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In Barton’s 1988 book America: To Pray Or Not To Pray? he says what got him started: “In July 1987, God impressed me to do two things. First, I was to search the library and find the date that prayer had been prohibited in public schools. Second, I was to obtain a record of national SAT scores (the academic test given to prospective college-bound high school students) spanning several decades. I didn’t know why, but I somehow knew that these two pieces of information would be very important.”
God impressed him? What a thing to say. Never in my life have I ever taken an impression seriously who knows if it is true or not. There is such a thing as imagination. Something God tells us to cast down. Man’s thoughts will never agree with God’s This is why we must go by what the Bible says.
This is taken from Wikipedia about the late Earl Paulk: Mona Manning Brewer came to the church at the age of 19, four years after her conversion to Christianity. She was a Sunday School teacher who married Bobby Brewer, a minister at the church, in 1987. She was also featured regularly as a soloist on Paulk’s television program. Brewer claimed that on September 11, 1989; Paulk felt “‘impressed of the Lord’ to get to know her better”. She stopped by his office the next day, becoming a regular visitor. She alleged that a church official stated that there had been a “word of knowledge” claiming that she was about to enter a new relationship that would benefit her. That relationship became an extramarital affair that lasted 14 years.
Impressions are not from God and cannot be trusted.
Also saying “to pray or not to pray” when Jesus said men are to pray always and not faint.
His book title alone is contrary to the word of the Lord.
Luke 18:1 says, “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)
This is how faith comes; by HEARING the word of God. Nothing about impressions. Hear and it must be the word of God we hear. And it absolutely must agree with the Bible. . Did Barton hear the word of God? No because the word of God is not impressions. God’s word does not produce I ,or I feel, or I feel impressed as guiding light.
The same Jesus who stood before Pilate and said “My kingdom is not of this world.” did not tell Barton to look up SAT scores. The same Jesus who was crucified by the government did not tell him such a thing. Dominionists (Reconstructionists) say so. But the apostles say the opposite.
God is in the soul saving business. Jesus died to save the lost from their sins. Never did he promise riches or degrees for your name. Never did he say he would give us anything the world offers. He promised us eternal life in paradise with him IF we follow him.
“As thy days, so shall thy strength be;”—Deuteronomy 33:25.
Does Barton think America is better than Israel who received this..what you basically and precisely need I will exactly provide..promise from God?
Manna falling from heaven was not what the Egyptians were eating. God’s people always suffer and they are always hated. Not admired and looked up to. If anyone takes up his cross to follow Jesus be sure he will suffer persecution and be hated of all men for the Lord’s sake. Jesus said his followers will be persecuted not crowned with degrees and laurels at universities who graduate heathens and atheists.
Barton is spreading the lie that America is the favored nation of God implying no other nation matters to God. When in truth Christ died to save the lost.
There are people who do not know God and are rich, educated, and successful. Living for Jesus is not of this world. It was the rich man who went to hell not poor Lazarus. I read of a man who attended a college to learn theology and ended up hating God. Another earned several theology degrees and now denies God even exists. His books are best sellers. This information can be found right on the Internet.
Has Barton never heard of Rome? Babylon? Greece? Persia? Egypt? All these nations were great but this didn’t mean they were favored by God. Or educated. Studying the Roman empire will learn how great God allows pagan nations to grow.
Rome ruled for a thousand years. Today it is still ruling under the name of America. See Revelation of Jesus Christ 13 and find America. Rome suffered its deadly wound in 476 AD when it tried to mix its pagan idolatrous ways with the holiness of God. But its deadly wound was healed in 1776.
Continued in Part 2
IT is time to pray for our families as never before.
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