Want to Fix the Country? Only One Place Where It Must Start!

Can They Reach a Deal? Bush presses lawmakers to move quickly on stalled economic bailout plan – stocks fall as bailout talks break down – WaMu seized, assets sold --- Internet headlines on September 26, 2008

O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. --- Jeremiah 10:23

As of this writing the first effort to reach a “deal” on the 700 billion dollar bailout of those institutions going under for the deadly third time has failed. The president assembled a host of leaders including the major party candidates for president in an attempt to get those billions rolling, but to no avail.

There was no end to the financial “arm chair quarterbacks” and their “expert” comments as to how it should be done as exhibited on cable news channels and sound bites on major network news programs.

So, since “arm chair quarterbacking” is in vogue at the present moment, how about adding one more – a Clarion County PA farm boy who lives out in the sticks – and who never served as a congressman, or a CEO or achieved the distinguished status of a bishop in a mainline denomination, or a district superintendent in the same, or even as a senior pastor of a church with a few thousand members!

Understand that this “formula” for fixing the country has not really been mentioned in all those discussions taking place among the powerful and wealthy leaders of our republic. Rest assured that this "formula" will deliberately be avoided even more so than exposure to the dreaded Bubonic Plague! Leaders in all fields of responsibility want absolutely nothing to do with the necessary action that has to be taken to restore this nation to what it needs to be and must be if it is going to survive!

But let’s mention it anyway – I do so in part in order to fulfill responsibility which I have in regard to the call Jesus Christ has given me and also that nobody will be able to say, “No one said anything about getting things set right with Almighty God.” As an aside, there are personal letters sent to the president, elected officials, media people and church leaders on an ongoing basis which focus on this issue.

In order for this nation to recover from the deadly *“graveyard spiral” in which it presently finds itself, both governing officials and church leaders will have to issue a loud and clear call that the entire nation will have to do something – this action must be top priority, even beyond the 700 billion dollars which has been the focus of attention for days.

*"graveyard spiral" - a term I learned from a friend who was a commercial pilot all his life and it applies to an aircraft spinning out of control with no recovery possible -- end result is a deadly crash!

A nationwide call to repentance from sin must be jointly issued by those who occupy positions of power, wealth and influential leadership. Citizens must respond and also personally pray for God to extend mercy and forgiveness.

Best example as well as words which can be repeated are found in Daniel 9 in Old Testament Scriptures:

Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day; to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You. O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such never has been done as what has been done to Jerusalem. As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth." --- Daniel 9:3-13

It’s about as plain as it could ever be stated, is it not? But there is a problem – first, too many don’t even want to consider what God wants, much less converse with Him about our national sin problems! Leadership too often is hung up on pride and that never permits one to be honest in admitting to ethical, moral and spiritual failure.

And we are unwilling to make a break with our pet sins – not just on the personal level, but just as critical, on the corporate level!

Here’s how it works – either we as a nation do confess and repent of our sins, or we continue to invite God’s chastising actions as we are now experiencing them and then His devastating judgments, if the chastising times do not produce the desired results!

Do you want the country “fixed?” Have you been talking to Almighty God about it? Or have you been deceived into thinking we humans can fix everything by ourselves, relying on our own abilities and resources?

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him. You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. --- Psalm 32:1-7