Thursday, March 18, 2010
9:13 AM | 
Posted by
nb |
Exactly one week ago today, March 11th, I started a page that I called "Why Are You Surprised?". But, the more I typed the madder I got... I felt very much like what I suspect Jesus felt when he was throwing the money collectors out of the temple.. I was ready so start throwing things!
I stopped writing it because I felt like I wasn't doing a very good job of expressing myself. I still have it saved and may have to pull it out for future use, but in the meantime, I got the following email this morning that Dutch Sheets wrote yesterday. It says what I was trying to say, only much better because I was so angry. (I will say though, he has a hope for America that I don't share...I think we are at the point where God saves the few and takes out the rest like when he took Lot out of Sodom. Don't get me wrong, I have every hope in the Lord, but finding enough repentant "Christians" is what concerns me! But, hopefully, he is right .... )
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An Important Message from Dutch Sheets
March 17, 2010
Dear JAMES,
It is 5:00 a.m. I have been up all night praying and agonizing over the condition of America. While praying for the nation in general, and also concerning a gathering this summer to cry out for awakening in America, I felt drawn to the book of Joel. While reading it, this word began to stir in me for our nation. I know it is lengthy, but please read it prayerfully. Not since October of 2000, have I been so burdened for America. At that time I issued a call to prayer, which, due to the favor and anointing of the Lord on it, went viral. Millions received it and prayed. My heart cry is that the same thing happens with this word, for I am actually more burdened now than I was then.
America is in a horrendous crisis of monumental proportions, a season much like Israel in the days of Joel. This Old Testament prophet warned of devastating judgment coming to Israel, but laced the warning with hope and God’s mercy if certain things occurred. That is precisely where we are in America. We Americans are a confident and optimistic people, which is often good, but can also create a dangerous denial and crippling passivity. This is happening with many. But please do not be deceived by those who are saying everything is fine. The truth is that we, as a nation, are in serious trouble. Listen to these words from Joel – they are accurate for us today:
The State of the Nation
If God brought corrective but serious judgment to Israel, we are horribly deceived if we think it will not happen to us. If something doesn’t happen to lessen this judgment—and it can be lessened--we are headed for very difficult times. The economy is going to be devastated. The stock market will go well below where it went a few months back—a crash is coming, and soon. More terrorism and violence will occur in our land, perhaps even war. In my spirit I’ve seen buildings crumbling and cities burning. Devastating natural disasters will take place. In general, hard times will be prevalent. Why is this so? Because we have turned from God and His ways. Consider the true condition of America. This assessment is bleak but accurate.
1) Our government is in decay. The current leaders of Congress promote homosexuality, abortion and socialism, while arrogantly ignoring God and the wishes of the people. They are proud, power-hungry, self-serving, career politicians, not the statesmen/women we so desperately need. Our President fits the same description. Along with the above, while honoring—in the White House—the Muslim day of prayer, homosexual activists and a coalition of atheists, he refused to honor the time-honored traditions surrounding the National Day of Prayer. And along with Congress and the President, we have many Judges with no regard for God’s word, the Constitution or our true history. The predictable verdict is in: America is in a moral and spiritual crisis of such magnitude that it is almost unbelievable.
2) What does this look like practically? From my grandparents’ day until now, we have gone from 65% of Americans having a biblical worldview to now 4% of today’s young people sharing these beliefs. This is staggering! Apart from an absolute miracle, which I believe is still possible, we have lost a generation of Americans to Satan and secular humanism. Generally speaking, we are a narcissistic, self-loving nation that has accepted a culture of death, perversion, drugs and violence. We have murdered 51 million babies in the womb and to satisfy the cry for a toleration of immorality and perversion, we are ready to throw away 6000 years of honoring God’s definition of marriage and family.
3) The church, which is supposed to be salt and light for this mess, is neither. Though a remnant has remained faithful, for the most part the church of America has become totally irrelevant and completely ineffective. We have produced lukewarm Christians and a generation that doesn’t know God or His ways. Our pulpits are filled with smiles, not tears; entertainment, not passion; and self-help stories, not prophetic truth. Our feel-good messages and mega fun-centers have anesthetized us to the reality of our condition and, as opposed to offering solutions, are actually part of the problem. We, the church, are not changing our world, we’re being conformed to it. It’s easier to find the truth about our condition as a nation on talk radio than in our churches. We have left our first love and abandoned our cause. In short, an apostate church, an ungodly government and a culture of death, perversion and self-centeredness has earned us an appointment with judgment.
There Is Still Hope for America
But there is still hope. God desires to bring a Third Great Awakening to America. It can be truly amazing – millions saved and delivered; all of society impacted in a huge way; the youth of America finally introduced to the true Christ in all of His power. But please hear me when I say this: “our prayers and actions will determine the magnitude and timing of this awakening; and the level of awakening will determine the magnitude of our judgment. Again, the hope-filled words of the prophet Joel are very pertinent:
What powerful words of hope! Re-read them. Our God is so ready to show mercy. But not to the proud and indifferent! The prescription to turn a crisis such as Joel warned of and that which we face today, and the trigger that releases the spirit of awakening to offset it have never changed: repentance, humility, prayer and fasting. Please hear me: This is our only hope for a reduced sentence. Judgment cannot be fully averted but it can be lessened.
A Joel 2 Gathering: Wilderness Outcry
With this in mind, I now believe more fully than ever that a strategy recently given to some colleagues and me is from the Lord. There are and will be numerous opportunities for Americans to gather corporately and cry out to the Lord, but this is one that I know God has ordained and will use greatly. Through dreams and other confirmations, He has spoken and directed several national, spiritual leaders to call for a “Joel 2 gathering.” We are calling for tens of thousands of believers to join us this June 14-18, for 5 days of worship, prayer and some form of fasting (a meal a day, etc.) in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. (Though we will have worship Monday and Friday, the heart of what occurs will be 3 days, Tuesday through Thursday.) Listen once more to the words of the prophet Joel—he articulates what we are calling for:
A Call to the Entire Nation
Can you hear the passion and desperation in these words from the prophet? One translation says: “Sound the alarm.” No one was exempt from Joel’s call: spiritual leaders had to come; young and old had to come, even nursing babies; honeymoons had to be postponed! No one was excused. And this sweeping appeal is no less appropriate today. I plead with you to hear the call: we have come to a Joel 2 time in America! So much hangs in the balance! How we respond to Him today will decide what America looks like for the next 50-100 years!
I stopped writing it because I felt like I wasn't doing a very good job of expressing myself. I still have it saved and may have to pull it out for future use, but in the meantime, I got the following email this morning that Dutch Sheets wrote yesterday. It says what I was trying to say, only much better because I was so angry. (I will say though, he has a hope for America that I don't share...I think we are at the point where God saves the few and takes out the rest like when he took Lot out of Sodom. Don't get me wrong, I have every hope in the Lord, but finding enough repentant "Christians" is what concerns me! But, hopefully, he is right .... )
-------------
An Important Message from Dutch Sheets
March 17, 2010
Dear JAMES,
It is 5:00 a.m. I have been up all night praying and agonizing over the condition of America. While praying for the nation in general, and also concerning a gathering this summer to cry out for awakening in America, I felt drawn to the book of Joel. While reading it, this word began to stir in me for our nation. I know it is lengthy, but please read it prayerfully. Not since October of 2000, have I been so burdened for America. At that time I issued a call to prayer, which, due to the favor and anointing of the Lord on it, went viral. Millions received it and prayed. My heart cry is that the same thing happens with this word, for I am actually more burdened now than I was then.
America is in a horrendous crisis of monumental proportions, a season much like Israel in the days of Joel. This Old Testament prophet warned of devastating judgment coming to Israel, but laced the warning with hope and God’s mercy if certain things occurred. That is precisely where we are in America. We Americans are a confident and optimistic people, which is often good, but can also create a dangerous denial and crippling passivity. This is happening with many. But please do not be deceived by those who are saying everything is fine. The truth is that we, as a nation, are in serious trouble. Listen to these words from Joel – they are accurate for us today:
What a day! Doomsday! God’s judgment has come. The strong God has arrived. This is serious business! ... Shake the country up! God’s judgment’s on its way – the Day’s almost here! (Joel 1:15, 2:1; The Message)
The State of the Nation
If God brought corrective but serious judgment to Israel, we are horribly deceived if we think it will not happen to us. If something doesn’t happen to lessen this judgment—and it can be lessened--we are headed for very difficult times. The economy is going to be devastated. The stock market will go well below where it went a few months back—a crash is coming, and soon. More terrorism and violence will occur in our land, perhaps even war. In my spirit I’ve seen buildings crumbling and cities burning. Devastating natural disasters will take place. In general, hard times will be prevalent. Why is this so? Because we have turned from God and His ways. Consider the true condition of America. This assessment is bleak but accurate.
1) Our government is in decay. The current leaders of Congress promote homosexuality, abortion and socialism, while arrogantly ignoring God and the wishes of the people. They are proud, power-hungry, self-serving, career politicians, not the statesmen/women we so desperately need. Our President fits the same description. Along with the above, while honoring—in the White House—the Muslim day of prayer, homosexual activists and a coalition of atheists, he refused to honor the time-honored traditions surrounding the National Day of Prayer. And along with Congress and the President, we have many Judges with no regard for God’s word, the Constitution or our true history. The predictable verdict is in: America is in a moral and spiritual crisis of such magnitude that it is almost unbelievable.
2) What does this look like practically? From my grandparents’ day until now, we have gone from 65% of Americans having a biblical worldview to now 4% of today’s young people sharing these beliefs. This is staggering! Apart from an absolute miracle, which I believe is still possible, we have lost a generation of Americans to Satan and secular humanism. Generally speaking, we are a narcissistic, self-loving nation that has accepted a culture of death, perversion, drugs and violence. We have murdered 51 million babies in the womb and to satisfy the cry for a toleration of immorality and perversion, we are ready to throw away 6000 years of honoring God’s definition of marriage and family.
3) The church, which is supposed to be salt and light for this mess, is neither. Though a remnant has remained faithful, for the most part the church of America has become totally irrelevant and completely ineffective. We have produced lukewarm Christians and a generation that doesn’t know God or His ways. Our pulpits are filled with smiles, not tears; entertainment, not passion; and self-help stories, not prophetic truth. Our feel-good messages and mega fun-centers have anesthetized us to the reality of our condition and, as opposed to offering solutions, are actually part of the problem. We, the church, are not changing our world, we’re being conformed to it. It’s easier to find the truth about our condition as a nation on talk radio than in our churches. We have left our first love and abandoned our cause. In short, an apostate church, an ungodly government and a culture of death, perversion and self-centeredness has earned us an appointment with judgment.
There Is Still Hope for America
But there is still hope. God desires to bring a Third Great Awakening to America. It can be truly amazing – millions saved and delivered; all of society impacted in a huge way; the youth of America finally introduced to the true Christ in all of His power. But please hear me when I say this: “our prayers and actions will determine the magnitude and timing of this awakening; and the level of awakening will determine the magnitude of our judgment. Again, the hope-filled words of the prophet Joel are very pertinent:
12 "Even now," declares the LORD,"return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning."
13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
14 Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God. (Joel 2:12-14)
What powerful words of hope! Re-read them. Our God is so ready to show mercy. But not to the proud and indifferent! The prescription to turn a crisis such as Joel warned of and that which we face today, and the trigger that releases the spirit of awakening to offset it have never changed: repentance, humility, prayer and fasting. Please hear me: This is our only hope for a reduced sentence. Judgment cannot be fully averted but it can be lessened.
A Joel 2 Gathering: Wilderness Outcry
With this in mind, I now believe more fully than ever that a strategy recently given to some colleagues and me is from the Lord. There are and will be numerous opportunities for Americans to gather corporately and cry out to the Lord, but this is one that I know God has ordained and will use greatly. Through dreams and other confirmations, He has spoken and directed several national, spiritual leaders to call for a “Joel 2 gathering.” We are calling for tens of thousands of believers to join us this June 14-18, for 5 days of worship, prayer and some form of fasting (a meal a day, etc.) in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. (Though we will have worship Monday and Friday, the heart of what occurs will be 3 days, Tuesday through Thursday.) Listen once more to the words of the prophet Joel—he articulates what we are calling for:
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly.
16 Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders,
gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room
and the bride her chamber.
17 Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?' "
(Joel 2:15-17)
A Call to the Entire Nation
Can you hear the passion and desperation in these words from the prophet? One translation says: “Sound the alarm.” No one was exempt from Joel’s call: spiritual leaders had to come; young and old had to come, even nursing babies; honeymoons had to be postponed! No one was excused. And this sweeping appeal is no less appropriate today. I plead with you to hear the call: we have come to a Joel 2 time in America! So much hangs in the balance! How we respond to Him today will decide what America looks like for the next 50-100 years!