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The Focus
by Dennis Wheeler
I arrived at the church office early this morning while it was still dark. Bleary-eyed I stumbled into my office...turned on the computer...and opened my email. One email note that caught my attention stated..."It's time to reclaim America". I opened the email and attached were petitions to sign and show support for the life of the unborn, support the traditional marriage, support the display of the Ten Commandments on public property, and still another petition that supports "One nation under God" in our
pledge.
Isn't it incredible that these items have become questionable and debatable issues?
Thirty years ago it seems that our nation agreed that life begins in the womb...that marriage is between a man & woman...we never gave a second-thought to the Ten Commandments hanging on the walls of our
courthouses and schools...and we grew up saying the pledge daily (including 'one nation under God') in our classrooms.
What's happening?
We are becoming a nation that is forgetting who God is and therefore, our walls of morality are crumbling & deteriorating.
As Christians, this should ring a bell with us. Remember Nehemiah in the Old Testament? It's been over 400 years since Solomon build the great temple in Jerusalem; and now it has come to Nehemiah's attention that the walls and gates of the city are in disrepair. More importantly, though, he realizes that in those 400 years, the nation Israel has crumbled time and time again because of it disobedience to God.
So, Nehemiah intercedes in praayer, on behalf of both the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem. He asks God to forgive the people's sins, and in effect, give them another chance at being recognized as a nation - a nation what woships God.
God honored Nehemiah's prayer of intercession. He did so because Nehemiah was a man of action. God knew that he would give more than just lip service to uniting a nation; he would fight for it.
I think it's symbolic that Nehemiah's intercession accomplished the rebuilding of a literal wall...in only 52 days!! However, his faithful action led to a spiritual rebuilding of the nation of Israel as well.
Perhaps if we will pray on behalf of our sinful nation, God will listen and help us turn back to Him.
Will YOU be a Nehemiah?
He serves as the Senior Pastor with southwest Virginia church... a loving church family in Abingdon.
He and his wife Sharon have been married for over 27 years and are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters, one son-in-law, and two precious grandchildren, the second arrived arrived on the scene in September 2004!!
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