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"BLESSED IS THE NATION WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD" (Psalm 33:12)
MARCH 30 th 1863
Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly
recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a
resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation:
And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to owe their dependence upon the
overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope, that genuine repentance
will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history,
that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.
And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine
law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that
the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous
sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties
of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power,
as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten
His gracious hand which preserved us, and multiplied, enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness
of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken
success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to
the God that made us!
It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our
national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.
Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully
concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of April,
1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that
day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes,
in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.
All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings,
that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national
sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done
at the City of Washington, this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND SIXTY-THREE
and of the Independence of the United States, this eighty seventh year.
By the President:
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
GOSPEL REVIVAL: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Throughout bible history great nations existed and failed. They were godless though many false gods were worshipped and polytheism
was the principle of secular and religious life. One nation and way of life stands out as particularly integrated into God's
end time plans for His glory and the validation of His promises to Israel. And that nation is BABYLON.
In the book of Jeremiah the prophet, who wrote in 7th century B.C., we see in Chapters 50-51 an extensive indictment and description of Babylon and it's destruction. Babylon is a way of life that God flatly
rejects.
PECULIAR CHARACTERISTICS OF BABYLON
It is a God blessed land from it's beginnings.
It is a land of the mixed multitude and has a special relationship with Israel
It does business with merchants from the world over and has made them rich from trade.
It is the "Last of The Great Nations" and is the daughter of a great nation that bore her. Babylon is powerful and has a defense
that reaches into the heavens. She is the "hammer" of the earth militarily.
She is most proud, has great power amongst the nations, is very influential and so spiritually sick God could'nt heal her.
This Babylon exists at a time when the people of Israel return to their own land in faith and God forgives their individual
and collective sins. The time will be at the close of the great tribulation and "Jacobs Trouble". (See Jer.31:31,34)
MORE FACTS ABOUT BABYLON
She dwells on many waters. She is a land of idol worship. Places great emphasis in the heavens, star gazing and prognostication
based upon the celestial bodies, and power . Vanity is a strong characteristic of it's population. Is abundant in treasures
and covetous of wealth.
It's power and influence has affected the world and it has sinned against Israel in it's policies and caused many to die and
many to go astray. It excuses it's conduct on moral grounds and accuses Israel of sinning against God.
God says Babylon is a destroying mountain that has ruined many nations of the world. It will be destoyed suddenly by a vicious
attack from the Kings of The North who will unleash their missiles and hit Babylon with pinpoint accuracy. God will make sure
of this for it is the time of God's vengence and wrath.
Many of the mixed multitude in Babylon are supernaturally called out and return to their native lands before the attack.
And Babylon will be so destroyed it will never be inhabited again. The merchants of the world will mourn their great loss
of money and prestige.
God fulfills a "NEW COVENANT" with His people, Israel, as
stated in the Old Testament and their sins are forgiven and their redeemer is The Lord who will personally deliver them from
their enemies at that future time only God knows when.
Israel is now in her land in belief with The Lord at her side who is Prince of the kings of the earth, King of Kings, and
Lord of Lords.
"THE LORD'S PRAYER" FREE Mp3
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In Babylon of the future the gospel may cost the life of the giver. She is most proud. Her buildings will rise up to kiss
the heavens themselves and her place among the nations cannot be matched. She is powerful and her might is seated above the
earth itself like a god sitting on high. In her are all peoples and religions of the world and she is the home of a large
segment of Israelites from the diaspora. Her markets are full to the brim with goods from merchants around the globe. There
is nothing lacking in selections of garments, weapons, drugs, foods, religions, secret societies and organizations, souls
for hire and anything under the sun that one could desire. A nation of unending laws and luxuries, there is no doubt: Babylon
is the greatest combination of the best and worst of world history and most powerful ever known. She is the Queen of Nations
and through her lifestyle has made many nations and peoples rich from her lifestyles.
First Love
(Matthew 10:38)
On the streets of Babylon, I met a minister from Africa. We were in an affluent geographic area, a busy hub of commercial
life surrounded by beautiful houses, a park, near the ocean and 34 different churches, one more glorious then the other. I
asked this man of God why he came here to do the Lord's work when it appeared so many were doing it around us? He said it
was necessary!
The test of faith is in the life that's lived. Do we love Jesus ? What occupies our desires more than anything else? How
do we spend our waking time? This man was reminding me that though his people suffered in their life they rejoiced to serve
Christ and would spend what little money they had to minister to a nation--rich, powerful and quite religious. He was called
to his ministry and strengthened by God for this most difficult job. And only by the power of The Holy Spirit could he do
it successfully. Faith works (Jas.2:18).
In Luke 9:23 the Lord states the imperative of a believer who lives through Him: "...If
any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me"(See
Mark 8:34-38)
Jesus is our first love. He loved us before we were in our mother's womb. He gave Himself for us so that we will live forevermore
in glory with the family of Christ in the presence of God. He gave us life here, His life, through His Spirit, that will
never leave us, no never! How is our life? Are we seeking to live it through the blessings of Christ or in the "I" of self?
In Babylon a man walks the streets with a testimony to give if we will listen. He is one of many called by God to testify
to the truth which is Christ crucified for our salvation, risen for our eternal life and returning for His bride and then
to rule this earth. Will we open our eye's and hearts, filled with Jesus love, to listen? Will we stop in the rush of our
life to look around and see what God is showing us? Will we be a bit on edge and uncomfortable in Babylon?, realizing we should
be, if we walk according to His Spirit? Remember The Lord and what He said: "My strength is made perfect
in weakness".
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"And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe..."(Eph.1:19)
Holy Father, maker of the universe and all creation thru Jesus Christ, all powerful and merciful, who raised Jesus
our Lord to be on your right hand side until all enemies be made His footstool, we thank you and praise you eternally for
your grace and exceeding joy we share as your adopted sons and children.
Holy and righteous Father, bless all the widows, children, and orphans, the poor and needy who love you LORD. Give them new
encouragements and rain down upon them the richness of your grace in Christ Jesus your Son.
Make a short work shorter for all of us, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.
WE LOOK FOR JESUS TO CALL US OUT
How can we look to that blessed day when the Lord calls us home with a spirit of self-agrandizement and, in our own nature,
uncircumsized, live righteously thru the vain and trite philosophy of "get, get, get". Segments of the visable church
believe the Lord will call us home in mid-tribultion or at the very end. But wait...don't make a move. Who are we waiting
for anyway? Christ or the great tribulation? If we believe God will send Jesus for His church in mid- trib or at the end after
7 years of world rule by anti-christ then we will be looking for this imposter rather then the Lord we love! We are to keep
looking for "that blessed hope"who can come at any moment (TITUS 2:13). The church is
not appointed to a time of judgement which the tribulation is for those on earth (1Thess.5:9). God will never send His wrath on those He loves, nor would Jesus command the judgements, as he does, during the tribulation,
on His precious bride (John 5:24).We are to patiently wait with anticipation for the Lord
(2Thess.3:5; Heb.6:12).
RAPTURE BEFORE THE TRIBULATION
Look at the Book of Revelation, the last in the King James bible. God has blessed us richly with His word. Our Lord said His
word is truth. And the truth shall make us free. He says in Rev.3:10 that he will keep
the church from "...the hour of temptation that will come upon all the world, to try them that dwell
upon the earth". We also see that the church is mentioned 19 times through chapter 3 but after the third
chapter there is no mention of it at all with the exception of Rev. 22:16 which relates
back to the time of John. A host of other glaring facts easily convince us that we will be with Christ during this worst episode
in mans history on Earth. No gospel of grace is preached but the gospel of the kingdom. The active ministry of that time
is by 144,000 Jews who have turned to Jesus as their Savior. The gospel of the grace of God was concluded when the church
was completed and raptured. That event begins "the day of the Lord". It is a time of judgments. That fact is easily discerned
in Revelation, chapter 4, where we see the church in heaven with GOD (Rev.4:1-5). T he good
news is that multitudes will be saved by the ministry of the elect Jews during this time who are sealed by God and empowered
by His Spirit.
Babylon will host a huge worldly church after the rapture and some will not have lost any of it's congregation. The church
of Laodicea, which now is, will continue till the anti-christ destroys it and claims absolute authority as god. If you are
reading this in the tribulation remember the words of the apostles...Repent and turn to the Lord.
Count your blessings if your kingdom is not of this world.
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