Interceding For America

Interceding for America

Psalms 2

After last week’s message I did a great deal more soul searching. For some time now I have not been happy with my own relationship with the Lord. I am increasing more aware of the masses around us who don’t go to church; probably don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and will die and go to hell, but whose hearts are increasing in irritation towards the Christian population. It is, I believe, the combination of these two characteristics that reveal why this nation is falling right before our eyes. The unchurched population is growing exponentially and with that the anti-Christian sentiment is producing a society that God will not support, thus the downward spiral of America.

Here’s another thing that is weighing heavy on my heart. I certainly want these lost people to know that Jesus is the way the truth and life and have them believe in Him, accept and become Disciples of Christ. But my desire is not a broken hearted passion. I am more irritated and aggravated at what these anti-Christian activists are doing than I am moved in my spirit to share Jesus. I need a change of heart. I need and I am praying for a revival in my soul, in my church and most definitely in America.

Let me point out that the opposition to the cross is much deeper than just a large portion of our society just being backslidden and rejecting righteousness out of a rebellious heart. It’s not just a large population that believes there is a God, and that they need to follow Him, but they just haven’t gotten around to it.

Church we are looking at an extreme hatred for the Christian message. I am going to show you a video clip this morning and let you listen to Christopher Hitchens, author of God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, among other books that preach an intolerance for anything promoting Christianity. But he goes much further in the debate. He unashamedly states that the Evangelical Christian message should be seen as the worst thing that has ever happened to humanity and abolished from society; and people are listening to him and many like him.

Now folks, it’s one thing for a few people here and there to express these kind of ideas. But this is a massively mounting opinion driven by educators who teach in most if not all our major universities and community colleges throughout this land.

Last week I showed you some pictures of anti-Christian events happening in America.

The WWII War Memorial in the Mojave Desert that has become a Supreme Court battle; The picture or president Obama who spoke George Washington University, a Catholic College, at which this atheist Christopher Hitchens teaches there regularly and where he had the picture of the Cross covered so as not to offend;

Here is a picture of a home in San Diego, Ca., where a pastor and his wife have been told they cannot have a Bible study in their home. The couple says they were interrogated by a San Diego County official, and then threatened with ever increasing fines if they refuse to stop the Bible study. According to the couple’s attorney, they were questioned about the Bible study. "’Do you have a regular meeting in your home?" The pastor’s wife replied, "Yes." "Do you say ’amen’?" the official asked. "Yes," she replied. "Do you pray?" Again she said, "Yes." "Do you say ’praise the Lord’?" Another "Yes." The official told the pastor and his wife they were in violation of county rules.

The Bible study usually has an average of about 15 people.

A few days later they got a written warning that listed the home Bible study an "unlawful use of land." They were notified to "stop religious assembly or apply for a major use permit," which could cost them thousands of dollars.

Where is all this coming from?

Here’s some fat to chew on:

• NS 70-75% of Christian youth leave the church after high school

• Intellectual skepticism is one of the major reasons they walk away.

• Most Christian students are unequipped to resist rabidly anti-Christian college professors who are intent on converting their students to atheism.

• College professors are five times more likely to identify themselves as atheists than the general public.

• More than half of all college professors view evangelical Christian students unfavorably

• The “new atheists”—Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens—are writing books and are growing in popularity. http://www.crossexamined.org/index.asp

Young adults aren’t sticking with church. 70% of surveyed Protestants stopped attending by age 23.

By Cathy Lynn Grossman

USA TODAY

Protestant churches are losing young adults in "sobering" numbers, a survey finds.

Seven in 10 Protestants ages 18 to 30 — both evangelical and mainline — who went to church regularly in high school said they quit attending by age 23, according to the survey by LifeWay Research. And 34% of those said they had not returned, even sporadically, by age 30. That means about one in four Protestant young people have left the church.