How to heal a Nation

It goes without saying that the US is in deep trouble as a result of the bombing of the World Trade Center and Pentagon buildings. Many Christian leaders have offered observations regarding that horrific act against our country. The response that I have looked for in vane is a call for God’s people to repent. Oh yes, many have called for America to repent, and there is an obvious need for that. But a specific call for the repentance of God’s people, to my knowledge has been nonexistent. 

II Chronicles 7:14 from the Bible lays out a very precise formula for the restoration of a nation:

"If my people (Christians), which are called by
my name, shall humble themselves, and
pray, and seek my face, and turn from their
wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and
will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 
From the Authorized King James Version of the Bible

Though a number of requirements are listed, the primary thrust behind them all is the need for those of us who are God’s people to repent in humility before Him. The scriptures go on to say that when we do that, we have His promise to heal our land. 

There is a lot of talk about prayer right now, but prayer without repentance is an effort in futility. 

I have two questions:

“What is it going to take for our Christian leaders to call the people of God to repentance?”

"What needs to happen before the Christian community collectively falls on their faces in repentance before God?"

Every one of us needs to be on our faces before Him asking, “What is it about me, Dear Lord that is displeasing to you?” We must come to the place where we literally abhor sin! Unfortunately, we have stooped so low in this nation that the majority of those sitting in the pews of our Evangelical churches don’t even know what sin is. We have become illiterate regarding Gods’ Holy Will for our lives, the Bible (Read The Article "What Is Sin?"). 

In closing, let me list just one sin that is obvious. II Timothy 2:15 says:

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
From the Authorized King James Version of the Bible

Please note that it does not say, Study if you find time or when you find time or if you would like to. No, it is a direct command, "Study". In lay persons jargon, it is saying that we must study God's Holy Will (Testaments) for humankind, the Bible so that we don't need to be ashamed when we are called upon to understand it and communicate it's truths to others. This is just one way in which the large majority of God's people are living in sin. Yes, disobeying God's commands is sin. And not repenting of (turning away from) our sin keeps us from the national healing that we so desperately need.

How do I know that God's people are sinning in this way. It is obvious because of the gross illiteracy in the church relative to knowledge of The Holy Scriptures. Since the Bible instructs us that reading it provides us with spiritual food, I have often challenged Christians to spend as much time daily reading it as they do eating. That should provide sufficient time for spiritual nourishment. And incidentally, not many of us miss meals, do we? 

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