Love letter to America's pastors

We live in desperate times.

By that I mean the reigning ethos of the day is despair.

I understand it.

Government is broken.

Politics is broken.

The culture is broken.

All of the manmade institutions on which we count to pull us out of despair and improve our lives are broken.

And, sad to say, that includes the church in America.

The church is an institution of all believers. But most people who call themselves believers are not acting like believers. They are not in obedience to God's word. When they fall short, they are not in repentance. They are not striving for holiness. Most seem to think they will be welcome in God's kingdom if they simply say some magic words at some point in their life and ask Jesus into their hearts.

They are not salt and light in the world. They do not evangelize non-believers. They do not humble themselves before the Creator of the universe. They do not fervently seek His face.

And this is why everything is broken. This is why we're in despair. The Bible is replete with stories about how this same condition affected ancient Israel. Those stories are in the Bible for a reason – to serve as lessons for us.

Why aren't the sheep following the right path? Because, in too many pulpits in America, they are not being fed with the Word of God.

Believers and shepherds need to recognize the signs of the times.

This is not a time to condone sin or to make compromise with it. It's a time for believers and pastors to clean themselves up, putting on the full armor of God through the Holy Spirit and the Word.

If believers in America follow the simple prescription of 2 Chronicles 7:14, miracles will happen.

I believe that with every fiber of my being and soul. Why? Because it's a promise from God.

There's a lot of prayer going on in America today. Of that I have no doubt. But it's not the right kind of prayer. It's not the kind God hears. It's not offered in total humility. It's not done with sufficient fervency, intensity and frequency. And, most of all, it's not done in the spirit of total repentance for the sin that abounds not just in the world but in the lives of all believers.

I include myself in this condemnation, so do not take it personally.

But I am making a pledge – a promise to myself and God – that that's going to change, starting today.

This is a message that needs to be preached from every pulpit every week – leading right up to 9-11-13, the National Day of Prayer and Repentance.

Do you want to get closer to God? Do you want to strive for holiness? Do you want to be counted among the righteous? Do you want to save not only your own eternal soul but America, too?

That's what is at stake.

It's all we have. It's the missing ingredient. It's why our nation is falling into judgment.

There is no other way.

I'm not telling anyone to ignore the problems government is creating. But those are just symptoms of our own illness.

I'm not telling anyone to stop engagement in politics. But politics without this component will continue to fail us.

I'm not telling anyone not to do good deeds, to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless and comfort the widows and orphans. I'm just saying that it will never be enough unless believers clean up their own act and get right with God.

I'm not expecting 350 million Americans to follow this prescription. But I am counting on a remnant of believers to do so – and God promises that's all it takes to save a nation.

Will you consider these words prayerfully, humbly, seriously and with a spirit of repentance of all your wickedness?

That's what it will take. Nothing short of that will save America from destruction.

The hour is late.

Time is short.

I urge you to take this message seriously.

Pastors: I urge you in love to lead the way.