CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 785

“Death in the Pot”

2 Kings 4:39-41 (ESV)  One of them went out into the field to gather herbs, and found …wild gourds, and …cut them up into the pot of stew, … But while they were eating of the stew, they cried out, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. He said, “Then bring flour.” And he threw it into the pot and said, “Pour some out for the men, that they may eat.” And there was no harm in the pot.

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I love a good stew where the variety of ingredients, while each maintaining their distinct character, harmoniously contributes to the overall flavor, color, texture, and aroma of the food.  Like a good stew our country, metaphorically known as ‘The Melting Pot’, is great because of its diversity of people.

What happens then, when a ‘wild gourd’ element of our population challenges the morals and guiding principles upon which America is founded?  Should what has made us American be diluted to satisfy the desires of a minority influence?  The answer seems to be logically, no.

However, that is what we have done and continue to do.  The removal of prayer from our schools in 1963 established the religion of secularism for America.  Denying our unborn the right to life soon followed.  Censorship of all that is associated with the Judeo-Christian God in public and governmental places continues.  The challenge to our Pledge of Allegiance’s ‘One Nation under God’ phrase as well as the ‘In God We Trust’ phrase on our currency is in the forefront.  The very definition of marriage is being challenged and the list goes on.

This is the poison in our melting pot society like the wild gourds that brought death to the pot of stew from our reference Scripture.  When America became ‘Faith Neutral’ and turned its back on the one true God, it also lost its moral guidance system and there is now ‘death in the pot’.

We see the death of Christian moral values in American society every day.  We see the death of moral absolutes of what is right and wrong.  The ingredients for the death of our culture and society are now simmering in the melting pot that is America.

From our reference Scripture, the wild gourds represent the outside influences that attack the Judeo-Christian moral underpinnings of America.  These wild gourds also represent the immoral influences that we also allow into our families and homes as well as our places of work.  These influences bring poison and death rather than nourishment to our spirit, mind, and body.

The flour that Elisha had the prophets add to the stew to neutralize the effect of the poison represents the sanctified Body of Christ, the church in America.  In order to make flour the chaff and other impurities have to be removed before the grain is refined.   The Christian church in America is made ‘to be flour’ by the redeeming power of the cross of Jesus Christ and further refined through sanctification by the Holy Spirit.

American Christians have the power to restore moral health to our country.  Recently, an ABC News correspondent commented on the upcoming Super Tuesday Primary saying ‘If the evangelicals turn out to vote…they could make a difference’.  The preface ‘ If ‘ bothered me. The idea of an apathetic Body of Christ should never come to anyone’s mind.

The church in America must be salt and light and like the flour used by Elisha, we must neutralize the effects of the death that is in the pot called America.  Rise up church this election year and vote for those who can work to restore America’s moral foundation on the truth of God’s Word.