God's patience is beyond anything I could have imagined and I would never have believed that He would postpone His judgment upon this nation even once, and certainly not twice. But that is what He has done. Why? Because of the prayers of His people. That is something else that I didn't think would happen - that people would pray and pray asking Him for more time for the USA. I didn't believe that He would put off His wrath regardless of the prayers of the saints. I was certainly wrong. Thank God for His patience!
There is a verse in Jeremiah that I never really understood until now. Jer 20:7 - You have deceived me Oh Lord, and I was deceived. God had spoken to Jeremiah and told him something that was going to happen. However, for whatever reason, known only to God, God didn't fulfill that which He had spoken. Was it judgment against a nation, a city, a people or even a person? Only God knows because there is nothing else in Jeremiah that clarifies what it was. Jeremiah felt that God has deceived him because he knew what the Lord had spoken to him, but whatever it was didn't happen.
A similar thing happened to Jonah when he prophesied to Nineveh regarding its destruction. He knew what God had told him to prophesy to the people and he did. Yet God didn't fulfill His word at that time (although He did many years later). Jonah felt that God had deceived him as Jeremiah did.
In 2 Kings 20:1 Isaiah spoke the word of the Lord to Hezekiah when Hezekiah was ill and at the point of death telling him to put his house in order because he would die and not recover from the illness. But Hezekiah turned to the Lord and prayed and the Lord relented, healed him and gave the king 15 more years of life.
I myself wondered why God had deceived me regarding His judgment upon this nation. Why would He tell me very clearly that it was coming in obama's time in office when He knew it wasn't? I didn't understand? I felt deceived and betrayed as Jeremiah and Jonah did. Only He knew that His people would begin to earnestly pray for His patience and mercy.
But a prophet's job is to speak what God tells him to speak. God warns kingdoms, nations, churches, people, etc. through His watchmen to give these a chance to pray, repent, and turn from their wicked and evil ways. Most do not, as has been evident by the churches, ministers and people that I have warned over the years - none of them listened. In the case of this nation God has used His seers to warn about what was coming. None of us believed there was a chance that He would delay that judgment. But that is exactly what He did, delay the calamities He has planned for this country because many of His people turned to Him asking for mercy and patience. Yes, judgment will come in exactly the way He said it would. But when it will come only He knows.
On a very personal note, God has promised me many, many things regarding healing and restoration in my life for many years now. But I never understood how He could do all these things if His judgment was poured out upon the USA at the time He said it would be. Now I see that He knew beforehand that He would delay judgment and that He could fulfill the many things He has promised me in my lifetime. And now that I know that this delay in catastrophes will last for a few more years I feel a tremendous weight off my shoulders and a heavy burden has been lifted from me.
There is a verse in Jeremiah that I never really understood until now. Jer 20:7 - You have deceived me Oh Lord, and I was deceived. God had spoken to Jeremiah and told him something that was going to happen. However, for whatever reason, known only to God, God didn't fulfill that which He had spoken. Was it judgment against a nation, a city, a people or even a person? Only God knows because there is nothing else in Jeremiah that clarifies what it was. Jeremiah felt that God has deceived him because he knew what the Lord had spoken to him, but whatever it was didn't happen.
A similar thing happened to Jonah when he prophesied to Nineveh regarding its destruction. He knew what God had told him to prophesy to the people and he did. Yet God didn't fulfill His word at that time (although He did many years later). Jonah felt that God had deceived him as Jeremiah did.
In 2 Kings 20:1 Isaiah spoke the word of the Lord to Hezekiah when Hezekiah was ill and at the point of death telling him to put his house in order because he would die and not recover from the illness. But Hezekiah turned to the Lord and prayed and the Lord relented, healed him and gave the king 15 more years of life.
I myself wondered why God had deceived me regarding His judgment upon this nation. Why would He tell me very clearly that it was coming in obama's time in office when He knew it wasn't? I didn't understand? I felt deceived and betrayed as Jeremiah and Jonah did. Only He knew that His people would begin to earnestly pray for His patience and mercy.
But a prophet's job is to speak what God tells him to speak. God warns kingdoms, nations, churches, people, etc. through His watchmen to give these a chance to pray, repent, and turn from their wicked and evil ways. Most do not, as has been evident by the churches, ministers and people that I have warned over the years - none of them listened. In the case of this nation God has used His seers to warn about what was coming. None of us believed there was a chance that He would delay that judgment. But that is exactly what He did, delay the calamities He has planned for this country because many of His people turned to Him asking for mercy and patience. Yes, judgment will come in exactly the way He said it would. But when it will come only He knows.
On a very personal note, God has promised me many, many things regarding healing and restoration in my life for many years now. But I never understood how He could do all these things if His judgment was poured out upon the USA at the time He said it would be. Now I see that He knew beforehand that He would delay judgment and that He could fulfill the many things He has promised me in my lifetime. And now that I know that this delay in catastrophes will last for a few more years I feel a tremendous weight off my shoulders and a heavy burden has been lifted from me.
