Saturday, October 31, 2020

A Call to Fasting, Repentance, and Prayer. 

This election is a fork in the road. If the Democrats are elected, this country will become a nation with only a secular mindset. From its founding, this country has been an experiment in what can happen if people put their trust in God and follow His commands. The Democrat Party has blatantly ignored God’s command, “Thou shall not commit murder”, in their platform supporting abortion rights. 

If the Democrats take the Presidency, The House of Representatives, and the Senate, secularism will become the state religion. The result of this election will bring about persecution of the Church. Light does not co-exist with darkness. Darkness hates the light, and by nature tries to snuff out the light. If sin persists, and we continue to call good, bad, and bad, good, God will have to bring judgment on this nation. When judgment comes, it rains upon the just and the unjust. 

Some of us in my Facebook Group, “Pray for POTUS”, have been fasting every Tuesday. I invite anyone to fast tomorrow (Sunday) through Tuesday (election day at 3 PM). There are many different ways to fast. I ask you to repent for the sin of abortion in this nation—the taking of 62,0000 lives that God created. I also ask you to pray for Christians in this nation. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has said that if all Christians would just vote it would determine the outcome of the election. Pray that Christians will see the ramifications of Biden and Trump’s policies and not just their personalities.  

Lord, I pray in the last days before this election, you would find a reason to be merciful. I pray that you raise up your people to pray and fast and turn from our wicked ways. Lord, you said that if you found ten righteous people that you would not have destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Lord, have mercy on the United States of America.

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Never Look Back


No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,

(Philippians 3:13 NLT)  

 

The Miracle Mile

In 1954 Englishman Roger Bannister and Australian John Landy, who were the first two men to break the four-minute mile, met in a race in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, called the "Miracle Mile." With ninety-seconds remaining in the race and Landy ahead, he glanced back over his left shoulder to see his opponent's location.  At that moment, Bannister surged past Landy on his right side and won the race by eight-tens of a second.  Many observed that if Landy had not looked back, he would have won the race.

 

The Apostle Paul had learned what John Landy had not, that taking our eyes off the prize is never good.  There is a principal in life that what you focus on, you tend to achieve. Paul knew that the key to success was to forget the past, both good and bad. 

 

Many have noted that rarely are people defeated in their faith by today's problems alone, but by also dwelling at the same time on yesterday's failures.  We are not designed to multi-task present and past struggles.  Looking back on past failures, other than for redemptive purposes, is always counterproductive.  Paul knew that he had "not achieved" or become perfect, but he must press on, looking forward, to become more like Christ.

 

Conversely, considering past successes can limit our future vision.  Every new movement of God has been resisted by the previous one.  Good can become the worse enemy of best.  Certainly, if anybody could have rested on his past achievements, it was the Apostle Paul.  He had suffered and achieved more than any man alive, yet he knew that he had to continue to strive until he arrived in the presence of Christ in Heaven. John Landy dominated the race until the very end when he took his eyes off the prize.

 

Are you, like Landy, going to lose the race because you are looking back? Keep your eyes on the prize, heavenward.

  

The image is used with permission by Microsoft.

 

Ken Barnes, the author of  “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website:
Ken Barnes' Book Site
Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com