I wanted to ask a question like, what is a gatekeeper? And probably trying to figure out that, you've got to ask, what's a gate? You know, a gatekeeper guards a gate. A gate is a device that prevents passage of evil from outside a protected area to the inside. And I ask, where is the gate? Well, a gate's in a wall. But even more specifically, the gate is in a hole in the wall.

    Which is why you have a gate there, it's so that you protect the hole in the wall. Another name for another usage of a gate in the wall, instead of a hole, it's called a gap. Now I'm going to read you some stuff. So we come to the conclusion that a gatekeeper prevents passage of evil from an unprotected area to a protected area. Now, I'm trying to get through this in a lot of time.

    And the only way I can do that is to not elaborate a whole lot. So... Probably not. Probably not. Okay, Proverbs 6, 16 through 19 says, These six things the Lord hates, yet indeed seven are an abomination to him. They are a proud look, or an arrogant look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, a false witness who breathes out lies, even under oath, and he who sows discord among the brethren. Can we think of anybody in high levels of government that is a perfect match for this? Well, I'm not on staff, so I can pretty much get away with political talk. All right?

    Now, the reason I want to bring that out is we have evil in high places. And we've been tolerating it. 2 Corinthians 10, 3-6, which you all know these verses. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. I'm going to stop there and go on. and say this, too often we are praying for someone when in reality we should be praying against them. Now, I don't want you to get too grace happy here. We know, and it's true, that God is full of grace and mercy, but He's also a God of justice. And it's not wrong to beseech God on our behalf to execute judgment and justice in our defense.

    As a matter of fact, you say, well, you know, God would never take care of a problem like that. Well, you know, Nebuchadnezzar, I'm going to make it brief, in Daniel 4, 30-33, Nebuchadnezzar was made insane because he did not give God glory, driven out of his throne room, and ate grass like an ox. Now, yeah, so,

    God will take care of leadership that doesn't give him the proper respect and glory. How many of you are familiar with Acts 12, 21 through 23? It says, On a set day, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne and made an oration to them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a God, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him.

    Because he gave not God the glory, and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. This is after the cross. I want you to remember that. This is after the cross. Now, what was the effect of the angel smiting Herod? Verse 24, But the word of God grew and multiplied. The problem we have today in America is no one fears God anymore. We've protected people.

    Day after day, we think that if we just love them enough, they'll see the light. And they haven't seen the light. I wrote down here, pray to release the hounds of heaven for our deliverance and preservation. Edmund Burke is quoted as saying, all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. Aristotle said, we must, as second best, take the least of two evils. In the last two elections,

    At least 25 million evangelical Christians refused to vote. And we got a president who does not fear God. We have a president who cares about everything else in the world but his own country, America. I don't know much about this lady. Ann Rand said, The evil of the world is made possible by nothing but the sanction you give it. Lastly, Ann Rand said, The spread of evil... is the symptom of a vacuum. Whenever evil wins, it is only by default. Ezekiel 3, 18 and 19 says, If I say to the wicked, you shall surely die, and you do not give him warning to speak to him, to warn the wicked, to turn from his wicked way, to save his life, the same wicked man... Time is up. Time is up. Time is up. Time is up.

    Hey, if you guys don't want to hear it, to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at your hands. We're held accountable when we don't speak up.

    Yet if you warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity, but you have delivered yourself. Now this is, remember I said the gates and a gap in the wall? Ezekiel 22, 30 through 31. And I sought for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it. But I found none. And here's the sovereign of the universe looking for someone, to stand in the gap. He's all powerful. He's all knowing. He can do anything he wants, but he's looking for a man to stand in the gap. And he can't find one. What is the result of God not finding people to stand in the gap? Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with fire of my wrath. Their own way have I repaid by bringing it upon their own heads, says the Lord God. Now, you know,

    Most of us are waiting for the rapture. We think it's going to be cool. We're just going to be poof. We're out of here. So it doesn't really matter what we do or don't do or how involved we are with the political process, our neighborhoods. But, you know, it's not going to be that way. And I'll get to that. Jeremiah 29, 11 through 14. I bet very few of you have read the three following verses.

    For I know the thoughts and plans I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Now catch that, in your final outcome. Why is God giving this word of comfort? Because he had to discipline the people of Israel, which we find out at the end of this. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will release you from captivity. and gather you from all the nations and all the places to which I have driven you. This is God disciplining his people. And I will bring you back to the place from which I have caused you to be carried away captive. 1 Peter 4, 17 For the time has arrived for judgment to begin with the household of God. Matthew 24, 6-8 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of war, but don't be troubled by these things, because they're going to have to happen. And what are these things?

    The beginning of sorrows. Not the tribulation. Not the great tribulation. The beginning of sorrows. We don't have a single promise in the book to be spared from the beginning of sorrows. So what we do now makes a big difference in what we go through and how we go through it. Mark 13, 7-8 also follows that line of thinking. The beginning of sorrows. If you do not...

    If you do not think persecution can or will come to the American church, remember Ezekiel 22, 30-31. Mark 13, 9 says, Take heed to yourself, for they shall deliver you up to councils, and in the synagogues you shall be beaten, you shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, as a testimony against them. Hebrews 12, 4 tells us, You have not yet struggled and fought agonizingly against sin,

    Nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring out your own blood. You know, I seem to have missed a page, but that's all right. You know, if we fail to act, to take part and speak out, because God has looked for a man to stand in the gap, men to stand in the gap, to be gatekeepers. And gatekeepers just didn't stand there like bumps on a log. They were active. They were trained. in swordsmanship, spearmanship, whatever. You know, in the military, dereliction of duty is punishable by court-martial, imprisonment, fines. The church of our Lord, as a church, as a group, we have been derelict in our duty to take part in the political process to protect the land God gave us, to keep evil from getting from the outside.

    to the protected area. We've assumed that because we're quote-unquote a Christian nation that it's just going to keep on going that way and we don't have to put any effort out. That's not the way it is. But there is hope. And we're given a promise in 2 Chronicles 7.14 that if we call out to God and humble ourselves and admit that we've been derelict, He can heal our land. He has promised to heal our land.

    And I've got to admit that I'm numb. It's very hard for me to pray right now. With all that's going on in the world, it's just like I'm spent. I'm numb. It's hard to pray. And I fear that I don't have what it takes to listen to my own message. That I'm weak. That I'm too distracted with life. But I must allow myself.

    We must allow ourselves to be broken before God by the Holy Spirit and call to prayer, both for ourselves and for our nation. I cannot make myself pray right now. I can only weep before God inside and let the Holy Spirit lead me into prayer. Because I'm just hurting too much for my nation. I served six years in the Navy during Vietnam. Yeah, I never went to combat. I'm not a combat vet, so I don't claim to be a Vietnam veteran.

    But this is my land. I grew up in it. I went through the Cuban Missile Crisis. And we're about to lose the greatest thing God has ever given this world. And we need to vote. You know, we have a candidate who says they're in favor of women and children. And yet she supports the wholesale slaughter of the unborn. A candidate who has lied under oath.

    And there are so many other allegations where she's devised wicked plans. Oh Lord, how long, Father, will You withhold Your deliverance? How long will You be apart from us? Save us, oh God. Save us. Because we realize we have not done our part both in the political process and in the prayer room. May God loose His... justice in our behalf before it's too late.