Recently I was watching a professional sporting event. One team was not doing well. A few of the players were turning on each other. One player was in the face of the coach, angrily pointing his finger and shouting obscenities. This team is in trouble.
Years ago I did a weekend conference at a church. As I spoke the first evening, the people seemed attentive and friendly. But below the surface there was tension. Some of the leaders were fighting. Anger levels were high. Conflict was losing the day. This church was in trouble, perched on the precipice of ruin.
Linda and I are privileged to meet with many marital couples. Sometimes we engage in healing these relationships. When a marital couple cannot coexist in loving unity (not total uniformity), their marriage is in trouble. Hopelessness occupies their house.
Jesus understood this when he said,
Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined,
and a house divided against itself will fall.
Luke 11:17
It's morning in an America that is deeply divided against itself. If America remains this way, it will be ruined. If America remains this way, it will fall.
To my fellow followers of Jesus: Let us pray for America. For our leaders.
More specifically, pray for our churches,
that they would be awakened and revived to exemplify communicating the truth in love,
that they would seek first God's kingdom before all earthly powers,
that God would come upon us in heavenly power,
and that the Church would rise up,
for such a time as this.
***
My two books are:
Praying: Reflections on 40 Years of Solitary Conversations with God.
Leading the Presence-Driven Church.
I'm working on:
How God Changes the Human Heart
Technology and Spiritual Formation
Linda and I then plan to write our book on Relationships.
