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Pray for God’s will and Word to be brought forth in our land.

“… understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” (1 Chr 12:32)

Not too long ago, before the last presidential election I was preaching a warning that this nation had gone beyond the tipping point in its rebellion against God, and would see judgment the same way Israel experienced God’s judgment by being taken into captivity by the Babylonians because of their rebellion. We were following the same path.

Today I have good news.

God heard our prayers. In His mercy He has spared us from a Hillary Clinton presidency which would have been the death knell of this great land of liberty. She would have doubled down on the unbiblical progressive agenda of the Obama administration. Remember, she said publicly that religious people—talking about you and me—would have to change their views when she became President.  Thank God for His mercy.

But we are not out of the woods. There have been many questions about Donald Trump as President and I want to address some of those very valid concerns.

I confess, Donald J. Trump was not my first choice for President, but I’ve learned to defer my will to God’s trusting that He knows better and His ways are higher.

 “As the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”– Isaiah 55:9

Ultimately, God was the One who put Donald Trump into office.  Yes, the people vote, and that is our responsibility in this government of the people, but it is God himself, who has the final word.

“He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” –Daniel 2:21:

Why else do you think that while all the experts predicted Hillary would win, against all odds, a man with no political experience, no government experience, a man who was crude and sometimes even vulgar in his personality and lifestyle would win the election?

Doesn’t God tell us in His word that “… God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast in His presence.”? –1 Cor. 1:27-29:

Because he is so unlikely, that in itself qualifies him to be used by God to usher in an age of revival in our land.  By all reports he is a believer, but even if he weren’t, God could still use him as he used others in times past like King Cyrus of Persia.

When Israel was taken into captivity by the Babylonians according to the Scriptures they remained in captivity for seventy years until God raised up King Cyrus, not a believer, but yet raised up by God to set the Israelites free to return to Jerusalem to build their temple.

The first-century Jewish historian, Josephus, relates the historical record in his book, “Antiquities of the Jews,” The Bible also records it, “ In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:  “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the LORD their God be with them.”–2 Chronicles 36:22-23

It is just like God to choose the least likely, because then no one can take credit. Everyone will know it was a work of God.  Throughout history God has repeatedly chosen the least likely.

He called Abraham –Fascinatingly, God commands Abraham to leave his country, his birthplace and his father’s house and a pagan land to travel to the unknown land of Canaan (Israel) without any mention of a previous connection with God.

He called Moses – a man who spent forty years hiding from the law talking to sheep. God now calls him to go speak to Pharaoh to let his people go. Moses even confesses that he can’t even speak. He was such a poor speaker that he had to call his brother Aaron to speak for him. I would say, not the most qualified for the job.

He called David – the runt of the litter—to be King over Israel. Never mind that he was a murderer, and an adulterer. Not exactly the best resume for a national ruler.

He called Gideon — who confessed he was the least of his tribe.

He called Samson – a rebellious son and a womanizer.

He called Peter– a hot-headed, Christ denying fisherman to start the Christian Church

And the most illogical of all was God’s calling of the Apostle Paul, a Pharisee among Pharisees who was bent on hunting down and persecuting Christians. God called Him to establish His Church in the world. Can you imagine the ISIS leader, Al Baghdadi suddenly announcing that he had become a Christian and will now work to build the Church of Jesus Christ in the Middle East. That’s exactly what it was like!

That’s the way God works.  Look at the most qualified, and scratch him off the list!  Find the least qualified, and there you may have a candidate. It is the invisible hand of God that confounds the devices of men.

The same hand that brought the Pilgrims to miss their intended destination as they came to this new world, only to land in probably the only place on the East Coast where they could have landed safely without being massacred by the Indians, because the area they just happened to land on had been previously abandoned by the Indians and considered cursed because of an epidemic that destroyed their tribe on that piece of ground.

The same hand that brought victory to an army of farmers, tradesmen and young kids fighting against the greatest army in the world during our War for Independence through a series of miraculous events, like the escape from Brooklyn, George Washington’s first real battle with the British. They called it the battle of Long Island. The English soldiers, under the Command of General William Howe, landed in Brooklyn overwhelming the Colonials pushing them all the way to the East River at Brooklyn Heights.  All the British had to do was to continue to attack when the colonials were trapped between them and the East River, and the war would have been over almost before it started. But for some unknown reason, General Howe decided to put off the attack until the morning, since after all, with their backs against the river where the British Navy was patrolling, the Americans had nowhere to go. However, Washington, just happened to have among his troops, expert seamen from Rhode Island. So they rounded up all the boats they could find and started across the East River through a dense fog that just happened to fall over the river keeping them hidden from the British Navy. The record says they crossed “without the sound of a wash.” As the last boat reached Manhattan’s shore the fog began to lift. Another coincidence? Washington’s army was spared to fight another day and ultimately win our independence.

The same hand that allowed cigar wrappers to determine who would win the Civil War.

A Union soldier just happened to find three cigars left by the Confederate Army in an abandoned Frederick, Maryland camp wrapped in paper. When he unwrapped the cigars he just happened to look at the wrapper which just happened to be Special Order 191, Confederate General Lee’s detailed plans and instructions for his assault against the North.  This strange “coincidence” may very well have been the difference between victory and defeat for the Union.

It’s been said that a coincidence is simply a miracle in which God chooses to remain anonymous. If it were not for this string of “coincidences”—these miracles—we would not have a United States of America.  No reasonable person can study the history of America without recognizing that invisible hand of God that has sustained us throughout.

God’s grace has been shed on this nation as long as we have acknowledged Him, as President Lincoln told us,

“It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependency upon the overruling power of God and to recognize the sublime truth expressed by the Holy Scriptures and proven through all of history that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord.”

President Lincoln and Donald Trump

Speaking of President Lincoln. He was the Donald Trump of His day. Today, we think of Lincoln as one of our greatest presidents, but to his own generation he was hated and despised even more than Trump.

Donald Trump won with only 46% of the popular vote but when Lincoln took office in March 1861, he entered the presidency with only 39.8 percent of the popular vote. Reactions from the public were so negative that on the eve of his inauguration he had to be smuggled into the capital during the dead of night in a disguise. He was looked down upon for everything from his humble beginnings and lack of education to his awkward appearance and high pitched voice. Even the commanding general of his armies, George McClellan, called him the “original gorilla.”  Yet, today we see Abraham Lincoln as one of our greatest presidents.

Andrew Jackson and Donald Trump

Trump identifies with our 7th President, Andrew Jackson, because like Trump Jackson was a man of the people, certainly not part of the political elite, and thoroughly hated by the establishment of his day. On his inauguration day he opened the White House to his friends and the common folk, and they surely came. In fact, they partied so hard that they literally trashed the place. The President himself had to be whisked away to a hotel room because the party got so out of hand.

So then, what is our responsibility now?

I said from the very beginning that Donald Trump could be one of the very best presidents we’ve ever had, or he could be one of the most terrible depending on…the prayers of the church (2 Chronicles 7:14)

God has given us a window of opportunity.

When Jonah finally went to Nineveh (Present day western bank of Mosul, Iraq) to preach God’s word they experienced revival, but Jonah’s preaching only delayed the hand of judgement for one generation. Look at the judgment that has come on Mosul today. Every day in the news you see what’s left of Mosul—that’s Nineveh. Don’t dare think it could never happen here.

So we have a window of opportunity for the sake of our children, our grandchildren and generations to follow. You know it was Ronald Reagan who told us that,

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”

So it is up to us to be faithful stewards of the gift of liberty.

We are a people who are doubly blessed. As American Christians we have the Cross of Calvary to remind us of our eternal liberty from the consequences of sin, and we also have the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor to remind us of our civic liberty. We are doubly blessed. With that double blessing comes a double responsibility.

We must above all, be surrendered to the One who gave His life for us and be purposed in our hearts to become men and women of integrity so that the world will see a representation of Christ in us, that they might be drawn to Him through the Holy Spirit at work in His Church. Holiness is not a bad word. We must pursue holiness despite current trends.

We must forsake everything that divides us. Abraham Lincoln repeated the Gospel truth that a house divided cannot stand. We must not be divided by religious styles, denominations, by race or ethnicity. We must respond to the cry of our Lord’s heart expressed in John 17, where he prayed that we would be one, that the world might know that He was sent by the Father. We must repent of the sin of factions and dissensions and come together as one new man in the Name of Jesus Christ.

We must pray like it all depends on God.  Revivals have never come but by fervent prayer. We must continue to pray individually, while organizing prayer meetings on a continual basis until we experience a genuine revival, characterized by a supernatural flood of repentant souls at the altars of our churches.

We must work like it all depends on us. The Bible tells us that “…faith without works is dead.”—James 2:20. Our faith in Christ, and in His command to occupy until he comes must motivate us all to do all that we can with all that we have to be effective stewards of the gift of liberty—God’s grace shed on us.

At the very least we must remain educated about the issues at hand, and know where our representatives stand on those issues and support those representatives who will advance a Biblical agenda, and work to replace those who do not.

Thomas Jefferson gave us a clear warning when he said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free…it expects what never was, and never will be.”

And God tells us in His Word, “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6)

Pray about running for office. In 2016 I felt prompted by the Lord to run for State office. I didn’t win the election but I certainly gained much knowledge and I was able to sow seed in soil I never would have access to otherwise. God tells us that His word does not return void, so I have comfort in knowing that in my obedience I impacted the culture in ways beyond my understanding. The government and political arena is a mission field that must not be neglected by the Church. God’s people must occupy the seat of counsel to insure the preservation of liberty for the next generation. God may be calling you to run for local or state office. Don’t worry about your qualifications. Remember, he often calls the most unlikely. If he calls you he will equip you. Be open to the calling. Seek counsel from spiritual elders. Don’t worry about the outcome. When I ran for state office I knew in my spirit that I was called to run, not necessarily to win.  The outcome is in God’s hands. Knowing that takes all the pressure off. Adopt this philosophy for life: “Duty is mine; results are God’s.”  Be available for God. He may choose you to be His witness, his voice at “the City Gates.”

Mark Twain told us, “At the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, brave hated and scorned. But when his cause succeeds then the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.”

With the election of Donald Trump we are at the beginning of a change. Our national drift away from God has begun to be reversed, and we will be once again one nation under God as the Church prepares for an end-times revival. So it is time to be part of this new move of God, by praying like it all depends on God and working like it all depends on us. Our children, and our grandchildren will thank us for preserving the gift of liberty for them, while giving God all the glory.  (By Rev. Bill Banuchi, NY Faith and Freedom Coalition.)

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Chip Murray
September 17, 2017

Masterfully written Pastor Bill. Your light is a beacon to Oath Keepers everywhere. May God continue to bless and inspire you to the benefit of us all.

Merilee DuFrene
September 17, 2017

WOW! What a soul-stirring exhortation
a challenge to: pray more fervently – more believingly
daily LIVE OUT our faith
Thank you so very much for sending it

I will forward this to my e-mail list.

Belay Woldemaraim
September 16, 2017

But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”
Psalm 50:23 The Bible tells us in Psalm 50:23 to praise your name God, I want to thank you and glorify your name for President Donald Trump, Vice President Mick Pence and their Administrators and families for your divine protection and for your guidance. Thank you Heavenly Father. I prayed in the name of Jesus Amen.

Amy
September 15, 2017

Great word ! I just read this scripture last night 1 Samuel 12 :22-24 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.
Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:
Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. I’ve never felt such a depth of intercession of prayer as I have this last year, especially these past 8 months. Yes brothers and sisters press into the high calling of Christ Jesus! Pray without ceasing.

Felicia Penner
September 15, 2017

Lord God, we do petition you for revival, we ask that you would knit all believers hearts together in your love. We lift up the coming tent prayer meeting scheduled in DC in October. Lord, work powerfully through us here, and at the tent meetings. We ask that it would be you who guides out President, that it is you that breaks the hold that the Deep State has on our country. We praise you for your protectio n on our President and all who serve him, on his family. Continue Lord this hedge of protection dear Lord. Stop up slandering mouths that speak lies against our President, may he be vindicated and may the deception over our land be bound and truth loosed so all citizerns would know what is really going on. Praise you Lord, in Jesus name, Amen

Akin ige
September 15, 2017

Thanks immensely for this clarion call.
My prayer room is filled with supplications for our nation and our leaders, especially President Trump. One important lesson I have learned is that God is using this President, not only to awaken the consciences of Christians in this nation but in the world! Listening to his speeches in Poland and France, i heard a man preaching to the western world to turn back to God who has made us great, to revive of family values and to secure their borders against the rampaging monster of radical Islam bent on taking over and destroying civilization. Barak Obama was an antichrist of the most evil type, going about the world to preach the gay agenda and to promote Islam. President Trump will not fail because he loves God, loves Israel and he is backed by the forces of heaven. He is a man who was vilified by a sitting president who campaigned against him so vigorously; a man who the pope went to congress to speak against, a man who the press tried to demonize and whose party virtually did not support. Yet he won. All Christians must as a matter of duty, back him up with intense, not lethargic prayer support. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, and interceed for His anointed servants- President Trump, Vice President Pence and their team for protection on their persons, properity for our nation and to use them to overthrow wickedness and witchcraft that pointing their obnoxious fingers on this nation under God

Barbara C Roberts
September 15, 2017

So very well written. Thank you for the clear message of faith and courage that our forefathers lived and died for. We all need to stand up and be light in the dark places of our our communities. it is only the light of the gospel that can push back the darkness that surrounds us. God’s grace and compassion are so often missing in the public square administered by those who understand that enabling and calling right wrong is not Gods Holy compassion. Out President and Vice President continues to bless and amaze us all. Thank you Father in heaven for an open window of hope in our great country. May we all step through that window and get involved now.

Julie Kaveggia
September 15, 2017

Great message! Anyone else with a mac unable to share this through email?

TK Garber
September 15, 2017

What a powerful reminder of the fact that this nation is God’s, not ours! We are only stewards of the blessings He has bestowed. And Reagan was correct: we ARE one generation away from the extinction of freedom and the United States as we know it. May those of us who claim the Name of Jesus Christ arm ourselves with the armor of God daily to fight against the enemy of our souls. We aren’t fighting against people, but against “spiritual wickedness in high places.” It is a full-on battle for our nation, for the souls of the unsaved, for the Church. We must be prepared to STAND, not sit complacently on the sidelines in this battle. I praise my Heavenly Father for the blessing of living in this country, and I trust Him that my faith will not fail, that I will be ready to “fight the good fight” and “run the race,” keeping my eyes on Jesus. May His mercy and grace fall on us, and may a great revival break out in the power of the Holy Spirit. IFA is in my prayers!

Judy Cooper
September 15, 2017

Thank you so much for this great lesson. As an Intecessor many, many times have cried out 2 Chron. 7:14 !! This message has given great insight as how to pray more effectively and especially how to answer what those against our President and Great Nation continually say!! Manifold Blessings to you

Kay W.
September 15, 2017

Excellent writing! Thank you for the encouragement from God’s Word about our present times. God’s Almighty Sovereignty is comforting in these troubled days.

Marie Timm
September 15, 2017

Well said. And well heeded.

Carol Hedrick
September 15, 2017

Thank you for your overview of Godly work throughout some of history and the present.

I agree with you, we, who are called by His name must not stop, back down, quit or give up. We must continue in constant prayer for our nation and it’s leaders we cannot afford to stop. I believe God has given this country a reprieve to see just how committed we are about turning this country around and back to righteousness, honesty and integrity and most of all to Him. He did the same for the Israelites and when they didn’t continue to seek Him, the LORD sent them persecution and judgment.

If you read the Bible it seemed the only time God’s people would move and do the right thing is when they were persecuted, please lets not let it be the case with America.

I pray that all of the people who say they are Followers of the LORD Jesus Christ will repent of our wicked ways and humble ourselves before the LORD and continue to pray like we have never prayed before.

Our President has so many against him, there are many good things he is wanting to get done but the establishment Republican and Democrat a like are working hard to prevent him from succeeding. We need to pray the ones that are hampering him in accomplishing what he said he would do will in some way be removed by what ever way the LORD deems needs to be done.

Elizabeth
September 15, 2017

Praying America will wake up and support God back in America and a president who is trying to change for good. When you look back at the past 8 years, you know we went far away from God and we will be punished if we don’t return to God. The Bible tells us what will happen. We don’t want that. Praying for America and President Trump

Trudy Larsen
September 15, 2017

That is good God know who going to be our new president and Donald Trump say with his mouth before he became President that isn’t doing this for him he doing for the America people.

Pamela
September 15, 2017

Thank you for giving us such a clear reminder of what God is doing in our country, and for the mandates you laid out for us. May we all be faithful prayer warriors, and good stewards of what the Lord has provided for us at this time! Praying for conviction, obedience and repentance before the Lord, resulting in true revival in our beautiful nation!

Deborah
September 15, 2017

Thanks for your wonderful word from the Lord. Proverbs speaks of a word fitly spoken in due season is like apples of gold. These are gold nuggets to be taken to heart and treasured lived out in our lives. Truth always brings life. I think of the story of Gulliver’s travels the church is like the sleeping giant tied down but only by waking up the giant sees that the little people have tied him down . He laughs and gets up not to destroy or hurt them but to be the powerful loving giant he was. They run in fear but then see his kindness and return. May the church rise and stand tall be confident in our Savior wake up breaking the cords of injustice. And by God’s grace and mercy may people turn back to the Lord and he will heal our land. The people fear the church, and her power and influence. It has always been so. We are at a cross roads will we continue to stand on Gods word and truth trusting him and not give up. God is using so many at this time to stand up and bring us back God bless them and keep them. Thank you for this wonderful encouraging word.

Carole
September 15, 2017

Thank you! This is one of the best reminders of scripture and review of history, that I have ever read.

Ray Mitchem
September 15, 2017

I was so pleased to read your inspiring words. As I continued to read it continually reminded me of how a well-known & respected Iowa friend of mine would write. When II Chronicles 7:14 was mentioned I thought for sure it was him and expected to see his name at the end, especially when he mentioned running for public office & losing. You see, God does work in mysterious ways; if you don’t know Bob Vanderplaats from Iowa, head of ‘The Family Leader’, you must get to know him. It’s a wonderful ‘coincidence’ that this story could just as well be ‘his story’.

Geri
September 15, 2017

I found this to be such a great eye opening message. I have friends who hate President Trump and just don’t believe in God and I am so sorry for them.. I sent this email to them and they will probably be upset with me for receiving it.,They ask me not to send anything about God to them..They can stop being friends with me if that’s what they want, But My heart tells me to keep give them the opportunity to read this against what they believe and find the truth. I love them and pray for their salvation in Jesus Holy name, Amen…!!!!!.I pray God opens their eyes, heart ,and mind to receive this and believe in him……….

Min. Sharon Crenshaw
September 15, 2017

Thank You for such an awesome message.

Now to Him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more that all we can ask or imagine, to Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21

nancy Jesudass
September 15, 2017

Thank you for taking time to write down all that we need to review and ponder what God has to say through His Word and through history of life .
“This is what He says to man, the fear of the Lord is wisdom , and to shun evil is understanding ” Job 28:28 & Eccl 12:13, 14 . Paul made it clear that Jesus is our Wisdom from God ! 1 Cor. 1:30. Praise God for His unfailing love by constantly drawing us to His attention ! May our next generation run to Jesus Who is wisdom and Who is The Word of God . Amen

Rebecca Olson
September 15, 2017

Thanks for the great overview of God’s work in history and now.

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