Monthly Archives: August 2018

I Know Whom I Have Believed!!! Bible Ballistics: BBs #489

31 Friday Aug 2018

Posted by in A Father's Love, Confidence, Faith, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Know Whom I Believe

≈ Leave a comment

Bible Ballistics: BBs #489 I Know Whom I Have Believed!!!

 

I would simply like to share a passage with you this morning that Paul wrote to his son-in-the-ministry, Timothy. It is a passage that brings me great challenge and comfort; some of you may even recognize an old familiar hymn in it. May God help us to hear HIS voice above the “madding crowd”! And I pray that you have a blessed and joyous day and week ahead.

“Be not thou therefore ashamed

of the testimony of our Lord,

nor of me his prisoner:

but be thou partaker of the afflictions

of the gospel

according to the power of God;

9 Who hath saved us,

and called us

with an holy calling,

not according to our works,

but according to his own

purpose

and grace,

which was given us

in Christ Jesus

before the world began,

10 But is now made manifest

by the appearing of our Saviour

Jesus Christ,

who hath abolished death,

and hath brought life

and immortality

to light

through the gospel:

11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher,

and an apostle,

and a teacher of the Gentiles.

12 For the which cause

I also suffer these things:

nevertheless I am not ashamed:

for I know

whom I have believed,

and am persuaded

that he is able

to keep that

which I have committed

unto him

against that day.

13 Hold fast the form of sound words,

which thou hast heard of me,

in faith

and love

which is in Christ Jesus.”   2 Timothy 1:8-13

May God bless His Word to our hearts and minds “in Christ Jesus”, and may we remember the words of Job, and stand fast in our faithful Lord—Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

Amen and Amen!

“For I know

that my redeemer liveth,

and that he shall stand

at the latter day

upon the earth:” Job 19:25

Amen!

 

 

Is Truth Still True??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #488

29 Wednesday Aug 2018

Posted by in Seeing Truth, SIN, The Only Way, The Word Or The World?, Transformed life, Truth is True

≈ 1 Comment

Bible Ballistics: BBs #488 Is Truth Still True???

 

“Woe unto them

that call evil good,

and good evil;

that put darkness

for light,

and light

for darkness;

that put bitter

for sweet,

and sweet

for bitter!

21 Woe unto them

that are wise

in their own eyes,

and prudent

in their own sight!”   Isaiah 5:20-21 

Sometimes (in fact much of the time) I hear and see things going on around us—things that touch and affect the hearts and lives of those we care about, and we often wonder “why” are ‘things’ this way. This passage in Isaiah often comes to mind as I ponder the situation that we seem to find ourselves in. How did we get here? How did those that we care about get where they are? I think God gives us the answer to those questions?

We live in a culture that has willfully, if foolishly, chosen to walk in a way (as well as away—pun intended) that has abandoned the moorings to God and The Gospel of Jesus Christ. We live in a culture that has changed what it means to be a believer in Jesus—a Christian, if you would—to something most foreign, in my mind, to biblical Christianity. We have made our own ways, and are now reaping the consequences of going “that way”, rather than the way of The Holy God, who gave us His Holy Word to follow, even with all of His warnings of the consequences of walking “away” from Him, His Son and His Word!

“There is a way that seemeth right

unto a man,

but the end thereof

are the ways of death.”   Proverbs 16:25

We have failed to acknowledge the truth and are now reaping the consequences of our choices—of believing the lies of the enemy that we are “entitled” to do our own thing, our own way. There is an old (really old) country song that offended me when it was new and still offends me to this day, but a song that clearly describes the cultural direction that we have chosen; “Me And Jesus” was written by Tom T. Hall, and basically summed up what most people are living today, “Me and Jesus got our own thing going!” Well, I’ll have to beg the pardon of Mr. Hall—Jesus has the only “saving thing” going, and it’s found at the cross—and only at the cross. A cross where we come face to face with our sin, repent in faith, trusting to the cleansing power of Jesus substitutionary (He took my place), atoning (He paid the price of my sin-death), sacrifice (His blood was given for me)!

Scripture clearly tells us that:

“Therefore if any man be in Christ,

he is a new creature:

old things

are passed away;

behold,

all things

are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 

Paul clearly told the Romans what this “new” life looks like and it’s not “our own thing going”—but it’s me going “HIS” way and doing “God’s Work”! (See John 4:34)

“I beseech you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God,

that ye present your bodies

a living sacrifice,

holy,

acceptable unto God,

which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed

to this world:

but be ye transformed

by the renewing of your mind,

that ye may prove

what is that good,

and acceptable,

and perfect,

will of God.”   Romans 12:1-2

I am to be a “living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God”, and that my friends doesn’t match the world’s definition of Christianity. Let me mention a few things that have changed, in my humble opinion. We have professing Christian parents and grandparents, (and well-meaning friends) justifying their children’s immoral behavior—funding their illicit behavior, allowing their children to live in sin under their own roof (my momma would have called that ‘shacking up’—it’s not marriage, but adultery for the young or old!). We enable these young ones to continue in their sin—enabling their rebellion against God, never holding them accountable for the consequences of their own choices, often intervening to pay those consequences for them—teaching them what? Teaching them that “SIN” is ok as long as you go to church, pay, or ‘pray’ or impress others! In other words if you have children who have no means of support, and you are enabling them to live immorally, whether it’s in a sexual relationship, smoking, drinking, drugs or anything else that requires money and you provide that money for them—YOU are a part of the problem NOT the solution. And forbid it be, that you allow them to spend time in a jail or other facility for their just crimes!

God has called us to live holy lives, and to impart that holy living to our own offspring—to call them to a higher standard than that of the world. Instead we lower the standard at every turn, so as not to “loose” our children—well, my friend, if you’re not leading them to Jesus for salvation, and the Word of God for the standard of living, your have already lost them, with very little hope of them finding the truth that saves! We must wake up and turn this tide before our entire culture falls to anarchy!!! Look around my dear ones—we are watching our culture fall now, and very few are sounding the alarm. I pray that this message has offered no offense, for there is none intended from my heart, but rather a heartfelt burden for we who claim the name of Jesus to wake up and turn back to The Word of God for our standard not the world’s movies, music, books and anything that brings immorality into our homes and our hearts! May we repent, wake-up and see the signs around us, and make a difference in the lives of those God has placed in our circle of influence. Please, I beg of you—let’s make a difference while we can?

“Now learn a parable of the fig tree;

When his branch is yet tender,

and putteth forth leaves,

ye know that summer is nigh:

33 So likewise ye,

when ye shall see all these things,

know that it is near,

even at the doors.

34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

35 Heaven and earth shall pass away,

but my words shall not pass away.”   Matthew 24:32-35

Amen and Amen!!! Praying for YOU!!! The time is NEAR!!! Join me in asking God to “deliver us from evil”!!!

Help Thou My Unbelief??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 12 No. 03

26 Sunday Aug 2018

Posted by in The Word

≈ Leave a comment

Bible Ballistics: Vol. 12 No. 03 Help Thou My Unbelief???

 

This passage came up earlier this week, and I thought it would be worth our time to consider what this man was asking, and how does it relate to us—to you and me?

“And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son,

which hath a dumb spirit;

18 And wheresoever he taketh him,

he teareth him:

and he foameth,

and gnasheth with his teeth,

and pineth away:

and I spake to thy disciples

that they should cast him out;

and they could not.

19 He answereth him, and saith,

O faithless generation,

how long shall I be with you?

how long shall I suffer you?

bring him unto me.

20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him,

straightway the spirit tare him;

and he fell on the ground,

and wallowed foaming.

21 And he asked his father,

How long is it ago since this came unto him?

And he said,

Of a child.

22 And ofttimes it hath cast him

into the fire,

and into the waters,

to destroy him:

but if thou canst do any thing,

have compassion on us,

and help us.

23 Jesus said unto him,

If thou canst believe,

all things are possible

to him that believeth.

24 And straightway the father of the child

cried out,

and said

with tears,

Lord, I believe;

help thou mine unbelief.

25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together,

he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him,

Thou dumb and deaf spirit,

I charge thee,

come out of him,

and enter no more into him.

26 And the spirit cried,

and rent him sore,

and came out of him:

and he was as one dead;

insomuch that many said,

He is dead.

27 But Jesus took him by the hand,

and lifted him up;

and he arose.” Mark 9:17-27

Here we see a desperate father with a child in even more desperation—possessed by a demon. While we often have trouble imagining this, it was a real problem for this father. I want us to consider several things about this man and see what we can learn from this encounter. First of all, Jesus had been absent from the disciples (except for Peter, James and John) on the Mount of Transfiguration; and as He is returning He finds a crowd gathered, including the religious leaders, who were questioning His disciples, as well as this desperate father who cried out to Jesus on behalf of his son. Why couldn’t’ the disciples heal this child? They asked Jesus that same question after the incident was over.

“And when he was come into the house,

his disciples asked him privately,

Why could not we cast him out?

29 And he said unto them,

This kind can come forth by nothing,

but by prayer

and fasting.” Mark 9:28-29

I think we often overthink Jesus’ response. Jesus simply makes it clear that all spiritual battles aren’t won with ease. There are some battles that we must prepare for, in the sense of drawing near to God, and while that can include fasting, it will ALWAYS involve an intimate prayer-life with God. But what is an intimate ‘prayer-life’ with God? We won’t go into great detail here, but praying is, in it’s most simple form, communication with our God! And while prayer takes many forms, we must keep our relationship with God up-to-date; as I often say, prayer helps us ‘shorten’ our lead-time. What I mean by that is when we communicate with our Lord on a continual, regular basis then we will be listening when He calls us to times of intimate preparation; we will be more able to recognize sin as sin, when it knocks at our door, turn from it more quickly when it does, and repent of it sooner when we do stumble into it. An intimate prayer life will help us keep short accounts daily with Jesus!

In this account we have disciples that, like us, often needed reminding of truth even as they walked with Jesus—they were no different than you and I, other than having the privilege of Jesus’ personal presence. Yet we have the privilege of the indwelling Holy Spirit who Jesus gave us to help us have a successful walk with HIM! Jesus said that this particular case was a hard one, needing special preparation. What about this father? What about us?

“And ofttimes it hath cast him

into the fire,

and into the waters,

to destroy him:

but if thou canst do any thing,

have compassion on us,

and help us.”

 A father with a child in need, had come to Jesus for help, he understood and believed enough to come to Jesus for his son’s deliverance. This man asked “if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us”, and I can’t help but believe that this isn’t the first place that he had gone for help—he is at his wit’s end! Jesus relieves his angst and simply says:

“If thou canst believe,

all things are possible

to him that believeth”

‘All things are possible’, is a phrase that is often found in scripture, because God’s thoughts are not our thoughts.

“For my thoughts

are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways

my ways,

saith the LORD.

9 For as the heavens

are higher than the earth,

so are my ways

higher than your ways,

and my thoughts

than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

So what was this man asking for as he:

“cried out,

and said

with tears,

Lord, I believe;

help thou mine unbelief”

We all wrestle with “mine unbelief” and this man is no different. Sometimes what God asks us to do is just what Jesus called this father to do:

“If thou canst believe,

all things are possible

to him that believeth”!

God calls us to believe that HE is able. Even Abraham wrestled with this issue—sometimes God calls us to great tasks, demanding great faith IN HIM—rather than our own frail abilities and understanding.

“And the LORD said unto Abraham,

Wherefore did Sarah laugh,

saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child,

which am old?

14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD?

At the time appointed I will return

unto thee,

according to the time of life,

and Sarah shall have a son.”   Genesis 18:13-14

Jeremiah, one of my favorite prophets, when asked by God to buy a property just before the fall of Jerusalem, didn’t understand that God was simply using him to confirm his promises. God told Jeremiah much the same thing that He told Abraham, and the same thing He often says to you and me—HE will help our unbelief when we but ask.

“Then came the word of the LORD

unto Jeremiah, saying,

27 Behold, I am the LORD,

the God of all flesh:

is there any thing too hard for me?”   Jeremiah 32:26-27

Our God is able to do whatever pleases Him, accomplishes His purposes and grows us into the image of HIS Son. We can trust HIM in all things—nothing is “too hard for me”.

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities:

for we know not

what we should pray for

as we ought:

but the Spirit itself

maketh intercession

for us

with groanings

which cannot be uttered.

27 And he that searcheth the hearts

knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,

because he maketh intercession

for the saints

according to the will of God.

28 And we know

that all things

work together

for good

to them that love God,

to them who are the called

according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow,

he also did predestinate

to be conformed

to the image of his Son,

that he might be the firstborn

among many brethren.” Romans 8:26-29

God is using everything—even my mess-ups—to make me more like Jesus. My responsibility is to stay in tune with HIM! To trust Him, to believe Him with my heart and mind, not my “eyes”!

“But without faith

it is impossible to please him:

for he that cometh to God

must believe that he is,

and that he is a rewarder

of them that diligently seek him.”    Hebrews 11:6

That means that when my faith may be leaning on a straw, I can cry out to my Lord, “help thou mine unbelief”, and He will meet us where we are! God has us no matter where we are, and He will help us keep our eyes on JESUS!

I remember a very dark time in my life, yet in that time God ministered to me in a way that I wasn’t expecting! At that time, I experienced something like a dream three nights in a row—it wasn’t a dream of anything in particular but I would awake to a very dark, frightening, and disturbing feeling. The first night I just wrote it off to the stress of my circumstances. The next night, I began to be confused and unsettled but didn’t really recognize God’s hand at work. The third night when the same thing happened, the Holy Spirit seemed to be speaking to my heart that God was speaking to me. I remember responding in prayer to God that whatever He was preparing me for, no matter how dark and hard, I would trust HIM to take care of it.

Within the next few weeks I experienced one of the most horrific situations of my life, yet I knew God had prepared me for that tragic and difficult time, and while I didn’t repeat the words of this desperate father, I did feel that sense of Lord, I don’t know where you are taking me but I want to be sure and follow you in faith regardless of the desperation in my heart and soul. I think we are all in need of God’s reassurance at various times, and you may be in one of those times now; I pray that this message will encourage you where ever you may be.

May we re-double our efforts to stay in tune with our father, trusting Him no matter the test or trial that we encounter. And remember that prayer is our continual pipeline with our Father God and Jesus The Son, through The Holy Spirit!

“Rejoice evermore.

17 Pray without ceasing.

18 In every thing give thanks:

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus concerning you.

19 Quench not the Spirit.”  1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

This doesn’t mean that we have to go around with our heads bowed and our eyes closed, rather it means that we stay in tune with our Father and see every situation through HIS eyes, relying on His wisdom and direction at every turn. Living our life with an attitude of prayer “without ceasing”, always! Ever having the words of our Lord in mind:

“After this manner therefore pray ye:

Our Father

which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done in earth,

as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.”    Matthew 6:9-11

Living with His will leading my heart, His pleasure directing my mind, and His work ever being lived out through my every thought, word and deed!

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

Are YOU Hungry??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #487

24 Friday Aug 2018

Posted by in Crucified With Christ

≈ 2 Comments

Bible Ballistics: BBs #487 Are YOU Hungry???

 

I love food—I like to eat out—I like to eat with others—I like to eat my own cooking—I just love food. Yet, food can be a stronghold when we don’t exercise “self” control, then it can even become an idol that we use to replace our intimacy with God. But that’s not my point for today; I want us to consider someone who had a different thought about food—Job! Job is the man we look to when we need to understand and deal with suffering and faith, but I found something many years ago that has stuck with me and I often have to revisit this principle when I am trying to live victoriously in my own issues. I hope it will speak to you today.

“But he knoweth the way

that I take:

when he hath tried me,

I shall come forth as gold.

11 My foot hath held his steps,

his way have I kept,

and not declined.

12 Neither have I gone back

from the commandment of his lips;

I have esteemed the words of his mouth

more than my necessary food.” Job 23:10-12

What are you hungry for? Are you like me and wrestle with the pleasure of food? Or maybe you wrestle with something else! Regardless of your struggle, what Job says is a pure principle that will help us live victoriously whatever the area of our personal struggle! How? By “esteeming” God’s Word above all—more than our “necessary food”—in other words, Job is telling us that seeking God’s face and God’s ways is more important to him that life itself (For without ‘necessary food’ we die!)!

Paul helps us give some “feet” to this principle and I pray that we will each ponder these things as we go into this weekend (and daily) hearing from God in regard to whatever issues we may be facing.

“I am crucified with Christ:

nevertheless I live;

yet not I,

but Christ liveth in me:

and the life which I now live in the flesh

I live by the faith

of the Son of God,

who loved me,

and gave himself for me.”   Galatians 2:20

When we die to self and live unto HIM, by HIM and through HIS power, grace and strength, we can overcome any stronghold that tries to suppress us!!! But we must keep our eyes on Jesus—not on ourselves, our food, our lusts, or our distractions–knowing that HE is all we need.

“To whom God would make known

what is the riches

of the glory of this mystery

among the Gentiles;

which is Christ in you,

the hope of glory:” Colossians 1:27

Jesus is our glory in all things, and He even told us how to make Him our priority—and this is where victory begins!

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples,

If any man will come after me,

let him deny himself,

and take up his cross,

and follow me.”   Matthew 16:24

If I might make it simple—we must:

Deny “me” and acknowledge His sufficiency—

Die to “me” and live by the power of HIS cross—

Follow HIS desires not “mine”!

And when we learn to depend on Him for all we need, whether it’s our “necessary food”, or the passions that distract us, we can have victory in our daily walk with Jesus, and then we can truly join the Psalmist and embrace this truth:

“The

LORD

is

   my

shepherd;

I

   shall

  not

      want.”   Psalm 23:1

I can follow MY SHEPHERD in total confidence and with Job declare that I desire HIM and esteem HIS Word and ways “more than my necessary food”! It’s an issue of love and devotion! Are we in love with something other than Jesus first? Are we more passionate about the world or our LORD?

How hungry for HIM are YOU?

“...but Christ is all, and in all.”   Colossians 3:11b

As Paul also reminded the Romans, it’s all about Jesus:

“For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 11:36-12:1

Amen!

Who Dropped The Ball??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #486

22 Wednesday Aug 2018

Posted by in Family, For Such A Time As This, Who Dropped The Ball?

≈ Leave a comment

Bible Ballistics: BBs #486 Who Dropped The Ball???

 

It’s almost football season—in fact many schools have already started, and the pre-season has begun—and no matter how you feel about sports, we’ve all heard of players dropping the ball, or missing a catch, or even running the wrong way. Those mistakes can have a high price tag—often the loss of the game. Well, my friends, we are in a much greater struggle than a sports competition, we are in a war for the hearts, minds and souls of men, women, boys and girls—the spiritual destiny of a world, a nation, a city—and even more of a root issue—the hearts and lives of families. Have we dropped the ball as a culture in the ideology of family? I believe we have, but we must strive to recover from our folly and restore the important core of our culture, of any culture—the family, the home, marriage and the valuing of life, all life!

When we abandon the moorings that God has given us we will see our ships drift into dangerous waters, storms and even destruction from the winds of life. We must recognize our true state, ask God’s forgiveness, and seek HIS wisdom and courage to make/be a change as we “stand fast in the evil day”! We can find some biblical insight into a ‘changing of the guard’ in scripture, which seems to parallel our state.

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD,

choose you this day

whom ye will serve;

whether the gods

which your fathers served

that were on the other side of the flood,

or the gods of the Amorites,

in whose land ye dwell:

but as for me and my house,

we will serve the LORD.

16 And the people answered and said,

God forbid

that we should forsake the LORD,

to serve other gods;”   Joshua 24:15-16

Joshua had led the children of Israel into the Promised Land and given each tribe their inheritance to possess and to complete the conquest of the remaining enemies. We find Joshua near the end of his life calling the people together to remind them of what God had done for them, and to call them to confront their tendency to wander from God and choose poorly. It is here that we find the great call that still stands the test of time, the call that we all face at one time or another, “choose you this day…….but as for me and my house we will serve the LORD.” We all must choose, and we do choose every day! But what are we choosing?

Like Israel, we often choose poorly, and the consequences of our choices always become manifest, and I believe our choices here in the US have sadly become clearly manifest.

“And Joshua the son of Nun,

the servant of the LORD,

died,

being an hundred and ten years old.

9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.

10 And also all that generation

were gathered unto their fathers:

and there arose another generation

after them,

which knew not the LORD,

nor yet the works

which he had done for Israel.”   Judges 2:8-10

I saw an example of this principle a long time ago, it was a an empty chair—and the speaker reminded us that when we fail to pass on the truths to those who are following us when we are in “the chair”, then the next “chair” will be empty and our heritage will fail. The generation which followed Joshua and his contemporaries, “knew not the LORD”, and we are finding ourselves in the same boat today. But how did this happen? Let’s see what the word tells us.

“And thou shalt love the LORD

thy God

with all thine heart,

and with all thy soul,

and with all thy might.

6 And these words,

which I command thee this day,

shall be in thine heart:”   Deuteronomy 6:5-6

God makes it clear in this wonderful passage that we can never pass on that which we don’t possess—the first thing that we must each do is have a relationship with GOD, through His Son Jesus, and in that relationship “I” come to love The LORD “my” God! And when I am in a relationship with Him then I can love Him with “all my” heart, soul and might/mind—for He and His Word are in “my heart”! If I don’t have Jesus, then I have nothing to pass on, but when we do know HIM, God lays out the plan for passing the baton to the next generation. I wish we had time to go over this entire passage, but for time’s sake we will look at only a few verses today (I encourage you to spend some time today in this entire chapter, it will bless your soul, and it may transform your relationships!).

“7 And thou shalt teach them diligently

unto thy children,

and shalt talk of them

when thou sittest in thine house,

and when thou walkest by the way,

and when thou liest down,

and when thou risest up…..

18 And thou shalt do

that which is right

and good

in the sight of the LORD:

that it may be well with thee,

and that thou mayest go in

and possess the good land

which the LORD sware

unto thy fathers……

20 And when thy son asketh thee

in time to come,

saying,

What mean the testimonies,

and the statutes,

and the judgments,

which the LORD

our God

hath commanded you?

21 Then thou shalt say

unto thy son,

We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt

with a mighty hand…..

24 And the LORD commanded us

to do all these statutes,

to fear the LORD our God,

for our good always,

that he might preserve us alive,

as it is at this day.”    Portions of Deuteronomy 6:7-24

God’s plan was that we who know Him, would share our love of Him by our conversations with our children-morning, noon and night, and that we would do what was pleasing to GOD not man! And the thing that is so amazingly simple, is that God tells us that if we would do these things, and make sharing HIM a priority in our lives, and live a life that backs up what we profess, that one day our child would “ask” us why, and then we would have an opportunity to share with them the truth of what God has done for “me/you”! WOW! I love the beauty and simplicity of this passage—not easy but simply put and irrefutable!

If we will do things God’s way, we will see amazing results. I pray that you and I will take this to heart and regardless of our past failures and shortcomings before God, that we will commit to faithfully pursue God, follow His will and His Word, and be a reflection of His glory to those around us. That we will teach those in our charge at every opportunity—to see and avail ourselves of every teachable moment God places before us. Oh that God would grant us mercy and grace to see our culture experience a great awakening and move of God—and I believe it can start in our homes, spread to our churches and then to our towns, cities, states and even to the cultural sewer that we call our capital. May God have mercy on us, and may we pursue Him tirelessly.

“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.”   2 Chronicles 7:14

Amen and Amen—even so Lord Jesus!