What Would You Do?

What would you do if God showed up and revealed something He was about to do? Let me be even more specific. What would you if God showed you how He was about to punish a group of people living in sin?

This is the very spot Abraham found himself in the Genesis 18 story. God even said, "Shall I hide what I am about to do?" God chooses to reveal how the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah had grieved Him. Great sins. Grave sins. God was about to send angels into the cities to see for themselves.

Abraham had a nephew living in that area. Abraham began to intercede. He asked if God would destroy the righteous with the wicked and asked if God would spare the cities if there were 50 righteous. He pressed on getting all the way down to pleading with God to spare the city if there were only 10 righteous. In the end there were not even 10 righteous people in those cities and God destroyed them.

God had mercy and allowed Lot and his family to get out before His wrath fell on Sodom Gomorrah. Lot's wife did not resist the temptation to look behind her to see the destruction on their escape. She died as a result.

If God came and revealed something like He did to Abraham how would you respond? Would you ignore it. Would you dismiss the whole thing. Would you write it down and tell someone else. Would you second guess yourself hearing correctly. Abraham interceded. His fervent prayers saved Lot's life. How many of us would intercede. How many of us would take the warning of God seriously and pray earnestly for mercy.

The United States is walking on thin ice. I don't see any sins Sodom and Gomorrah practiced that people in the United States do not practice as well. In addition we suffer from the sin of prayerlessness.

I had a pastor call me today and ask me how he could lead his church to become a praying church. I told him I didn't know. I am no expert on prayer. Far from it. I know a little more today than I knew when I first became a pastor. I am not sure you can lead or teach people to pray. In order to really learn how to pray and intercede you have to PRAY and INTERCEDE. Prayer is better caught than taught. It is better practiced than preached. It is better lived out in real life than learned in a classroom.

That is what America needs. Millions making intercession. Maybe God will relent from doing this nation harm and leave a blessing instead. We certainly do not deserve His blessing. We deserve His wrath as a nation. May more of us follow Abraham's example and pray fervently. Otherwise I am convinced some very difficult times are coming for the land of the free and the home of the brave.