A terrible evil was visited upon George Floyd we all saw it and were horrified and enraged. The entire nation was united that this form of police brutality was unthinkable and intolerable.
We did not know what caused it so we assumed the worst. We threw gas on the fire with accusations that had no direct immediate foundation.
Still we were united in condemnation of the act, of the actors, and of the images that it hearkend. Whether it was racially motivated or not we were united that our history validated an inward inventory and outward confession.
Then we applauded the act of public protest. We all said it was justified given our historical failures.
Underneath was not just our history but a growing tendency to condemn this sin whether it is proven or just suspected. Those embers of a million accusations were underbrush in a forest waiting for lightning to strike.
Civil protests became local riots and ironically even horribly we began to invoke words of Martin Luther King to justify our rage.
Now the situation is escalating and we have no leaders with the moral courage and commensurate authority to mitigate the inferno.
We are reaping the wind.
Are there any peacemakers? Is there anyone to repent and say we don’t want this? How many babies must we throw to these new gods that we worship to assuage our anger and theirs.
In the absence of answers I to cry out.
We have sinned! We and our fathers have sinned and we have killed the prophets just like we killed your son. Now our children are in danger of being killed because our wrath is not satisfied. Forgive us LORD and take this terrible vile vengeance out of our hearts. We claim you are love but our hearts thirst for blood. Have mercy before we are destroyed.
“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” Ez 22:30.
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What Is Real Repentance?
Leaders for ‘The Return,’ a National Prayer Observance on Sept. 26 in Washington, D.C., Urge a 180-Degree Turn for America
NEW YORK—Believers and nonbelievers alike know that repentance is turning away from sin. But what does that truly mean?
Real repentance refers to a change of thinking, a renewing of the mind, which then produces a change of living.
The hope and prayer of a group of nationally known leaders, led by Jonathan Cahn. pictured above, and Kevin Jessip, is that a national and global movement called “The Return,” culminating with a major event on Sept. 26 in Washington, D.C., will spur people everywhere to call upon the Lord and repent.
“Repentance is a turnaround of a sinful, self-centered way within us,” said Cahn. “Repentance is a 180-degree turn in our heart and mind. A person is going one way, then realizes he is going the wrong direction and turns to the right direction. We are a tri-part creation of spirit, soul and body. We turn away from self-serving activities and turn to God, to walk in His ways.”
“The Return” focuses on these five elements of a journey that leads to God’s redemption of the human condition, knowing that it is only the Holy Spirit who can lead a person to return to God:
- Repentance
- Reconciliation
- Restoration
- Revival
- Reformation
“Repentance is not a one-time occurrence, but a way of life,” Jessip added. “When we turn from our sin to the Savior, it’s that repentant attitude that continues through our life’s journey. An unbeliever doesn’t have a repentant heart toward his sin. An unbeliever, or one who thinks he or she is right with God, yet has not repented of sin, is living in self-deceit. On the other hand, a true Christian, a follower of Christ, trembles at God’s Word consistently, and he believes His Word, therefore, walks in a reverent fear of the Lord.”
“The Return” is for all believers who love the Lord from all denominations and backgrounds. Believers and leaders already on board with “The Return” include everyone from Pat Robertson to James Dobson to Billy Graham’s daughter Anne Graham Lotz to Martin Luther King’s niece Alveda King—and many more.
Continued Cahn, “Genuine repentance will produce a change in the way we live our everyday lives. The Gospel writers record that man must ‘bear fruit in keeping with repentance’ (Matthew 3:8, Luke 3:8). What God requires of us is a humble admission of the sins we’ve committed, the will of God we have violated, and for us to offer Him a willingness to have a change of mind and heart, and to walk in the fruits of repentance brings, which is joy and freedom!”
Cahn has also recorded a special video for “The Return,” which already has over a million views. Watch here.
“The Return” is set for 40 days before the presidential election, and on the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower, in the days of America’s founding and dedication to God. Surrounding the “The Day of Return” on Sept. 26 will be 10 days, known from ancient times as the Days of Awe, to be set as a special time of prayer and repentance from Sept. 18-28.
Coordinated events within “The Return” movement will also take place throughout America’s cities, towns, houses of worship and homes, as well as in multiple countries around the world, as many believe the nation has been given a critical window of opportunity to repent and return to God.
Visit “The Return” at www.TheReturn.org to register and learn more. Follow “The Return” on social media at Facebook: @ReturnEvent2020; Twitter: @2020_Return; and Instagram: @The_Return2020.
New George Barna Research: ‘Dangerously’ Low Percentage of Americans Have a Biblical Worldview
Social Science Researcher Introduces Key Findings on American Pastors Network ‘Stand in the Gap Today’ Program—Although 7 out of 10 Americans Say They Are Christians, Just 6% Actually Possess a Biblical Worldview
PHILADELPHIA—Well-known social science researcher George Barna introduced brand-new research about Americans’ worldview on the American Pastors Network’s (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net) popular, live, daily radio program “Stand in the Gap Today” last week.
APN President and “Stand in the Gap Today” host Sam Rohrer said the program was aptly named “The True Deficit: Americans with a Biblical Worldview.”
“In recent days, many more than before have become deeply concerned about the country’s national debt, as the government is set to spend $2 trillion to provide needed aid to Americans affected by the coronavirus pandemic,” Rohrer said. “Yet I would suggest that before budget deficits, before deep political infightings and before the moral crumblings of our culture, there is first a deficit in our relationship with God—a deficit of spiritual understanding and a deficit of how to view life and living from God’s perspective. This is the root of our national and cultural problems, the root of our pandering politicians and salivating citizens who only wish for more and bigger government, the root of our complacent churches and passive pulpits.”
Throughout the program, Rohrer and Barna discussed the key findings of “The American Worldview Inventory,” which Barna led in his role at the Cultural Research Center (CRC) at Arizona Christian University (ACU). The research is the first wave of what will be an annual survey. The assessment is based on 51 worldview questions, examining both beliefs and behavior, which were provided to a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults.
Barna has called the research the “most sophisticated nationwide survey of worldview conducted in the United States.” Results include the following:
- Although 7 out of 10 Americans consider themselves to be Christian, just 6% actually possess a biblical worldview.
- Just one-fifth of those attending evangelical Protestant churches (21%) have a biblical worldview, as compared to one-sixth of those attending charismatic or Pentecostal churches (16%). The study finds even smaller proportions in mainline Protestant (8%) or Catholic (1%) churches.
- The number of American adults holding a biblical worldview has declined by 50% over the past quarter century.
- Regarding the youngest adult generation, the numbers are even more startling. A mere 2% of those 18 to 29 years old possess a biblical worldview.
“The fact that fewer than one out of five born-again adults hold a biblical worldview highlights the extensive decline of core Christian principles in America,” Barna said.
Among the differentiating factors between the new study and previous research, he noted, is the more robust measurement of action.
“In the American Worldview Inventory, we measure not just beliefs, but also the application of those beliefs—our behavior—because people do what they believe,” Barna added. “If you truly believe something, you integrate into how you live, and your lifestyle reflects those beliefs. As a result, our research always balances examining both what we believe to be true with how we translate such beliefs into action.”
Going forward, Barna will be a regular monthly guest on “Stand in the Gap Today.” He has filled executive roles in politics, marketing, advertising, media development, research and ministry. He founded the Barna Research Group in 1984 (now The Barna Group) and helped it become a leading marketing research firm focused on the intersection of faith and culture before selling it in 2009. He has written more than 50 books and his work is frequently cited as an authoritative source by the media.
APN hopes thousands will join the ministry for its national prayer movement called “52 Tuesdays,” in which the faithful from around the country will come together to pray for the moral and spiritual renewal of our nation every Tuesday leading up to Election Day 2020.
This dedicated season of prayer not only addresses the important 2020 presidential election but also other topics close to Christians’ hearts. Prayer warriors nationwide can add their name to the growing “52 Tuesdays” list here.
Rohrer, along with Pennsylvania Pastors Network Executive Director Gary Dull and North Carolina Pastors Network President Dave Kistler, invites cultural experts to discuss a variety of pressing topics and headlines from a biblical and constitutional perspective to “Stand in the Gap Today.” Archived programs can be viewed here. Rohrer also hosts the daily short radio feature “Stand in the Gap Minute, and “best of” shows from the week are broadcast on “Stand in the Gap Weekend.”
Likewise, “Stand in the Gap TV” considers transcending complex and divisive cultural issues, seemingly difficult to navigate, from a biblical worldview perspective while bringing clarity to cultural confusion and making sense of the nonsense around us.
View the media page for APN here, which also details information about “Stand in the Gap” radio programming. For more information on APN, visit www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net, its Facebook page or follow APN’s Twitter feed, @AmericanPastors. For information about forming a state chapter of APN, contact amy@americanpastors.net.