Don’t Let Our Most Powerful Weapon Get Rusty!

Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. And let him reprove me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked. --- Psalm 141:5

One of many issues hammered into the members of Platoon 511 many years ago at Parris Island, South Carolina was the care and use of our M-1 rifles. They were to be cleaned, maintained and ready for use at all times.

One of the greatest and most offensive acts of which a Marine could be guilty was to allow rust to accumulate on his rifle – even more serious than having unpolished shoes worn with an unpressed uniform, which was considered a serious offense in itself.

The wrath of a U.S.M.C. drill instructor upon discovering rust on a recruit’s rifle is beyond description – no words in our English language can fully define it!

How beneficial it would be if we would maintain a similar vigilance regarding rust gathering on a most powerful weapon made available to every Christian. It is the weapon of prayer -- never forget, it is precisely that!

Sadly, there is too often failure to recognize prayer at times is to be utilized as an offensive weapon in the battle against evil in its many forms of expression – one of those being in the misuse of power and influence in a system of government.

Review again the words of a man who knew what it was to pray in regard to the threat of evil – “For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.”

Our republic is embroiled in controversy due to the greatest power grab attempt in its entire history! We are plagued with political leaders who want to control every aspect of our lives. It began with control of financial institutions and the auto industries. Now there is an all out open assault to force us to accept government controlled health care!

Those in open opposition and who are making their objections know through town hall events, personal contacts with legislators and communications with the executive branch of our government are being labeled in the most vicious ways. They are called un-American, mobs, AstroTurf, compared to Nazis with swastikas, etc. There is also hard evidence that ACORN, unions, and other Obama supporters are attempting to infiltrate these gatherings and mute the dissent.

If you believe miracles can take place through prayer, then clean the rust off the weapon that may have been neglected for too long and begin praying against the deeds of the wicked who sit in high and powerful places in this republic.

Pray specifically that God will return upon their heads the “fruit of their doings!” This is a Biblical expression by the way, and it is demonstrated from time to time in ancient Israelite history. God does bring upon a person or a group the “fruits” of their actions when they are resolved to disregard the standards God has laid down in terms of responsible conduct – especially when you are in the powerful position of governing!

Since the evidence is overwhelming that Obama & Co. (his chief of staff, his V.P., his appointees at the Cabinet level, his multitude of “czars”) are not the least concerned about seeking and doing the will of God, nor seeking the blessing of God upon our republic, then it behooves us to pray that God will deal with them in such a way that all will know this one thing – you cannot defy God and reach a fulfilling and satisfactory goal!

So get the rust off that weapon and use it – and see how quickly God does something that will put the fear into the hearts of all, leading to full scale repentance – including elected officials!

We are long since past the point of simply praying, “God bless (name of elected official).” It is time to pray that God will deal with them according to their deeds and their words -- promises made but not kept. Worst of all, and you can sink no lower than this -- to agressively sanction the mass destruction of unborn children is such an abomination that no culture and its leaders can ultimately survive! Further, if they will not bring themselves into compliance with His divine will, then may God remove them from their positions in whatever way He sees fit!

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. --- James 5:17, 18

A Desperate Prayer of Last Resort!

'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' --- Jeremiah 33:3

A majority of people claim to believe in the experience of prayer. Attempts have been made to determine whether there are differences in circumstances where prayer has been exercised versus similar situations where prayer has not been uttered.

In the Christian faith there is a strongly held conviction that prayer is an experience of communicating with God and that God does respond to the prayers of those identified as His people.

The Scriptures speak much about prayer, relates the experiences of many people who prayed, and establishes clearly the fact that God indeed is One Who does great things in response to the pleas of those who give Him praise and thanksgiving as well as sharing the burdens of the heart.

Over many years I have seen and experienced in a variety of ways answers to prayer. The concerns for which prayer has been uttered are likewise widely varied. It is a demonstration that God is far more concerned about us and our circumstances than we can begin to imagine.

Recently a new burden was laid upon my heart unlike one I never experienced before. It involves the president of the United States. I have always prayed for our leaders and for those holding the office of the presidency. I will not detail here how I pray for those persons, but I do remember to pray for them on a regular basis. I will say that such prayers are not a generic "God, bless the president -- the members of the Congress...the members of the Supreme Court..."

But due to the policies advocated by President Obama, especially his very low view of human life in its formation stages, I have been praying in a specific area. The substance of that prayer is that God will raise up a prophet with the anointing of His Spirit upon that person. Further that such a prophet will confront the president face to face concerning the grievous error of his ways and call him to repent in order that the will of God will become a priority in his daily life!

Such confrontations have happened in the past. Elijah confronting Ahab, Micaiah confronting Ahab and Jehoshaphat, Nathan confronting David, and John the Baptist confronting Herod, to name just a few. These were personal and direct face to face encounters.

You have the names and you can look up the details as to how each encounter turned out. The important thing is that God had expectations of those leaders and He arranged for a prophet to be His instrument/messenger in each instance.

So, will you pray that God will raise up such a person to come face to face with the president and relay clearly what God expects of Mr. Obama as he holds what some consider to be the most powerful position in the entire world? This is not to suggest some big name TV preacher or the distinguished pastor of a large and famous “mega-church” out there somewhere, or a world renowned “pastor” who has a “make people feel good” ministry.

Rather, an Elijah or John the Baptist type of prophet is more appropriate – one who comes thundering out of some little known place in the wilderness – one whose message begins with a note of authority – “Thus says the Lord God……!”

The main uncertainty is just how that prophet in such a moment will be treated by the president, if it actually happens. As you review the many prophets God raised up over centuries of time, they were not treated very well in a majority of those confrontations! Again, I leave it to you to more fully investigate the circumstances.

How many will rally to the challenge to pray, “Almighty God, may it please you to raise up a prophet to confront the president and make plain to him what You expect of him, our elected officials at all levels, our nation, and…”

The destiny of our republic may well hinge on how many pray in faith that God will raise up a prophet to directly and personally confront the president about the issue of God's will for this nation, its leaders (political and church) and its citizens!

So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." --- Matthew 21:21, 22

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive,….--- Ephesians 4:11-14

Have You Tried Writing a Letter?

And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, "Thus says the LORD God of your father David: 'Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah… --- 2 Chronicles 21:12

I confess – I’m guilty – I’ve done it so many times in the past and continue to do it – it seems that there is no changing nor stopping of the practice. Those knowing me rather well would conclude that there is no hope – Clayt is suffering from an addiction from which he will never recover!

And what is this malady that is a “thorn in my side?” It is the habit of writing letters! I think I inherited it from my mother. She wrote letters all during her lifetime, including many to my wife and me when we were away from home. She had quite a list of military people to whom she wrote regularly during the years of WW II. One of my dad’s cousins was wounded twice in Sicily and my mother got shelf paper which was about 7 feet long, wrote on both sides of it and sent it overseas to cousin Don McElravy. He later sent a picture back with the letter draped around his neck and down the front of his chest to about his belt line.

I have written letters over the years to newspaper editors, church leaders, some heads of state in other nations, presidents, vice presidents, congressional people, TV media people and many friends. One newspaper, the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, no longer will publish my letters because of a past skirmish I had with persons there over an issue. But the ones they wouldn’t publish are at my web site anyway and are available for public viewing! In a sense, I am still having the last laugh since they have no control over my turf at Circuit Rider's Range!

The practice of writing letters will continue so long as God gives me breath, strength in my hands to type and/or write with a pen, and ability to think and reason a bit. Now, as it has been for some time, a letter goes out regularly to President Obama. You can see it at Letter to President Obama

This is an appeal to get involved in this kind of “witness” if you haven’t already been doing so. There will be the temptation to say it is a waste of time and expense and it won’t do any good. Is it better to stand before God and say, “I tried to do everything I could possibly do.” OR to have to admit that you could have done more but didn’t because you didn’t think it really mattered and it "wouldn't do any good" anyhow?

At the beginning is a reference from 2 Chronicles 21 which speaks of a letter from Elijah the prophet to a king. It doesn’t have much good news in it – in fact, it was a harsh rebuke because the king was way out of line in his lifestyle and practices. What if Elijah would have reasoned, “No use writing to the king – it won’t do any good!” and just did whatever it was he did in the course of a day? And of course there was the ultimate accounting he would have to give to the God Who had called him to bear witness to God's truth in very chaotic times. I’ll let you draw your own conclusion on that.

So get pen in hand or bring up that word processing program – a piece of paper – an envelope, and start writing!

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. --- Jude 1:3

Needed: A Prophet to Confront the President Face to Face!

Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, "Is that you, O troubler of Israel?" And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and you have followed the Baals. --- 1 Kings 18:17, 18

There is no want to the expression of what is needed in our republic. Everyone has thoughts and opinions as to what is needed to bring about much longed for improvement in our nation of over 306 million people.

Unfortunately many look to the president and his administration to devise and implement policies which will improve economic and social conditions of the country.

What is most needed at the present time is a prophet sent by Almighty God to confront the president face to face as to what must be done to bring about a transformation of the United States ethically, morally, and spiritually!

Biblical history gives us considerable insight into ways that God raised up certain persons identified as “prophets” and in many instances these confronted the political heads of kingdoms with the call to repent and start doing things the way God wanted them done!

The above example of Elijah confronting Ahab is but one instance of a prophet bluntly telling a king that his ways and those of his citizens are badly out of step with a righteous God! Others were Nathan confronting David in the Bathsheba/Uriah incident, Jeremiah confronting Zedekiah, Micaiah confronting Ahab and Jehoshaphat, and John the Baptist confronting Herod and his immorality.

We have a president and an administration that have embarked on the most ungodly course of action of any in the history of our beloved republic. Human life has been devalued at the lowest level ever and this is substantiated by statements and actions on the part of the president as well as by special appointments he has made. Appointees support his philosophy that human life is a disposable commodity and we can preserve it or discard it for whatever reason, rational or insane!

So it is most appropriate that we pray that God in His sovereignty will raise up a prophet who will confront the president face to face about the ethical, moral, and spiritual shortcomings of the nation he is attempting to lead. We’re not talking about the some big name TV evangelist or preacher or the head honcho of some mega-church, but rather some individual who comes from out of the wilderness as was the case with Elijah the Tishbite or John the Baptist!

If it did happen, how would the president respond? From his past actions and statements all indications are that he probably would have the prophet thrown out of the White House or jailed! But that would not be unusual by way of response – it’s happened many times before – just read up on how prophets of old times were often treated, and don’t forget, John the Baptist lost his head because of faithfulness to God's calling and confronting a leader with the issue of ungodliness!

So, how about doing some praying about this – surely somewhere in this country there is a person – a prophet whom God might raise up and bring that one into a face to face encounter with the president of the United States with a message that begins with “God says that you and the people of this nation are to repent immediately!”

Like it or not, it is time to be realistic and think in terms of the very real possibility of judgment at the hands of the God Who in mercy raised this nation up nearly 232 years ago, but Who is most upset with how it and its leaders have rejected His revelation and ignored His standards for sane, sensible, serene, and safe living! It is also time that we all be reminded that Jesus Christ will be returning to this planet in the future and all nations will be under His control. At least a few of us refer to this exciting event as the "blessed hope" -- you can check out Titus 2:11-15 on that. See, we have no reason to act as though there is no bright tomorrow -- you just have to look far enough ahead -- look over the mountains!

And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word." --- 1 Kings 17:1

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. --- James 5:17, 18

Are You Among Those Special "Reserves?"

"Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him." --- 1 Kings 19:18

He found himself in the pit of deep despair – he was on the run and trying to hide – a very powerful and wicked woman was after his head, literally!

Elijah had just won a major victory over the false prophets of a heathen deity named Baal. A part of that victory involved the execution of those false prophets. Queen Jezebel, who had been instrumental in importing Baal worship into the northern kingdom of Israel, had vowed to remove Elijah’s head from his shoulders due to the major blow he had inflicted on the institution of Baal worship!

And so as the prophet engaged in a major self-pity experience and felt the best thing for him now was to simply die and have his miserable existence terminated, God dramatically revealed that Elijah was not the only faithful one left, as he had led himself to believe. "Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him," said God! In the midst of all the confrontations which had taken place and the challenging of the heathen prophets, Elijah had failed to recognize the existence of God’s “reserve” force.

In a 21st Century republic known as the United States of America God has His “reserves” that have refused to bow the knee to the modern Baals, which are manifested in many forms. Consider some of those Baals in our culture to which millions of knees are bowing every day -----

• the Baal of pleasure which now dominates the weekends, including the day which was set apart for the worship of the true and living God Who created this mighty universe by spoken command and Who loves us humans so much that He gave His own Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for our sins so we could be forgiven and be citizens in His Kingdom forever. Less than half of U. S. citizens are willing to go to a place of worship on Sundays!
  
  
• the Baal of money which now enslaves a huge multitude of individuals as well as a growing number of corporations. This brand of Baal has the unique power to fan into raging flames a vicious appetite called greed. But it’s not limited to individuals nor corporations headed up by CEO’s who are driven by a desire to chalk up record breaking profits year after year, but elected officials enjoy sticking their thumbs into the public money pie with constant scheming as to how the citizens can be bled for more and more revenue!
  
  
• the Baal of entertainment, talk-show, mass media and political celebrities. There is a wide variety of personalities here as well as the subject matter which may be expelled from the mouths of the same. The problem is that millions follow this one or that one and regard every word spoken by the one to whom they are ever loyal as “gospel truth.” Devotees of these celebrities are much more concerned about what their “idols” have to say about anything than what Almighty God has to say – and He does have a lot to say about the most critical issues of life on a personal level as well as on the collective level! Even among those who profess to be Christian in their faith there is all too often a confession that they do not spend the time studying the Bible as they feel they should! It is the God-inspired record of the Bible which is the measuring stick as to whether members of the aforementioned group are true or false in whatever statements and claims they make about anything.
  
  
• the Baal of sexual immorality which is a very cruel and merciless deity as it exploits the part of our being that expresses its cravings at a very young and tender age. Thanks to perverted thinking, reasoning and example setting by adults over time, our young are now constantly exposed to damnable teachings that sexual experiences under just about any condition are good – you, and you alone determine what your sexual preferences should be and how to be sexually intimate with whoever and whenever! God’s revelation about the boundaries of expressing and experiencing our sexuality are totally rejected. The evidence is overwhelming that our culture is resolved to take a fatal plunge into the pool of disaster when it comes to handling God’s sacred gift of human sexuality!
  
  
• the Baal of humanism which attempts to convince each one of us that we humans can handle all the issues of life be they personal and individual, or at the collective level. At times scientific advancements coupled with new breakthroughs in technology have been quite impressive and a person can be persuaded that we no longer need a “crutch of superstition” consisting of belief in a “higher power” which has whatever name you may give to that deity. However, along the way as we choose to travel this road, human life often becomes very cheap and expendable. And so there is no real moral sensitivity at the national level and no real concern that we have destroyed millions of unborn children over the past few decades!
  
  
• the Baal of “church-ianity” – the word is probably not in the dictionary, but it’s a way of best describing the infiltration of the church by forces of compromise, “political correctness,” unbelief and brazen immorality! Those in a number of church groups who hold to a Bible based faith are being pressured to compromise the faith (e.g. that Jesus is NOT the exclusive way of salvation), to speak a certain language so that no person is ever offended, to doubt the mighty acts of God in times past as well as what God has specifically planned for the future, and to accept without question sexual behavior patterns which God has clearly condemned! Constantly through legislative actions or declarations from church leaders the exhortation is to bow to the modern Baal and kiss him!
  

Somewhere scattered throughout the 50 states that comprise this republic is a minority number of persons – the ones who have not bowed the knee to the 21st Century version of Baal in its many grotesque forms – they are God’s special “reserves!” Are you one of them?

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. --- 2 Timothy 4:7,8

Prayer Is Also a Weapon -- Use It!

Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. And let him reprove me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked. --- Psalm 141:5

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. --- James 5:16-18

The concept of prayer for a large number of people consists mainly in seeking something from God -- it boils down to asking God for blessings and if one is in some kind of "crisis" dilemma, then you ask God for help and that He would get you out of the trouble in which you find yourself.

Some may go a bit further and say that we ought to give God thanks and express gratitude for good things He has granted. At that one special time of the year, in between a turkey dinner and a plethora of football games, we may be reminded to pray a bit and offer up an expression of gratitude!

Prayer is much more than what has been mentioned, and that includes use of prayer as a "weapon." Note the statements in Psalm 141 as mentioned above -- about praying against the "deeds of the wicked." Then we are informed of one person who did this very thing -- Elijah prayed that it would not rain and for 3 1/2 years God turned off the spigot when it came to rain events in the northern kingdom of ancient Israel. Its king was Ahab with a rather notorious wife named Jezebel -- she was a good missionary -- she brought all her heathen deities with her when she married Ahab and Baal worship was widely promoted and accepted -- perhaps the people were excitedly proclaiming the fact that now they were a "diverse" people with different ideas about belief systems and worship just as has been happening in the mainline denominations today -- you hear a lot about celebrating "diversity" in the United Methodist Church at the present time!

Ahab confronted Elijah and accused him of causing trouble in the kingdom -- it's a fascinating encounter -- I'll let you hunt it up and see what adventures Elijah had as he used prayer as a weapon.

There is a lot of wickedness in our culture and even big name people can be a part of it -- they live it and actively promote it at times! So pray "against" them -- that God will return upon their heads the "fruit of their doings!" This last expression is Biblical by the way -- you can see references to it from time to time.

Try that approach for instance with the guys who mutilate and murder unborn children! Or with elected officials who act more out of self-interest and self-preservation than they do for the interests and well being of the citizens they are supposed to represent! Or with those in the entertainment industry with their repulsive display of immorality and ungodly influence upon our young folks! And don't forget other ways those who are wicked in their ways have a destructive influence on our young -- those who traffic in drugs and alcohol -- those who influence the young with "music" (term used loosely) laced with lyrics encouraging immoral and violent conduct -- those who teach our young that we have "evolved" from lower life forms rather than being a special creation, with each person known and identified by God before conception in the womb and for whom there is a special place in God's overall plan for His creation. This last problem on origins is to be compared to an intellectual cancer which is out of control in the majority of educational institutions throughout the U.S. starting at the elementary level and continuing all the way through the graduate school level!

And just maybe with the resulting calamities that come about, there may be some who will actually repent of their wickedness and seek the mercy and forgiveness of God so wonderfully offered in and through His Son, Jesus Christ!

But we also are sobered with the historical record that in Elijah's case, it didn't do any good -- the kingdom continued down the slippery slope toward impending judgment and ultimate collapse. It doesn't exist anymore.

So, shake the dust off that weapon and be sure to use it every day -- you have to keep working at it because it's virtually impossible to fully identify all the wickedness which exists within a republic known as the United States of America! But sensitivity to what God has revealed in His Word about the patterns of wickedness and enlightenment provided by the Holy Spirit, we will be able to see more clearly where it is concentrated and then pray against it!

In a sense we who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord find ourselves surrounded by the "lions" of wickedness in a variety of forms -- and we are constantly pressured to go along with the ungodliness of our culture without objection or saying something that may "offend" somebody! Nonsense! Get out that weapon and use it -- see what great things God can and will do -- if He shut the mouths of hungry lions in the presence of His servant, Daniel, He can bring all manner of chaos into the lives of those who live and promote the ways of wickedness!

And a PS: Do you remember what happened to that bunch which conspired against Daniel with the result that he was thrown into the lions den? They and all the members of their families were pitched into the den and this time the lions had a feast -- God allowed them to gorge themselves. Yes, wickedness does pay off, but not in a very pleasant way ultimately!

It is time for You to act, O LORD, for they have regarded Your law as void. Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold! Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way. --- Psalm 119:126-128