Preparation for Heavenly Living Correspondence School

http://www.geocities.com/bibleloverbill

PFHL Course 224-- Related to Current Political Events Anywhere (4 pages)

(by Bill Stevenson)

Directions: First format each Scripture passage in the ETRSF method you learned in PFHL
Course 415. No verse numbers required, just the references. Also, underline the
key statements, phrases, words for teaching emphases reasons. Then read the
two prayers and write an essay as if you were making a speech to politicians
including the top leader of the country. This assignment is worth 3 units, so
write at least 4 quality pages.

Ezekiel 14:12-14
“The word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, if a country sins against Me by being
unfaithful and, I stretch out My hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it
and kill its men and their animals, even if these three men-- Noah, Daniel and Job-- were in it,
they could save only themselves by their righteousness’, declares the Sovereign LORD.”

Isaiah 26:7-10
“The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth.
Yes, LORD, walking in the way of Your laws, we wait for You; Your name and renown are the
desire of our hearts. My soul yearns for You in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for You.
When your judgments come upon the Earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. Though
grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they
go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the LORD.”

Ezekiel 18:5-9
“‘Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. He does not eat at the
mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's
wife or lie with a woman during her period. He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he
took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and
provides clothing for the naked. He does not lend at usury or take excessive interest. He
withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between man and man. He follows My
decrees and faithfully keeps My laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live’, declares the
Sovereign LORD.”

Isaiah 33:15-16
“He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps
his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes
against contemplating evil-- this is the man who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be
the mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied, and water will not fail him.”

Ezekiel 3:18-20
“‘When I [God] say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die’, and you do not warn him or speak
out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his
sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he
does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have
saved yourself. Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I

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put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his
sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his
blood. But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live
because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself.’”

Hosea 14:9
“Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The
ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.”

Psalm 37
“Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they
will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the
desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: He will
make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be
still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--
it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit
the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not
be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. The wicked plot against the
righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for He knows their
day is coming. The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their
bows will be broken. Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for
the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. The days of the
blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of
disaster, they will not wither; in days of famine, they will enjoy plenty. But the wicked will
perish: the LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish--vanish like
smoke. The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; those the LORD
blesses will inherit the land, but those He curses will be cut off. If the LORD delights in a man's
way, He makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him
with His hand. I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or
their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be
blessed. Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. For the LORD
loves the just and will not forsake His faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the
offspring of the wicked will be cut off; the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The Law of
his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip. The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their
very lives; but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when
brought to trial. Wait for the LORD and keep His way. He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing
like a green tree in its native soil, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for
him, he could not be found. Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the
man of peace. But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off. The
salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble. The
LORD helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because
they take refuge in Him.”

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 Prayer to Kansas State Leaders
Note: When minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate,
everyone was expecting the usual politically-correct generalities, but what they heard
instead was a stirring prayer, passionately calling our country to repentance and
righteousness. The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during
the prayer in protest. In six short weeks, the Central Christian Church had logged more
than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is
now receiving international requests for copies of the prayer from India, Africa and
Korea. Commentator Paul Harvey aired the prayer on “The Rest of the Story” on the
radio and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired!!
Heavenly Father,
We come before you today to ask Your forgiveness
and to seek Your direction and guidance.
We know Your Word says, “Woe on those who call evil good”,
but that’s exactly what we have done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.
We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism.
We have worshiped other gods and called it multi-culturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn children and called it a choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it political savvy.
We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, O God, and know our hearts today;
cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of Your will.
I ask it in the name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer for Our Political Leaders

(by Pastor Stan A. Lindsay)
Note: I was invited by the Indiana House of Representatives to open their legislative session on
April 6, 1999, with prayer. The substance of the prayer I offered could be offered for
virtually any political leader. It might even be a prayer we could slightly alter and offer
for our church leaders:
Father, we pause at the beginning of this legislative session
So that our legislators may renew their covenant with You.
Your Word contains many models for leaders to follow.
Lord, I pray that, like Noah, they will have the courage
To stand for what is right,
Regardless of the opinion polls.
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I pray that, like Moses, they will be lawgivers
Who understand that the basis of all law should be love-
Love for You and love for our neighbors.
I pray that, like Queen Esther, they will use their political influence
To protect the people they represent.

I pray that, like Daniel, they will be more willing to face a den of lions
Than to ever hinder a single human being
From offering a prayer to You.
I pray that, like the Apostle Paul, they will have the good sense
To recognize when they are following the wrong path.
And I pray that, like Paul, they will be willing to change
And follow the better path.

I pray that, like Your Son Jesus, they will always be humble, unselfish,
Willing to sacrifice their own desires
For the good of Your children.

In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.