We are living in an unparalleled time in the history of America. Marriages are breaking up at unprecedented rates and the single-parent home is becoming the norm rather than the exception. The number of children living in single-parent homes has tripled in the last 30 years. The teen suicide rate has increased 200% and is now the leading cause of teenage deaths in America. Sickness and disease are rampant, as AIDS and other venereal diseases rage out of control. Over one-half million Americans now have AIDS. Our school systems have become havens for the teaching of new age philosophy, which has tried to erase God from every tenet of society. And what is the result of turning away from God? We have lost our Anchor and our Way. No longer able to tell good from evil, we have become a hedonistic society. Let's examine the fruits of our national sins.
 
Overall, since 1960, there has been a 560% increase in violent crime. In the first 16 days following the mayoral election in NYC, there were: 62 murders, 125 rapes, 4,150 robberies, 4,350 burglaries, 2700 assaults, 5650 cars stolen and 10,350 larcenies. Crime is out of control. There is a spirit of lawlessness rising in America. Teenagers kill each other for sneakers and jackets. Teens are committing unthinkable crimes but, when interrogated by police, show no remorse for their actions. In New York City, robbers tore the leather jacket off a pregnant woman and then made her watch as they fatally shot her husband. Three children in the Midwest, aged eight to ten years, have been charged with beating a homeless man to death. In a small town in Mississippi, teenagers involved in Satan worship killed three children under ten years of age.

The U.S. News and World Report' estimates that more than three million crimes are committed in or near the 85,000 U.S. public schools. A University of Michigan study reports that nine percent of eighth-graders carry a gun, a knife or a club to school at least once a month. An estimated 270,000 guns go to school every day. Twenty percent of suburban high school students surveyed by researchers at Tulane University thought it appropriate to shoot someone "who has stolen something from you." Eight percent believed it is acceptable to shoot a person who has "done something to offend or insult you." One authority said a "Juvenile Armageddon" may be approaching. Young children are being killed and abused in escalating numbers. The government's response? An unsuccessful attempt to liberalize the nation's laws against child pornography. Nine out of ten young people slain in the industrial nations are slain in this country. The U.S. homicide rate for young people between the ages of 15 and 24 is five times greater than for any other country. A new pattern of teen homicides being committed by younger teens has emerged from FBI and census data. The homicide rate for 17-year-olds jumped 121% between 1985 and 1991. The rates for teens between the ages of 15 and 16 grew even faster. Criminologist James Fox, Dean of Northeastern University's College of Criminal Justice who headed the study, says that "the trend is troublesome, because this young and ruthless age group is increasing and shows no remorse for their crimes."

In California, there is an epidemic of hate crimes. There are now more then 2,500 members of organized hate groups in California which are becoming increasingly violent. There has been a dramatic increase in racism in the U.S. The pro-Nazi movement is escalating. One talk show host even had a "church" representative that made the statement: "Before all of America can be truly free, we must kill all the Jews." And it's not just the Jews under attack. A recent media survey found 98% of newspaper and television executives to be Anti-Christian. The Club of Rome, a futuristic organization, met in Los Angeles last year. Their conclusion: "The real thing standing in the way of the world's progress is fundamentalist Bible-believing Christians." Their enlightened solution: "They will have to be eliminated." Christians are now being painted as evil, a thorn in the side of progress. "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil ..." (please read Isaiah 5:20-25).

The LA riots demonstrated the height from which we have fallen. To us it was just another TV movie filled with horror and bloodshed. We view so much rioting, looting and murder on television that we have grown accustomed to it. We watched one helpless truck driver almost beaten to death. The perpetrators' consciences seemed to be seared as they methodically performed their gruesome attack, without restraint or remorse. What in Heaven is happening to America?

Homosexuals are becoming more and more blatant. They curse God to His face and are trying to force acceptance of their Biblically abominable life-style through legal means. In September, the U.S. Congress, which governs our nation from its "model city", the District of Columbia, has allowed Washington D.C.'s sodomy laws to lapse -- thereby making the act legal for the first time in the city's history. Washington, D.C. has also become the nation's first jurisdiction to actively recruit homosexuals to adopt children. And the Boy Scouts of America, a model of wholesomeness and value, are currently dismissing about 90 scoutmasters a year for suspicion of molesting boys.

Life is becoming valueless. We have sacrificed over 30 million innocent children to the god of convenience and greed. It is now legal to have an abortion at any point in the pregnancy, even five minutes before birth. This will allow babies to be "harvested" for their brains and hormones; they call this "fetal tissue research." And, in spite of this mass slaughter, illegitimate births have increased 419% over the last 30 years.  God have mercy on America!

The Government's response to this insane slaughter is to apply the RICO law against the Pro-Life Movement, which allows prosecution under the same anti-racketeering laws as organized crimes. The danger of this precedent is that it could be abused to the point that even lawful assemblies, unless politically correct, will be impossible without criminal proceedings. Many of our rights guaranteed under the constitution are being eroded. For example, our right to bear arms and our right to due process of law: Last year 52,000 Americans had their assets seized without due process.

Dr. Jack Kevorkian continues to promote "Euthanasia" (mercy killings), and the courts to date have ruled that it is unconstitutional for the states to have anti-suicide laws. Michigan Circuit Judge Richard Kaufman ruled that "terminally ill patients have a right to commit suicide." John Pridonoff of the Hemlock society called the ruling "a significant step."

The U.S. economy, the envy of the world, is approaching collapse. In only ten years, the United States has gone from the world's largest creditor nation to the world's largest debtor nation. We are no longer leaders in exporting. We no longer lead the world in any manufacturing field except machine tools, a lead which is rapidly dwindling. The mighty U.S. dollar has been devalued time and time again. Our debt is now greater than the debt of all other nations in the world combined. Based on present estimates, the interest on the national debt alone will exceed all personal income taxes paid in this country by the end of 1995. We are facing an economic disaster of incredible proportions.  Japan and other countries are no longer financing our national debt. The U.S. banks have become the number one buyer of Treasury Bills (the vehicle used to fund the national debt), setting the U.S. citizen up as the fall guy for the soon-coming economic meltdown in this country. Things are going to shake like they've never shaken before. Layoffs are increasing; taxes are increasing; high paying industrial jobs are being replaced by low paying service jobs; our imports far exceed our exports. The leadership of this country has gone from bad to worse. There are avowed homosexuals and lesbians in high-ranking government positions. The Oval Office has been busy issuing executive orders (government by decree) which clearly promote anti-Christian agendas, such as support for homosexuals and abortion on demand.

The United States has experienced a tremendous increase in natural disasters. Hurricane Andrew, the most expensive hurricane in U.S. history, destroyed over 20 billion dollars worth of property in Florida alone. In a law suit involving Prudential's action to cancel insurance in the Florida area, the lawyer for the company stated that they had to borrow money from reserves just to pay the claims and expressed concern over the fate of the company should another disaster befall it. This is not the rock you want to trust in. There was a snowstorm last March that left 50 inches of snow on the Carolinas and paralyzed the eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine. In late June and early July, it snowed so heavily in Colorado that skiers took to the mountain slopes on the 4th of July. A record 1,381 tornadoes touched down in 1993 and the Mississippi river basin became the largest flood in U.S. history, causing billions of dollars of damage and ruining millions of acres of rich farm land.

Firestorms in California last year consumed over 200,000 acres. The recent Los Angeles earthquake went down as the most expensive earthquake in U.S. history, with an estimated 30 billion dollars in damage. There have been over 3,500 after-shocks to date, some of which have done additional damage. After the LA earthquake, a group of seismologists, monitoring the increase in frequency and intensity of earthquakes around the world, stated: "It's as if someone is picking up the earth and is starting to shake it." Sound familiar? Read Haggai 2:6-7.
Even "mother nature" appears to be going mad. Newspapers across the country have posed the question: "Are these acts of God?" And if this is not enough, now southern California has been experiencing mudslides, and the East Coast has suffered from massive winter storms of snow and ice, such as have not been seen in 30 years. What in heaven is happening to America?

As with many Christians around the country, I have been in prayer for our leaders in government. However, my most serious concern is not with those in Washington; its with the American people. Take fore example, the most recent scandal in the White House involving the President and Miss Lewinsky, which brought humiliation on himself, his family and our nation. What has alarmed me throughout out this episode has been the willingness of my fellow citizens to rationalize the presidents behavior even after they suspected, and later knew, that he was lying. Because the economy is strong, millions of people have said infidelity in the Oval Office is just a private affair, something between himself and Hillary. We have heard it time and time again during these past few months: “ as long as Mr. Clinton is doing a good job, it’s nobody’s business what he does with his personal life.”

This disregard for morality is profoundly disturbing to me. Although sexual affairs have occurred often in high places, the public has never approved of such misconduct. But today, the rules by which behavior is governed appear to have been rewritten specifically for Mr. Clinton. We now know that this 50 year old man had sexual relations repeatedly and brazenly in the White House, with a women 27 years his junior. Then he spoke on national television while shaking his finger at the camera, and denied ever having a sexual relationship with Miss Lewinsky. He was the most powerful man in the world and she was a starry-eyed intern. This situation would not have been tolerated in any other setting, ever. Yet the apologists for the president have said endlessly, “It’s just about sex,” as though cheating on your wife was of no particular significance. And the majority of the American people replied, “I support the president.” When a corporate executive is similarly accused, especially if numerous women claim to have been groped or abused in the manner of Kathleen Willey or Paula Jones , that man is fired. Period!!! Clinton is not the only politician in either party who lacks character, certainly, but he is the only one in American history to my knowledge, who has been specifically applauded for his deceit. At one point during these shocking revelations, Clinton’s public approval rating approached 70%! I just don’t understand it. Why aren’t parents more concerned about what their children are hearing about the presidents behavior? Are moms and dads not embarrassed by what is occurring? At any given point, 40% of the nations children list the president of the United States as the person they most admire. What are they learning from Mr. Clinton? What have we taught our boys about respecting women? What have our little girls learned about men? How can we estimate the impact of this scandal on future generations? How in the world can 7 out of 10 Americans continue to say nothing matters except a robust economy? Have we lost our ability to discern the difference between right and wrong? We are facing a moral crisis not only because one man has disgraced us, but because our people no longer recognize the nature of evil. And when a nation reached that state of depravity, judgment is a certainty.

America has turned its face from God, that's what! America, a country whose principles of government are based on the Bible, has sought to remove God from every tenet of society. America, the land of the free, has become the home of the politically correct. We have, as a nation, gone beyond ignoring God. We are now openly antagonistic toward Him, parading Gay Rights in the streets and openly attacking and mocking God and His anointed.
America has been blessed for over 200 years. As a result, we have developed an attitude of superiority and spiritual pride. We think that no matter what we do, God will overlook it. This is not true!

God is not slack concerning sin, but is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:7-9). However, God will judge sin. Except for Noah and his family, the Lord once destroyed an entire world because of rampant sin. He also destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and many other cities of the plain because of homosexuality. God is not mocked. When He says homosexuality is an abomination, He means just that. We have lost sight of the fact that God judges nations for both the sins of the nation and the sins of the nation's leaders. A nation will reap what it sows (Gal 6:7).

Consider Elijah. After winning his confrontation with the prophets of Baal on top of Mt. Carmel, he cried out to God to take him home -- because he thought no one else believed in God but him. God told him he was wrong. God told Elijah that there were 7,000 men left in the nation who loved Him, men who had not bowed their knee to Baal, men of integrity and righteousness. However (notwithstanding the 7,000 righteous in the land), because of the wickedness of Ahab and Jezebel, God's judgement fell. The entire nation (including the 7,000 righteous), went three and one-half years without rain. Just because there are righteous in the land does not mean judgement will not fall.

Another example of God judging a nation for the sins of its leaders is found in 1 Chronicles, Chapter 21. David, because of his success in battle, came to the point where he felt he was the source of Israel's success. He insisted on numbering his troops, even though he was cautioned by his general to remember that it was God who had won the victories. But David insisted on taking the census of his fighting men. As a result, God gave David a choice of three punishments: God would either bring three years of famine on the land, or three months of fleeing before their enemies, or three days of plague. David chose the latter. As a result of the sins of Israel's leader, 70,000 men died of the plague. God judges sin. He judges nations for their corporate sins and for the sins of their leaders. Many of us are familiar with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, but we overlook the warning in Jude, Chapter 1, verses 5 through 7, which tell us that Sodom and Gomorrah were an example of what will happen when the people are given over to sexual immorality and perversion. With the rise of government-sanctioned homosexuality in America, especially in cities like San Francisco and New York, Billy Graham's statement "If God doesn't judge America, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah", takes on prophetic significance.

On November 28, 1993 the San Francisco Board of Supervisors created a 20-member group, including three former prostitutes, to consider legalizing prostitution and other steps that might help neighborhoods where men and women sell sex on street corners. It is provocative to contemplate the fact that the Los Angeles earthquake had its epicenter in the middle of the U.S. porn industry.  Is America about to be judged by God for its national sins?
"I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty." (Hag 2.7)

"Watch and pray, therefore, that you would be counted worthy to escape the judgment that is coming upon the earth and be able to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36).
 

Before we begin, however, we need to understand that God's judgments are righteous. He is a God of Love, but He is also a God of Righteousness. He is long-suffering and not willing that any should perish. But He will judge sin. As we review the judgments of the Old Testament, we see that God is merciful. He doesn't bring catastrophe on a nation without warning, and His initial acts of chastisement are redemptive in nature. They are designed to get us to examine our sinful state, to recognize "the height from which we have fallen" and, ultimately, to secure our free will act of repentance and turn back toward God. It is not God's will that any should spend eternity in Hell. Jesus came to save the world, not to condemn it. Only man can condemn himself to that fate by rejecting God's provision for forgiveness: that being Jesus Christ.

It is sobering to recognize that it was 120 years from the time that God instructed Noah to begin constructing the Ark until it was completed and that, over that 120 years, there were four generations of Noah's prodigy who warned others of God's impending judgment. Did the people heed Noah's warning? No. They probably laughed and ridiculed him. That is, until the flood came and God closed the door to the ark. By that time, it was too late to enter into the refuge which God had provided. So it was in the time of Noah; so it shall be at the time of the second coming of Jesus Christ.

We are living in a time of moral and spiritual blindness. We no longer fear God. In fact, many are openly hostile and antagonistic toward Him. Others deny His existence. They are comfortable in their sin. It is time to get serious about God before it is too late. Judgment is again coming. It is right on our doorstep. It is time to recognize the signs of the times and take heed. Don't be like Noah's neighbors -- caught up in everyday living, separated from God, ignorant of spiritual things and the signs which will herald Jesus' return.

Is the United States ripe for judgment? The book of Ezekiel tells us that God brought judgment upon the Jews and dispersed them to the four corners of the earth. One reason was because they had spilt blood in the land. We have now sacrificed the blood of over thirty million unborn children in this country. Will God not judge us likewise? Perversion is rampant in this country and is now seated in power in the highest positions in the land. Billy Graham was quoted as saying: "If God doesn't judge America soon, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah."
Let's examine the warning signs of God's judgment upon a nation. In the book of Isaiah, we find five things which indicate that a nation is under God's judgment.

There has been a tremendous increase in natural disasters in the United States.  Hurricane Andrew, the most expensive hurricane in U.S. history, destroyed over 20 billion dollars worth of property in Florida alone. A record 1,381 tornadoes also touched down in 1993. The Mississippi river basin became the largest flood in U.S. history, causing billions of dollars of damage and ruining millions of acres of rich farmland. Yet, strangely, at the time of the flooding, there was drought in the Carolinas. Firestorms in California consumed over 200,000 acres of land, and the Los Angeles earthquake went down as the most expensive earthquake in U.S. history.

These disasters, referred to as God's signature judgments, are not meant to utterly destroy; they are meant as warnings. For example, as was mentioned in the last issue, the LA earthquake was centered in the middle of the nation's porn industry. Over 90% of the porn industry was destroyed. However, the other aspect of this earthquake that points to it being a signature judgment of God is that it occurred at 4 AM on a holiday. If you had to pick a time for an earthquake where there would be the least loss of life, that would certainly be it. When Hurricane Andrew devastated Florida, it could have taken thousands of lives had its eye been just a few miles northward. The massive Mississippi flood did primarily property damage. Compare it to the floods and hurricanes in Bangladesh a few years ago that killed tens of thousands. We mourn the loss of life and property but, mercifully, it was not worse. These were signature judgments. Will the next event cause catastrophic damage? It will, if it follows the biblical pattern of increasing frequency and intensity. This pattern can be seen in the trumpet and bowl judgments in the book of Revelation. It is seen in the book of Exodus when God brought judgment upon Egypt. Each judgment was worse than the previous one. The result? "And still man did not repent."

Jesus himself said, in the Olivet discourse, that the events leading up to final judgment on mankind and His Return would be like birth pangs; that is, they would increase in intensity and frequency as the day of judgment grew near. Clearly, natural disasters are increasing world-wide. But in the United States, while these disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity, there are other aspects of the pattern of these disasters that speaks of God's direct judgment on this nation. For example, alternating drought and excessive rain is another sign of God's judgment. At the time of the flooding in the Midwest, there was drought in the Carolinas. "Farmers in the Southeast have lost an estimated 500 million in corn, tobacco, soybeans, vegetables, fruit and hay in a crippling drought... In western South Carolina, just three percent of normal rainfall has fallen this summer..." Georgia's Agriculture Commissioner said, "There's hurting in the South, and damage is increasing day by day. It's a disaster..." "Farmers are watching helplessly as nature, in the form of drought and excess heat, takes their crops." "The intense heat is just baking them in the fields," said a South Carolina Farm Bureau expert. "Upper New England is suffering unusually dry conditions which are sparking fires and causing farm problems." Farmers in the drought area have said, "We'd like to have a little of their rain [referring to the Mississippi flood], and give them a little of our sun" (USA Today, July 19, 1993). While California was in the midst of a several-year drought a few years ago, there was flooding in other parts of the country.  God says, through the prophet Amos: "......you have not returned to me, declares the Lord. I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still three months away. I sent rain on one town, but withheld it from another. One field had rain; another had none and dried up. People staggered from town to town for water but did not get enough to drink, yet you have not returned to me, declares the Lord." (Amos 4:6-8)
This speaks clearly of God's judgment on America. Amos 4:7 has been fulfilled. "One field had rain; another had none." Notice two things in this passage of scripture. Number one, God caused this situation by His own word. And number two, this passage demonstrates the purpose of the judgment: that being repentance ("... you have not returned to me, declares the Lord").

In 1 Kings 19:9-12, we find that wind, earthquake and fire, occurring one after the other, is another pattern of judgment. Let's go back to 1989. First there was Hurricane Hugo (a level-4 storm), then the Houston Oil Refinery explosion and fire, and then the San Francisco earthquake (three billion in property damage). More recently, we have experienced Hurricane Andrew (a level-5 storm; sustained winds of 200 miles per hour with tornadoes packed inside of it), the California Firestorms (over 200,000 acres burned), and the Los Angeles earthquake (estimated damage, 13 to 20 billion -- the worst in U.S. history).  These level-5 storms are also called 100-year storms, because it is anticipated that they will only occur every 100 years or so. Since 1988, we have had four level-5 storms. Clearly, there has been an increase in frequency and severity of disasters in America over the last few years. But is it judgment? When you consider that the U.S.A. fulfills the other signs of judgment, as well, there is no question in this author's mind that the United States is in for a rough ride.

There has been a decline in exports and in the overall quality of the finished products. The United States is no longer a leader in export. We have become a consumer nation. Imports far exceed exports. The quality of foreign goods, in general, is superior to ours. We have all been sensitized to the trading problems with Japan, but with the new trading consortium in the Far East and Europe, we haven't seen anything yet. Japan has withdrawn from our economy and is beginning to invest in China. With China's abundant natural resources and Japan's capital, there will be an economic boom the likes of which the world has never seen.

The European Community (made up primarily of socialist, pro-Islamic countries) is already anti-American and will most likely present a major problem in accepting U.S. goods without imposing high tariffs. The U.S. is headed for major problems in the global markets. Coupled with the lack of capital investment in America necessary for plant modernization to improve product quality, and the handwriting is on the wall. Our trade deficit is at record levels and growing.

Although the government keeps presenting statistics that indicate we are out of recession, be aware. It was reported that Christmas sales were up over last year, a sign of recovery. What wasn't said is that credit card usage was also up over 23%. We are hearing that G.M. and Ford are reporting profit increases of over 40%. What was not said is that a major portion of new car sales are now lease arrangements. We're in the midst of a debt expansion -- not a fundamental improvement of the economy characterized by job creation. On the contrary, hundreds of thousands of high-tech or high-skill jobs have been eliminated. Those few that have been created are low-paying service jobs. Pay close attention.

Leadership goes from good to bad and from bad to worse. Let's take a look at the leadership of the United States of America.
On the third day of his administration, President Clinton issued five executive orders. In essence they were:
1) to lift the ban on homosexuals in the military.
2) to lift the ban on fetal tissue research.
3) to remove the ban on abortion counseling in federally-funded clinics.
4) to begin the process of approving the importation of the abortion-inducing drug RU486.
5) to provide funds for the first time for abortions in military hospitals overseas.

The leadership the White House has put in place is equally impressive. The following are quotes from an article in Texe Marrs' Flashpoint newsletter, entitled Big Sister is Watching You (he has also published a book by the same title). "Hillary's White House feminists include lesbians, sex perverts, child molester advocates, Christian-haters, and the most doctrinaire of communists." According to Marrs, he has new evidence that "Janet Reno is a hardened lesbian." "Joyceln Elders, Surgeon General, is out to make sure pre-schoolers and elementary school children are given condoms and instructed on how to use them." "Donna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Services, is the most vicious Christian-hater ever to hold a top cabinet post .... she is also a director of the CFR and a member of the Trilateral Commission." Roberta Achtenberg, according to Marrs, "While demonstrating at a gay rights parade, the militantly lesbian Achtenberg passionately kissed her female lover as her young son looked on.... she once led a hate campaign against the Boy Scouts because their oath includes the word `God."' "Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Supreme Court Justice, is in favor of legalizing child sex with adults."

Everything rises and falls on leadership. Clinton is our elected representative, elected by a plurality of the people. And as we discussed earlier, God will punish a nation for the sins of its leaders. For those who think Bill Clinton is a Godly leader, read the article entitled "Living with the Clintons" in "The American Spectator", January 1994 (2020 N. 14th Street, Suite 750, Arlington, Virginia 22216).

Unless there is national repentance, the United States will continue to experience ever more severe chastisements. If, God forbid, the United States sustains a cataclysmic natural disaster, a nuclear accident or even a government default, then key services and programs will be curtailed. There may be anarchy in the streets when banks close and the citizenry is denied access to its cash. When the dollar becomes worthless, the cost of food and necessities will skyrocket. Unemployment will be rampant. The government will declare marshal law. Constitutional rights will be suspended.  Sound impossible? It is exactly what has already happened to many countries that have turned their backs on God.

When you don't know where your next meal is coming from, will you be persuaded to give up your national sovereignty and become part of the One World Order? When you are hungry and oppressed, even the Russian fanatic Zhirinovsky, or Germany's Hitler, begin to look good. Will the U.S. government single out a scapegoat for all its problems? Will it be the Jews? Will it be the Christians? Will you be persuaded to take the "Mark of the Beast" on your right hand or forehead to survive? "He [Anti-Christ] also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name." (Rev 13:16-17) "A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: `If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.' This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus." (Rev 14:9-12)

" .. if my people [not the unsaved], who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Notice that this passage says that it is God's people who must humble themselves and repent before God will relent. This is exactly what happened to Nineveh. Jonah was sent to Nineveh when it was just 40 days from judgment. Then a miracle happened. From the king on down, the entire country humbled themselves and repented. Although judgment had been pronounced and God had even given them a date for their destruction, God relented and Nineveh survived another 100 years before meriting final judgment. Will America repent?

And what if judgment does come? Are you ready, physically and spiritually, to be God's instrument to bring hope and healing? Don't despair or grow depressed. There is Hope. Jesus has promised His children, those who have been reborn of the Spirit, that He would never leave them or forsake them. If you have accepted Jesus' free gift of salvation, then no matter what happens in the future, He will be with you. When the storms of life come against you, it will be possible for you to stand by His mighty power and presence in your life.

God knows how to deliver His people. Noah and his family were protected through Judgment by the Ark of their salvation. During their exodus from Egypt, God fed the children of Israel with manna in the wilderness and provided water out of solid rock. He even parted the Red Sea. Lot and His family were escorted out of the city by Angels before Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego walked through the fire unharmed, because God was with them. "I have never seen God's people forsaken, or their children begging for bread." (Psalm 37:25b)

Psalms 23 and 91 are beautiful promises of God to preserve and comfort his children. Read them, walk with the Lord, trust Him to preserve you and protect you. God has begun to shake America, but Jesus says: "Do not let your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me" (John 14:1).

For the Turtle Rock community, in the middle of the California firestorms, these promises became a reality. A wall of fire 200 feet high was heading for their community. Destruction was all around. Many of God's children were in that community. Their home church, when notified of the impending disaster, went into corporate prayer for them. They prayed: "God, your judgments are just, but there are righteous there, like when you destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah." They prayed for God to stop the wind. The next day the papers reported: "It was like a miracle, the fire came right up to the edge of the community and then, inexplicably, the winds shifted and the fire took a right-hand turn." After the fire, Turtle Creek looked like an island of safety in a sea of destruction. Yes, God answers the prayers of His children. And yes, God knows how to deliver His children.

"I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty." (Hag 2.7)

"Watch and pray, therefore, that you would be counted worthy to escape the judgment that is coming upon the earth and be able to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36).
Maranatha!