STEP OUT OF THE ABYSS

As the country continues to swirl in the abyss of accusations and lies, so few people are actually speaking the truth that cuts to the very heart of this tragedy that has struck our nation. In fact, I do not believe that I have heard anyone truly speak to the heart- the true source- of Loughner’s attack on so many lives.

The answer is found in The Bible, in Ephesians 6:10-20

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sadly, American has moved so far away from depending on God Almighty. The reason I named this prayer blog, “Humble Yourself And Pray” is because, as I posted in my original prayer, I strongly believe God WILL heal our land IF we, as a nation, humble ourselves and pray- as a nation!

Despite what President Obama has stated in the past, America is STILL a Christian nation! While I will sadly concede that so many of the citizens of this nation which was founded by Divine Providence have turned their backs on God Almighty, no one can take away the fact that America IS a Christian nation! This country was FOUNDED on JUDEO-CHRISTIAN values and principles. Period.  You can’t change history, no matter how bad many people would like to and try to. History is history. You can’t go back and re-do it, no matter how hard you try. Oh yes, you may try to re-write history, but re-writing it does not CHANGE the truth of what has happened.

Truth is truth is truth. No matter what.

So- what is truth? Or, should I say, WHO Is Truth?

For Christians, that is simple. Jesus Christ Is Truth. “Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

So, what is the truth in this situation? Whose fault is it?

I have heard several people actually put mortal blame where it belongs- on the shooter- Jared Lee Loughner. But the true culprit of what or who caused this tragedy is evil. Evil forces caused this tragedy.

It has been publicized that this madman is an atheist. As with everyone, God created him with free will. God does not force Loughner to believe in Him. But his belief- or rather, his dis-belief in God- does not make it true. God is real. Period. Truth.

We as a nation are not fighting against the flesh and blood of Jared Lee Loughner. We, as a nation- as Christians- are fighting a spiritual battle. We are fighting against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

So how do we fight a battle when we cannot actually lay eyes on our enemy?

We are given specific instructions in the above Scripture- Ephesians 6:10-20. Daily- HOURLY- MINUTE BY MINUTE, if necessary- we MUST put on the FULL Armor of God to stand against these evil forces. As mere humans we are not equipped to fight this battle. But for Christ followers,  we have ALL Power in our authority through the Name of Jesus Christ. On our own, we are powerless. Calling upon the Name of Christ Jesus and arming ourselves with His armor we are ALL Powerful! But, it is ONLY by His Name alone!

Have you ever studied the Armor of God?

The Belt of Truth- You MUST know Truth- Jesus- And He Must surround you
Breastplate of Righteousness- Your heart must be righteous- not wishing for revenge, not seeking evil.
        “Vengeance is mine”, says The Lord! (Hebrews 10:30)<there is a difference between vengeance and
           justice.>
Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace- Peace, not chaos
Shield of Faith- Believing in Someone- God- Who you cannot see (Hebrews 11:1)
Helmet of Salvation- Salvation comes ONLY through accepting Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and repenting of your sins. ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)
Sword of the Spirit- which is the Word of God
Prayer

Do you notice that in all the Armor God gives us, we only have one OFFENSIVE  weapon? The SWORD of the Spirit- which is The Word of God- Scripture- is our ONLY OFFENSIVE weapon! ALL other parts of our Armor from God is DEFENSIVE!

Even in prayer, you are being DEFENSIVE. You must act, to actually pray, but the power of your prayers are through the power of Jesus Christ, Who Is The Word of God, which is the Sword of The Spirit.

While I have heard many people speak to prayer for those who were shot and impacted by this violent act, I have heard very few, if anyone publicly call for prayer for the Loughner family- or Jared Loughner himself.

While many will be appalled that I would say this, let me go back to the original purpose of this blog. Healing for our land- our nation.

Yes, most definitely, by all mean, I pray, will continue to daily pray, and ask others to join me in prayer for those who have been personally impacted by the deaths and injuries caused by this madman.  But this madman needs prayer too, as does his family.

Let me make something else perfectly clear. In praying for the families of those who have been killed or injured in this senseless attack, I also pray for justice to be done. And yes, for me, personally, I believe that true justice would be the death penalty for Jared Loughner. He took many lives that day. There are consequences for our actions. But God created Jared just as He created you and I. So in my prayers, I pray for Jared Loughner’s repentance. For his soul. For comfort for his family and friends. For peace for him and his family.

God Almighty, I continue to pray for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, for her speedy recovery and complete healing. I pray for her family and friends, that they are comforted in this difficult time. I pray that they will turn to You for peace and comfort. I pray for the families of those people who were killed in this senseless act of violence. I pray for those who are still in the hospital. Heal their bodies, their hearts, and their memories. I pray for the families and friends of all who have been directly affected by this tragedy. I pray that all who are effected can forgive the madman that committed these horrible acts, even as I pray for justice for his actions. Last, but not least, I pray for this nation. Lord God, I pray that America will humble herself before You, repent from her sins, so You will heal our land. I stand in the gap for this nation, Father God. In the precious Name of Your Holy Son Jesus- Amen.