WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:14.820 I'm coming to you from North Central Ohio, we share with you the voice of the Nazarene, a week by week venture into the Word of God sponsored by the Bucyrus, Ohio Church of the Nazarene, we joined our pastor river rate LaSalle, and the voice of the Nazarene. 00:00:17.910 --> 00:01:05.819 Second Chronicles chapter seven, beginning in verse 13. If I shut up heaven, that there'd be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I said pestilence, among my people. He said, If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face. turn from their wicked ways, then, will I hear from heaven will forgive their sin and will heal their land, let's talk about America. 00:00:57.990 --> 00:01:05.819 And revival revival in America. 00:01:07.109 --> 00:02:10.409 The Fourth of July weekend was approaching and Miss bellum, the nursery school teacher she wanted to impress the students about what a great country that we live in. And she said, America is great because America is free. Trevor, a little boy in the back of the classroom, stood to his feet and headed up toward the teacher's desk and got right in front of her and put his hands on his hips. And he said, I'm not free. I'm four. I'm grateful for a country called America and what it stands for and what it means. I'm grateful for the fact that America is a land of freedom. You and I could get in our automobiles and drive to church and get actually worship God and not be censored. 00:02:12.539 --> 00:02:57.659 America is great, because we have churches that honor God, and people are God fearing and they can meet and they can worship. God was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. And Abraham in his prayer said if you could find 50, righteous would you spare Sodom, God said I would. I don't know how many it takes to spare America. But I'm, I'm praying that we're a part of that crowd meeting on this Sunday morning. So I get into the message, I'm not going to apologize for the fact that I'm a flag waving red blooded lover of America. I'm going to apologize for it. 00:03:03.719 --> 00:04:46.529 And I'm still have the school that when the national anthem is played, I rise to my feet. I'm still that school. When they're pledging allegiance to the flag, there's a lump that wells up in my throat and I put my hand over my heart, it just happens. I'm still about school, when I see men and women in military uniform. Something holding inside of me wants to get to them and tell them how grateful that I am. For their stance between me and the enemy. I am not only thankful for America, I'm thankful for this area in which I've lived in now for the last 31 years. Here's a church located between the or at least on three sides between the cornfields and the wheat, the Beanfields. When people drive in from other counties and other cities and other towns, great things happening. And I love America. But may I also add that I have some great concerns for our country. Thomas Paine said these words if there be trouble, let it be in my lifetime. So that my children will know peace if there's going to be trouble, let it happen in my lifetime so that my children will know. 00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:46.529 Peace. We have great trouble. 00:04:46.529 --> 00:05:30.329 I'm troubled when 13 million children go to bed every night in America hungry. I'm troubled that 1000s of schools across America Not all of them, but 1000s of them never offer a word of prayer to God when the day began. I'm troubled when politicians can run the debt, up to $21 trillion for our children and our grandchildren to try to pay. And that's on both sides of the political aisle. 00:05:25.410 --> 00:05:56.699 Incidentally. I'm troubled when our borders have been so open that people can flood in by the millions. And at the very same time, we're aborting more than a million babies a year. I'm trouble. Now, that amazing thing is happening here in Scripture, it's the Israelites. And God says that there's been no rain, you've had no rain, verse 13. 00:05:57.629 --> 00:06:18.300 And locusts are everywhere eating up the crop and there's pestilence, all kinds of trouble. And then God said, here's the answer. This is the answer. And it's here in verse 14. Somebody said that we need to persuade God to give revival. 00:06:18.480 --> 00:07:39.449 We don't need to persuade God to give a revival. We need to permit God to give revival. You know, persuade gotta do something you permit God. As long as you're fighting God, gotta walk off heaven and become silent. And then it happens through our lives being changed that we permit God. And so here's the answer. It's verse 14. Second Chronicles, chapter seven, the Bible said, of my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and he said, seek my face turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven? I'll forgive their sin and I'll, I'll heal their land for things real quick. Like I want you to see. Did I say quick? Like, I didn't mean that part. Four things. If you had listened faster, we'd get done sooner. I want you to notice from this verse, the people that God has If My people, it didn't say Hollywood it didn't say Wall Street. It didn't say the Republicans. It didn't say the Democrats. It didn't say any other group except my people. 00:07:33.839 --> 00:09:46.710 God is saying the problem lies with the church. And church, people will act like they're on church. But let's be sure that the church people are acting like Christians. Psalm 33, one says, Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, and the people who may have chosen for his own inheritance. Blessing is the nation whose God is the Lord. And then in Proverbs 1434, righteousness exalted a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people, unequivocally. Our nation was founded on Christian, godly principles. No question about it. People may find that under trying to get away from it, but that's the way that we started. If you understand those 56 men that wrote the Declaration of Independence 52 Out of the 56 were devout Christians, there may have been a deist or two. But 52 of them were devout Christians. And when they began that document, those five men that pin those words, they said, We hold these truths to be self evident that God created all men, great if you're not from a monkey, quit acting and mucking around. God created us as men and women. And then he endowed us with certain inalienable rights. Our Creator did. Now you can talk about polytheism if you want to, but if you notice, our forefathers believed in the Divine Creator that we were gloriously and wonderfully made. They never know you that once I was a tadpole, beginning to began and then I was a frog with my tail tucked in. Then I was a monkey in a banana tree. Now, I am a professor with a PhD degree. 00:09:48.000 --> 00:10:01.769 They didn't believe that. They believe that God created the world, the rocks, the reels, the holes, the hills, the birds, the bees, the flowers and the trees. 00:09:54.840 --> 00:10:47.100 And the US and the me He's God created. We have a divine creator. They didn't believe in evolution. They taught their children that there was a God and that there was a divine blueprint, not some dumb blow gun. They were believers. They believed there was a book. And they believed that you needed to believe in that that there was a divine bill collector and all of us one day will answer to him, You say, Well, I'm just gonna raise my kids and I'll let them choose if they want to believe in evolution or whatever they want to believe. Well, if you don't have a mirror, can I give you a reflection? You got a room upstairs, it's unfurnished. 00:10:51.419 --> 00:11:23.070 That's what my notes that I just read this stuff. The people that God has something else I want you to see the pride that God hates. You know, the average churches kicked out. Brother weeper and sister crier, any emotion, any real depth of caring. They don't want that. We live in a culture that is prideful. And very arrogant. 00:11:16.169 --> 00:11:28.769 Where do you think we are in Bible prophecy? pastored. I can tell you where we're at. And I'll even go on the world. We'll just stick with the church. 00:11:29.159 --> 00:11:40.080 We're in Revelation, chapter three, verse 17. Because thou says I'm a rich, and increased with goods, have needed nothing. 00:11:40.919 --> 00:12:23.730 And knowest not that thou are wretched and miserable and floor, poor and blind, and naked. And if you drop down to verse 20, in that same chapter, he said, Behold, I stand at the door knocking if any man will open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him and he with Me? Do you know that verse we use it when we're talking to the last God's saying, Behold, I stand at the door knock. And really, God was addressing the church. The layout of see in church, the last church age, the next thing that will happen is the rapture of the church. It's chapter four, verse one, and He will gather together to off. 00:12:25.769 --> 00:12:56.669 He's speaking to the church rich and increase with goods and have need of nothing. And we need to realize that God is who we need more than anything else or anyone else. We need God. And then notice what the Bible says will humble themselves. Listen, you don't want God to humble you. You will like how he does it. I didn't like that humbled me either. So I tried to humble myself before he got home. I hoped it would change things. 00:12:58.919 --> 00:13:48.299 humble ourselves. In the early days of my ministry, when I was an evangelist for 23 years, crowds were astronomical. They would pack the building now grant you they were not the size of this auditorium. Most of them weren't. But they would pack it out, and they would be standing in the back. And those were great days that I ran my slate in the Herald of holiness, I rent it in the harrow from Asbury college and seminary. I read it in God's revivals from God's Bible College. And then I put out my own publication that went out to more than 5000. At that time, we were on 28 radio stations continuously. And a lot of people would get the word and they would drive many, many miles to come to the revival. 00:13:45.570 --> 00:13:52.379 The pastor would say, Where in the world are they coming from? 00:13:48.299 --> 00:15:01.049 I arrived at one place, and there was hardly anyone there. I said to the pastor, just in case he didn't know it. I said, there's not anybody here. He said, I know what I said. Didn't you announce and promote and tell him I was common? He said no, but apparently they found out. Humble yourself. Don't let them forget. Abraham Lincoln was president. And he's the guy that he said I was accused of being two faced. And he said, If I were I wouldn't be wearing that one. It was at the mirror height of the Civil War. It was at a time where hundreds of 1000s had been slammed and the fields were bloodied. bodies were being buried and Brother against brother a brutal war here in America, the only one really fought on our shores. And he said, I was driven to my knees by an overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go? 00:15:01.830 --> 00:15:06.720 By wisdom and all about me was insufficient for for the day. 00:15:07.500 --> 00:15:40.169 Pastor winners, God going to bless america heavily which when America realizes that everything that we have comes from Him, the air we breathe, the sun that warms our face, the water that we drink, the food that we eat, the homes that we live in, what we realize that God is our source, and no one else is and nothing else is, but Him alone and humble ourselves before God, God bless America. He shares with us the people that God has. 00:15:40.559 --> 00:16:05.850 And then the pray that God hates for something else. Notice the prayer that God hears in my people, which are called by my name, Sheila humble themselves and pray, pray the prayer that God hears Listen to me, not seeking his hand, but seeking his face, seeking to know Him. 00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:15.990 Not after things that we can accumulate and get God, you know, like little McDonald's farmer, give me give me here to give me give me there and give me give me give me everywhere. 00:16:10.529 --> 00:16:15.990 Not that, but seeking his face. 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:55.200 In the later years of my evangelism, my wife kept the kids home and put them in school. I'd be gone sometimes week on end, and I'd come home and my kids, they were little, they'd come around Daddy, Daddy, what do you get me? What's in your pocket, daddy, and I would give them things. But as they got older, instead of asking me for things, they begin to look me in the face and said, Daddy, I missed you. I'm glad you're safe. I'm glad you're home. They can they quit reaching for my hand and begin to seek my face. 00:16:48.899 --> 00:17:43.710 And when we're seeking the hand that's about needs and when the needs run out, we're not apt to be praying. The motivation needs to be intimacy with God, spending time with him, it needs to be Matthew chapter six, verse six, shutting the door behind us and getting alone with him. But thou without prayers enter into thy closet when thou has shut the door, pray to the Father, which is in secret, and the father would see it in secret shall reward the only Now sometimes when I've got a very important conversation, and it needs to be pretty private, I'll say, Would you please close the door behind you. And that's what God is saying. If you really want to talk with me about important issues, get the door shot, get along with me spend time in 00:17:43.710 --> 00:17:44.519 intimacy. 00:17:45.720 --> 00:17:56.190 My people, which are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face term from the Wigan ways. Then I'll hear from heaven. 00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:00.630 The prayer that God hears and how 00:18:00.630 --> 00:18:08.430 forgive their sin and he'll learn one other thing and then I'm done. 00:18:03.240 --> 00:19:08.220 Maybe the promise that God honors you see God can heal the land and God can't forgive her sin until some things happen. It was during the Revolutionary War and George Washington was president. If you've studied history, he had a pretty much a ragtag army. They had nothing more than squirrel guns and muzzle loaders. And they were up against the greatest fighting machine of their time. Great Britain covered their navy covered the seas and their armies covered the land and nobody could stand up to Great Britain. Now a handful of patriots, a number of our people raced up to Canada, they didn't want to be a part of it. And they became what we call now Canadians. They don't want to be a part of the struggle. But a handful said we will want to fight for our freedom. We want the right to serve God and to have our own land. 00:19:14.099 --> 00:20:44.940 Snow came at Valley Forge. When the snow hit our alarm, he was in trouble. Washington was without resources. He had an untrained man trying to fight a war against trained soldiers with resources. They would kneel and shoot and only thing we needed to do was try to find a tree to hide behind and poke a rifle around it or hide behind a rock and shoot and Britain said that's not fair. You need to step out in the open Yeah, so we get shot. You can tell who our soldiers were because many of them didn't have shoes or when the snow hit it left bloody footprints. Washington tried to encourage the soldiers he watched his her feet turned black and many of them had to have their feet amputated toward the end of that battle and that war. Washington didn't know what to do. There was a Quaker named Isaac Potts. And he said, I watched him go out into the woods and get on his knees in the snow and he prayed, and He interceded for his men for the cause and for his country. Now, Reverend Nathaniel Rudolph Snowdon. He happened to be a press, an ordained Presbyterian preacher, a graduate of Princeton and added a degree earned from Dickerson College. 00:20:45.240 --> 00:22:22.140 In his memoirs, he wrote about talking with Isaac Potts, and riding along on the horse. And in his own handwriting, he said, they were about to give up the ship, except for a good good man named Washington. And he said in that woods, the Quaker, Isaac Potts pointed to the various bodies. So there's why I watched Washington go and kneel in prayer. He said, I tied my horse to a sapling, I slipped off quietly and approached the man and he had his sword on one side and his cocked out on the other side. And I never heard anyone pray such a prayer, as Washington begged God to be the God of their army, and to give a victory. As he said, I solidly crept away. Do you know something? Can I just tell you how I feel? I know God called me to save Americans and not save America. I struggle with that because I I want to do a little bit of both. And it alienates voc between the liberals and the conservatives, and you've got him in every place you go, including church. And if you say the wrong thing, politically, it drives folk away. And I'm not here to drive a wedge. But that really troubles me when many won't acknowledge the sacrifice that our forefathers made. To allow us the opportunity to have worship here today. It bothers me. It troubles me. Well, people prayed, and God 00:22:22.529 --> 00:22:24.450 protected us. People 00:22:24.450 --> 00:23:12.359 prayed God preserved America. Now, most of the wars I know, historically, there was one that I know in reality, I had taken a pastor that left evangelism taking the pastor to Brazil, Indiana, the home, the place of my birth, actually amazing to go back there. And it was in the late 90s. And the early part of 1991, a dictator by the name of Saddam Hussein, invaded Kuwait. And our troops were allowed to into war by President George Bush, senior. I was pastoring, Brazil, the church was starting to grow. 00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:21.450 Suddenly, people begin to swarm our church overnight. People I'd never seen in church. My people didn't even know who they were. 00:23:17.160 --> 00:23:40.950 Back to the matter nation, only 25% of church attendance rose almost overnight during that Persian Gulf War. Suddenly full, said I better get to church. One out of every four who was bad in church and I better get into church and I better find God and I better begin to pray. 00:23:40.980 --> 00:23:42.240 We're in a war. 00:23:45.089 --> 00:24:42.299 I saw Mama's coming to the altar praying for the sons. I saw families praying, it brought us to our knees. And then they talked about the ground war would begin and the experts been like General Schwarzkopf, he said we'll lose hundreds of 1000s of young men and women when the ground war begins. It'll cost us live. There'll be blown up. And the Iraqi Ian's had gone in and they planted lat landmines under the sand all around the golf area. That meant that young men would have legs blown off and arms blown off and bodies blown apart. Guess what? It churches all across America. And right there in the little church. I was pastoring. In Brazil, we would gather about 300 strong and the people would pray and and when they would just try to have on ordinary prayer. 00:24:42.900 --> 00:25:25.680 Pastoral prayer people begin to pray all over the building people we didn't know who they were begin to pray will God save our nation? Please God, save our sons and our daughters at America praying in America pray and a strange thing. You're gonna have fun. As we were going into that ground war, it began to rain. And it poured and it dwarfs the sand off the top of those landmines. And when our soldiers invaded, they could see the landmines and there wasn't 1000s upon 1000s of young men and women that died. But we enter that war pretty safely. 00:25:28.170 --> 00:27:24.029 Why did it happen, ladies and gentlemen, it happened because America, prayed. We were the people that God has just you and me. There's a pride that God hates. Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It's thinking about yourself less. We need to humble ourselves. Think of others. There's that prayer that God hears. And the promise that God honors he said, I'll forgive their sin and I'll heal that land. You know, we can be forgiven. We can have a healing if God fearing Americans will pray. And I'm thinking today as I'm closing out the message about people that don't know the Lord, being American will take you to heaven. serving in the military won't take you to heaven. Being a church member won't take you to heaven. Be in Patriot patriotic won't take you to heaven. Being a Republican or a Democrat or an Independent, won't take you to heaven. Being a good person will take you there. The only thing that will take you to heaven is placing your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So I challenge everyone whether by telecasts or by livestream. Are you here that are listening? How I know America is wonderful, but understand one thing we're going to be leaving in. I did some funerals in the last few weeks, people who have left America, we're not going to be here forever. But you better come to faith in Jesus Christ. So when you leave here, you know who you're going, and you can leave an address behind. I placed my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:27:24.450 --> 00:27:36.329 And when he returns for the rapture, he'll call my name. And I'll answer that's why Joe said and I'll answer, Father, thanks 00:27:36.329 --> 00:27:47.400 for being a part of the voice of the Nazarene visitors every Sunday at 9am with B and C's pastor Ray LaSalle. For more information regarding BNC visit Bucyrus nazarene.org.