12 AND THE LORD APPEARED TO
SOLOMON BY NIGHT, AND SAID UNTO
HIM, I HAVE HEARD THY PRAYER, AND
HAVE CHOSEN THIS PLACE TO MYSELF
FOR AN HOUSE OF SACRIFICE.
13 IF I SHUT UP HEAVEN THAT THERE BE
NO RAIN, OR IF I COMMAND THE
LOCUSTS TO DEVOUR THE LAND, OR IF I
SEND PESTILENCE AMONG MY PEOPLE;
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.
15 NOW MINE EYES SHALL BE OPEN,
AND MINE EARS ATTENT UNTO THE
PRAYER THAT IS MADE IN THIS PLACE.
24 AND GOD HEARD THEIR SIGHING
AND GROANING AND [EARNESTLY]
REMEMBERED HIS COVENANT WITH
ABRAHAM, WITH ISAAC, AND WITH
JACOB.
25 GOD SAW THE ISRAELITES AND
TOOK KNOWLEDGE OF THEM AND
CONCERNED HIMSELF ABOUT THEM
[KNOWING ALL, UNDERSTANDING,
REMEMBERING ALL].
Then Chapter 3:2 (AMPC):
2 THE ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARED
TO HIM IN A FLAME OF FIRE OUT OF THE
MIDST OF A BUSH; AND HE LOOKED,
AND BEHOLD, THE BUSH BURNED WITH
FIRE, YET WAS NOT CONSUMED.
That makes it very clear what we, as
believers,
must do. The great Apostle
Paul wrote in his letter to the
Galatians: "
Stand fast therefore in the
liberty wherewith Christ hath made us
free" (Galatians 5:1). What does that
bring to mind? How about the Liberty
Bell? Leviticus 25:10 is inscribed on
that bell: "And ye shall hallow the
fiftieth year,
and proclaim liberty
throughout all the land unto all the
inhabitants thereof: it shall be a
jubilee unto you; and ye shall return
every man unto his possession, and ye
shall return every man unto his
family."
George Washington
bowed his head
and kissed the Bible! The bottom line
in all this is:
This nation belongs to the
God of heaven and earth through a
covenant that is, and will forever be, a
matter of record both in Washington,
D.C. and in the
heavenly archives!
Along with 2 Chronicles 7:12-15:
President Washington's prayers were
also heard because of two things:
First, because of what Acts 10:34 says:
"Then Peter opened his mouth, and
said, Of a truth I perceive that God is
no respecter of persons." And second,
because of John 16:23: "And in that day
ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I
say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask
the Father in my name, he will give it
you."
This is a whole lot more than fireworks
and cookouts on the Fourth of July!
It
is about the Great Awakening that is
being poured out, once again, by the
Holy Spirit—coast to coast, and border
to border—as well as in ALL nations
around the world. The Master said it
like this in Matthew 24:7-14:
