In this sermon, the preacher discusses the importance of understanding the times we live in and the need for spiritual discernment. He mentions a gathering of churches in New York and emphasizes the significance of the current moment. The preacher then turns to the book of Hosea in the Old Testament and highlights the idolatry and ignorance prevalent in American religion. He urges believers to return to the Lord and seek understanding in order to navigate the perilous times ahead.

Praise God. If you'll turn, please, in the Old Testament to the book of Hosea. If you find Ezekiel, the next book is Daniel, the next one is Hosea. I think Hosea is about eight or so books to the right of the book of Psalms. Hosea. Go to chapter 14, we'll start there and then we're going to go backwards from there. Father, I thank you, God, with all my heart, for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. I would never attempt to speak this, Holy Spirit, if you didn't come and animate me. I need you, Lord, to form your heart within me. I need to speak, God, the thoughts of your heart, and I need to speak them with the intonations of your voice. Lord, I'm asking, God, for you to overshadow me. Grip my heart and my mind. Unlock the incredible truths and secrets of your word. And let them be known as they're spoken in simplicity. Help us to understand the time we're living in. Deliver us, Lord, from childishness. Make us men and women of understanding. You said through the prophet Daniel that there would be an understanding in the last days that you would unlock, that you would give to your people. Lord, we want to know where we live in. We want to know what lies ahead. And I thank you for this in Jesus' mighty name. I've entitled this a message for America and its cultural religion. You know, beloved, we're going to be in the streets of New York at Times Square on September the 20th. There seems to be a recognition in many people throughout the world that this is a momentous time, although many people may not fully understand why. Hundreds of churches coming together. Other countries, entire congregations, many, I think there's as many as 76 now, are going to be gathering together. They're going to be screening this event live. They're going to be praying with us. But you and I need to pray with an understanding. A lot of prayer events in the past are just simply their gatherings. And prayer is a good thing. And I'm not ever downplaying that. But this is not a carnival. This is not a gathering together to shout into the air and wave a few flags and walk away saying God has changed the world. No, this is much deeper than that. This is a call of the Holy Spirit gathering his people to a specific location. Outside, perhaps because there's no other venue where we would all get together. Over 300 churches are anticipated to be in attendance in Times Square in two weeks. For the specific purpose of coming to God and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, praying this simple prayer, Lord, forgive us. But forgive us for what, is the question. What have we done as a nation that is causing God to gather us into a specific central location? Beaming it out to over 80 colleges, high schools, youth groups, churches, various states and various countries. What have we done that the Lord would say, I want you to pray this way. Lord, forgive us. If we don't understand this, we're going to just go out with a generic, Lord, forgive us for whatever. And we're not going to walk away having found something that God wants to give us as a people. Wants to do something very profound in you and in me. And I do believe in all those that are praying, but we need to have a right perspective. We need to understand some things. I want to ask you in Christ's name to bear with me through this message. The Lord wouldn't let me write this down. I tried a few times to write it down, and the more I tried to write it down, the harder it became. And he said, no, you've been fasting, you've been praying, you've been seeking. I want to speak now. I want to speak to my church. I want to speak to my people. Let's start in Hosea, please, chapter 14. Now, in order to understand this book of scripture, we have to understand who Hosea was. He was a prophet sent of God to the northern kingdom, which was the numerically larger number of people. After the kingdom of Israel split under the leadership of Rehoboam, the northern kingdom started on a progression of continual spiritual declension until eventually it was swallowed by Assyria, dissipated among the nations, and realistically ceased to exist. And Hosea is a man who's, he had a wife that was not faithful. And because of this, he understood the heart of God. He understood where this nation was going, and God sent this man to plead for them to turn back again. And the one voice that a society in spiritual declension will not listen to repeatedly is the voice of the prophet. You see it all the way through scriptures. When God sends the voice of the prophet, they technically usually will put them in a dungeon, will mock the prophet of God, will send them away into another place, will push that voice completely away. One of the kings in the Old Testament tore up the words of Jeremiah and threw them in the fire. There's something about a society that has come to a flashpoint of judgment. Really, that's what it is. When society has hit that point, when we've crossed the line, when we've gone beyond the warnings of God, where we can't hear anymore, and I'm talking now collectively as a society, we can't hear anymore, the voice of the prophet will still be there because God will be faithful to warn. But sad to say, most of the nation will no longer be able to hear. I fear in my heart that in this society we've come to this point, we're long past it. The voice of the prophet is a mocked voice now, maybe entertained for a little while, several years, maybe a decade or two back, but no longer listened to. Just considered another railer on the street corner with another viewpoint of the country and of God and of the future. How it must break the heart of the Lord when people that he loved, when people that he gathered from all over the world, people who long for freedom, and they came and they were given in a certain land, as in Hosea's day, they were brought out of captivity and they were brought by the power of God into a nation. And in that nation they were given freedom to worship. They were warned in that nation that you must turn away from the gods of the people who have previously occupied these places because if you don't make a clear break from them, you're going to find you're going to eventually go in that direction. And the gods of the nation are going to so interweave themselves with the worship of the Lord Jehovah, as it was in the Old Testament, that eventually it'll no longer be discernible that it really is God. There'll be such a mixture in it, and that mixture will produce a powerlessness and a blindness, and a mysterious inner blindness that even though the clouds of judgment may be right on the horizon, the people will be still talking about wonderful days ahead. In the house of God they'll be talking about increased and never-ending prosperity. Not aware, think about Belshazzar for a moment, took the holy things of God and partied with them in Babylon. And Daniel stood before Belshazzar, and he said, Belshazzar, you knew, you knew the history. You knew that God judges, even in your own house, he said, your own father came under judgment because he played with the holy things of God. He said, Belshazzar, you should have known. You've taken the holy things of the temple, and you've made a party out of it. And you've sat there and you've drank to the gods of gold and silver and stone and wood, things made with men's hands. And Daniel stood there and said, now, Belshazzar, the Lord has numbered your kingdom and he's finished it, it's over. But such a blindness was upon that particular generation, that even though the word of God was pronouncing the end of this kingdom, that seemingly had ruled the world for many, many years, and even though there's a pronouncement that it's over, Belshazzar commands them and says, come to Daniel, put fine robes on him, put a gold chain around about his neck and make him third ruler in the kingdom. The spiritual blindness, I don't know if there's an evidence or indication of greater ignorance than that, when people are standing in the presence of the living and the holy God, and unaware of the precarious situation that they're in. The Lord wants us going into the street with understanding. We have to know the hour that we're in. We're not children that are just looking for a good time. We have to understand this is a perilous moment. We have to know that, as Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24, that people will be preoccupied in the last days, just prior to the coming of Christ, with buying and selling and marrying and giving in marriage. It will so grip a society, they won't be aware of what's happening. They won't be aware when danger is right at the door. And especially if God himself even has set his hand to bring about a correction, they'll not be aware of it. Chapter 14, verse 1 of Hosea, O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words and turn to the Lord and say to him, take away all iniquity and receive us graciously, and so will we render the calves, or that means the praises of our lips. Asher will not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, you are our gods, for in thee the fatherless find mercy. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel, he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return, they shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine. The scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim shall say, what have I to do any more with idols, I have heard him and observed him, I am like a green fir tree, from me is thy fruit found. Who is wise, and he shall understand these things, prudent, and he shall know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them, but the transgressors shall fall therein. In other words, Hosea is saying there will be a very clear word, there will be a very clear revelation of God, and those that are just, those that God can't speak to, those that can approach unto the Lord and say, God I'm not here to have you fit into my agenda, I'm not here to use you as a vehicle, to become what is in my heart to be, but God I'm here for the sole purpose of yielding my life to you, and to say God forgive me for everything I've embraced, for everywhere I go, for everything I do, that is not representing you among men in this generation. I yield to you Lord, I yield to your purposes, and scripture tells us very clearly, that those who choose to walk this way will return, they will revive, they will grow, there will be a sweet savor of Christ flowing through them, in these last hours of time, they will cast away their idols, they will come to Christ, and they will find him to be a green tree, abounding in fruit, the glory of the Lord, will be the portion of his people in this last hour of time, I know it with all my heart, I know it as surely as I stand here, the glory of the Lord, and it will not be circumstance dependent, it won't really matter if a thousand are falling at this side, and ten thousand on that side, it won't really matter, if the trumpet is blowing, and all kinds of alarms are being raised in the nation, no God will have a people, their eyes will be fixed on the ways and the works of God, their hearts will be gripped by the passion and the power of God, their steps will be ordered in the work of God, their hands will be about the tenderness of God, their voices will be directing those that are terrified, to where the power and the provision of God is found, oh yes, oh yes my friend, God will have a people in the earth, praise be to God, praise be to God, praise be to God, he will have a people in the earth, we ought not to be afraid, to say Lord help us, cause us to return to you, forgive us Lord where we failed you, forgive us God, for where in our hearts, we have embraced the ways of a fallen society, God almighty, forgive us, I'm going to be among the chiefest of those there, crying out to the Lord, saying God forgive me, Lord for the things I see, for the things I don't see, for what I know, for what I don't know, I am part of the church of Jesus Christ, I am part of this testimony, that you wanted established in the earth, in this generation, and God almighty I'm asking you to get out of my heart, everything Lord that has stood in the way of your life, everything God that hinders your, the expression of your heart, to this human vessel, to this generation, everything God that renders the testimony, of your resurrection powerless, coming out of this human vessel, God please Lord, take these things out of my life, God give me the courage of Daniel, to open my window, and face Lord, face God, the failings of your people, and face God what we've done, and face who we've become, and unashamedly turn to you Lord, and say God I'm coming to you today, because you're a God of mercy, Lord when you established the temple, you wrote a song about yourself, and that song said praise the Lord, for he is good, and his mercy endures forever, so Lord I'm coming to your mercy today, I'm coming God believing Lord, that you are the God who can restore, you're the God who can heal, Lord you're the God who will have a testimony, in spite of what happens to the nations, now go to chapter 13 please, Hosea, is speaking about what happened, to the testimony of Israel, why was God going to judge his own people, why would God bring a people out of bondage, and into a nation, call it by his name, and then judge it, and literally let it be overwhelmed, by its enemies, intermingled, and dispersed, among the peoples of the world, what could be the reason, why this kind of a thing, could happen to God's own house, and his own people, when Ephraim that's Israel, that's another chapter 13 verse 1, when Ephraim spoke trembling, he exalted himself in Israel, but when he offended in Baal he died, when my people honored me, when there was conviction in my house, I believe there, America has not had a perfect religion, all you have to do is look back in history, a hundred years and you can see, the glaring inconsistencies, but there has been an underlying, seeking of God, there have been times in society, where there've been great moves of God, when people could be confronted, when they could be turned back, when the voice of God could be lifted, in his house and there was a trembling, there was an awe, there was a reverence of God, there was a sense of God's holiness, men had enough sense to know, that God's ways were right, and there was a time, in this country when I'm sure, you would walk in the house of the Lord, and if you were living in willful sin, you would tremble, you would tremble, preachers preach, now they may not have always had it right, they may have been a little heavy on the legal side, or they may have focused a little too much on certain things, but there was a trembling, there was a time in this country, when you walked in the house of God, and you knew if you were living in sin, there was a time, when old fashioned preachers left the plow, they didn't have much education, but they went in the prayer closet, and God touched them, and they stood in pulpits, and when they stood in pulpits, the glory of God came, they massacred the king's English half the time, and they didn't even know how to pronounce things in the Bible, but they knew who God was, and they knew who men were, and they could speak into the heart, there were seasons and times, when tent meetings throughout this country, the Lord would be so in these places, that people would fall on their knees, and fall on their faces before a holy God, they would repent of their sins, because there was a reverence, there was an awe of a holy God, in spite of the mixture, that is always part of every society, there was still a reverence for God, in much of his house, when Ephraim spoke trembling, exalted himself, when there was this awe, when there was this reverence of God, the church, the esteem, in the nation, but when he offended in Baal, now Baal was the Canaanite God, of the surrounding territories, Baal, is the God that people without God worship, Baal is the God of provision, he's the God who sends crops into the field, he's the God who fills your cupboard, and as long as the cupboard was full, then people could worship Baal, when we worship God, there was a trembling in his house, but folks, America has made a tragic mistake, the worship of Baal, has come into the house of the Lord, the God of prosperity, has become the God, that much of the church of this age, which is a cultural church, in a sense, it's in the culture, that part of the country, that's without God, to worship prosperity, and as long as the church stood, as a contrast to this, not to say that God's people should be poor, but the prosperity that God gives, should have a proper focus, in the alleviation of the suffering of the poor, in the relieving the oppressed, and using the resources of God, to bring the kingdom of God, to those who have no helper, but it all changed, and suddenly it became about us, it became about individual people, and when this came into the house of the Lord, the testimony of God died, died folks, the testimony of God, is almost dead, in this country, just because 50,000 people attend, some church somewhere, does not mean that God is even there, any longer, if there is no conviction of sin, if there is no burden, to let go of the things of this world, and to walk with the Holy God, I'm telling you, the Holy Spirit is not there, I don't care how many people attend, I don't care how fancy it is, I don't care how much money it has, God is not there, when there is no conviction of sin, when sinners come in, and they are not challenged, to turn from all of the pursuits, of the natural life and heart, the Lord has left the place, and now he says, they sin more and more, all the work of craftsmen, and they say, let the men that sacrifice, kiss the calves, in other words, now it's all the work of craftsmen, have you noticed, much of American religion today, is always crafting, some new image of God, always crafting, always fastening, always looking for some new thing, because they really abandoned the cross, and they say to the people constantly, they're not called men of God, they're not holy men of God, they're not separated men of God, they're not men who challenge the people, of their behavior and their lifestyle, no, they just fashion these constant images, that are palatable to the masses, and they say come now, worship this, the brand new image of God, and let's call him Jesus, let's worship him, never confronts your sin, doesn't require holiness of you, doesn't require that you take up your cross, and follow him, will prosper you, will give you a great destiny, will make you into an important person, and et cetera, et cetera, verse 3 says, therefore shall they be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passes away, and the chaff that's driven with the world, when out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney, when difficulty comes, and folks, we're heading into some incredibly, stormy waters, people will run to them, because they promised, the drink of God as it is, but the clouds will have passed away, they promise weight, or weightiness, but adversity will drive them out of the house of God, they promise the fire of God, but there's just no more smoke coming out of a chimney, driven by the wind, and will be dissipated, I see much of what calls itself, the church of Jesus Christ in this country, will be soon driven to the wind by adversity, he said in verse 4, yet I'm the Lord your God from the land of Egypt, you shall know no God but me, for there's no Savior beside me, I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought, how it must break the heart of God, how it must break his heart, all the people that came to this country, so many were persecuted, a lot of people were persecuted in their own lands, because if they wanted to believe in God, and walk with God, and he says, I saw you, in the wilderness, in the place of great drought, and I brought you here, and verse 6 says, according to their pasture, they were filled, and their heart was exalted, and they forgotten me, I brought you to this place, where you were free to pursue life, and liberty, and happiness, you were free to worship me, and I blessed you here, but you forgot me, what a tragedy, to be living in such a time, what a heartbreak, therefore I'll be unto them as a lion, and as a leopard, by the way I'll observe them, I'll meet them as a bear, that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the call of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion, oh Israel you've destroyed yourself, but in me is your help, the Lord says, I'll come to you like a bear, that has lost her greatest treasure, the Lord doesn't judge, because there's any delight in his heart, but he looks down, and he sees what was supposed to be his heritage, and says, I can't let this go on any longer, I can't let this forest, that calls itself the temple of God, go on any longer, I can't let these people, I can't let them any longer, pursue this path, that is going to lead them into hell, folks just shortly, just a few weeks ago, in a major city in this country, there was a huge meeting, of Christian leaders, gathered together, and in this, enough to almost fill a stadium, and in this particular gathering, I'm not aware of one born again, Bible believing speaker, that spoke to these pastors, and he got a letter from a pastor that was there, and he said, my heart was broken, my heart was pounding, and he said, oh my God, does anybody around me see what's happening to us, here we put men in the pulpit, that are headed for hell, and that we're putting them up as role models, of success in the Christian church, because they have power and influence and authority, try to tell me, that the Canaanite culture is not in the house of God, in our generation, try to tell me that we've not fallen, to the idols of this society, they lust after power, they lust after recognition and fame and money, and don't care what it takes to get there, as pastors sit there, mesmerized, listening to unsaved men teach them, the principles of success in the kingdom of God, men who are headed for hell, are teaching the church folks, you destroyed yourself, he said Israel, but I was there to help you all along, I will be your king, verse 10, where is any other that may save you, in your cities, and your judges of whom you said, give me a king and a prince, I gave you a king in my anger, and I took him away in my wrath, the iniquity of Ephraim is bound up, his sin is hid, in other words, it's gotten so deep now, that no reasoning will take it out, the sorrows of a travailing woman, shall come upon him, he's an unwise son, he should not stay long, in the place of the breaking forth of children, in the way of doing things, that even though I bring upon him, the pains of labor, he will not come forth into new birth, so stubborn, so set on his view of God, his legitimate right, as he sees it, to this pursuit of himself, so stubborn, that though I cause pain, though I clearly speak, though the heavens, though the earth, though everything around, he will not come forth, because he has so entrenched himself in stubbornness, against the ways of God, verse 14, I'll ransom them from the power of the grave, I'll redeem them from death, oh death I'll be thy plagues, oh grave I'd be thy destruction, now, this is not really a good translation, in the King James, because what it really says, when you read other translations, I would have ransomed them from the power of the grave, I would have redeemed them from death, oh death I'd be thy plagues, I would have destroyed the grave, but now repentance shall be hid from mine eyes, though he be fruitful among his brethren, and east wind shall come, the wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, his fountain shall be dried up, he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels, Samaria shall become desolate, for she has rebelled against her God, and they shall fall by the sword, and their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up, unthinkable to the people of that generation, and they'd be sitting there, like you're sitting here today saying, who is this man, that he dares speak to us this way, who is this man, that he speaks such words, when we are at the zenith of prosperity, which they were when Hosea began to prophesy, that we have formed political alliances, that are guaranteeing us security in the future, we seemingly have it all together, we've got a plan to get out of everything, in every situation we find ourselves in, who is this man now to stand here, and tell us, that such calamity is coming into our society, folks, he said, your children are going to be overcome, and their women with child shall be ripped up, and if that doesn't speak about abortion, and selfishness so gripping a nation, that a river of blood now, is flowing, don't think for a second God doesn't see this, don't try to tell me, that women with children are not being ripped up, by the thousands now every day, and don't tell me, that there's not an accounting for this, there's no delight in the heart of God, in judging a place that was precious to his heart, when we stand before the Lord, on September the 20th, Hosea said, oh Israel return to the Lord your God, for you've fallen by your iniquity, take with you words, and turn to the Lord and say to him, take away all iniquity, you and I have to stand before the Lord, and folks it's now, not about necessarily saving a nation, now it's about the church, it's a testimony of the church is at stake now, and that testimony is in a body, that testimony is in your life, and it's in my life, and you and I have got to stand there, and really the tenure of the permitting, by this congregation, whether you understand that or not, the tenure of it will be set by this congregation, and you and I have to stand there and say, oh God almighty, take away all iniquity, we must not stand in smugness, we must not stand thinking we've achieved everything, or that we know it all, we don't, we don't, are the sick being healed, when you lay hands on them, is every devil fleeing now, when you open your mouth, are we not sore to the glory of God as well, some things in you and in me, that might be hindering the power of God, we've got to go before the Lord and say, God take away iniquity, Lord where I've embraced something, where I have a view of myself, that's not in line with the kingdom of heaven, where I have pursuits God, that are bringing weakness, where I have something hidden under my tent, that is bringing weakness into the camp of Israel, God almighty take away iniquity, forgive me Lord, forgive me God, because I should be standing, I understand people's knees should be bending, the glory of God should be in my life, and that's you too, not just me, all of us corporately in this city, the glory of the Lord should be flowing through his church again, take away iniquity, and receive us graciously, God help me to understand grace, help me to understand that I can come, like the prodigal son, I can come, even if I'm far away, I can come God, I can come into your presence, I'm invited to your throne, you told me to knock, you told me to seek, you told me to ask, I am invited, I'm here by legitimate right, through the blood of Jesus Christ, oh God, take me to that place of grace, take me to that place where I'm changing, into the image, and the glory of God, is being revealed and released in my soul, and through my life, and oh God, there I will praise you, there I will lift up my voice, there God, in spite of what's going on in the left or the right hand of me, there God, I will give praise to you, the Lord says I'm looking for this, when I gather my people to pray, I'm looking for this, it's not all about the land folks, it's about you and it's about me now, it's about the testimony of the church of Jesus Christ, verse 3 says, Asher will not save us, in other words, no political process, no plans of man, nothing, nothing, nothing of this world or this society will save us, we will not ride upon horses, in other words, we're giving up our own plans, we're not going to walk in pride, we're coming humbly before you God, neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, you are our gods, for in thee the fatherless find mercy, God, I've needed your mercy, and Lord, as you touch me with mercy, I now understand, that I am called in this world, to be an ambassador of this mercy to others, I'm called Lord, to pick up that, that nobody else wants, I'm called oh God, I'm called father, remember, the prophet Malachi said, in the last days, God will come, through the prophet Elijah, or that, that anointing, that Elijah type anointing, and turn the hearts of the fathers, back to the children again, and the children to their fathers, Lord, I'm not called to live this life for myself, I'm not called to be self-consumed, I'm not called just to, seek out some comfortable place in this world, and ride out the storm until I get to heaven, I'm called to go to the fatherless, folks, children should not suffer in this world, it's not right, the children suffer, folks, it isn't right, and you and I've got to do everything in our power, to make a difference, we, I thank God, we're not feeding 4,500 children every day as a congregation, but that's only the beginning of what God wants to do, in thee, the fatherless find mercy, as you and I, in the body of Christ, begin to reach out to the oppressed, and the afflicted, and the addicted, and those that have no helper, as we look away from ourselves, and begin to look to what the work of God, in the earth really is, he says, I'll heal their backsliding, that's God's part, my part is to come and say, God forgive me, God's part is says, I'll heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, and my anger will be turned away from him, I'll be as the dew to Israel, and he will grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon, the Lord says, the beauty of Christ will be upon you, your roots will go down deep, and in spite of whatever storm comes to this nation, you will be able to stand, as the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified, his branches will spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon, they that dwell under his shadow shall return, they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine, and the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon, the Lord says, I'll put the scent of my presence upon you, praise be to God, praise be to God, folks you understand today, it's about the church now, it's about the church now, it's about the testimony of Christ, all else may fail, but the testimony of Christ cannot be shaken, only that which cannot be shaken, the scripture says is going to remain, Ephraim shall say, what have I to do anymore with idols, I've heard him, I've observed him, I'm like a green fir tree, from me is thy fruit found, no more, no more living apart from God, no more embracing my own homemade concept of God, I'm going to follow the Christ of the scriptures, I'm going to allow him to speak to my heart, and I'm going to enter into his work in the earth, he says to this bride, I'm like a green fir tree, and from me is thy fruit found, who is wise, and he shall understand these things, prudent and he shall know them, for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them, those who know God, are going to make a choice and say, Lord, take away all iniquity, and God, take my life, make me solid, in the knowledge of Christ, and in this last hour of time, use me for your glory, may I be the father, that's embracing those that are trying to come home, may I be, the voice of encouragement, that so many in this generation, have never heard, may I learn to live outside of myself, and in the love and the life of my savior, Jesus Christ, help me, to make the break, from the cultural religion of America, help me God, to understand, that I'm not called to, use you for myself, I'm called oh God, to be poured out, for you, for the sake of others, the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them, but transgressors will fall there, those who try to press into God, and I don't care how long they pray, it makes no difference, if they put a million in the street, you could put, 30 million people in the street, but if we're not willing to walk, in the ways of God, David the psalmist said it this way, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me, it'll just be a lot of noise, out in public, but the Lord will not hear it, but if you and I, are willing to walk in the ways of God, there's a great harvest to be won now, I'm not, I'm not suggesting that our prayer, will save the nation folks, but I am telling you, that there's a great harvest, a wonderful harvest for God, an incredible opportunity, to stand strong, in a dark hour, an invitation, to be partakers of a life, that cannot be shaken, and of a heart, that is nothing of this world, to represent God, and to walk with God, in perhaps what will be, the invitation is open, the Lord says come to me, and pray this way, and if you do, I will come to you, love you freely, give you strength, plant you deep, and there will be those, who come and dwell under the shadow, of my life that will be lived, and through yours, and father I thank you God, you have enabled me to speak this, and I have delivered your heart, Lord as a church, and as a pastor in this church, I'm asking you father, take away iniquity, in any area of my heart, that I have offended you, I'm asking you Lord, that you draw me to the throne of grace, and give me the courage to put it away, where I have fallen short, of what you've called me to be, where I'm selfish, where I have not allowed you, to do what you want to do with me, if I've held to something, that you want to take away, forgive me, I'm asking God Almighty, that when we stand in the street, that you could come, that you could say this is my people, that as the prodigal son, you could run down the road, and meet us and embrace us, the prayer meetings could be birthed, all through the city, the pastors could be encouraged, that life could come, that you break the bands, of this cultural religion in America, break it God, off of your house, and let there be a testimony, of truth in this last hour of time, Father I thank you God, with all my heart, Lord Jesus Christ, we are prepared now, to come before you, we thank you for it, in your precious name, we're going to worship, for a little while, and as we do, here's my altar call, please hear me in this, everyone living in willful sin, everyone living in compromise, every person who can honestly, say here today, I've only got half a heart, to serve God, I'm willing to entertain, the thought of God, as long as it fits within my agenda, but I've never entertained, going farther, than what would make me comfortable, if you are willing, to say oh God, deliver me from this iniquity, forgive me Lord, why should the last day church, finish different than the first day, why should the early church, be called to go out public, and lay their lives on the line, and we be a different, we be different in our generation, for those that are just willing, I'm going to the street, on September the 20th, with a cry in my heart, oh God almighty, forgive me, forgive your people, if you are willing to, see 2nd Chronicles 7,14, is not just a fanciful scripture, we quote in a prayer meeting, if my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land, it starts with you, it starts with me, if you're willing to join, and be that kind of a person, and come with that kind of prayer, then I invite you to this altar, everyone who's got racism in their heart, you'd better put it away now, if you don't, that's going to swallow you in the days ahead, you've been defenseless, against the onslaught of darkness, you've got to put it away, and I know you've got all your list of grievances, but so does God against you, and he put yours away, so now you put your list of grievances away, let's stand in the annex, you can stand between the screens of the main sanctuary, the Holy Spirit speaking to you, please just come, as we worship. Oh God, oh God, we need you, we need you God, we repent, we hear you calling, we hear you calling, we hear you God, God we cast all our cares on you, every concern oh God, everything that has gripped our hearts, everything that has held us to this point, that has held back your glory, from Lord our lives, from flowing freely through us to this generation, to our families, to our neighbors, to our co-workers, deliver us from carnality, deliver us from worldliness, deliver us from the intoxications of this age, we cry out to you oh God, we cry out to you, God we thank you for your mercy, thank you that your mercies are new every morning, today we extend oh God, our hearts, Lord our faith, to you Lord, and we embrace your invitation, God to go deeper, to go further, to come up higher, God thank you that you will finish the work you began, in us, God we're believing you for our families, we're believing you for this generation, we're believing you Lord for our neighbors, for our co-workers, for our employers, we're believing you for those, that Lord travel with us, that commute with us, those that we see every day oh God, Lord in the buses, in the subways, on the train platforms oh God, flow through us now, flow through us, draw us after you that we might run together, you said how can two walk together unless they agree, we agree with you God, we agree with you Lord, we agree oh God, continue to break our hearts Lord, God that we would see the devastation around us, that we would willfully give our lives, lay down our rights, that you might be glorified, be glorified, oh God, be glorified in our homes, be glorified in the lives of our children, don't let them go to hell oh God, because of our, our shortcomings, our failings, God thank you Jesus, you won't let that happen oh God, we turn now God, we turn, we turn, we turn to you, hallelujah, hallelujah, be glorified, be glorified, you must increase God, we must decrease, you come, you come, come and glorify your name in us, come and glorify your name in our marriages oh God, glorify your name in our conversations, let our lives praise you, open your word to us, we would behold wondrous things, we want to be found sitting at your feet like Mary, deliver us from being cumbered about oh God, with much to do with nothing, give us the treasures of heaven, give us Jesus, we want more of you God, more of you, God we thank you now, we thank you now, we thank you now, we thank you, begin to thank him, begin to bless him, for faithful is he that calls you, and he will do it, Father thank you Lord for, God for comforting us today, you tell us that when we turn to you, that you will cause our roots to go down deep, Lord you'll cause the fruit of your life in us to abound, you'll give us the strength to stand, when others are not standing any longer, you'll deliver us God from everything, that would take away our strength, Lord that's the only reason, you bring this kind of a word to us Lord, you love us, you want us to stand in the coming days, Lord thank you God, that you're willing to take us by the hand, you're willing to guide us through Lord these storms, and as Paul the Apostle, we will stand and give glory to your name, no matter what comes our way, God we will glorify your name, I thank you for supernatural strength, that you give to your church Lord, your beloved, your bride God, those that are yours are supernaturally empowered, to stand in the midst of any darkened day, we thank you God, I thank you Lord for the honesty in this sanctuary today, for men and women who are willing to come before your throne, and say oh God forgive us Lord, God be our strength, God help us to follow your ways, Lord you say I'll come to you, I will come to you, I will give you that strength, Father we thank you for this and we praise you, this is a good day God, we give you praise for it, we give you glory for it, in Jesus mighty name, hallelujah, hallelujah.