What Needs to Change?

God recently challenged me with the prophetic significance of 911 - the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the White House.  The historical facts concerning the aftermath of 911 carry the unmistakable fingerprints of God.  (If you want more info I have 40-slide PowerPoint outline of the message I am teaching on this subject - just contact me.)

I want to be quick to say that God was not the author of 911, Bin Laden was.  However God was in the details of some things that happened as a result of that attack.  And God manipulated some things to get America's attention.  I don't think He got it.  America responded patriotically, not spiritually.  The "United We Stand" campaign went well for a few years, but now America stands more divided than ever.

There is much to say about these "fingerprints."  In fact it takes about an hour to present the information.  However the real issue is not the information, it is our response - or lack thereof.  911 causes us to ask three questions: 1. Does God speak to nations?; 2. If so, what is He saying to America?; and 3. What will you and I do in response?

A passage of scripture that gets a lot of preach time is, "If my people, who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and heal their land."

The problem is we translate that verse, "If the liberals and the gays and the abortions rights people humble themselves and pray ...and turn from their wicked ways....

To be painfully blunt, we want everyone else to do the changing.  God said HIS people need to change.  He gave us some pretty plain instructions to go with it.

1. Humble themselves:  I think this has to do with America's affluence and the attitudes of consumerism, convenience and comfort that the affluence has generated in America.  We are like the Laodacian Church in Revelation.  We say, "we are rich and increased with Goods and have need of nothing."  But God says, "you don't know that you are poor and miserable, wretched, naked and blind."  Ouch!  American Christians think they are beyond suffering.  This will change if we don't humble ourselves.
2. Pray:  The greatest travesty in the America church s the lack of real prayer.  Try to get a prayer meeting going and you will find quickly that people won't come.  Our religious prayers are perfunctory: Open and closing of a service and over the offering.  At meal times, and when we need something.  God wants us to get past the religious and self-centered prayers that make up the majority of prayer offered in America and begin prayer for the things that God is concerned about.  Nothing will change in America until American Christians begin to pray about the Kingdom of God.
3. Seek My Face:  This speaks of intimacy with God.  It speaks of knowing God and His heart and getting in tune with His plans and purposes.  May Christians are content to know about God - but don't really want to come into an intimate relationship with Him that radically changes their lives.
4. Turn from THEIR Wicked Ways: Ah here is the problem.  American Christians simply don't consider themselves wicked in any way shape or form.  In fact most sin is totally justified in many churches today.  For most American Christians this part of this verse is addressed to the "sinners of the world."  To those we disagree with politically and morally.  However we can not get around the fact that this part of this scripture was also addressed to, "My People, who are called by My Name." 

God gave us the solution to the decay in America.  It is not the sinners changing (initially), it is the Church changing.  It is you and I who need to hear what God is saying to us and respond accordingly.  When we get our act together we will have the power to change the world around us, not through politics or boycotts or pickets, but through the Holy Spirit transforming lives one by one.

Given the four clear instructions above, what needs to change in your life?

Note:  I highly recommend the book The Harbinger by Johnathon Cahn concerning the prophetic significance of 911.  You will be amazed at the signs God has given America through the aftermath of  911.