Sunday, May 25, 2008

A Call to Repentance: WEEK THREE

January 27, 2008

"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:32)




Introduction


A Letter from a Friend

Dear Prayer Partners,

God is so kind to us!

Just as we were settling in today, to write Week Three of this Call to Repentance, we received the following email from "Miriam." These were her words, as Miriam introduced this prayer initiative to her own prayer team:

"This is a prayer initiative that truly speaks to the greatest need in the life of Christians in America. I am forwarding this information to you, if you don't already receive the CHPP Daily Brief for yourselves. The groundswell of repentance started in the National Day of Prayer theme last year, which was 2 Chronicles 7:14, but this is a prayer "concert" which is way beyond that, and is geared not only to our reponsibility as Christians and Americans to observe the dictates of that scripture, but to join in fasting and praying before the critical election ahead. All of you . . . have been praying for America a long time already, but this national rally for this 40 week period has a power in the spirit which transcends what was accomplished last year. God bless you as you read about this initiative, and see what the Lord says to you to do. Love and blessings to you and yours, Miriam"

We thank Miriam for catching the vision of this initiative, and we ask our Lord to grant you, too, the grace to do the same.

"Lord, teach us YOUR ways . . ."

In His Amazing Grace,

Capitol Hill Prayer Partners


The Three Prayer Focus Points


The Three Prayer Focus Points

Beginning this week and then throughout the next 40 weeks, we will lift up prayers of intercession for our sins in three areas:

-- Sin in the Church

-- Sin in our land

-- Our sins towards the nation of Israel

We ALWAYS begin with "sin in the church, " because it is written,

For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? (I Peter 4:17)

According to the Word of God, "first things first" is to look to be sure that our own house is in order . . . and then to look outward.

Next, we move to sins in our land -- both current and in history. Week by week, we will be addressing the shedding of innocent blood through abortion, through slavery, through Native American atrocities; and we will move on to repent of our "culture of death" in America that has replaced the Word of God with man's own wicked ways. Selah.

And finally, we rest our hearts upon Israel, including repentance for dividing her land through the creation of the Road Map and other related policies, for our own history of anti-semitism, and for encouraging the teaching of "replacement theology" in our seminaries, churches, and schools.

In the end, our work cannot be perfect, nor perfectly done, for only Christ can do anything perfectly. But we can offer him what we have, and we can ask Him, by His amazing grace, to receive our small portion as a "first fruits offering" of repentance.

May we each now be open to what He will show us, day by day and week by week, as together, we come into agreement and alignment, asking forgiveness for our sins and revelation to walk more fully in the power of the risen Savior.

Amen.


SIN IN THE CHURCH: DIVISION


REPENTANCE FOR SIN IN THE CHURCH:

DIVISION AND COMPETITION

Repent for the DIVISION AND COMPETITION within the Church - the Body of Believers. This division is based in our own PRIDE, creating walls of greed, compromise, anger/unforgiveness, Self-built kingdoms, and witchcraft, among others, that keep us separated from one another. In the weeks to come, we will explore these and other issues that are causing division in the church in greater detail.

Prayer Point:

As we each search our hearts in repentance for our own pride, let's offer praise to the Lord that, if we are willing, He promises to tear down these walls for us:

"For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord God of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains." (Isaiah 22:5)

"And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands. And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust." (Isaiah 25:11-12)

(Source: Riding with the King in Unity, by Giles F. Mack, P.O. Box 1761, Branson, MO 65615, pp. x, xi)


SINS OF THE NATION: ABORTION


REPENTANCE FOR THE SINS OF THE NATION:

ABORTION

Alas, sinful nation,
A people laden with iniquity,
A brood of evildoers,
Children who are corrupters!
They have forsaken the LORD,
They have provoked to anger
The Holy One of Israel,
They have turned away backward.
(Isaiah 1:4)

In Biblical terms, "abortion" is "the shedding of innocent blood." According to the Word of God, nations that allow "the shedding of innocent blood" will be severely punished by God. He even promises to "destroy them."

"They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood. They defiled themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted themselves. Therefore the LORD was angry with his people and abhorred his inheritance." (Ps. 106:37-40)

Brethren, this is not some "gloom and doom," or "fire and brimstone" perspective. From what is clearly spoken in God's Word, the continuation of this ABOMINATION will result in the end of America as we know and love it. Our land is defiled and doomed unless this holocaust is stopped and the nation's heart is changed. America's hardness of heart towards this sin is reflected in her judicial system. Right now, most of the judicial system is dedicated to enforcing laws that allow abortion on demand. These laws defy the Law of God-revealed in His Word.

Prayer Point: LET US JOIN HEARTS AND HANDS BEFORE OUR LORD DURING THIS WEEK OF PRAYER AND FASTING, IN REPENTANCE FOR THE SIN OF THE SHEDDING OF INNOCENT BLOOD IN AMERICA. Forgive those who have committed and are committing this sin; they know not what they do. Turn to God, asking for mercy in the midst of judgment, and ask Him to "break through" into the lives of those who are bound by this sin, bringing forgiveness, healing, deliverance and salvation in Yeshua, through His Shed Blood. Have mercy, Lord! Amen. (Source: Harry Valentine, Capitol Hill Prayer Alert, www.prayeralert.org; adapted.)


BREAKING OUR COVENANT WITH ZION



BREAKING OUR COVENANT WITH ZION:

THE CREATION OF "THE ROAD MAP TO PEACE"

[This article is now two years old, but the need to repent for the Road Map to peace is now as key as ever. The recent discussions at Annapolis, and the agreements that have come out of those discussions, are all based upon the points included in the original Road Map to Peace.]

"Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, O scoffers, who rule this people who are in Jerusalem, because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by, for we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception." (Isaiah 28:14-15)

What is the Covenant with Death and the Pact with Hell?

The covenant of death and the pact with hell is the "Road Map of the Nations," being forced on Israel by America, Russia, the E.U., and the U.N. We must understand that the fruit of the Islamic covenant is the "Road Map of the nations for Israel."

The features of the Road Map include:

· The forcible removal of all of the Jewish people from their inheritance in Gaza. From their homes, businesses, schools, and synagogues.

· Creation of a viable Palestinian Arab State on contiguous land through the division of the land of Israel.

· Gaza is to be connected to Judea by a land bridge, effectively dividing Israel in half, north and south of the Gaza-Hevron connection point.

· The forcible removal of all of the Jewish people from Judea and Samaria (the mountains of Israel).

· Ceding East Jerusalem and the Temple Mount to become the capital of a new Arab Palestinian State.

· Ceding the Jordan Valley to become the western border of the new Arab Palestinian State.

Prayer Points:

· America's covenant with death (against Israel) will be cancelled, and the nation's pact with Hell (to divide and destroy Israel) will not stand.

· Pray for mercy for the leaders of Israel to repent and return to their God who are so deceived they have chosen to join themselves to this covenant, and are intent on making this pact a reality.

· Pray for mercy for the President and the Secretary of State of the U.S., to repent and cancel and annul this covenant of death and pact (the Road Map).

· Pray that America's political and religious leaders will remember, repent, and understand God's word regarding the blessings and curses upon all nations who have sought the destruction of the Jewish people and their nation. (Genesis 12:3)

· Pray all Americans will repent before the Lord, and remember, "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, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place." (2 Chronicles 7:14- 15)

(Source: VoicefromZion; issued for the 40 Weeks of Prayer and Fasting)


A Closing Thought . . .


"Prayer: Prop Us Up"

Every time I am asked to pray for someone, I think of the church elder many years ago who always prayed, "Lord, prop us up on our leanin' side." After hearing him pray that prayer many times, I asked him why he prayed that same prayer so often.

He answered, "Well, I have an old barn out back. It's been there a long time. It has gone through a lot of storms, and it's stood for many years. But one day I noticed it was leaning to one side a bit. So I went and got some poles and propped it up on its leaning side so it wouldn't fall.

Then I got to thinking 'bout that and how much I was like that old barn. I've been around a long time, withstood a lot of life's storms, withstood a lot of bad weather in life, withstood a lot of hard times, and I'm still standing. But I find myself leaning to one side from time to time. So I like to ask the Lord to prop us up on our leaning side, cause I figure we all get to leaning, at times.

Sometimes we get to leaning toward anger, leaning toward bitterness, toward hatred, toward a lot of things that we shouldn't. So we need to pray, "Lord, prop me up on my leaning side," so we can stand straight and tall again and glorify the Lord.

There is another principle of prayer here. Do not pray only for healing and material things you need. Pray for help with your anger, bitterness, hatred, envy, jealousy, greed, etc. We all have some of these some of the time. Pray for help in changing yourself. Father God YHWH loves to hear prayer like this and He will help you change.

" . . . He [JESUS] will save His people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21)

AMEN!


Who We Are


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