God and God Alone

Today, I received a phone call from Jim Vess who is married to my neice Karen.  Jim and Karen are very involved in their church in the Dallas, TX, area and he was talking to me about a mission trip that they will be taking in about a month to Egypt.  Jim went there about a year ago with their daughter Amanda Wellman but  he had not planned to go again for several reasons ... mainly the cost: about $3,000.  Expensive as that is, he had promised Karen that he would not go again without her.  Now, its up to $6,000.  Still, Jim was challenged to go and he began to pray about it, "God, if you want us to go you will have to provide the funds."

A short time later, he was telling a co-worker about this and the guy asked, "How much will it cost?"  Of course Jim told him, but only for himself.  This man said that the $3,000 would be there the next day.  Wow!  Its great how God works ... half the cost without asking anyone but God.  Then, at church he was telling someone about what had happened and was asked "why are you still trying to raise the money?'  "Its for Karen to go also," he said.  "Then, quit trying, the other $3,000 will be in the bank for you tomorrow."

I'm not sure that I got it exactly right, but this I did get ... its all about God and God alone!

Jim and I continued to talk and our talk drifted to politics ... a very hot topic for the day.  My thoughts ran to God ... "please dear Lord, intervene in America."

It really doesn't make any difference which side of the aisle you happen to find yourself, whether liberal or conservative, left or right, or somewhere in between.  There really is no solution that can be found in any man or woman.  Barak Obama is running for president again and Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, Michele Bachman, etc. are opposing him.  The radio/tv pundits take sides and cry out "vote for 'so-in-so' in order to save our country."

I am so tired of this talk (and I get caught up in it too). But what we really need is a visit from God.  No man or woman will ever lead this country out of its depravity ... it must be God and God alone!  Men all want to impose their political philosophies on someone else ... to force change by edict and law.  Though I believe that the US Constitution is the greatest founding document ever created by man, it has been perverted by laws that aren't even read and by judicial rulings which are contrary to its intention. 

My prayer is that God would come down and shake our foundations, change our collective and individual hearts, and once again glorify Himself.  Therefore, it must be God, not man.  What we need is a man or woman in office who is so filled with the Spirit of the Living God and not consummed by political correctness that change begins to take place through that leader.  You see, this won't happen unless God is in it and in him or her, I don't care which.  All I want is God and God alone.  He truly is our only hope.

This concept is so beautifully stated in the following song written over 25 years ago.  May God once again split the heavens wide open and come down to shake our false foundations.

"God and God Alone"

      written in 1984 by Phil McHugh and recorded by Steve Green

God and God alone created all these things we call our own  From the mighty to  the small the Glory in them all is God's and God's alone
God and God alone reveals the truth of all we call unknown and the best and worst of man won't change the Master's plan it's God's and God's alone
God and God alone will be the joy of our eternal home He will be our one desire Our hearts will never tire of God's and God's alone.
Chorus:
God and God alone is fit to take the universe's throne
Let everything that lives reserve it's truest praise for God and God alone

Cleansed Once Again

Psalm 51
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
One of the most devastating experiences in life is for the Christ follower to not only sin, but to retain that sin. It crushes one's spirit and Satan is quick to pounce on it in the hope of keeping you down. But a quick humble and contrite confession of that sin to God brings complete cleansing and restoration. 
The sin, that Hebrews 12 talks about, which is that weakest point in each person, is cleansed as well ...  Jesus died on the cross of Calvary for ALL our sins and the promise of God is that "if you confess your sins He is faithful to forgive us and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) 
Having been cleansed once again, David says that he will have JOY.  And, I too have been cleansed and, now clean before God, I have uninterrupted fellowship with Him and my Joy is complete.  The sin is all of me and the cleansing is all of God.
There is an old hymn sung for generations which asks "Have you been to Jesus for that cleansing flood and been washed in the blood of the Lamb?"  Oh dear saint, do not retain your sin but quickly confess it and allow the love of God, in His Son, to completely and thoroughly cleanse you from the inside out.  He promises He will do it and Satan is a liar when he tries to convince you and me that we have sinned one time too many. 
Totally forgiven ... cleansed once again!

Does Prayer Really Work?

Some time back, I had an interesting conversation with a man who came by to clean our carpet. The train of thought turned to America, “where we have been” and “where we are headed.” He was trying his best to be positive about the future, but it was very difficult. He mentioned that we need to pray for the president. I was feeling kinda down and a bit pessimistic at that prospect, but I agreed that we need to pray. I blamed our leaders for the situation in America and he said, "We the people..." put him there. This guy left and I began to think that we Americans ... Christian Americans ... need to be on our faces before God to confess our sins and to pray for those in authority over us.

In 2 Chronicles 7:13-15, God said, "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will 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. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.

Do we really believe God ... do we believe that He can change our hearts ... do we believe that He still has a plan for America? Is God really sovereign? Is He still in control? Do I believe?
Recorded in John 16: 23, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, my Father will give you anything you ask for in my name.” And, in 24 ” ...Ask and you will receive, so that your joy will be the fullest possible joy.” Then, after the disciples stated their faith, He said in 31 “So now you believe?” And finally, in 33 ... “In this world you will have trouble, but be brave! I have defeated the world."

In 2007 Chuck Swindoll wrote a prayer for the National Day of Prayer which was printed on book-marks that were sent out all over the country to those who had agreed to join in that day. I still have this in my Bible and it reads:
"Almighty God, we pause to reflect on Your character as we seek wisdom for such a time as this.
In these unsafe days, You remain all-powerful and able to protect;
In these uncertain times, You remain all-knowing, leading us aright;
In the unprecedented events we're facing, You remain absolutely sovereign. Our times are in Your hands.
Therefore, our dependence on You, is total, not partial ... our need for Your forgiveness is constant ... our gratitude for Your grace is profound ... our love for You is deep.
We ask that You guard and guide our President and all who serve the people of these United States.
May uncompromising integrity mark their lives.
We also ask that You unite us as truly "one nation, under God." May genuine humility return to our ranks.
And may that blend of integrity and humility heal our land.
In our Lord's name we pray, Amen.”