The First Mark of God’s Judgment on America

/2 Comments/in /by

The Removal of His Presence and His Hand of Blessing

At the dedication of the temple, Solomon began his prayer for God’s mercy by saying, “…may You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive (II Chronicles 6:21). Solomon anticipated that he and the nation would sin.  He understood that sin, whether personal or national, would break fellowship with God, separating them from His power and blessing. No doubt he had heard the story of God removing His presence and blessing from King Saul after his sin, and of Samson experiencing God’s judgment due to his sin. Even the entire nation of Israel, after the big victory at Jericho, suffered defeat at the hand of the small city Ai because of sin in their midst. 

Today, many people reject the idea of God’s sovereign authority to judge individuals or nations; yet, they cherish the idea of His blessing. Most would agree that God’s hand of blessing was on America until more recent years, but they hesitate to identify any calamity as God’s judgment.

Unfortunately, even many pastors are reluctant to declare that God’s hand of judgment is on America.

Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His day for not understanding the ‘signs of the time’ (Luke 12:56). Is He not equally disturbed when we shut our eyes to His obvious withdrawal of blessings and protection over our country? 

God desires to bless the nation that fears Him –“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD” (Psalm 33:12)! To those who trust in Him, He has promised to be a ‘refuge and strength’ and never to forsake them. He certainly was the strength of our nation, and His presence with us was felt even by our enemies. But, when a nation turns its back on Him and walks in its own strength, He withdraws His presence, removes His hand of blessing and judges it. Friends, do we honestly believe that God is blessing America today? Would He be just if He did? After 9/11, do we honestly believe that the hedge of protection around this nation remains intact? The removal of God’s blessing and His presence is scary – and it is only the first indication that God’s judgment is on us. The next six marks are even more obvious.

This is the second in an eight part series, “Can We Know if God’s Judgment is on America? – The Background to Understanding God’s Promise in II Chronicles 7:14”. 

American Pastors Network Encourages Pastors to Preach on Marriage, as Oregon and PA Strike Down Marriage Protection Acts

/0 Comments/in /by

PHILADELPHIA—The American Pastors Network (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net) is encouraging pastors around the country and throughout the nation to preach on marriage on June 1 and in the coming weeks, in the wake of two judges striking down marriage defense acts in Pennsylvania and Oregon, respectively. Same-sex marriage is now legal in 19 states in the union and the District of Columbia.

APN president and former Pennsylvania state legislator Sam Rohrer, who also serves as president of the Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastros.net), a state chapter affiliate of APN, says the organization is calling on pastors to take a stand in the face of this flagrant attack on God’s law and our constitutional liberties.

“Last week, two federal judges mocked the law of God and declared the will of the people irrelevant by striking down two states’ prohibitions against same-sex marriage,” Rohrer said. “In one case, the judge dared to go so far as to say that it’s time to ‘discard’ such laws ‘into the ash heap of history.’ This flagrant and arrogant attack on God-ordained marriage and on the freedom of all Americans demands a response.

“These rulings have serious implications. In each case, the judges appointed themselves the power to usurp the authority of both Moral Law and Civil Law: Moral Law by thinking themselves superior to God in declaring God’s definition of marriage and the family null and void and Civil Law by disregarding the Constitutional authority of individual states to pass laws reflecting the will of the people.”

APN is urging pastors to “Stand in the Gap for Truth” as America is in the throes of a severe moral crisis.

“This week’s rulings are, of course, not isolated instances,” Rohrer continued. “Instead, they are pivotal cogs in a massive effort to declare God’s definition of marriage unconstitutional and to censor individuals and states that dare to proclaim belief in God-ordained marriage.  Our nation will not escape judgment simply because we are ‘America.’ God will not be mocked, and these are the sins that God will judge. Church walls will offer no protection if our freedoms are obliterated. We pray that pastors across America will boldly speak truth in a culture that rejects it.”

APN is the largest national network of pastors who believe in the authority of Scripture, boldly preach the whole counsel of God with a disciplined application of a biblical worldview to matters of public policy, are building a permanent infrastructure of biblically faithful pastors and lay leaders, and are mobilizing congregations to participate in the political process on a non-partisan basis.

By growing state chapters who will support the mission, APN is building a nationwide, permanent infrastructure of like-minded pastors who:

  1. Affirm the authority of scripture
  2. Take seriously Jesus’ command to be “salt and light” to the culture
  3. Want to encourage informed Christian thinking about contemporary social issues
  4. Want to examine public policy issues without politicizing their pulpits, using well-prepared teaching and preaching resources
  5. Want to engage their congregations in taking part in our political process on a non-partisan basis.

Current resources offered by APN include an extensive online resource library, offering pastors many free resources on issues such as traditional marriage, along with topics ranging from economics and education to abortion and homosexuality. APN also airs several “Stand in the Gap” radio features, including a daily “Stand in the Gap Minute” addressing Biblical and cultural challenges facing pastors as well as the one-hour “Stand in the Gap Weekend,” which airs sermons by APN pastors. The upcoming “Stand in the Gap Freedom Focus” will be a one-hour daily program presenting national and international news and analysis.

The American Pastors Network has a mission to identify, encourage, equip, educate and network pastors and church members to “Stand in the Gap for Truth” across the nation while providing Bible-based and constitutionally consistent analysis and recommendations on matters of public policy. APNis the largest, national network of pastors who believe in the authority of scripture, who boldly preach the whole counsel of God with a disciplined application of a biblical worldview to public policy, and who are building a permanent infrastructure of biblically faithful pastors and lay leaders and mobilizing congregations to participate in the political process.

For more information on APN, visit www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net.

The Pennsylvania Pastors Network is a group of biblically faithful clergy and church liaisons whose objective is to build a permanent infrastructure of like-minded clergy who affirm the authority of Scripture, take seriously Jesus’ command to be the “salt and light” to the culture, encourage informed Christian thinking about contemporary social issues, examine public policy issues without politicizing their pulpits and engage their congregations in taking part in our political process on a non-partisan basis.

For more information on PPN, visit www.papastors.net or call 610.584.1225.

The American Pastors Network is a Ministry Program Affiliate of Capstone Legacy Foundation (a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian Public Community Foundation registered nationwide).

Pennsylvania Pastors Network is a state chapter affiliate of the American Pastors Network. The American Pastors Network is a Ministry Program Affiliate of Capstone Legacy Foundation (a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian Public Community Foundation registered nationwide).

###

To interview Sam Rohrer, President of American Pastors Network and Pennsylvania Pastors Network, contact Deborah Hamilton at dhamilton@hamiltonstrategies.com, 215-815-7716 or 610-584-1096.

… And He Shall Have Them in Derision.

/4 Comments/in /by

On May 20, 2014, US District Judge John E. Jones III, in his official ruling on the lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Marriage Law, exhibited great satisfaction in making Pennsylvania the next in line to declare the historical definition of marriage unconstitutional. His exact words were, “Today, certain citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are not guaranteed the right to marry the person they love.…”  He went on to say, ‘We now join the twelve federal district courts across the country which, when confronted with these inequities in their own states, have concluded that all couples deserve equal dignity in the realm of civil marriage.”  As he proceeded to justify his decision, he quoted phrases from traditional wedding vows such as: ‘for better, for worse’, ‘for richer, for poorer’, ‘in sickness and in health’, ‘till death do us part’.  Not unexpectedly, he omitted any reference to God – the author of marriage. He went on to diminish the value of the traditional family unit of a father, mother and children, and he ignored the historical and societal facts which demonstrate the superiority and stability of a father and mother in the home.

In the concluding sentence of the ruling, we find the most obvious proof of the audacity of this judge and others who seemingly want to rewrite God’s laws and history itself.  The ruling states, “We are a better people than these laws represent, and it’s time to discard them into the ash heap of history.” My friends, when I read this arrogant statement, a verse in Psalm Chapter 2 came to mind: “Why do the heathen rage and people imagine a vain thing? The authorities of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel against the LORD… saying, Let us throw off these moral constraints placed upon us by God. But, He that sits in the heavens shall laugh and have them in derision.” No judge, no king, no President, no Governor, shall cast God’s laws and His standards into the ‘ash heap of history’ without grave consequence. Wake up, America. Wake up, American Christian.

Sam Rohrer is the president of the Pennsylvania Pastors Network and the American Pastors Network.

Pennsylvania Pastors Network Says Decision Undermines States’ Constitutional Rights and Goes Against God’s Law for Marriage

/2 Comments/in /by

PHILADELPHIA—A Federal judge this afternoon struck down Pennsylvania’s Defense of Marriage Act—deciding that same-sex marriage will no longer be banned in the state.

Judge John Jones III ruled to strike down the Act in the case of Whitewood v. Wolf, which was filed last summer in U.S. District Court in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

“In a continuing trend of federal judicial activism, the court has arrogantly assumed the right to supersede the constitutional right of the states,” said Sam Rohrer, President of the Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastors.net) and the American Pastors Network (APN, www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net).  “This should scare anyone who loves freedom because by its action, the federal court has overruling the constitutional right of the states to determine this issue or any other issues for themselves.

“While this case specifically concerned marriage, one thing is for sure: God hasn’t changed His definition of marriage, and the court has no more right to change His definition than it has to overturn the legitimate right of the states to do what Pennsylvania did in passing a law upholding marriage between one man and one woman. Today’s decision ought to scare anyone who enjoys freedom, because now we have a system in which the federal court has clearly says it doesn’t care what the law is; it’s going to do its own thing. There is a word for this type of system: tyranny.”

The decision was left to the judge after Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett and his administration and the 21 same-sex couples bringing the suit agreed not to go to trial. The lawsuit alleged that the Defense of Marriage Act and the subsequent refusal to marry lesbian and gay couples or recognize their out-of-state marriages violates the fundamental right to marry as well as the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

For more information on Pennsylvania Pastors Network, visit www.papastors.net or call 610.584.1225.

The Pennsylvania Pastors Network is a group of biblically faithful clergy and church liaisons whose objective is to build a permanent infrastructure of like-minded clergy who affirm the authority of Scripture, take seriously Jesus’ command to be the “salt and light” to the culture, encourage informed Christian thinking about contemporary social issues, examine public policy issues without politicizing their pulpits and engage their congregations in taking part in our political process on a non-partisan basis.

The American Pastors Network is the largest, national network of pastors who believe in the authority of scripture, who boldly preach the whole counsel of God with a disciplined application of a biblical worldview to public policy and who are building a permanent infrastructure of biblically faithful pastors and lay leaders and mobilizing congregations to participate in the political process. For more information on APN, visit www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net.

Pennsylvania Pastors Network is a state chapter affiliate of the American Pastors Network. The American Pastors Network is a Ministry Program Affiliate of Capstone Legacy Foundation (a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian Public Community Foundation registered nationwide).

The American Pastors Network is a Ministry Program Affiliate of Capstone Legacy Foundation (a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian Public Community Foundation registered nationwide).

###

To interview a representative from the American Pastors Network, contact Deborah Hamilton at dhamilton@hamiltonstrategies.com, 215-815-7716 or 610-584-1096.

ELECTION DAY: A Voice for Biblical Truth in Harrisburg

/0 Comments/in , /by

On Monday, May 12, 2014, the Pennsylvania Pastors Network helped local Lancaster County pastors host a candidate forum for the two Republicans running for the 36th Senatorial District seat in Pennsylvania – Representative Ryan Aument and Representative Gordon Denlinger.  The purpose of this event was to critique these candidates, not merely in light of their position on various political issues, but more so to evaluate how their faith in God impacts their life as well as their role in office.  Our nation needs men and women whose faith in God transcends the political correctness of “separation of church and state”; who will be a Voice for Biblical truth regardless of the pressures around them.

After an hour with each candidate, it was clear that the voters options for this seat were not a “lesser of two evils” as is the case for so many of our races today, but as one pastor said, perhaps a “greater of two goods.” It was an honor to meet these men whose testimonies indicated that their lives have been touched and transformed by the love of God. They both confirmed that they are unashamed of the Good News of Jesus Christ and are committed to bringing a Voice for Biblical Truth to Harrisburg.  While there were clear and compelling differences, the similarities were greater.

Nevertheless, there was one area of great distinction between these two candidates. One of the easiest ways to assess a candidate’s commitment to Biblical principles is by examining their campaigning tactics. In an effort to win an election and draw a clear contrast between themselves and their opponent, candidates must choose whether or not they will succumb to the temptation to compromise their integrity and run a “negative campaign.”  The temptation to exaggerate facts and use misleading information against opponents is a breach of integrity, though it is a common practice in politics.  We hope that both candidates will resist this temptation and repent where such tactics have been used.

“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” Mark 8:36

We hope and pray that, regardless of the outcome of this election, these two men will continue to be pillars in our state wherever God calls them. Our hope at the Pennsylvania Pastors Network is that this event will serve as a catalyst for other pastors around the state, and nation, to initiate similar events between now and the general election this fall. Scripture is clear –

“When the righteous are in authority the people rejoice, but when a wicked man rules, the people mourn.” Proverbs 29:2

Our nation needs Godly leaders, but Godly leaders start with righteous candidates. If you are a pastor, and would like the Pennsylvania Pastors Network to help you plan a candidate forum in your area, contact us at info@papastors.net. Join with us as we seek to stand with those who will be a Voice for Biblical Truth in our nation.

I encourage you to read this article written by one of the pastors who was present at the event that accurately sums up the sense of the pastors.  Our nation needs leaders who will demonstrate genuine faith – in our churches and in our government.

READ A PASTOR’S PERSPECTIVE HERE >

Can We Know if God’s Judgment Is on America?

/6 Comments/in , /by

As I crisscross this nation and interface with pastors and Christian leaders, it’s apparent that crippling paralysis and impotence grip most Christians as well as the Church at large in America. When our pulpits should be flaming with the preaching of righteousness, repentance, and God’s anger with personal and national sin, most are silent. Instead of calling attention to God’s judgment, many pastors deny that we can even know if God is judging America. Seeking ‘comfort’ rather than ‘engagement,’ most pastors are inadvertently contributing to the destruction of our nation by infusing their people with lethargy rather than with an urgency for righteous living.

This paralysis exists in part because leading pastors and church leaders are not certain themselves if God’s judgment is on America or if anyone can or should legitimately declare what God is doing or not doing. Some well-known pastors recently declared this position, with one even telling me directly that 2 Chron. 7:14, which speaks to the issue of national judgment, is not for America or any nation today. They’ve actually said that to speak of the certainty of judgment, to offer the requirements for repentance, and to tell of God’s promise to ‘hear our prayer, forgive our sins, and heal our land’ is to offer a fraudulent hope!

I contend that claiming we cannot know if God’s judgment is on our nation is but a feeble attempt to justify the failure of pastors convincingly to preach on the reality of sin, God’s anger with sin, His holiness, and the need for repentance. The cost of not preaching on the reality of God’s judgment is great. The failure to preach on the need for repentance now will guarantee God’s final judgment on America.  I contend that if we can recognize God’s blessing on our nation, we can with as much certainty know when His hand of judgment is on us. In the next few posts, I will identify the seven marks of national judgment that precipitated God’s answer to King Solomon in 2 Chron. 7:14. The correlations to America are undeniable.

No Moral Justification for Proposed Online Gambling and Casino Changes

/0 Comments/in /by

PHILADELPHIA—The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has a budget shortfall, and some officials are considering sacrificing the best long-term interests of the citizens on the altar of short-term convenience  by turning to online gambling to generate revenue. And this is the best solution for Pennsylvania?

In response to a report on gambling revenue, Pennsylvania legislators are considering authorizing online gambling in the state. To make gambling more appealing, the report also suggests allowing gamblers to get credit card cash advances on the casino floor, eliminating the $2,500 ceiling on check cashing and ending the ban on cashing third-party checks.

Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastors.net) says legalizing online gambling and changing casino policies to generate revenue is a risky move that will hurt already-struggling Pennsylvanians.

“Budget shortfalls are properly addressed by reducing spending or increasing taxes, neither of which is popular,” said Pennsylvania Pastors Network President Sam Rohrer, also President of the American Pastors Network (APN, www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net).  “It is sad that in a culture desperate for moral leadership, our Governor and legislative leaders would seriously consider expanded gambling to ‘fix’ the current financial need.  By its very nature, gambling preys on the vulnerable, the elderly and those who are desperate enough to risk losing what they can’t afford. We at the Pennsylvania Pastors Network call on our Governor and legislative leaders to resist the temptation to cowardly pursue the unethical path of expanded gambling that benefits only special interests and transient, short-term political gains.

“Pennsylvania’s rich heritage did not come through rolling the dice in hopes of a better future, and the solution to our state’s fiscal woes won’t come through luck, either. We urge our lawmakers to stop this online gambling initiative before it starts. Fix our budgetary problems for the long-term. Don’t contribute to the problems of thousands of citizens while also creating new problems. Expanded gambling is bad for Pennsylvanians and bad for Pennsylvania.”

According to Philly.com, Senate President Joseph B. Scarnati (R., Jefferson) sponsored a resolution in December directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to look at casino gambling in the state in light of significant budget deficits.

Scarnati said Pennsylvania is facing increased competition from casinos in neighboring states, but headlines show that gambling hasn’t solved money problems elsewhere either. For example, New Jersey introduced Internet gambling in November, but revenues have been far below predicted levels. Likewise, Atlantic City has also seen a 40 percent decline in gambling revenues, albeit because of other economic issues.

The report, prepared by Econsult Solutions Inc., of Philadelphia, said that Internet gambling in Pennsylvania could bring up to $68 million in tax revenue in year one and as much as $110 million per year after that.

For more information on Pennsylvania Pastors Network, visit www.papastors.net or call610.584.1225.

The Pennsylvania Pastors Network is a group of biblically faithful clergy and church liaisons whose objective is to build a permanent infrastructure of like-minded clergy who affirm the authority of Scripture, take seriously Jesus’ command to be the “salt and light” to the culture, encourage informed Christian thinking about contemporary social issues, examine public policy issues without politicizing their pulpits and engage their congregations in taking part in our political process on a non-partisan basis.

The American Pastors Network is the largest, national network of pastors who believe in the authority of scripture, who boldly preach the whole counsel of God with a disciplined application of a biblical worldview to public policy and who are building a permanent infrastructure of biblically faithful pastors and lay leaders and mobilizing congregations to participate in the political process. For more information on APN, visit www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net.

Pennsylvania Pastors Network is a state chapter affiliate of the American Pastors Network. The American Pastors Network is a Ministry Program Affiliate of Capstone Legacy Foundation (a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian Public Community Foundation registered nationwide).

The American Pastors Network is a Ministry Program Affiliate of Capstone Legacy Foundation (a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian Public Community Foundation registered nationwide).

###

To interview a representative from the American Pastors Network, contact Deborah Hamilton at dhamilton@hamiltonstrategies.com, 215-815-7716 or 610-584-1096.