What if you....?

Stop a moment and think about what is going on around you; your family, your church, your work, and your activities. Are you like many, with all these things pulling you in so many different directions that you are out of control, or at least seem to be? Do you long for sanity? Do the little things irritate you? Do the big things overwhelm you? Does it seem that the world as a whole is moving at a fast pace down the wrong road? Do you feel helpless to stop it?

Recently, I posed the title of this blog as a question on my facebook page. I got several answers differing in seriousness and that is OK. I didn't quantify what the response should be. I wanted to know what a person or persons were thinking at that moment. Not scientific, I was just curious. What are your answers to the questions posed above or the to the title of this blog?

There is an uncountable number of steps that you take in an effort to answer the question, what if you...?. Some would actually be an answer while others would just mask you situation until later and then you would have to deal with your problems.

Life is full of questions, heartache, and joy. So, as one respondent put it; "What if you had as your primary concern the kingdom of God and what He requires of you?" Would all this go away? No, but I believe that all the loneliness, anxiety, rejection, anger and feelings of despair are easier to handle and get through.

I have always said that the hymns of old are so inspired from God as the authors and composers walked through there own times of questions, so I leave you with the lyrics of this one:

O the deep deep love of Jesus, vast unmeasured boundless free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean, in it's fullness over me.
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love;
Leading onward, leading homeward, to my glorious rest above.

O, the deep deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, never more.
How He watches o'er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for thee He intercedeth, watcheth o'er them form the throne!

O, the deep deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
'Tis an ocean vast of blessing, 'Tis a haven sweet of rest.
O, the deep deep love of Jesus, 'Tis a heav'n of heav'ns to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee.

My Health Care Take

I have remained quiet on this blog about all that has happened since January. Not because I haven't had opinions, but mainly for a host of other reasons. That said, I believe that these 3 are the most pressing issues of the whole debate and should be dealt with before moving forward with a radical upheaval of the health care system in this country.

First, on the list is portability. That has been addressed somewhat over the last few years but is still not as it should be. If you are covered by a company in your previous employment, then the new company's - if there is no break between jobs - insurer should insure you with no penalties or wait time. Currently there is a 90 day window. A lot of things can happen in that span of time.

Second, on the list plays right with the first, pre-existing condition coverage. This one thing nails you when you find the need to change employment, either by choice or force. Most of us older Americans do have one thing or another wrong with us that can be considered a pre-existing condition.

Third on my list is stop-gap. I define stop-gap as a time when an employee is laid off due to economic conditions or just by poor management of the company they work for. There should be a better alternative than COBRA which in some cases triples the cost of monthly premiums to the family who is put on unemployment pay. I have seen the cost of COBRA take the full unemployment benefits to keep insurance in force. That is not right! If the government wants a hand in insurance then work in this area to help those who are not employed by no fault of their own.

See, just 3 little steps to help us all without giving up our freedom and having a nanny government spoon feeding us.

Those of you who voted for this speaker of half truths, and outright lies, VOTE next year to put enough conservative voices in government to put a halt to this slide down a very dangerous slope.

I will stop there. That is another post for another time.

Our Chief Representative

There are many times that I am inadequate in expressing clearly my concerns on the plight of America and the need to pray. My wife's cousin's wife sent out her thoughts she gave me permission to share them with you here.

Dear Christian Family,

I took the time (5 minutes) to call on my representatives and Senator Cochran. I was pleased to find that none support this bill, but I want to challenge you to call on our Chief Representative, the Man Who represents us in Heaven and Who pleads our case before His Father through unending intercession. He and He alone is the one Person in all of heaven and earth Who can turn the tide in this nation.

I beg you to consider persistent prayer like never before. Our nation is falling apart and our prayer rooms are empty, because we who belong to Christ and have access to the very answers to our problems wrongly think the best answer is bigger guns, more ammo, fall out shelters, digging wells, or simply calling their politicians! ( I am not against these things if done as secondary to the clear Biblical response.) Luke 18 promises us that our "Righteous Judge will bring justice speedily to those who cry out day and night" (to Him). Isn't justice what we are truly wanting here? Please don't lose heart or become weary in praying continually, because Crying out day and night= speedy justice for the poor, elderly, abused, unborn, persecuted, etc, etc.

Ezekiel 22:30 says"I sought for a man among them, that should make up a hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none."

Joel 2 ( the whole chapter) and 2 Chronicles 7:14 are God's Action Plans for a nation in Crisis! Joel 2 says.... "Sound the Alarm" "Gather everyone together to pray" "Fast, Weep, Mourn!" "Rend Your hearts----Not Your Garments!" "Get the children, nursing babies, and even the bridegroom out of his wedding chamber!" This is serious.

2 Chronicles says "If My people will humble themselves and PRAY, SEEK MY FACE, and TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land!" God is WAITING for us to do our part. He will not do our part. He WANTS to forgive us. He DELIGHTS to give us mercy. It actually makes His heart HAPPY to forgive our sins! But we must do OUR PART and cry out together for His mercy and His forgiveness.

Joel 2, Ezekiel 22, and the story of Ninevah give me such hope! In each case it is obvious that God's wrath is kindled and judgement is immanent, but each passage states ONLY ONE THING that would make a difference in the outcome of the situation. They state ---- if God looks and finds prayer and repentance, "He might turn and relent and leave a blessing behind!" OH the HOPE we have in coming together to say "I REPENT FOR MY SINS AND THE SINS OF MY NATION, END THIS REBELLION, AND SEND REVIVAL TO AMERICA AGAIN!"

While we are all busy looking around for ways to affect a change in the physical (while avoiding the painful tearing of our hearts), God is intently looking for a people with an INWARD RESPONSE OF DESPERATION for His intervention in their crisis-----He will not allow our man made solutions to save us when He is JEALOUS for the hearts of AMERICA. History shows that when God is jealous for the hearts of an apathetic and complacent people, He installs rulers to oppress the people or raises up an enemy nation to devestate them in battle so that they would "RETURN" to HIM! He not only has jealousy-----HIS VERY NAME IS JEALOUS (QANNA= God who is jealous).

Our human efforts APART from this "CORPORATE CRYING OUT" of God's people will fail at preserving this Great Nation! We must humble ourselves or be humbled. We must fall upon the ROCK lest it fall upon US! I want to encourage us all to choose the former.

Let's choose humility, repentance, and coming together for consistent prayer as our primary response to the evil in our land.

It is sobering for me to think how bad it has to get for God's people in America to return to Him with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Do we really want to wait until death is at our door? Do we really want to put it off until our children are taken from us and persecution for belonging to Christ is common in America as it is in the rest of the world? At what point does the severity of the crisis in our land ---warrant coming together to pray declaring..." OH GOD HELP US! WE ARE IN NEED OF YOU! WE WON'T MAKE IT IF YOU DON'T INTERVENE IN OUR SITUATION!"

It is God's people, the "salt and light" of the earth, who are the problem. We are no longer "salt and light". We can see the power of God miraculously change our land, IF, we humble ourselves and pray. This IF is huge ------because it involves my own heart, my plan of action, my thoughts and my wisdom being crucified at the cross and learning His ways. Many times I've prayed for a "quick solution" and ran out the door to go do the solution, etc. Instead of obeying scriptures by returning to the Lord in continual night and day prayer, myself, asking HIM to solve this nation's problems, I find myself comforted by the fact that I called my representatives or wrote a letter, or I have emailed the crisis to everyone in my address book. These are all good things to do, but if our hope and faith rests in these actions, we will fail. Friends, I'm sorry, but this is NOT what God is looking for. He desires a lingering in prayer-----a tearing of my heart -----a burden in prayer that causes fasting, weeping and mourning over the sins of our land, a crying out for HIS intervention. I struggle with this because it is not easy, but it is what God requires and desires.

The coming crisis will propel the church into unprecedented corporate worship and prayer like no other time in history. It will be our finest HOUR! He will glorify His Bride on the Earth! And at this point in time---- His BRIDE all across the earth will be drawn back into intimacy by their FIRST LOVE. We will see our role as a mature partner and realize that the most powerful thing we can do is pray as He is ever praying.

History proves that PERSECUTION and OPPRESSION are the tools God uses to draw a nation back to HIMSELF. For the sake of our children, let's do what the Bible prescribes as the only TRUE remedy. They (our children) will be the ones to pay the costly price for OUR independence, and pride. They will be the ripe age for WAR if God uses another nation to judge America's spiritual independence and pride. I don't want my children to pay this price. I want to pay the price today by rending my heart, begging God for mercy, and repenting for my sins and the sins of my America! I believe this day is close at hand. According to the scriptures, innocent blood has a voice that cries to God for vengeance. And too much innocent blood has been spilled by way of abortion in America. How long do you think God will hold back judgement from us? HIs own people suffered a Holocaust, why would He spare America in our present condition??? Who would have thought this legislation could be possible in America? The season is changing and it is past time to Cry out to God in humility and repentance.

Please forgive me if this seems harsh, but I am exceedingly more confident in my appeals to Our Great High Priest and Judge Who rules in the highest court in the land (the Throne Room of Heaven)than the rulers on this earth, but have decided the injustice of the Health Care issue was truly worth my voice being heard here on this earth----BUT HOPE AND FAITH LIES ELSEWHERE!

I ask you, What will you do------------ call your state representatives, email the world, or PRAY Night and Day for God's justice (Luke 18)???

Making up a hedge and standing in the gap for our land,

Dara Aldy

House of Prayer Hattiesburg

A public prayer room operating as a perpetual Solemn Assembly (according to Joel 2)

www.hophb.org

601-450-4467