{"id":4151,"date":"2017-04-29T15:35:34","date_gmt":"2017-04-29T21:35:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/?p=4151"},"modified":"2017-04-29T15:35:34","modified_gmt":"2017-04-29T21:35:34","slug":"a-call-to-those-who-lost-their-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/?p=4151","title":{"rendered":"A Call to Those Who Lost Their Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…<\/strong>\u00a0“Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;\u00a0<\/span>remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;\u00a0<\/span><\/span>cease to do evil,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>learn to do good;\u00a0<\/span><\/span>seek justice,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>correct oppression; b<\/span><\/span>ring justice to the fatherless,<\/span><\/em>
\nplead the widow’s cause.”<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0Isaiah 1:16,17 ESV<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I have been working on the preparations for this week’s National Day of Prayer event in Northern Colorado. The theme is “For Your Great Name’s Sake – Hear Us, Forgive Us, Heal Us!”<\/em><\/p>\n

For those who in our history that were even marginally committed to a life of faith, have recognized the value of prayer and the need for divine guidance and intervention. It is obviously more pronounced in times of national crisis. Whether it was the revolutionary war, the challenging of carving out our Constitution or the times of war and national crisis that have been a part of our nation’s history.<\/p>\n

When we “lose our way” it is the Lord who can help us find our way. That was the condition of God’s people when Isaiah was called to be the Lord’s voice to get the attention of a wayward people. The call was a call to repentance. To stop, to change, to redirect.<\/p>\n

In the verses above, I notice that it takes personal resolve. Without a recognition of need, without sense of desperation there is no avenue back to God. The call to action is to “remove” “cease” “learn” “seek” “correct.”<\/p>\n

It is important to observe that “personal” righteousness precedes “national” righteousness. The prophet says, “wash yourself; cease to do evil; learn to do good.”\u00a0<\/em>As individuals make this type of commitment then the impact is seen on how others are treated and the responsibility to others.<\/p>\n

The character of a “nation” is reflected in these actions, “seek justice,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>correct oppression; b<\/span><\/span>ring justice to the fatherless,\u00a0<\/span><\/em>plead the widow’s cause.”<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This is not possible by virtue of human will power. It requires a recognition of God as the source of life and help. As a result we read a well-know verse,<\/p>\n

\u201cCome now, let us reason\u00a0<\/span>together, says the Lord<\/span>:\u00a0<\/span>though your sins are like scarlet,\u00a0<\/span>they shall be as white as snow;<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\nthough they are red like crimson,\u00a0<\/span><\/em>they shall become like wool.”<\/em> (Isaiah 1:18 ESV)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A godly people, brings a righteous government. That is why one of our nation’s founders and Presidents John Adam’s said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Prayer for today….\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Lord help us to realize that a godly nation is established first in the hearts of people. Allow men and women to be open to Your call and to be willing to heed Your voice. When You reside in individual hearts, we can truly be a collective “nation under God.”<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…\u00a0“Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;\u00a0remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;\u00a0cease to do evil,\u00a0learn to do good;\u00a0seek justice,\u00a0correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”\u00a0Isaiah 1:16,17 ESV I have been working on the preparations for this week’s National Day of Prayer event in Northern Colorado. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4151","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4151"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4151\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4152,"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4151\/revisions\/4152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}