As a nation, we must stop our worship of modern-day Baals. We intercessors must call for these idols to fall. We must call for an immobilization of the enemy’s camp. Speak confusion and mutiny to it. For there is only ONE God. And He is on the throne and has already defeated Satan.

In ancient times, Baal, while sometimes used more specifically to refer to “a Canaanite and Phoenician deity and the son of the chief god El”,  was a rather generic term used to refer to gods all over the area.  It is the god/gods men turned to when they turned their eyes away from the Living God.  Idols were made to stir up their worship.  It was an allowance of pagan ideas and practices to permeate culture rather than worship the one true God.

Consider this in light of the prayer Congressman Emanuel Cleaver offered on January 4, 2021 in the Capitol:  “We ask it in the name of the monotheistic God, Brahma, and ‘god’ known by many names by many different faiths.  Amen and awomen.”  And THIS was spoken by a man who served as a United Methodist pastor for 37 years.

We are walking a very slippery slope when we “change” our values, our truth, and even our words to engage with and agree with the public narrative.

In Scripture, we are reminded of how quickly even those who follow the Lord can avert their eyes.

The Golden Calf

In Exodus 24-34, we read an account of Moses and the Israelites.  The people had once again recommitted their lives to the Lord.  They had been witness to miracle after miracle in their lifetimes (deliverance out of slavery from a maniacal ruler, a Passover, parting of the Red Sea and a crossing over, manna and quail in the wilderness, water from the rock, a battle won simply by arms raised, and more), miracles that pointed to a GOD who heard and answered prayers, a GOD who made a way when there was no way, a GOD who cared deeply and intimately and called His people to be set apart, to be free. 

These same people, after hearing the Ten Commandments and the laws given to mark these people as ones truly “separate,” affirmed the covenant that had been made between them and God.  Then, for forty days and forty nights, Moses went up the mountain to be with the Lord to learn about the building of the tabernacle.  Forty days – that’s it.  And in those 40 days, an entire people averted their eyes away from the ONE who had led them by fire and cloud through the desert, the one who paved the way toward freedom.  These same people urged their priest, Aaron, to make them a “god” who would go before them, for Moses was nowhere to be seen.  The next day, their priest led them before this golden calf to worship and offer sacrifices.

I think about the many ways I see this in our world today.  Many believers have taken their eyes off our King and put their hope and their faith in another.  Christian leaders have led many astray, drawing focus away from the ONE we were created to worship.  Many priests/pastors/prophets have used their platforms to provoke allegiance and emphasis on agendas that don’t line up with Scripture, agendas that bring the people before idols rather than our King.  

The Lord was quick to alert Moses in the moment of idol worship and called him to go at once to the people who had corrupted themselves.  The Lord was ready to destroy them.  Moses implored the Lord to remember how His mighty hand had led His people to spare them their due destruction.  Mercy was extended temporarily.  But then judgment was executed within the Lord’s camp – among His people, set apart for Him and His Glory – a people prone to wonder, hard-hearted, stubborn, and rebellious.

Then the Lord called Moses to pick up again and go the land sworn to his forefathers.

[Moses said], “Now therefore, I pray you, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways so that I may know You [becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, recognizing and understanding Your ways more clearly] and that I may find grace and favor in Your sight. And consider also, that this nation is Your people.” And the Lord said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest [by bringing you and the people into the promised land].” And Moses said to Him, “If Your presence does not go [with me], do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we are distinguished, Your people and I, from all the [other] people on the face of the earth?” The Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have asked; for you have found favor (lovingkindness, mercy) in My sight and I have known you [personally] by name.”  (Ex 33: 13-17 AMP, emphasis mine.)

PRAYER POINT:

Pray for this deep intimacy of knowing Him more clearly.  Pray that we would be distinguished in this nation, as a people that walk with the favor of the Lord Almighty.

Moses then returned to the people with two new tablets with the Ten Commandments (the first set Moses had smashed in righteous anger against his own people).

Then the Lord passed by in front of him, and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth (faithfulness); keeping mercy and lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; but He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers upon the children and the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers].” Moses bowed to the earth immediately and worshiped [the Lord]. And he said, “If now I have found favor and lovingkindness in Your sight, O Lord, let the Lord, please, go in our midst, though it is a stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your possession.”

 Then God said, “Behold, I am going to make a covenant. Before all your people I will do wondrous works (miracles) such as have not been created or produced in all the earth nor among any of the nations; and all the people among whom you live shall see the working of the Lord, for it is a fearful and awesome thing that I am going to do with you.  (Ex 34:6-10 AMP, emphasis mine.)

PRAYER:

Enter into our midst Father.  Pardon our iniquity and sin.  Take us as Your possession once again. 

We must not shrink in fear but must stand emboldened, emblazoned, and ready for battle. We are fighting to take back the hearts of our children and this nation from the agendas of tolerance and godlessness… We are fighting for the return of this nation to its roots, roots that were entrenched in religious freedom and founded on God.  We are fighting for our civil liberties.  We are fighting for truth and justice.  We are fighting because there is ONE name above all other names and we will NOT bow our knee to another.  We are fighting for the freedom of the Church, for the protection of family values and for our rights to freely worship our King.

Behold, He has wonderous miracles awaiting the Church and this nation – ones such that NO man can take credit for, a supernatural explosion of His hand and His glory!  It is a “fearful and awesome thing that (He) is going to do”!

PRAYER:

We have turned our back on the Lord who had done mighty miracles in the establishment of this nation.  Our answer is always to go back His throne of grace and pray.

• Pray for a return to our first love – untangled from political persuasion and agendas
• Ask the Lord to reveal impurity in our hearts and motives and turn us wholeheartedly back to Him
• Appeal to heaven on behalf of our families, our churches, and this nation – for a fear of the Lord to fall once again upon this nation; for the Church to be marked with boldness and holiness
• Repent of any ways we have allowed to enemy to lie and steal from God’s people; repent of our own partnership of averting our devotion; repent of fear and any distrust (doubting that the Lord’s ways are higher than how WE would have answered our prayers)
• Beseech the Lord to “[come into] our midst, though it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your possession.”
• Then praise the Lord for the work He is going to do!

Our Allegiance

Watch yourself so that you do not make a covenant (solemn agreement, treaty) with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a [dangerous] trap among you. But you shall tear down and destroy their [pagan] altars, smash in pieces their [sacred] pillars (obelisks, images) and cut down their Asherim —for you shall not worship any other god; for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous (impassioned) God [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely His]…  (Ex 34:12-14 AMP)

We need to call an end to the worship of false idols.  Call this nation back to its first love.  We serve a jealous God.  Call this nation back to the godly principles it was established upon.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. (Ps 100:4-5)

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.  (Heb 4:16)

While we are citizens of the United States of America, we are first and foremost citizens of another Kingdom.  Our citizenship is in heaven.  We are adopted sons and daughters of a King.  As God’s children, we have rights and authority here on this earth.  Press in.  Pray boldly.  Believe in the God of miracles.  He is not done yet!