Friday, September 28, 2012

AMERICANS, HERE ARE YOUR CHRISTIAN ROOTS

A REVIEW OF THE MOVIE "MONUMENTAL" 
BY KIRK CAMERON




The movieMonumental is a timely reminder for a people here (on the North American continent, primarily the United States) who have not only forgotten their roots, but do not even know about them! Evangelist/Actor/Producer Kirk Cameron (Way of the Master) does an amazing job of tying in the historical facts of the Founding of the most powerful and influential Christian nation in the world – America – into the current status of a nation adrift, and in a moral, spiritual and financial crisis.

In Monumental, Kirk Cameron made a statement which will grab the viewer right off the bat. He speaks of a leader who tripled the National Debt and called himself a Christian, yet spent most of his productive years as king, persecuting Christians. That leader was not some modern day Washington politician, but the King James whose name has forever been associated with the greatest version of the bible – The King James Version! King James was one of the biggest persecutors of Christians since his ancestor – Bloody Mary (Mary, Queen of Scots).

What will captivate you about this film is the fast moving narrative, which holds your attention with firm, logical truth about Christian foundations of these United States.  Cameron’s interviews  with various experts from Great Britain, Europe and the U.S.  weave a thread which leaves no doubt about that fact. The cinematography allows the substance of the discourse to be easily grasped because it is so unique for a documentary film! 

Cameron’s extensive movie and television background, which goes back decades, allows him the expertise and imagination, for some fantastic camera angles.  Combine these angles with some quality filtered-shot video in sync with a soundtrack which is edited for maximum effect and you have a winner. Monumental is a must see for all the family, especially children of all ages, who are at risk of being constantly being brainwashed by history revisionists with their own agenda.

FORTY DAYS OF PRAYER FOR AMERICA

STARTS TODAY SEPTEMBER 28 TO NOVEMBER 6, 2012

Today, Friday September 28, 2012 marks exactly 40 Days to the most pivotal election season in American history. Regardless of who wins or loses, America is in a horrible place...and spiritually decadent or lost. In some instances (not all) we are not unlike the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which had no good king and bowed down to the false gods of this corrupt world. The soul of America - corporate and personal - is in mortal danger. For the next forty days, until the November 6 General Elections, a growing number of U.S. Christian ministries have called for and are actively engaged in Intercessory Prayer; Fasting and Crying Out in desperation to the ONLY One who can redeem and change us - the HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL.

Many of these ministries are using the much quoted verse from 2 Chronicles 7:14 as the platform for corporate intercession, as the Body of Christ. However, for this verse to apply from its context where Solomon had prayed to the Lord, and the Lord then answered him, to where prayer warriors wish to extrapolate it to America in 2012 could take some doing! I encourage the reading of this portion of Scripture by clicking here. For the many Christian ministries who are this verse (2 Chronicles 7:14), please read the full context here:

Then the LORD appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time(2 Chronicles 7:12-16 ESV)

A thorough reading of this portion indicates that this is really a call for Repentance. If the hundreds of thousands of American intercessors who are pressing into the Throne Room of God, for these next forty (40) days just so that there is only some kind of an economic turnaround, with no spiritual factor in the equation, this will crash and burn big time! As I wrote here two weeks ago, America was in a similar place in the early 1850's when the Lord led a man named Jeremiah Lanphier to start a simple prayer meeting on Fulton Street in New York City, which exploded in a hurry into the Third Great Awakening. The question is, do we have that fire in the belly for the Lord, as we have for the latest iPhone5 or the NFL referee controversies?

In the hearts of serious men and women of God, there IS that passion and zeal for His House, which consumes us. Our hearts are aligned with the Holy Spirit and therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ. We see HIS big Heart breaking over the condition of His children in the west, while His saints in the persecuted church stand strong and firm in the Faith. The fire in the belly in the persecuted church is the same one we should have....and the fruit of that passion for the Christ, is sown with Repentance.

So, we say with the great prophet Joel here, in our call to National Repentance, as Day 1 starts:
Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD. Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes. Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? The seed shrivels under the clods; the storehouses are desolate; the granaries are torn down because the grain has dried up. How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed because there is no pasture for them; even the flocks of sheep suffer. To you, O LORD, I call. For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and flame has burned all the trees of the field. Even the beasts of the field pant for you because the water brooks are dried up, and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.  (Joel 1:13-20 ESV)
NOTE:
Over the next forty days, we will occasionally update, and post Scripture or prayer concerns, as the Spirit leads and the wider body of intercessors read the times, and proclaim a word to be prayed into. We WILL be praying Scripture regularly...and more on this, this coming Sunday. Amen.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

SEE YOU @ THE POLE WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 26

Bright and early this Wednesday morning, September 26, America will celebrate and actively recognize the Annual SEE YOU AT THE POLE DAY, at ALL public and private schools, if so desired. SEE YOU AT THE POLE is a student driven Intercessory Prayer Meeting led by Christian students around the school flagpole, no matter where that flagpole is.

It is a Constitutionally-protected activity, under the First Amendment, which no principal, school administrator, teacher or atheist organization can take away. Students pray for the following on this special day, each fall: Each other; their schools; communities, city, state and the United States of America. As Prayer warriors, intercessors and followers of Jesus Christ, we admire and love this, growing-by-leaps-and-bounds, yearly meeting of America's teen to cry out to our Heavenly 


All student-initiated prayer is protected. Any attempt by liberal school officials to deny American Christian students this God-given constitutional freedom, can be reported to the following organizations, who can clear up any misunderstanding with any school in the country:

THE LIBERTY COUNSEL:            1-800-671-1776
ALLIANCE DEFENSE FUND:             (480) 444-0020 OR (800) 835-5233 
AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE (ACLJ):1-800-296-4529  or Legal Helpline Phone            757-226-2489  

ENDTIMES CHRISTIAN REACTION TO YOM KIPPUR

The question is often asked of some of us Disciples of Jesus Christ (the Messiah), as to why we recognize the major High Holy Days of the Jews....when Christians are no longer under the law of Moses, but the Doctrine of Grace. This is an excellent question, since a few of our brethren can go a little in the other extreme and place themselves back under the authority (and therefore,the judgment) of the Torah! I suggest the following article to get a flavor of these important Biblical feasts, and the signs we need to look for and comprehend.


Yom Kippur 2012 has added significance. When read against the words of the Apostle John in 1 John 3:5 about the Atonement of the Cross, by Jesus (You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin... 1 John 3:5 ESV), we should recognize the time of the Return of the Messiah is fast approaching. 

On Yom Kippur of 1973, the armies of Egypt and Syria attacked Israel as it prepared for their holiest day - The Day of Atonement. Just briefly, both these nations launched. a first successful strike against Israel and took the Golan Heights and parts of the Sinai desert away. In a few days, Israel had launched a victorious counter-attack which re-took all the lost territory from these two historic foes.

This Yom Kippur (2012), armed forces of the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) are massed along their borders in expectation of another war - this time with a budding rogue nuclear Iran, which reaffirmed this week its intent to eliminate the land of Israel. We all know this is not going to happen to what God has called His own...Jerusalem, the future Capitol of Jesus Christ's Millenial Kingdom!! At last count,  all kinds of western nations have moved into the Straits of Homuz (from America to Britain etc) to protect world commerce and the free flow of oil. The Russians and the Syrians seemed to be aligned with Iran (Gog and Magog). I encourage the Reading of the prophet Ezekiel Chapters 38 and 39, about this coming horrible event....where God will prevail, yet again.

As Christians who believe in the full revelation of the FULL COUNSEL of God - the Bible, let us not be so blind as to ignore these events. Too many western christians have their heads in the sand and will be caught unawares when the prophetic events come upon them.  We should know and participate in these Jewish feasts in the way the Jesus and the Apostles did, not to be come Judaizers but because we are grafted into the Family of Abraham, and will be in the Presence of the King of the Jews for Eternity!

So let us learn  from and about, the history of this day, the most recent history and then understand what the Scriptures are saying to us. The main things to take from all of this are the following:
- Thank our most Gracious and Heavenly Father God, for sending His only Begotten Son, Jesus, to die on the Cross and shed His Blood as an ATONEMENT for our sins....that those (we) who repent and put their faith and trust in Him as Lord and Savior, are truly saved.
- Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and the Land of Israel (Psalm 122)
- Study the Prophets from the Book of Daniel to the latter part of Ezekiel (from Chapters 36 onwards) and then the Book of Zechariah. All the prophets predicted these end times, but these are timely, for such a time as this.
- Pray this day for the salvation of many (Jew and Gentile alike), through repentance and even fasting, as we look forward to His Glorious Appearance. 

Saturday, September 22, 2012

LIFE LESSON FROM "DOC HUDSON"

In the movie CARS, the HUDSON HORNET (or Doc Hudson..voiced by the late Paul Newman), is the most intriguing character. I use the word "character" loosely, as we're talking about a cartoon talking car!  But the storyline is engaging - the loving, dedicated town Doctor with a dusty past, who sticks around the small run-down town of Radiator Springs. It was not always so. Radiator Springs was thriving at one time, when the world famous Route 66 (aka "The Mother Road") was the only road to the west. But then along came the Interstate Highway system.

Just like in the Wild West of the late 1800's when the railroad promised to come through and entire towns thrived successfully in anticipation of this or that railroad going through it, Radiator Springs was eagerly anticipating Interstate 40. Alas, just like all those soon-to-be ghost towns of the west bypassed by most of the railroads, Springs' dreams were dashed.  Doc Hudson was a popular championship racer until a controversial crash took him out of the limelight. When he tried to return years later, there was no need for an old man like him, so they called him "washed out". Later on in the movie, Doc would use his love for others and Racing, to mentor the younger "Lightning McQueen" after seeing a lot of his younger self, in the hotshot young Lightning!


This how it should be for the people of God. If we had a past that was as good as it was bad, we all gained a wealth of knowledge and experience out of it ---- or we should have! Of course, some never learn ANYTHING!. What is important is what we do with that experience. Do we use it to become more successful by the world's standards, or do we follow God and see the eternal riches of the Heavenly Kingdom, which can only be found in Christ? The world will never understand us, our God and why we do what we do for things THEY cannot see! Trust me, if you are a son or daughter of God, born-again in Christ, YOU SEE the Kingdom! 


A REAL HUDSON HORNET
(PHOTO TAKEN LAST NIGHT)
Here is what the Bible says about material things "Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. (1 John 2:15 NLT) Every year, for years, we have the biggest Classic Car show in the Midwest here in Springfield, Il - the Route 66 Mother Road Show. Cars from all over the US, Canada and even the UK, spend hours in the most expensive parade in human history. Some of these extremely beautiful and well-cared-for autos can run over $50,000 per and cost twice as much to restore to that condition! There have been some cars from the early days of the "Horse-less" carriage that you only see in history books from 1903 and up! Amazing. I love to go and watch people around these cars. Some of these men (and they are mostly men) have almost empty blank looks about them and their entire being. I cannot escape the sinking feeling around them of two very important things - these classic car owners seemingly love their cars more than God Himself and maybe even their own wives! I have never seen so many eyes not alive with hope in Christ since the last St Patrick's Day parade, which is a really scary place (i.e. - handing out gospel tracts to a thousand plus drunks, boozing before noon, in front of pubs and bars, reeking of beer and bad breath....lost as lost can be).

Jesus said in Luke 11:11 (NLT) "You fathers--if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead?" Like Doc Hudson in the movie CARS, almost any man or father would give their best to their children and try to pass on the important (or what we thought are the significant) things in life. Most of us, who walk in the Light of Christ, make sure our kids are saved first and then are walking in the Light of the Lord. This is crucial in this dark and evil world.  Unfortunately, most men do not think this way, and seek to pass on just enough nuggets from their lives and instead strive to pass on more Gold and Silver nuggets than a Godly Legacy. Being around millions of dollars of '49 Mercurys or '57 Chevy BelAirs or '60 Cadillacs may be fun for about 4 minutes, but the priceless gift of Eternal Life cost nothing - except your loyalty and commitment to the one Who made you and I!

This is the thing worth considering as folks see our life savings and financial future become murkier, while America seems more taken up in useless toys like iPhone 5, iPads, video games, texting and eating out. It is high time to consider Christ, the Author and Perfector of our Faith, Who for the joy set before Him, endured a Cross....a brutal Cross and beatings and shame from fake religious leaders...so that some may enter the Eternal heavenly Kingdom. Are you one of those few elect, or are you one caught up in the shiny temporary objects of this dying world?

Think on these things.....life is shorter than we think!

(image of Hudson Hornet courtesy google/Disney-Pixar)

Thursday, September 20, 2012

TWINAS BRUNCH TO START AUTUMN!

This coming Saturday is the first day of Fall!! WOOHOO!! Of course, it already feels, looks and smells like Fall!! College Football is already in Week 4. Caramel apples and cider sweeten the senses. Fall Festivals are starting to pop up. Windshirts and denim jackets are back. Flip flops have morphed into Converse shoes.  There are even peeks of some Christmas cards at a few stores!!! Oy vey!! So how do we kick off the first day of Autumn this Saturday September 22? Our favorite new online magazine, run by Ana and Cheri, are here to give us the scoop, not just of raisins and brown sugar, but of the best Fall Brunch to get the rest of your day! Start your weekend off right! Enjoy....!! (Bernie Lutchman)

The perfect fall treat everyone will enjoy (healthy enough for breakfast, lunch, or dessert)!


 Ingredients

Graham Crackers squares for crust, do not crush them
4 green & tart Granny or Pippin Apples, cored, thinly sliced & peeled (could substitute other types of apples, or pears)
1/4 cup Raisins, Blueberries, or Cranberries
1 Lemon, juiced (could substitute 1/4 cup pineapple juice)

Topping:

1/4 cup Coconut Oil or Butter
1/4 cup Granulated Sugar (could substitute Stevia or other natural sweetener)
1/4 cup Brown Sugar, not packed
1/3 cup Instant Oats
1/3 cup Wheat Flour
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground Cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground Nutmeg

 Directions

For the crust, line the bottom of a baking pan with graham cracker squares, that's it!

By layers, over the graham cracker crust, successively line a deep-dish baking pan with thinly sliced apples as shown.  Add raisins or berries, and then drizzle lemon juice evenly over the apple slices.



Wednesday, September 19, 2012

WE'RE LOSING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TOO SOON.....

In the past two days, there has been a blanket of sadness spread over the many at our office who had come to love our affable your security guard chief. Josh was only 34, kind, polite and a solid family man with the brightest of futures ahead of him. He loved to talk about spending time working with his stepson on the latter's car or about the new piece of property he just purchased to build a home for his dear wife. He was just a nice guy and everybody loved him.

No one knew what happened a couple days after the final time saw him last week. He had gone out to southern California to visit some longtime friends on a short vacation of a few days. Last Saturday night, Mountain View Police reports indicated that he was crossing California Street and was struck and killed by a car, out of nowhere. It was 10:20pm. He died on the spot. Josh left his wonderful family and friends to mourn this more than tragic accidental death. He may have been only 34, but the short time allotted him by the Lord, was up. 

You and I never know how much time WE have. It could be today or 10, 20, 30 years from now, if this old planet is still around. But what I have been noticing more and more in the past year in this area of less than 140,000 residents are the disproportionate amount of young people showing up in the obituaries. It is not a morbid occupation. I don't get the daily paper anymore. Occasionally, I will check the online version of it, but not daily, since news is readily available elsewhere. But young folks from as young as 20, up to their mid 40's are moving on to the next world at an alarming rate!

What is even more shocking to me and too few of my fellow ministers/evangelists and preachers of the gospel, is what their obituaries say about their lives! Almost none - ZERO - zippo of the portrayal of their lives indicate any following of the Lord; Jesus Christ or being anything else but a Christian in name only. Some of their services are not even officiated by a minister according to the paper, but they may a celebration dinner or...who knows what. This is so sad and scary to us because we know what all of this means. As nice as Josh was, the couple of us who spoke to him about spiritual matters could not say that he was even a follower of the Lord or had given his life to Christ. So many obits, when talking of the life of the young deceased, boldly proclaimed their love of the St Louis Cardinals; hiking and hanging out with friends. There is nothing wrong with that. I have yet to see one this year, of the dozens and dozens, that said "So and So....a firm believer in Jesus Christ, who loved and followed Him, and looked forward to meeting Him one day in heaven..." or similar.

This is a horrible reflection on the churches of the today...a horrible reflection on not just the church leaders of today, but the youth pastors of the past generation. They gave up our young people to the world, and an eternity of hurt without a fight. They give them up to the culture and political correctness and eventually eternal separation from God, because they did not take the time or energy and spend the money we gave them in the offering, to disciple these young people. They went ahead and built buildings with it, instead of the Body of Christ.

My close brother and fellow author, bi-vocational pastor Mike Henderson summed it up best of all here "The last three generations are nearly all lost when you look at percentages. Nearly 75% of all people never have had any affiliation with church or any religious activity. 15 % go to church once a year and 10% regularly. That my fellow saints is from the 2010 census for the city. Very sad. It is century one all over again and just like breaking new ground everywhere. We do not have the luxury on 3/4ths of those we witness to of building on another's plantings. Best to brush up on sharing Christ from scratch and pray for God to give the increase. Little by little we will take this city back from the lying stealing deceiving and perilous clutches of Satan's minions of death!"

Amen brother Mike, let us resolve - you, Mike and all of us, to do just that! Start teaching even 30 and 40 year olds, the basic truths and facts of just WHO Jesus Christ really is!!!! Amen!

Monday, September 17, 2012

BLOW THE TRUMPETS - HAPPY ROSH HASHANAH

IT IS NOW YEAR 5773 - FROM CREATION TO 2012!
Happy New Year to all our Jewish brethren in Israel, the United States and around the World! To the rest of us Gentiles, who are grafted into the Family Tree of Abraham, through the Precious Blood and Life shed on the Cross of Calvary by the Savior of the World - Yeshua the Maschiach (Jesus the Messiah) - Happy Rosh Hashanah as well!

Without knowing its full significance, even secular and non-believing Jews celebrate the New Jewish Year of Tishrei. Tishrei is the month when God created the Heavens and the Earth...and Adam (Haa'dam - man himself)! Therefore, it is now the year 5772 from Creation to now! Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha‑olam, yotzer haa’dam ("Blessed are You, LORD, our God, sovereign of the universe, who creates man.")


TASHLICH - CASTING OUR SINS
AWAY UPON THE WATERS
Our Jewish brethren go through their homes before this time and cleans out all yeast, from every corner of the house, prior to this celebratory day. This is significant to the idea of starting the new year, with a clean slate! Scripture uses yeast as a metaphor for sin. Tashlich is now observed by Jews and those of us who are closely identified with them partake of a ceremony, which involves a short ceremony at a body of water. After some Bible readings and the Blowing of the Shofar, congregants throw pieces of bread (with yeast) into the water ....which signifies what the psalms tell us about Holy God, Who takes our sins as far away from us, as the East is from the West! This enables the person to then begin the New Year at Rosh Hashannah, year 5773, anew!

We, who were saved by the Jewish Messiah  Jesus, had our sins taken away when we were born again, in spirit and in truth, by repenting (throwing our "yeast" permanently over to Him, who then forgave us) and accepting Jesus, as Lord and Savior of our entire lives! This is the true Tashlich!

Many will ask why September for their new year! Good question - God Himself laid out the timing and execution of these High Holy Days. This special Feast Day is part of the Fall Feasts. The biggest one is still to come - THE FEAST OF THE TABERNACLES. This one is primary for the Christian's understand as Scripture has predicted that Jesus Himself will reinstitute the Feast of the Tabernacles in the coming soon 1000 Year Reign, from the Throne of the New Temple (by then, the Fourth and Final Temple) in Jerusalem.

So as we celebrate the arrival of the Great Hebrew Fall Feasts, let us remember Who created this great earth 5773 years ago. 
Let us remember Who led Moses out of Egypt in the Cloud and the Pillar of Fire in front of millions of Israelites. 
Let us remember Who takes our sins as far away as the eastern ocean is from the western ocean. 
Let us remember Who gave the Ten Commandments on the Mountain of God (Sinai). 
Let us remember Who gave it all at the Cross, to fulfill the Ten Commandments - rose from the dead, was seen by 500 people plus his followers and now lives forever to pray for us before the Throne of God.
Let us remember Him - HIS NAME IS JESUS, PRECIOUS JESUS! CREATOR OF THE WORLD!  THANK YOU LORD FOR 5773 YEARS OF CREATION! AMEN!
"For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for Him...Colossians 1:16 NASB

(images by google)


Sunday, September 16, 2012

PRAYER FOR AMERICA, PART 2

It seems as if a lot of bad things happen to America in September. It is almost as if September is the hangover from summer madness. We all know about September 11, 2001. However in September 1856, the signs were all around the developed cities. New York City was already the financial capitol of the world.  Exhibits A to Z are thus: the economy and accompanying social decline were picking up speed. Bankruptcy was high and morale was low. Most (obviously not all) preachers were just as ineffective as they are today and fast becoming irrelevant. Many of them had predicted doom and gloom and the end of the world which never happened. Politicians were just as horrible as they are today and unemployment just as high as 2012. Civil War talk was in the air. America was in a bad place. The enemy was domestic.

With this background, 156 years ago, a humble employee of the North Dutch Reformed Church named Jeremiah Lanphier, was given a vision by the LORD GOD, to call many to prayer. He wrote up a flyer inviting people to a prayer meeting in the church consistory on Fulton Street - anyone who could come. The prayer meeting was just that - an hour of prayer from noon to 1pm. The flyer indicated the room was open to anyone from the store clerk to the business owner. On the first day of the prayer meeting - September 23, the first man showed up at 12:30pm. Finally 6 men showed up and they prayed. There was no preaching or worship band or hysteria or... you name it. Just quiet humble prayer as the Lord delights in it. Weeks later, the numbers had doubled and tripled. 

JEREMIAH LANPHIER
Finally on October 10, the New York Stock Exchange crashed. Did you know that 10,000 immediately showed up for the noon prayer meeting called by Lanphier on Fulton Street?! They had run out of space on Fulton Street, so the prayer meeting expanded across the street to the larger John Street Methodist Church...then all over New York City....and then Chicago, Philadelphia, Louisville (Kentucky) and so on! This led to the greatest Revival ever in America - the Third Great Awakening. There has been nothing like it since, and it began with one layman, like you and I, who was used by God.

America has lost its way and does not even turn to God in evil and terrible times as we have seen this week. There is no righteous, moral or faithful leadership. We have the best and fastest of social networking and instant media, yet most who are called by God to be the leaders of the church are not proclaiming "THUS SAYETH THE LORD" or calling for National Prayer Meetings or Fasting as President John Adams once did when the hounds of hell were nipping at our heels. If the preachers and pastors of America (except for the few we see standing up now and speaking for Religious Liberty and how to live or even, vote like a Christian) would rather play church and lose their credibility just like the preachers of September 1856, then you and I have to do it.  The wonderful thing is, there is nothing to it. All we need is a Bible, a quiet room and a love for Jesus and the Lost! Are you ready?

Here is the rest of Psalm 35. Choose the verse, or the verses of the passage which Holy Spirit custom fits to YOUR calling as a His Prayer Warrior, then press in. I see several which appear to match up with the situation in America today - terrorism, moral and religious crisis and more. Our enemies are not just the islamic terrorists, but even worse than them are the enemies from within....the kinds we have allowed because of our own sin of sloth, laziness and unfaithfulness to God. The only remedy is Repentance and Restoration. Here is Psalm 35 (NKJV) in full. Therefore, place names in the appropriate verse, in place of personal pronouns. This will not alter the inerrant word of God:


35 Plead my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.
Take hold of shield and buckler,
And stand up for my help.
Also draw out the spear,
And stop those who pursue me.
Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation.”
Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor
Who seek after my life;
Let those be turned back and brought to confusion
Who plot my hurt.
Let them be like chaff before the wind,
And let the angel[a] of the Lord chase them.
Let their way be dark and slippery,
And let the angel of the Lord pursue them.
For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit,
Which they have dug without cause for my life.
Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly,
And let his net that he has hidden catch himself;
Into that very destruction let him fall.
And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord;
It shall rejoice in His salvation.
10 All my bones shall say,
Lord, who is like You,
Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him,
Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?”
11 Fierce witnesses rise up;
They ask me things that I do not know.
12 They reward me evil for good,
To the sorrow of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick,
My clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting;
And my prayer would return to my own heart.
14 I paced about as though he were my friend or brother;
I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother.
15 But in my adversity they rejoiced
And gathered together;
Attackers gathered against me,
And I did not know it;
They tore at me and did not cease;
16 With ungodly mockers at feasts
They gnashed at me with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue me from their destructions,
My precious life from the lions.
18 I will give You thanks in the great assembly;
I will praise You among many people.
19 Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies;
Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause.
20 For they do not speak peace,
But they devise deceitful matters
Against the quiet ones in the land.
21 They also opened their mouth wide against me,
And said, “Aha, aha!
Our eyes have seen it.
22 This You have seen, O Lord;
Do not keep silence.
O Lord, do not be far from me.
23 Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication,
To my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness;
And let them not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so we would have it!”
Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26 Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
Who rejoice at my hurt;
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor
Who exalt themselves against me.
27 Let them shout for joy and be glad,
Who favor my righteous cause;
And let them say continually,
“Let the Lord be magnified,
Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
28 And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness
And of Your praise all the day long.

(Scripture is courtesy Biblegateway.com)