If My People will Pray ... 2 Chron 7:14

If My People Will Pray!

October 28, 2012

2 Chron 7:14

Introduction

• Susanville was settled by Isaac Roop, in the early 1800s
• It was originally part of Plumas county, but after a 2 day gun battle with the IRS it became independent and joined the Nevada territories which had split off from California because they didn't want to pay taxes
• At that time it was known as Roop county
• Later on, surveyors determined that Roop County, all the way down to Honey Lake, actually should be part of Californina, so the northen part of Roop County became California, and the southern part joined Washow County in Nevada
• These were turbulent and violent times
• While the settlers came into the area, they drove the Indians out
• There was a bounty placed on the heads of Indians, in an attempt to eradicate the Indian population.
• Thousands of Indians were massacred in this general area.
• Susanville is the govermental seat of Lassen county, and as such carries responsibility for the bloodshed in this area, and the independent and rebellious acts of the past
• This city and county was birthed in bloodshed, rebellion and an independent spirit

Grace Fellowship

• During the last 4 years, there have been a number of times when people have left Grace Fellowship for various reasons
• At this time we have lost a number of members, and our fellowship is not as large as we would like it to be
• God has been pruning our church, so that His glory may be shown in the next phase of what he wants to do
• Recently the Lord spoke very clearly to me, that He wants us to move forward into our church call to be a resource for Susanville as a place for healing and restoration
• He wants us to focus at this time, on bringing healing and recovery to those afflicted by addictions
• There are a number of ways in which people in recovery in Susanville are already being helped
• Crossroads provides shelter for the homeless, Bible studies each weekday morning, and visiting churches host an evening meal and a short message from the Bible, on Saturday evenings  
• Celebrate recovery run by Community EV Free church, provides a weekly opportunity for those in recovery to experience Christian support in a worship setting
• Teen Challenge at present offers a contact office where addicts can go to be interviewed for entry into the Sacramento residential Teen Challenge.  The vision is for Teen Challenge to eventually have its own residential facility, locally in or near Susanville
• But there appears to be no recovery fellowship in Susanville where those in recovery can go as their church, with their own pastor, where the fellowship is focussed on their particular needs
• Grace Fellowship will soon be starting a Sunday evening service, dedicated to the recovery community.
• This will be a regular church service, not necessarily focussed on addiction all the time, but where the needs of those in recovery will be addressed, and they will receive the spiritual food they need
• As time goes on, our vision is that this fellowship will include opportunities for counseling by qualified personnel, small group meetings, etc.
• Before we start this, though, we need to prepare the ground for a new work of God

Reading

• 2 Chron 7:14

Our sins as a nation and a city

• Susanville is in pain
• There is much hurt in this town
• When we obey God, He brings blessings
• Deut 28:1-6
• God sees our hearts and knows if we are obedient to Him
• But the opposite is also true - when we are disobedient to Him, curses will be brought upon us
• Deut 28:15-19
• This nation and this city are under a curse, because we have forsaken God
• We have tried to remove God from our school classrooms
• We have allowed over a million of our unborn children, to be murdered each year, by abortion - over 50 million since 1973 - 22% of all US pregancies are terminated by abortion (http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html)
• Historically, Susanville as the governmental seat of Lassen County, has the blood of many Native Americans on its hands
• A bounty of $5 a head was on the heads of the Indian population at the time of the Papoose Massacre near Eagle Lake in 1866
• Susanville was birthed in rebellion against paying taxes, and chose independence, though it later was reincorporated into California
• 2 Chron 7:14 says "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin  and will heal their land"

Prayer time

• We accepted responsibility vicariously for the massacre of thousands of Native Americans in Lassen County
• We asked forgiveness of our Native American neighbors for the injustices that have been done against them, historically and down to the present
• We mourned the lives of the millions of children murdered in our nation
• We asked for forgiveness for blood guiltiness
• We asked for forgiveness for the independence that has marked this town and prayed that this independent spirit would be broken 
• We asked for forgiveness on behalf of our nation for attempting to remove the name of God from our schools and courts and government
• We asked God in his mercy to accept our prayers and heal our land, nationally, our county and  our city
• "Thank you Lord, that you have heard the prayers of your people.  We pray for healing of our land, and for your blessing as we turn to you and are obedient to your call. In Jesus name, amen."