the Holy Spirit, but we have to initiate the process.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Then, we have to ask for Jesus’ perfect love to fill our hearts for gays. His perfect love will drive us to fast and pray for gays and then be willing to be His vessels to them.

This may take some time, but we must get free of our hatreds and be empowered by His love before we move forward.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

The Greek word ethnos is translated into the English word nations in most versions of the Bible. The word nations is one translation, but the Greek word also means a people group or a group of people of the same nature. 

Thus, I believe Jesus has commanded us to go to the gay communities of America and make disciples of them.

The gay communities we go to should include the Castro District of San Francisco, West Hollywood in LA County, San Diego’s Hillcrest Neighborhood, San Jose’s St Leo Neighborhood, and the cities of Oakland, Portland, Seattle, and other West Coast cities.

Will we make mistakes? Yes.

Will we have perfect plans for each city? At best, we may only know one step at a time for each city and have to wait on the Lord to tell us the next step, but to be honest, this is the safest route to victory.

Will there be trouble? Oh my yes! The kingdom of darkness will not open its gates so we can plunder it with the Gospel. We can expect fights, bad publicity, and maybe jail cells awaiting some of us.

The early Salvation Army provides us with examples of how to change cities by invading them with the Gospel.

“We are not sent to minister to a congregation and be content if we keep things going. We are sent to make war and to stop short of nothing but the subjugation of the world to the sway of the Lord Jesus.” (William Booth, founder of Salvation Army)

“Go for souls. Go straight for souls, and go for the worst.” (William Booth, founder of Salvation Army)

(Conclusion…if you’re interested, the full series to date can be seen here.)

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November 19, 2015 · 10:53 am

Thursday’s Prayers for America (11/19/2015)

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The other day, I felt the Holy Spirit said one word to my heart: “Hiroshima.”

Now, because I authored the novel, The Day LA Died, I had a little insight into what I felt the Holy Spirit’s one word really meant. My research for the novel included reading the book, Hiroshima by John Hersey, and studying the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in WWII.

In the months leading up to Hiroshima, America’s bombers dropped millions of tons of bombs on Japan’s major cities. Plus, America dropped millions of leaflets on the same cities explaining the hopelessness of continuing the war. These efforts were designed to destroy the will of the Japanese people.

Yet, Hiroshima never had one bomb fall on it or one leaflet dropped in it. American bombers flew over the city on their way to other targets, but never once targeted the city. The residents wondered why they were spared.  Many believed it was due to their relatives living in Hawaii and California who had petitioned the American government for the city’s relief.

So, when the Enola Gay dropped its atomic bomb on the city at 8:15 a.m., August 6, 1945, the city was taken by surprise and totally unprepared. The results were disastrous for the 350,000 residents.

Almost every American feels like the residents of Hiroshima before the atomic bomb fell. “It may happen in Paris, but it won’t happen to me and my family. Why worry?”

My prayer for today:

Lord, I pray for You to blow the trumpets in America. Call for times of fasting; call the people together for solemn meetings. Let the people stand and weep before You and let them cry, “Spare Your people, O Lord.” (Based on Joel 2:15, 17)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you today?

Join with me on Thursdays to fast and pray for America.

 

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November 18, 2015 · 11:10 am

My Two Cents On America’s Immigration Problems

If you want to start a lively discussion among Christians, just mention Middle Eastern immigration on Facebook or wherever believers are assembled. You will instantly have two opposing views: the compassionate ones who want to demonstrate the mercy side of Jesus and the ones who want to close the gates to possible enemies of America.

Questions will be fired back and forth between the two groups: “What would Jesus do?” “Shouldn’t we care for the least of these among us?” “Aren’t we supposed to love and care for the strangers who come to our land?” “Israel had borders in the Old Testament and defended them from invasion. Shouldn’t we?” “God set the borders for nations. Shouldn’t we observe them?” “What about wisdom and discernment?” And so forth. And so on.

But one question probably will not be asked: “Why has God allowed this to happen to America now?”

Does the Bible offer some clues for us?

“But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you (Deuteronomy 28:15)

The Old Testament deals mainly with nations, specifically Israel, but since the whole Bible is inspired by God, it also can speak to America today, right?

Chapter 28 of Deuteronomy is divided into two parts. Verses 1 to 14 reveal the blessings a nation receives if it obeys the commandments of God. The blessings include: cities being blessed, families being blessed, our wealth being blessed, our enemies being defeated, our goods being blessed, our lands receiving enough rain, crops being blessed, and our nation being blessed so that the other nations realize that God has blessed us.

Verses 15 to 68 reveal the curses a nation receives if it disobeys the commandments of God. Here’s a few to meditate upon:

A people whom you do not know shall eat up the produce of your ground and all your labors, and you will never be anything but oppressed and crushed continually. (Verse 33 NASB)

The foreigners living among you will become stronger and stronger, while you become weaker and weaker (Verse 43 NLT)

Therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you. Verse 48 ESV)

The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, swooping down like the eagle, a nation whose language you do not understand, a hard-faced nation who shall not respect the old or show mercy to the young. (Verses 49-50 ESV)

If I’m correct, it means America has immigration problems because our nation has sinned against the commandments of God. Then, it also means that pointing our fingers at President Obama, Congress, and other government leaders will help very little. And even the election of Donald Trump or Ted Cruz or whoever will do hardly anything to alleviate the immigration issue.

America has sin.

We need to fast and pray until we discover the sins that we have committed against God so we can repent of them.

(My book, New Wind Blowing, is free tomorrow on Amazon as an eBook. It offers insight into some sins I believe America needs to repent of and to do something about right now.)

 

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November 15, 2015 · 8:41 am

“Are We There Yet?” (Part 12)

With the exception of Luke who wrote Luke and Acts, the New Testament’s books were written in Greek by Jews who framed their religious thinking in Hebrew. Why? Because the foundation for the New Testament was the Tanakh (our Old Testament), which was written in Hebrew.

Sometimes, we miss deeper meanings because the authors used the Greek language.

For instance, my eyes were recently opened to one word in Paul’s greetings for his letters —

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:3)

The above greeting was used in one form or another in most of Paul’s letters. The Greek word eirēnē is translated into the English word peace. So, when we read the word peace, we think of tranquility, calm, and quiet.

Yet, the Apostle Paul who wrote the word would have been thinking about the Hebrew word shalom, much like Joseph spoke to his brothers —

And Joseph said, Peace [shalom] be to you… (Genesis 43:23)

The Hebrew word shalom means peace and tranquility, but it also means safety, welfare, health, contentment, success, comfort, wholeness, and integrity.

So, when Paul used the word peace in his greeting, his deeper meaning was the whole complex of peace/wholeness/well-being that is in our Lord Jesus.

If you want to hear how to say, “Peace be to you,” in Hebrew, click here.

(Continued in Part 13…if you’re interested, the full series to date can be seen here.)

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