10/11/07
Hello beloved,
We are in a drought. A bad drought. So, what can we do? Is there anything we can do? We all know that God sends the rain. In fact, He sends it on the just and the unjust. So, why is He not sending us rain? I would find it hard to say that all droughts are sent by God as judgments. I am not saying that now either. The fact is, I don’t know if this particular drought is a judgment of Almighty God. But, my guess is that it is. You might say “Well, they’ve been getting plenty of rain in the midwest”. Yes, they have. It’s called flooding. Another possible, medial judgment of Almighty God. You could say that about Hurricanes, fires, etc., but, the fact is, we don’t know if they are judgments or not. At least, we won’t know until we, first, examine ourselves.
That’s right, beloved. You want an answer for a drought. Instead of praying for rain, pray that God will reveal your sin to you. David did it in Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” David set a great example for us. Another great example for us is how our Pilgrim forefathers responded to adversity.
I’ll try to break this story down for you. This happened in the summer of 1623. The Pilgrims had, for the first time, planted corn, individually, on their private lots. Basically, whatever you plant is yours. Up to this point, they had always planted as a colony and everyone shared. Well, much more was planted that year, but a serious drought came upon them. In fact, it didn’t rain for twelve weeks in a row. Even the Indians couldn’t remember a drought this bad. The crops were wilting, as were there spirits. Their joy from the abundant planting had turned to mourning, as they watched their crops dying. They were helpless. Or were they? Was there anything they could do?
Listen to the words of Edward Winslow:
“Now were our hopes overthrown, and we discouraged, our joy turned to mourning…because God, which hitherto had been our only shield and supporter, now seemed in His anger to arm Himself against us. And who can withstand the fierceness of His wrath?”
This is key, beloved. They not only realized that God controlled the weather. They immediately assumed that He was angry with them. And, realizing that, they decided to find out what it was they did. Winslow continues:
“These and the like considerations moved not only every good man privately to enter into examination with his own estate between God and his conscience, and so to humiliation before Him, but also to humble ourselves together before the Lord by fasting and prayer. To that end, a day was appointed by public authority, and set apart from all other employments.”
Did you hear that, beloved? They, first, examined themselves, and then prayed and fasted. And are any of us so holy that, if we do truly examine ourselves, we won’t find something that we need to repent from. I doubt it. And neither were the Pilgrams, who, if we measured ourselves against, we would fall far short of. This godly people walked in the scriptures. That is how they knew to, first, examine themselves before praying that God would send the rain. Then, after true repentance, they would fast and pray. Then, God would hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land. Sound familiar? 2 Chronicles 7:14 says “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” I know that I repeat that verse a lot in my writings. But, if you ever truly dig into the scriptures, you will find that it is repeated throughout the entire Bible. Read 2 Chronicles 6 and you will see the foundation for this verse being thoroughly laid out, preparing us for 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Now, what was it they had done? Well, they merely relied on themselves more than God. By planting so much corn; more than they could eat, they lost site of God. They became greedy with the amount they planted. Now, to us, this seems like nothing. How often do we ask God to do something for us and then we go and incrementally do it ourselves. We rarely endure the hardships that, often times, are part of God bringing us victory in whatever situation we are in. But anyway, they found that this was the sin they committed that likely angered God to send a drought upon them. It was, basically, God saying “You can plant all the crops you want, but I control the harvest.” When they discovered this, the Pilgrims repented. Then they humbled themselves, through fasting and prayer.
So, they examined themselves, repented, humbled themselves and prayed. What do you think God did? Is not God always faithful to His Word? Amen, beloved. He sent the rain. That’s right. The sincere and deep repentance of each and every Pilgrim had a phenomenal effect. Listen to Winslow as he explains what God did:
“But, O the mercy of our God, who was as ready to hear, as we were to ask! For though in the morning, when we assembled together, the heavens were as clear and the drought as like to continue as it ever was, yet (our exercise continuing some eight or nine hours) before our departure, the weather was overcast, the clouds gathered on all sides. On the next morning distilled such soft, sweet and moderate showers of rain, continuing some fourteen days[!] and mixed with such seasonable weather, as it was hard to say whether our withered corn or drooping affections were most quickened or revived, such was the bounty and goodness of our God!”
So, beloved, let this drought we are in bring you to examine yourselves. We, not only, should examine our own lives, but, as a nation we should examine ourselves and repent. As a community and church, we should repent. What of? How about the shedding of innocent blood in the womb. Over 1 million babies slaughtered through abortion every year, yet we want to pray for rain. Do we not know that Isaiah 1:15 says “And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.” That’s right, beloved. Our hands are full of blood. The only way to have them cleansed is if we, as individuals and as a church, repent. We must repent of our sluggardness and realize that all of our sacrifices are in vain if our hands are full of blood. Please don’t shrug this off. Are our minds so desensitized, that we shrug off the murder of innocent children?
Abortion is a sin that the church is responsible for. But, it is not all that angers God. We are giving in to the homosexual agenda. This vile and detestable community has, slowly but surely, taken a foothold in our government, schools, media and, now beloved, our churches. Our churches are giving in and ordaining homosexuals. They are saying that you can be a homosexual and still be a Christian. What an abomination! 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” When are we, as the church of Jesus Christ, going to say “Enough is enough!” When are the men of God going to stand up? When are we going to repent?
Another thing that God holds against his church is our worshipping many Gods. Most noteworthy, we have allowed Islam to infiltrate our government, schools, media and churches. Even Christian congregations are being told, from the pulpit, that all religions pray to the same god. Blasphemy! Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth , and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” We’ve got to root out all of the wolves in sheep’s clothing! The men of God need to stand up. The prophets need to rise and say “Enough is enough!” We need to repent. As individuals, as a church, and as a nation. We need to repent!
So, beloved. You’ve heard it. It’s the truth. Now, what will you do?
In Christian love,
Adam Tennant
Posted by akatennant 
