As the children of Israel prepared to enter the Promised Land, God challenged them through Moses that they had to make a choice, a clear choice to submit to God and experience His life or to go their own way and face His judgment.
Right now both America and Romania are at a spiritual crossroads. Next month, both nations face a national election (Romania on Nov. 5 and America on Nov. 7) that will determine what direction they will go in the next four years. As nations, we can choose to submit to God and walk in His laws or we can choose to go our own way, trusting in our own ability and self sufficiency. God desires to pour out revival on America and on Romania just as He is pouring out revival across Latin America, Africa, and Asia but He has chosen to limit Himself to moving in response to prayer.
Normally we use our newsletters to tell you about all the exciting things that God is doing in the lives of His people in Romania and the challenges we face as we prepare to return to Romania to expand the work there. We could easily tell you of the gathering of women from across Romania who are coming to Caransebes for a prayer rally on Oct. 21 sponsored by Deborah Arise Europe. We could talk about the joyous celebration on Nov. 4 as Logos High School in Timisoara celebrates its 10th anniversary. We could talk about the dedication of our new high school building that we received in answer to your prayers and repaired and renovated with the help of your generous donations. We could talk about the money you have given toward building the new church in Caransebes that is impacting that city with the Gospel or the used clothing we are taking back for the street children, the orphans, and the poor. We could praise God for answered prayer as 75,000-100,000 young people and their parents, pastors, and youth leaders gathered in Washington DC on Labor Day weekend to fast and pray for revival and a spiritual revolution to sweep America. Even pouring rain could not dampen their commitment as they sought God for this nation. But God has put a burden on our hearts that we must alert all who will listen to the crucial importance of prayer in determining the outcome of these upcoming elections.
What is at stake? In Romania it is a question of whether the people will press on in their attempt to restore democracy and insure religious freedom while setting up a free market economy or whether they will return to “Egypt”, choosing socialists who will control the economy by putting a lid on social and economic freedom. Will the people renounce the “security” of communist control for the hardship of assuming responsibility for meeting their own needs through hard work and individual initiative while caring for those who do not have the strength to care for themselves – the elderly and the children? The Church in Romania survived communist oppression but can it survive western style materialism without its message being lost through compromise? Can the Church walk in holiness without the pressure of external oppression?
What is at stake in America? Where will we go as a nation? Will we return to godly principles of integrity, mutual respect, justice, and righteousness or will we say character doesn’t matter as long as the stock market is up and we are prospering economically? Will we finally bring an end to partial birth abortion or will we continue to sacrifice innocent babies to Molech, the god of pleasure? Will we choose to empower parents to be able to choose schools for their children where God is exalted and righteousness prevails or will we continue to forbid children coming to Jesus through prayer? We believe that the future of America hangs in the balance in this election. Revival or divine judgment awaits us. Ancient Israel was not a democracy. They could not choose between a Josiah and a Manasseh. They had no choice between a Hezekiah or an Ahab. But America is a democracy. We have a choice about who will lead our nation. We will rejoice in the blessings of a right choice or suffer the consequences of a wrong choice
We are not telling you to vote Republican or Democratic or Reform or Green Party. We are saying to PRAY for this election as if your future depends on it – because it does! Then VOTE as the Holy Spirit leads. Pray that righteousness and justice will be restored from the White House to city hall. Pray that godly men and women will be elected at every level of government – federal, state, county, and local, including school boards, planning commissions, and judges. Pray that these nations as nations will turn back to God and elect leaders who will listen to the Holy Spirit and rule in righteousness, protecting the innocent, providing for the helpless, and restoring God to His rightful place as King over our nations.
God is calling us as a nation to humble ourselves and pray, to seek His face and turn from our wicked ways – our apathy, our self sufficiency, our pride, our materialism. He is calling us to choose life – to elect leaders who will lead us to return to our godly heritage and will establish this nation once again on the absolute standards of right and wrong that find their source in the absolute nature and character of God. Please join us in praying that God will indeed bless America (and Romania) with righteous leadership that will open the door to repentance and revival