For years, her vision and that of several others’ vision of the same things coming were just that…coming.  Now, I believe it can truthfully be said of these calamities,  not coming, but here! 

      We have been and still are a ministry of forth-telling you things we believe are upon us so that you can be forewarned and prepared. 

      Someone recently sent me an article which I feel  should be passed on to you.  Jesus said, “…the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light,” Luke 16:8.  I read that as an indictment against Christians.  It seems to me we should be smarter than the world system and be tuned in to what is coming down the pike before it happens. Our Father God knows the end from the beginning and we are His children. Thus,  can it be He  is trying to tell us what is coming but we are not hearing?

 Here is the article and it is from Canada:

                 Americans Largely Silent as
Their Nation is Systematically Destroyed
                         By:  J. B. Williams

                             March 24, 2009

        This article was recently in the Canada Free Press.

      After trillions in taxpayer debt has been foolishly poured into the bottomless black hole of leftist wealth redistribution programs, under the guise of economic ‘stimulus’ or ‘stabilization’ legislation, the new ‘ONE World’ government running Washington, D. C., announces ‘Geithner, Bernanke Call for New Wind-Down Powers After A/G…’ and the people still sit silent as they watch our government  grow in unbridled power.

      Geithner asks Congress for even broader power to seize private firms as the average American stumbles through their daily routine as if nothing is happening.  Canada Free Press managing editor, Judi McLeod, writes, ‘No cheerleader for propping up greenback at G20 Summit asking, “Is the table being set for One World government rather than speeding the recovery of the worldwide recession at next week’s G20 London Summit?’”

      Our leaders have taken this nation from a trillion in debt to over $4 trillion in debt in the first sixty days, with even more federal spending promised, which could put the nation $10 trillion in debt before the 2010 mid-term election cycle.  Amnesty for illegals and ACORN-led redistricting will make 2010 and beyond a moot point.

       Still, beyond the movement to mail tea bags to members of Congress or file another legal demand for proof of Obama’s constitutional eligibility for the office he holds, both of which are like whistling in the breeze, the people remain largely silent.

 Threatened with a Soup Line Existence

     The American people would never trade personal freedom for the false promise of federally redistributed free-stuff under some ill-fated socialist experiment, unless they were first threatened with a soup line existence.

      And so it shall be…

      50% of their life savings and 30% of their home values have already evaporated into thin air.  National unemployment is driving towards double digits as home foreclosures continue to mount.

      With their backs against the wall, confused by a daily diet of media manipulated headlines aimed at scaring the public into submission, convinced that our nation’s complex woes demand a solution far too complicated for the average peasant to comprehend, the people find themselves in a state of terminal paralysis.

 Incompetent Evil in Change

     The same people responsible for the many disasters now surrounding every American household, were elected in 2006 and 2008 to fix what they broke.  Instead of reversing course and placing their faith in the principles of freedom, they are installing more of the same failed entitlement policies that created the problem and they are doing so at a fever pace.

      The folks currently in charge of the nation don’t like anything at all about the nation that once was.  They have a very different vision for America, one based on redistribution of free-stuff, not equal access to freedom.  At the foundation of personal freedom is the right to make your own decisions, invest and risk your own capital, own your own property and keep that which you are willing to work and sacrifice to earn.  It’s called economic freedom, aka capitalism.  But capitalism is public enemy #1 in America today, thanks to decades of class warfare and the art of division via social envy, all for purpose of political gain.

      Life, liberty and the right to individuality to define and pursue happiness have been replaced with the right of some to take from others against their will, in the name of a greater common good, better defined as the entitlement mentality. 

 The Change Agents New World Dictionary

     Old concepts have been redefined.  Capitalism is now referred to as fascism.  Personal ambition is now called greed.  Those who seek access to other people’s rightful earnings are called charitable, and those who demand a right to only that, which they earn, are called greedy.  It isn’t just the words that have new definitions.  The concepts have new meaning as a result.  Words like socialism and communism no longer have a negative connotation attached to them. Most Americans have no idea what they are anymore, or why they don’t want to find out the hard way.  The concept of liberal interpretations limits the meaning of words only to one’s individual imagination.  The Constitution means only what someone imagines it to mean.  If the shoe doesn’t quite fit, a new definition will solve the problem.

 What Are Americans Waiting For?

     I don’t know what it will take to wake up the average American, but whatever it is, it hasn’t happened yet.   The people currently stocking up on food, water, guns and ammo in record numbers, causing shortage in all the above at the retail level, are clearly awake and anticipating something, but what?  Meet the ‘extremists…’

      The people still trying to get a court somewhere in America to hear the arguments concerning the most secretive corrupt president in US history, have been awake for a long time.  Meet the ‘birthers…’  But they continue to have trouble waking anyone else up, including in the so-called halls of justice.  Is it a bankrupt dollar and a new international currency that will get their attention?   A North American Union?  An ACORN Army on their doorstep?  What will be the final straw that breaks the proverbial camel’s back?  I don’t have the answer…Frankly, I expected the people to revolt long before now.  Clearly, I had underestimated the depth of apathy and tolerance for anti-American nonsense in the average modern American.  But then, so did our nation’s founders, whom I’m certain are rolling over in their graves in disgust by now. Nobody knows for how long or at what expense, but so far, the people remain silent and Washington continues to profitably interpret that silence as broad-based consent. 

      At this late date, I have no idea what will wake up the average American or how they might react once finally awake and ready to engage in self-governance.  However, I am sure about two things…When they finally do awake, they are going to be really angry.  And the anti-American left won’t let up until then.  The clock isn’t just ticking.  Time has already run out as of the 2008 election.  Washington, D. C. is currently dismantling America, individual right by individual right, in an unprecedented massive multi-faceted assault on all things American.

      If you are not familiar with the Democratic Socialists of America or their legislative branch, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, I strongly suggest that you take time to learn them  well.  They are in charge of your nation.  This is who the average American is up against and they are a very well-funded and organized enemy of the state.  You will not be able to take your country back without putting these two organizations out of business.  The longer you wait, the tougher the battle, the higher the price. 

     Clearly, the organizational skills of the average American are equal only to that of the stumbling, bumbling Republican Party.  Fragmented, distracted and disorganized, the people are no match for the leftist juggernaut running roughshod in D.C.

      The people are lost, so they are losing…The most complex problems require the simplest of solutions.  But the average American is so baffled by a daily diet of elitist who cannot even see daylight.  When all else fails, return to the basics!

      Wake up America!  ‘Snooze and you loose.’  It just might be too late for the wake-up call.  I urge each and everyone of you to find a ‘9-12 Project’ chapter in your area, and become involved.”

From Strong’s Concordance as it is used in the Old Testament, it records, “To repent means to make a strong turning to a new course of action.  The emphasis is on turning to a positive course of action, not turning from a less desirable course.  Hence, when one repents, he exerts strength to change, to re-grasp the situation and exert effort for the situation to take a different course of purpose and action.”

In the New Testament, the Greek word for repent is metanoeo and its meaning is set forth in three steps.  They are:  a) new knowledge; b) regret for the previous course, displeasure with self, and, c) a change of action.

Someone summed up repentance’s action as used in a military sense when one is marching in one direction, he does an ’about face,’ which means turning,  and marching in the opposite direction.

In Bob Gass’ daily devotional The Best of the Word for Today he wrote something that, to me, gives a clear example of repentance.  He writes, “Have you ever changed a baby’s diaper?  But to put on the new you have to take off the old or you’ll have problems.  Paul tells us to ‘put off your old self, which is being corrupted…put on the new self, created to be like God’ (Ephesians 4:22,24, NIV).”

Have we pastors, in particular, and Christians, in general, failed to proclaim this truly biblical commandment?  Have we just tried to put the new on over the old?   Are we preaching, teaching and living ‘feel good Christianity?’  “Just come and receive all that God has for you.  He wants to receive you, bless you, give to you.  All you need to do is receive.”  That, according to the Bible, is only half true!  Before a sinner can receive the Lord, as I read the Bible, he must repent.   And we also shy away from using the term sinner because we certainly don’t want to offend them certainly wouldn’t want to offend a sinner!

John the Baptist said, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear.  He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire” Matthew 3:11.  And then in the next chapter Matthew reports Jesus began to preach, and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,’” verse 17.

Mark puts it this way, “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent, ye and believe the gospel’” 1:14-15.

I remember my dear missionary friends, Drs. Mark and Betsy Neuenschwander telling me about their services in a particular Asian country  preaching the gospel  and then issuing a call to Christianity. They asked for everyone in attendance who wanted to receive Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord to stand.  Virtually every person in the place stood. Realizing that something had been misunderstood, they made another clear-cut call.  Again, almost everyone stood.  Having worked in that part of the world and understanding the culture, they were forced to say something like this.  “You cannot add Jesus Christ to the other 900 gods you worship.  To receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you must repent of your worship of any other god and let go of them.”  When they gave this instruction, not too many stood the next time.

That is not only true of this Asian country, but, sadly, can be said of America as well.  “Let me just tack Jesus on to the other gods in my life.”

God gave Moses commandments to tell the Israelites and the first commandment was, “Thou shalt have no other gods before (besides) Me” Exodus 20:3.  Later, Jesus repeated the words to Satan in His wilderness temptation by saying, “…it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve” Matthew 4:10.

Other religions seem to draw people in because they do not preach all human beings were born in sin because Adam and Eve sinned and brought sin into the human blood line.  Pride keeps humans from admitting sinfulness and need for a Savior.  Pride has to bow its knee at the altar of repentance and confess, “I know I am a sinner and I need a Savior.  I repent of my sins and ask You, Father, in the Name of Jesus, to forgive me, cleanse me by the holy, sinless blood of Jesus that I can be accepted into Your kingdom.”  When the heart is sincere, the repentant one can close with, “Thank You, for forgiving me and accepting me into Your eternal family.”

Peter, who spent three and one-half years as a close associate with Jesus, preached a fiery, convicting sermon on the Day of  Pentecost.  His sermon so burned in the hearts of the  hearers, they called out, “What shall we do?  Then Peter said unto them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” Acts 2:37b-38.  His preaching and the people receiving produced incredible results:  “…there were added unto them about three thousand souls” verse 41.

Jesus said of Himself, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” Luke 5:32.

Feeling repentance was to be the subject of this article and having started writing, I felt impressed to open my Charisma magazine that had just arrived.  I was so pleased to read that organizers of ReignDown are summoning Christians across America to a time of prayer and repentance that they believe could lead to a national revival.

They have dubbed it ReignDown USA which will be a three-hour prayer meeting to be held April 26 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and in satellite venues nationwide.  It will be a call for participants to worship, pray and repent of their own sins.

About this time, they have said, “We’re not pointing out the speck in our brothers’ or sisters’ eyes, but we are dealing with the log in our own, and we’re saying, ‘Start with me first, Lord.’”

The idea for ReignDown was birthed out of a vision in 2005 that a homemaker,  Shawn-Marie Cole, had.  She said, “It was gathering the body of Christ together in unity, humbly coming before our Lord, seeking His face and…asking Him to be placed back in the center of our lives and our nation.”

“Although 2008 is an election season,” Cole said, “ReignDown would have no agenda beyond personal repentance.  We’re going to worship and as we hear what the Lord is saying, someone will get up and read Scripture.”

I like what another supporter said.  “The qualifications to say something that day is to be willing to repent – not for the nation, not for anyone else, but personal repentance.  I feel that we can’t get past that.  Until we do this, there’s really nothing else we can do to have any influence on this country.”

Prayer leader Bjorn Pedersen believes revival comes as a result of repentance.  He said, “But it’s up to our country how we respond, and that depends on the church.”

Cole said in her vision of 2005 she saw miracles happening as a result of the prayer and repentance.  “It was an unprecedented move of God that took place and swept the entire nation.  But it didn’t just happen here, it ended up rippling and affecting other nations.”

Christians in the Philippines, Haiti, Canada, Germany and various parts of Africa have agreed to join in prayer for the U.S. on April 26.  There are no plans to make this an annual event…just this one time of repentance and prayer for this nation.

I think we can agree that our nation is in deep trouble economically, politically and spiritually.  It is not only a good thing for Christians to repent and pray, but I believe it is vital.  God does not call upon the non-Christians to bring about change, but He does have that expectation of His people.

The words the Lord gave to King Solomon so many centuries ago still ring true today:  “If My people, which are called by My name, shall 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” II Chronicles 7:14.

Retha Garten