How to Pray for America

First the Question: Very frequently, because of doctrinal differences, some Christians apparently rejoice in the fall of some brother in Christ. True or False?

Please take a moment to respond at the LLM Question of the Day

And Now...

How To Pray For America

When the sinner is convicted by the Holy Spirit of the seriousness of sin and of judgment, and cries to the LORD Jesus Christ to save him, he has, of course, repented, or changed his mind.

No careful student of the Scriptures will deny that the salvation of a sinner is impossible apart from repentance, for the simple reason that repentance, in the New Testament sense, signified simply a change of mind (especially morally).

There are members of the Body of Christ, however, considering only the fact that sinners need such a change of mind, conclude that the way to produce the greatest results in their ministry is to stress repentance. However, those who make repentance their theme today do so because they have failed to learn the lesson which God has demonstrated historically.

These Pastors, Preachers, and Teachers, cry to men to change their minds and hearts, FORGETTING that the goodness of God, the Grace of God, leads to repentance (Romans 2:4).

God has demonstrated, historically, the fact that when men are given Holy Laws to keep, they only break them; and when they are called upon to repent of their transgressions they only become angry. What man, (our nation, America, specifically) therefore needs is the Grace of God, not only to accomplish his salvation for him, but also to touch his heart and make him willing to receive it.

Now, let me point out one thing that is for sure: that Pastors, Preachers, Teachers, and Evangelists, who would bring us back to the Gospels and to Pentecost; who insist that repentance is the message for this Day and Age, should cease talking only in generalities and should dare to preach it as it was preached when it was in order.

For example, when John the Baptist preached repentance, he was specific. He dealt with the particular sins of the publicans, the soldiers, and the common people. He drove the Pharisees and Sadducees away from his baptism, calling them a "generation of vipers" and demanded "fruits meet for repentance." He faced even Herod the king, rebuking him for living with his brother's wife and "for all the evils which he had done."

When The LORD Jesus Christ preached repentance He also was specific; warning the people against the very leaders of His day and pronouncing woes upon them to their faces, listing the particular sins of which they were guilty (Matthew 23).

When the Apostle Peter preached repentance at Pentecost he also was specific, charging Israel, and especially her rulers, with the crucifixion of Christ.

These stand in striking contrast to what some of our most popular Pastors, Preachers, Teachers, and Evangelists, are doing today as they preach a little tiny bit of Grace and a little bit of repentance; but neither with true spiritual power.

Those who are supposed to be "Calling the United States of America to Repentance" are very careful NOT to be too specific. They really don't want to offend anyone. One of them, speaking in Washington, D.C., said: "We do not point our finger at anyone."

If it is God's plan today to call the nations, and this particular nation, to repentance, Washington, D.C. would surely be one place to be very specific.

We do not deny that some who stress repentance are leading some to salvation, but we insist that they are not getting them saved by preaching repentance, but by whatever of the Gospel of Grace their message may contain.

We, here, then take our place with the Apostle Paul, to whom the twelve, through their leaders, turned over their Gentile ministry (Galatians 2:2-9) and who said by divine inspiration, "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles; I magnify mine office" (Romans 11:13).

Let’s always keep in mind, Satan pulls out all the stops, of course, to oppose and oppress us for preaching God's message for sinners today, the undiluted, unadulterated Gospel of the Grace of God, but when he does, and when we are faced with it, let us again join the Apostle Paul in saying with all our hearts, "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the Grace of God" (Acts 20:24).

And, as we, together, and individually as Ambassadors for Christ, do this faithfully, sinners will repent; they will change their minds. But, not because we demanded it of them, or even exhorted them to do it, but because, as we preached the Glory of Christ's finished work and the wonder of God's Love and Grace, the Holy Spirit opened their eyes to see it, and their hearts to receive it.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” Acts 16:31, while there is still time!

So There You Have it!

Spread this message to everyone you know, far and wide. The time is short

Grace be to you and peace, from God: our Father, and The LORD Jesus Christ.

In The LORD Jesus Christ,
The Lion and Lamb Ministry

Pastor David Picos, D.D.
Minister and Ambassador for Christ in the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20)

Subscribe Here to the LLM Newsletter , Follow LLM on Twitter , Subscribe to LLM on Youtube , LLM on MySpace , and FaceBook