In writing this article I looked at ten or so websites and the only one to have Christmas on the front page was Walmart.  All the others used the term “holiday.”  That’s just wrong in my opinion.

Let me just tell you the next time I walk in a store and some sales representative says “Happy Holidays,” I’m going to smile and say, “you know I hope you have a nice day but I believe I’m going to spend my money with folks who say `Merry Christmas.’”

If you know anyone who is offended by Christmas as a “matter of principle,” then I have 10 guidelines for them to follow so they won’t be:

Holiday Hypocrites

1.    If you don’t like Christmas…give back your Christmas bonus.

2.   If you don’t like Christmas. . .go to your children’s school principal and ask him to keep your children in school for the two weeks of Christmas vacation because you don’t believe in Christmas.  See how popular that makes you at home.

3.   If you don’t like Christmas, mark your Christmas cards “Return to Sender” and send them back to all your relatives and friends who bother you at this time of year, especially the ones where relatives put money inside.

4.   If you don’t like Christmas, don’t take your children out at night to show them ”Christmas” lights.

5.   If you don’t like Christmas, then eat tofu on the 25th because you it would be wrong for you to eat a Christmas ham or turkey.

6.   If you don’t like Christmas, then eat wheat grass instead of the Christmas cookies your Grandma made.

7.   If you don’t like Christmas, keep working while everybody else is at the office Christmas party.

8.   If you don’t like Christmas, keep those ugly ties you received as gifts, because it would be morally wrong for you to attend the day-after Christmas sales.

9.   If you don’t believe in Christmas and what it represents, then begin spending time in your oven to prepare yourself for the day when you move permanently to a much hotter place.

  10.  If you don’t like Christmas, then I need to pray for you because you’re

         obviously as lost as a goose in a blizzard.

I’m off my soapbox now … but I still don’t like it when people think it’s freedom of speech to say what they want, but politically incorrect when I and others want to speak an opposing view.

Harold Herring is President of  Debt Free Army, an organization he co-founded with Brother John Avanzini.  He is also the new President of Millionaire University.

Don’t be worrying about everybody else’s business. . .focus on what God wants you to know. . .what He wants you to do. . .your relationship with Him. But don’t take my word on it, look at Luke 13:23 in the Message Bible:

“A bystander said, “Master, will only a few be saved?” He said, “Whether few or many is none of your business. Put your mind on your life with God. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires your total attention. A lot of you are going to assume that you’ll sit down to God’s salvation banquet just because you’ve been hanging around the neighborhood all your lives. Well, one day you’re going to be banging on the door, wanting to get in, but you’ll find the door locked and the Master saying, ‘Sorry, you’re not on my guest list.’”   

God is not only on His throne in the heavens, He is to be on the throne of your life.  You must put your mind on your life with God not on all the chatter of opinions that surround you.

The way to experience the abundant life . . . the God kind of life . . . requires your total attention.  God must be a permanent resident in your life if you want to be on His guest list.  Just hanging around with Him is not going to cut it.

I have a close African American friend who is a pastor and when I ask him how things are going, he says with a smile, “It’s good in the hood . . . because God is still on the throne.”

Luke 13:23 and my friend are saying that even though you’ve been hanging around the hood all your lives, that’s not enough.  God must be on the throne of your life.

Going to church won’t make you a Christian any more than going in McDonald’s makes you a Big Mac.  It’s relationship.  It’s His Word.  It’s a renewed mind.  It’s a righteous life.  It’s forgetting those things behind and pressing toward the mark, the prize the high calling . . . that is Christ Jesus.

Have you ever been attacked by mosquitoes or other annoying little devils that bite and leave a welt which, if scratched continually, can cause skin irritations and infections?  That’s why any caring parent generously applies 612 mosquito repellent before allowing their children to venture out in the summer.

We have a loving Heavenly Father who’s given us a spiritual 612 devil repellant that carries a preventive to attacks far greater than the natural mind could ever produce.  It’s found in Romans 6:12 (MSG):

“That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you’ve been raised from the dead!—into God’s way of doing things. Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God.”       

The freedom of God . . . is not spending more than you make . . . the freedom of God isn’t living a fake-it till you make-it lifestyle . . . the freedom of God means that you owe no man but to love Him.

God desires to be first in your life and He promises to direct your path (Psalm 32:8).

Harold Herring is the President of the Debt Free Army, an organization he co-founded with Brother John Avanzini.  He is also the new President of Millionaire University.

I read an email from a precious lady who wrote to say she was all alone on Thanksgiving.  It impacted my heart.  I could feel her hurt and imagine the tears she shed in writing me.  I was touched with great compassion for her.

As I started meditating about how to respond, the Lord stirred in me as He often does.  He said to tell this lady that she was wrong. . .she was not alone on Thanksgiving nor has she been on any day since she accepted Jesus as the Lord of her life.

Sadly and all too frequently, I’ve heard or read that same comment before . . .“I’m all alone.”  I fully understand and empathize with women or for that matter, men who are so lonely for human companionship.  Many have lost a spouse to death or divorce.  Some feel trapped in a marriage with an unsaved spouse where they are sharing a house but not a home. . .bills but not a life. . .a bed but not love.

The Lord is saying this morning that NO ONE who loves and serves Him will ever be alone. . .they never have been and never will be.

In Hebrews 13:5 we’re all given a powerful promise that He “. . .will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

The Message Bible translation says:

“. . .I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I’m fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?”

If anyone reading these words right now is thinking “if you only knew how lonely I get,” I want to strongly urge you to read this verse again, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you. . .”  Let the Spirit of the most High God permeate you with His love and the peace that passes all understanding.

That comfort is something monumental we have to be thankful for. . .we have the ABSOLUTE assurance of the Creator of heaven and earth. . .that He will NEVER let you down.  My concern is for the millions who do not know there is a God that loves and cares for them.  What despair they must face having no hope!

You or someone you care about may have a spouse or children who has walked off and left them all alone, but God never will.  Psalm 27:10 in the Message Bible says:

“… My father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in.”

In 1 Kings 8:57 (NLT) the Word says that He will never leave or abandon you.

But there’s so much more to His promise. . .He is not only with you . . .He’s going to do something else for you.   Jeremiah 32:40 (NLT) will make you shout Hallelujah when there’s nobody else in the house.

“And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me.”

Then, in the New Testament, in addition to never leaving, nor forsaking you or stop doing good things for you, He also sent you a Comforter. . .someone to guide you through the trials and trails of life.

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.”            John 14:16 NLT

When you leave the house for work or a trip to the grocery store. . .you may feel all alone but you’re not. . .be comforted, strengthened and encouraged by the words of Psalm 139:1 (MSG):

“God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too— your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful— I can’t take it all in!”

As I’ve read and re-read what I’ve just written, I feel impressed to say that the key to never being or feeling alone is to get into His presence through worship. . .He knows what you’re thinking about … so release all negative thoughts.the “woe is me” mentality that is the devil’s anointing.  Shake it off and get in with God.

Recognize that there is someone with you more powerful that Samson. . .wiser than King Solomon. . .more loyal than Ruth. . .you have Jehovah Jireh, you’re provider, caring for you. . .desiring to do good things in your life.

Now that’s something to praise God for on Thanksgiving and every other day of the year.

Harold Herring is President of the Debt Free Army, an organization he co-founded with Brother John Avanzini.  He is also the new president of Millionaire University.

          I understand that negative environments, dysfunctional (sinful) families and a subconscious mind filled with the wrong stuff can take you off track. . .hinder your success and neutralize your effectiveness for the Kingdom of God but. . .

          There comes a point where you have to stop looking back.  The whole reason Jesus was sent to earth was to deliver us from the devil’s hold.

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”        Hebrews 2:14

“God forgives and forgets your sins, delivers you from your hang-ups, and provides a lamp to guide your feet and a light for your path.”   Psalm 119:105

          I think it’s time for believers to stop “generational curses” and train their focus and praise on “GENERATIONAL BLESSINGS.”

          “His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.”          Psalm 102:2 KJV

          The New Living Bible says:

          “Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.”

          Let me tell you … our children are blessed because they’re in our house.

          Are our children truly blessed because of where we live, what we drive, where we work, or how much we make?

          Absolutely not.  Our children are blessed because we love and honor God.

          “PRAISE THE Lord! (Hallelujah!) Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who fears (reveres and worships) the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.”                 Psalm 102:1 AMP

          Our children are blessed because we revere, worship and delight in the Lord.

          How do you manifest generational blessings in your home? 

That’s a simple question with an even more simple answer.

You start right now by sowing.

          As we discover in Acts 10, Cornelius was a man who found that he could sow for a generational blessing.

          One day as Cornelius was praying, an angel appeared to him:

          “And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.”                                                   Acts 10:4

          Cornelius sowing brought salvation to his household and he became the first Gentile to be filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 10:43-48.

          Genesis says that “. . .as long as the earth remains there will be night and day, seedtime and harvest.”

          In other words, whatever you sow you shall reap.  What are seeds for?  God designed them for the purpose of sowing.  A seed in the barn does not bring a harvest. 

          That’s why as a parent you must sow the pure, powerful and positive from the Word of God into the lives of your children.

          I recently heard my friend, Dr. Mike Smalley say that 65% of all children who are taken to church by their father will remain active in the church serving God.

          That’s truly a generational blessing.

          “The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.  He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.  The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.”    Psalm 115:12-14

          I’m not saying there aren’t generational spirits. . .but their power supply must be cut off.  Every time you talk about generational curses you are giving demonic spirits authority over your life and a power to abort your destiny.

          We’re not some spiritual weaklings that have to live in bondage to the dictates of some demonic scheme.   We have authority over ALL the works of the enemy.

          Listen to me!  If you take dominion over something demonic like sickness and you are immediately hit with a symptom, what does that tell you?  It pretty clear proof that God is manifesting your healing.  Why?  Because the demon assigned to you must attack you to make you “think” healing didn’t take place.  He must somehow convince you to take the sickness back through doubt and unbelief. 

When you cast off the assignment of a demonic being, he is desperate to make you believe you have no power to do so.  He knows that if you are submitted to God and you resist the devil… he “has to flee” (James 4:7).  Stand firm!  If God is for you, who can be against you? (Romans 8:31).

          It’s imperative as a believer that you realize you have the power and authority to establish GENERATIONAL BLESSINGS in your family.

          I remember sowing generational blessings into my oldest son.

          I got married the first time four days after I graduated from high school.  Three years later, my son Jim was born.  When he was age one, his mother and I were separated and eventually divorced.

          I remember when he was 16 he had a Z28 Camaro that loved gas more than a refinery. . .perhaps because of the speeds at which he drove.

          Jim was living about 30 minutes away from us and rarely attended church and when he did, it was a traditional church where power of the Word and the Holy Spirit were not taught.

At the time, I was Pastor of Administration at First Assembly of God Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina, where the power of God flowed freely.

I told my son after every Sunday morning service he attended at our church, I would fill his Z28 with gas.  Needless to say, this appealed to a 16-year old.

A well-meaning friend once asked if I felt that I was trying to buy his faith, I said, “I’ll do whatever it takes to get him where the Word is taught with power.”

I now realize that I was sowing GENERATIONAL BLESSINGS in his life.

My son went on to graduate from Rhema Bible Training Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and now pastors a wonderful church in Fort Worth, Texas.  And by the way, I’ve rarely seen anyone with a hunger for the Word that he has.  He can quote scripture as easily as others carry on a conversation.

You may have gone through “stuff” in your life. . .but it’s time to turn loose the curses of the past and begin sowing and believing for the blessings of the future.

“Hallelujah! Blessed man, blessed woman, who fear God, Who cherish and relish his commandments, Their children robust on the earth, And the homes of the upright—how blessed! Their houses brim with wealth And a generosity that never runs dry.” Psalm 112:1-3 MSG

Harold Herring is President of the Debt Free Army, an organization he co-founded with Brother John Avanzini.  He is also the new President of Millionaire University.

            I was sitting in the line at a drive-through window this morning at 5:35 AM waiting for my food (okay, it wasn’t fruit and granola). . .when I heard the radio announcer say that bankruptcies are 25% higher this year than last.

            My heart was grieved then, and it’s still grieving now some two and one-half hours later.  As I was finishing my morning meditation time with the Lord, He directed me to 2 Corinthians 1:4 in the Message Bible.

            If you’ve experienced financial loss … and who hasn’t …  in the current political and economic environment. . .you may be one who is saddened because of a lost job or home and you may be upset because you’ve lost $500,000 in the stock market.

            Everyone’s loss is great to them.  I’m not led to discuss which loss is greater. . .perhaps in another blog … but this morning, the Lord wants me to bring 2 Corinthians 1:4 to you.

            “He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.”

            First, God wants you to know that no matter what you’ve lost, He has a plan.  I’ve read letters and emails where believers, and I mean very good people, are bemoaning their loss, questioning their faith and asking why God is not moving in their midst. . .why He didn’t save them from their loss.

            The thing to realize is. . .first, foremost and forever. . .no matter what you’re going through. . .you have the confidence,  the assurance and the scriptural guarantee that God will come alongside of you. . .that He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:4).  He is our ever present help in the time of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

            This next statement is going to seem hard to understand and even more difficult to implement but we must get our focus off us, our loss, our pain. . .and instead, fix our focus on Him. . .and how we can bring glory and honor to His name in the midst of what we’re facing.

            The questions should be. . .God, what can I learn in the midst of this attack?  How can I use my experiences to grow?  Does God want me to comfort and counsel others who going through the same valley that I’ve just passed?

            The rest of verse four says, “… before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.”

            Instead of feeling the loss of the moment, anticipate the opportunity of being used by God to comfort and counsel those whose faith may not be as strong as yours, those who have become weakened in the battle.

            What God is saying to us this morning, is that we need to get our focus off our loss and pain and place it squarely on Him and His divine purpose for our lives.

            It hurts to lose something of value, something you’ve traded your live for. . .but the bottom line is this: the only reason you had it in the first place is because of Him.  We must never forget from where all blessings flow.  I know this from experience.

            I remember living in a 3,500 square foot house on the 10^th hole of the only PGA sanctioned golf course in the eastern part of North Carolina.  The house was designed by an architect.  It had moveable walls, twenty sets of sliding glass doors, dozens of Dogwood trees in the backyard and it was located in the most prestigious development in our part of the state.

            Sitting in my driveway was a brand new Cadillac El Dorado Biarritz with a stainless steel top that I had won by building the best sales organization of any state in the nation for a particular insurance company.  I also had a new Lincoln Continental for my wife.

            Without dwelling on the past and what happened. . .let me say, I lost it all.  It was a combination of the devil and my ignorance in not seeing him coming.  But that’s a later blog . . . I don’t want to lose the focus of what I feel the Lord is saying to us right now.

            Bottom line, I understand the sentiments experienced in 2 Corinthians 1:9,10 MSG:

“We don’t want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened.”

I never felt like I was going to death row, because I realized that “they” couldn’t repossess my wife and children or eat me (because cannibalism is illegal in the United States). But most importantly, God had my back.

It’s important to keep loss of “things” in a proper perspective.

In the midst of the storms you’re facing. . .the troubles you’re traveling through. . .you’ve got to know. . .that you’re not alone. . .He’s there so He can comfort you and  you can comfort others.

My experiences of 25 years ago have helped me encourage thousands, if not hundreds of thousands to know debt is evil and that no matter how bad things are God can and will bring you out.

Here’s the remainder of the verse, “Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead! And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he’ll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing. You and your prayers are part of the rescue operation.”

You will escape your current loss or situation not by your strength or wits. . .but by trusting God totally. . .He is your ultimate salvation.

Some might think, “But Brother Harold, I’m not dead.”  That’s true, but your finances may be (naturally speaking).

The same resurrection power that brought Lazarus from the tomb and raised Jesus from the dead. . .is available to you.

God has rescued you in the past and He will continue lifting you up out of the messes of this life. . .the resurrection power of the Holy Ghost is available to you.  It’s there to resuscitate your finances. . .but as the scripture say “you and your prayers are part of the rescue operation.”

So it’s important. . .it’s necessary. . .that as you travel this highway of life that you not become financial road kill. . .but a worker, a servant who’s reaching out to others with words of inspiration and encouragement. . .nothing negative. . .just the pure the powerful and the positive from the Word of God.

            And the last sentence in 2 Corinthians 1:11 says, “I don’t want you in the dark about that either” or as it says it in the King James, “God doesn’t want you ignorant….”

            Think about it.          

Harold Herring is President of the Debt Free Army, an organization he co-founded with Brother John Avanzini.  He is also the new President of Millionaire University.

Gomer, who also had a television show named after him for a short time was famous for saying, “Surprise.  Surprise. Surprise.” 

Here’s a revelation for you. . .despite the changing political and financial landscape God is not surprised by what’s happening on planet earth and in your life.  Disappointed maybe. . .but not surprised or caught off guard in the least.

The majority of people are hurting. . .fearful. . .unsure. . .even believers who attend church every time the door is open.  An atmosphere of doubt seems to be so pervasive right now.

If you’re expecting the dawn of each new day to bring more unsettling news, then you won’t be disappointed…like Job, the thing that you dread will come upon you (Job 3:25).

Wow, it’s a downer to even allow my mind to briefly entertain the words that I’ve just written in this blog…so ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

If anybody in the world should have reasons for optimism about the future, it’s the born-again, blood-washed, Spirit-filled, tongue-talking, chandelier swinging, Word quoting, pew jumping, Bible thumping children of God.

Yes, you may be going through “stuff” at the moment but at least you’re going through it and will soon be on the other side of your mountain of adversity.

God is not surprised by what’s going on in the world or in your life.

But here’s the question.  When trouble comes to visit your home. . .what is your response. . .did you pull closer to Him. . .or the escapism of television or other addictive habits.

As I was writing this blog, God lead me to four scriptures to share with you.

2 Samuel 22:17 (MSG) says:

“But me he caught—reached all the way from sky to sea; he pulled me out Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos, the void in which I was drowning. They hit me when I was down, but God stuck by me. He stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!”

If you’ve felt like you’ve been hit when you were down. . .behind on mortgage payments due to slow downs. . .layoffs. . .sickness … then be encouraged by the Word, the God of heaven and earth will stick with you. . .His love may be but shouldn’t be a surprise to you.

Be encouraged by Job 5:8 (MSG) and meditate on the words that I’ve underlined and placed in bold print.  Go over and over them again and again until you get them deep into your spirit.

“[ What a Blessing When God Corrects You! ] “If I were in your shoes, I’d go straight to God, I’d throw myself on the mercy of God. After all, he’s famous for great and unexpected acts; there’s no end to his surprises. He gives rain, for instance, across the wide earth, sends water to irrigate the fields. He raises up the down-and-out, gives firm footing to those sinking in grief. He aborts the schemes of conniving crooks, so that none of their plots come to term. He catches the know-it-alls in their conspiracies— all that intricate intrigue swept out with the trash! Suddenly they’re disoriented, plunged into darkness; they can’t see to put one foot in front of the other. But the downtrodden are saved by God, saved from the murderous plots, saved from the iron fist. And so the poor continue to hope, while injustice is bound and gagged.

Fast forward four chapters to Job 9:1 (MSG) and you’ll read something that should encourage and fill you with anticipation and expectation.

“We’ll never comprehend all the great things he does; his miracle-surprises can’t be counted.”

Hallelujah, but Child of God, YOU, that’s right, YOU must be pro-active in bringing these miracle surprises into your life.  My prayer for you is that you will recall and remember EVERY PROMISE God has made you in His Word.

“So, friends, take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught, whether in personal conversation or by our letter. May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech.”                 2 Thessalonians 2:15 MSG

God is not surprised by what’s going on in your world or anywhere else. . .He’s just waiting for you to not be surprised by what He will do for you when you get out of the boat and start walking on the waves of doubt and fear.

God will pull you up out of everything that would pull you down and that should be no surprised to you.

Harold Herring is the President of the Debt Free Army, an organization he co-founded with Brother John Avanzini.  He is also the new President of Millionaire University.

1.    Respect Your Leaders

“Brother Harold, are you kidding? I didn’t vote for President-elect Obama on a matter of principles!”  It doesn’t matter…Romans 13:6 is not conditional.  The scripture says:

“Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.”

“But Brother Harold, the Democrats and most of the Obama supporters didn’t give President Bush respect and honor. “

That doesn’t matter.  You can never justify your obedience to the Word based on what somebody else does or doesn’t do.  God will judge you on the basis of your obedience to His Word not anyone else’s.

Look carefully at verse 6.  It doesn’t say “give respect and honor” to those leaders you agree with, or those from your own political party or even those who carry your own values.  The scripture is clear.  You and I are to “give respect and honor to those who are in authority.”

2.    His Heart Is In The Hands of the Lord

During this campaign I’ve heard from believers who felt that President-elect Obama, was a political messiah.  Conversely, there are those who felt he was the anti-Christ.  In fact, one lady wrote that she knew President-elect Obama was “. . .as much of a Christian as you or me.”

Truthfully, I don’t really know the condition of the man’s heart. . .while I will carefully watch the fruit of his presidency. . .I do know who control’s his heart.  God knew who would win this election.  He knows the end from the beginning.

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.”                                                Proverbs 21:1

I encourage you to read this verse several times. . .the president-elect’s heart is in the hands of the Lord.

Frankly, I’d prefer that God be calling the shots instead of me.

3.    Disrespecting Leaders Affects You More Than Them

I must admit that sometimes it is a challenge for me to respect the political calculation, intellectual and spiritual dishonesty and manipulation of members of Congress.  BUT this morning the Lord led me to Romans 13:1-3 in the Message Bible.

“Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it’s God’s order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you’re irresponsible to the state, then you’re irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you’re trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear.”

God will hold me responsible for what I think and say about the current and future political leadership.

4.    Pray For Those In Authority Over You

Here’s an absolute fact. You have a scriptural responsibility. . .a directive. . .a command from the Creator of the Universe, our leader, the King, Elohim (the Almighty One). . .you may have to work on this one. . .but it’s a scriptural fact. You must pray for those in authority over you. 

“FIRST OF all, then, I admonish and urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men,

For kings and all who are in positions of authority or high responsibility, that [outwardly] we may pass a quiet and undisturbed life [and inwardly] a peaceable one in all godliness and reverence and seriousness in every way.

For such [praying] is good and right, and [it is] pleasing and acceptable to God our Savior”                                                        1 Timothy 2:1-3 AMP 

The Word says “First of all.”  That means before anything else. . .before you criticize the new President…through prayer and interceding on behalf of our leaders.  Is that going to be easy for some of my readers or listeners….NO.  But, it’s what the Word of God says.

We are told in no uncertain terms to pray for the leaders of our government. In fact, if you feel they need it, it should be all the greater call.

“Yes, but Brother Harold, how many people who opposed President George W. Bush prayed for him before they criticized him?”

Truthfully, that is not to be our concern. . .I personally refuse to dwell on that and for a very good reason.. I will not be held accountable for what they did or didn’t do.  But I will most certainly be held accountable for what I do.

Does this mean we have to agree with everything President-elect Obama and the new Congress does?  Absolutely not.  But greater and lasting change in the attitude of those with whom you may disagree will only come through prayer.

If we believe, and I know we do, that prayer changes things, then that’s what we must do.

Here’s the bottom line, 1 Timothy 2:3 in the Amplified Bible says “For such [praying] is good and right, and [it is] pleasing and acceptable to God our Savior”

Do you want to do what is pleasing and acceptable to God our Savior?  Then pray for our leaders.

5.    Watch What You Say

As believers, we understand there is life and death in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:20).  We also know that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34).

The Lord also led me to Exodus 22:28 and I’m going to share it with you in three different translations so you can fully understand its meaning.

Exodus 22:28  KJV Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.

Exodus 22:28  AMP  You shall not revile God [the judges as His agents] or esteem lightly or curse a ruler of your people.

Exodus 22:28 CEV  Don’t speak evil of me or of the ruler of your people.

“Brother Harold, I would never revile God or speak evil of Him.”

Well, the word “revile” means to “make light of,” “to make despicable” and “to treat with contempt.”

When you don’t obey the Word of God and His specific directions to pray for leaders instead of speaking evil of them, then you’re making light of what you were told to do.

Does this mean that you have to keep quiet about policy decisions that violate scriptural principles?  Certainly not!  But it does mean that you can disagree with the policy without denigrating the man.  We’ve seen way too much of that rationale in the media.

Frankly, I think it’s sad that intelligent people can’t have rational, well-thought out conversations about issues without interrupting or shouting at each other.  I remember a day when people could agree to disagree agreeably.

I think this comes back to honoring and respecting one another. . .whether you agree with the values and principles or not.

6.    Your Priorities As A Citizen of Heaven.

Several years ago, I read where someone said, “what you focus on expands in your life.”  If you focus on being broke, you will be.  If you focus on being rich, you will be.  If you focus on negative news, then you’ll be negative.

Earlier this year, the Lord gave me a revelation on this thought from 1 Peter 1:13:

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

The word “gird” means protect.  “Loins” are where reproduction talks place between a man and a woman.  “Mind,” in many biblical dictionaries, is defined as “imagination.”  So the word in this particular verse is saying “protect what you’re reproducing in your imagination.”

With that scripture in mind, I want to share Ecclesiastes 12:12-14 (TLB) with you.

“But, my son, be warned: there is no end of opinions ready to be expressed. Studying them can go on forever, and become very exhausting. . .”

Don’t subject yourself whether a Republican, Democrat or Independent to endless hours of political commentary filled with accusatory statements about this person or that.

I’m not telling you to stick your head in the sand and ignore current events.  Not at all! But I am encouraging you to be mindful that what you’re focusing on will be reproducing itself in your imagination.  It pays to remember you are a Christian before you are male or female, American, black, white or Hispanic, or whatever designation you can think of … your Christian world view should be the measuring stick of every conclusion you make.

Why not focus on the pure, the powerful and the positive from the Word of God, instead of the perversion, the politics or the pocketbook as so many do.  Yes, PRAY like you’ve never prayed before.  Our country needs the prayer and you need the practice.

Here’s the rest of Exodus 12:12-14 (TLB):

“Here is my final conclusion: fear God and obey his commandments, for this is the entire duty of man.  For God will judge us for everything we do, including every hidden thing, good or bad.”

God’s Word is very clear on how we should respond to those in authority over us.

7.    How To Really Bring Change To This Nation and The World

About six months ago, my fine wife, Bev, preached a message entitled “A Call to Prayer.”  It was a powerful message, filled with wisdom that I can’t improve on…so I’m going to quote part of that message.  She gives a clarion call to the Body of Christ found in 2 Chronicles 7:14”

“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.”

“Above all else…this land needs healing.  And prayer is the work of the church.  If we don’t pray, who will?  The only way for our country to make it is to pray for her.  And America needs prayer.

“We mustn’t give up on prayer if we don’t see the results immediately. Reaching our goal is going to take longer than an hour TV drama. How can we possibly elect the needed men and women of godly conscience in the US Senate and House of Representatives?  The only real muscle we have is prayer.”

When I began my time of prayer and meditation on the Word this morning, I didn’t intend to end up writing this or any blog.  However, I think there are thoughts in this blog that everybody needs to mediate on.

I realize that I’ve probably aggravated supporters of both the President-elect and Senator John McCain.  However, God was speaking to me just as much as you.  If you feel offended, talk to God about it because He had me write this.  I personally believe He wants to rile us up.  I think He’s trying to get our attention to turn this nation around and we are all He has to work with.

Here’s one last revelation. . .lasting change will not come to this world through a man or woman but only by allowing the Lord’s power and principles to work through us.

Harold Herring is the President of the Debt Free Army and Millionaire University.