We have read and heard quoted many times verse 14 in 2 Chronicles 7 that says, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." But, we don't give any thought to our need to do just that, or how it applies to us today.

We see the way things have changed in the United States over the years. This change has not been changing to an increasingly better condition but, rather, to an increasingly worse condition. It seems that people would realize their love for God was becoming colder and return to God in repentance. Instead, people have continued to get farther and farther away and their hearts have gotten harder and harder. By getting away from God, we have not seen the changes that have been going on and have been accepting those changes that have been leading farther away as being the right way. The Bible says, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (Pro. 14:12; 16:25)

The leadership of the nation is a reflection of the people who are called Christians. The nation that doesn't want God anywhere is a reflection of the Christians not wanting God anywhere in their lives. The way we see the Constitution being changed and misinterpreted to say what they feel that it needs to say and not what it really says is another example. Christians are misinterpreting the Word of God and changing it to mean what they feel it should say if not altogether disregarding it as being for the people in those days but things are different now. "Thus making the word of God of none effect through traditions, and many such like things." (Mark 7:13)

If we take a good and honest look at what goes on in the church and the direction the nation is heading we will see that they are parallel. Yes, it is the lawmakers that are making the laws and the judges that are changing the meaning of the Constitution and not the people of God and the nation's leaders that are leading us down the wrong path, but we have only our sinful desires and lifestyle to blame for the conditions we face today. The Church, in the beginning, was looking for the Lord to return with anticipation and lived accordingly. No, everyone wasn't "perfect" but there was a general way of life in reverence to God that was present. Right was right and wrong was wrong. Today that has been changed and what was right from the beginning is now wrong and what was wrong from the beginning is now right. Isa 5:20 says, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" We would do well to remember what is written in 2Pe 2:1, "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction."

What has happened to cause this? The Church has been sleeping and while it has been sleeping tares have been sown unawares by our enemy. This is found in the parable of the wheat and tares in Mat 13:25 "while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat." We have not been looking for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to return for His Church. That has not been anticipated as it was in the early Church. The scoffers (2 Peter 3:3) say, "Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." (2 Peter 3:4) The parable of the ten virgins tell us that "While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept." (Mat 25:5)

If God's people would only awaken out of their sleep. The Lord is going to return for His Bride soon. We need to trim our lamps and be ready for His return. We need to tell everyone we come in contact with that Jesus is coming soon telling them how they can be ready for His return. "The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest." (Luke 10:2)