And the Lord said unto him... And Elisha...shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room (1 Kings 19:15-16).

On June 26, 2015 the Supreme Court of the United States decreed that same-sex marriages are to be accepted in every state of the union. Same-sex marriages are clearly against nature. Same-sex marriages are against family for God told Adam and Eve to multiply on the earth. Same-sex marriages are unhealthy, violating standards of appropriate hygiene. Same-sex marriages are against the word of God. Those who commit it are worthy of death (Lev. 20:13; Rom. 1:26-27, 32).

Millions of Bible believers went into a state of shock and dismay at this Supreme Court ruling and began to hang their heads and wring their hands. Many preachers began to preach imminent gloom and doom on this country. Some scholars hurriedly put together prophecies concerning America’s demise. Several used the destruction of Sodom (city of homosexuals) by fire, as a point of reference.

It is certainly true that this action of the Supreme Court of our land is grievous to the Lord and His people. However, know this: 1) God’s judgments on a nation have never come about on what a Supreme Court does or does not do. God’s judgment of Sodom was not based on what her Supreme Court did, but on the number of the righteous in that city. God does not need a majority of believers to bless a nation. In fact, God blessed the idolatrous Babylonian empire even though He had only four men of God amongst them. 2) What we need at this time, more than prophets of gloom (whose fear-mongering books earn them millions), is men who call on God’s people to: Lift up your heads, O you gates; ...that the King of glory may come in (Ps. 24:7 Amp).

Indeed, what God will do in relationship to the June 26 decision of the Court, if anything, is not yet known. And if He decides to judge America severely, it is only to cleanse the church and make her more effective. But what we do know is that after the Supreme Court took prayer and Bible reading out of our schools in 1962 and legalized abortion in 1972, America continued to prosper. It appears, indeed, that so far the righteous in America have been an effective umbrella of protection staying the judgment of God on this nation. God will never judge a nation without first looking at His remnant.

Lift up your heads, O you gates; ...that the King of glory may come in. This commandment of our Lord is to be obeyed in all circumstances of life: in times of prosperity and poverty, in times of glory and dishonor, in times of persecution and peace. Even when Paul and Silas were in prison with their backs bleeding and their feet in stocks, they lifted up their heads and the King of glory did come in, shook the earth and opened all the prison doors. Their praise also brought a spiritual earthquake that made a pagan empire crumble in the end.

Do not be overcome by negatives. American believers and friends of America, lift up your heads and expect a spiritual earthquake. Yes, if we go negative, we shall be doomed. If we go positive, faith is the victory. God still has a plan for America and for her church. Her remnant is still very much alive. A spiritual earthquake is entirely possible in this land and any place where He has a remnant. In the 1700’s there was a tavern in almost every block in London. But two men, Charles and John Wesley, let the King of glory come and revival came to Great Britain. She became a great missionary sending nation and within 200 years there was a Methodist church in every one of the 3,007 counties in the United States.

The church in America is down, but not out. Elijah thought revival was out. Let us learn a lesson from him. Jezebel, the queen who claimed to have killed all the prophets of God, was after him. In discouragement, he laid down under a juniper tree to die, and slept. That is what the church in America is doing today, sleeping under a juniper, in the negative. But an angel woke Elijah and gave him food to eat. I say: “Wake up Church of America and eat!” God said: “I have set a table before you, even in the presence of your enemies.” God does not want us ever to be negative. His name is YES and not NO.

So God refused to meet Elijah under the juniper tree. God will not meet with you under your juniper tree. He calls you far away from it, to higher ground, to meet with Him in prayer. An angel woke up the prophet and showed him a cake on coals of fire and a jar of water. Who built the fire? Who baked the cake? Who poured the water into the jar? Elijah should have been dancing around the juniper tree for joy at this divine provision knowing God was still with him. Yet, he did not. Then he was called to meet God on Mount Horeb, also called Mount Sinai. God gave him strength to walk, non-stop, for six weeks to meet with Him there. Again, there was no praise for the supernatural strength, no word of thanks from Elijah. In these six weeks, Elijah had plenty of time to review all of the great things God had done: how marvelously God created the universe, the story of Abraham offering Isaac upon the altar, how the Egyptians were humbled by ten mighty miracles, and how Israel crossed the Red Sea and was fed in the wilderness. God gave Elijah plenty of time to prepare to meet his God with a positive mindset. So we find him at last, coming into the presence of God saying: ...for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away (1 Kings 19:10).

Negative, negative, negative! What about the 100 prophets of God still hidden in caves? Did not Elijah just slay all of the prophets of Baal? My friend, once you go negative, you become blind to all that God has done for you. Yet, God in His mercy and love decided to give Elijah another custom-made demonstration of His sheer power to show him that he could carry on his work and that Jezebel was no threat to him. God repeated the same supernatural display of His power that He demonstrated to Moses and His people at the same place. He did it 600 years before at the giving of the Law: wind, fire and earthquakes.

Yes, my friend, there are three times that God shook the earth: once at the giving of the Law, then at the dismissal of a prophet for his negativity to prove to the church early in her history that He is adamantly opposed to negativity in the church because it kills faith, and finally at the fulfilling of the Law. So God passed by Elijah’s cave ...and a great and strong wind rent the mountains ...and after the wind an earthquake... And after the earthquake a fire... (1 Kings 19:11-12). With that power, what can God do for you? What can God do for America, or for any country?

Then God spoke to Elijah again saying: “What are you doing here?” Elijah gives the same negative response as before (1 Kings 19:14) because he was unimpressed. Because all these miracles did nothing to pull Elijah out of the negative: 1) God dismisses him by having him anoint a flawless successor who would not settle for less than a double portion of the spirit of his predecessor. And the Lord said unto him... And Elisha...shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room (1 Kings 19:15-16). 2) God informs him that He had 7,000 men who had not bent their knees to Baal (1 Kings 19:18).

The work of God would go on without him. Shortly, God fed Jezebel to the dogs and He soon picked up His worn-out prophet in a chariot of fire to meet Him again on the Mt. of Transfiguration. And praise God, the new prophet did let the King of glory come in and he kept Him there all the time. Bless the Lord... Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire (Ps. 104:1, 3-4).

Friend, do not exaggerate the problem in America as Elijah exaggerated the problem in Israel. Do not get tunnel vision. Do not get fixated on black-robed judges. God has no ministry for those who are in the negative. In spite of its sins, there is good in this country, pleasing God, such as:

1. There are by far more than 10, or even 7,000 righteous in America.

2. America still sends more missionaries abroad than any country in the world (127,000 in 2010).

3. America ties with Myanmar (Burma) as the most giving nation in the world.

4. Americans are the first in helping strangers out of 135 countries.

5. Americans are first in helping people gain freedom from tyranny.

6. America is first to help when national disasters strike anywhere in the world.

7. America is the only country that stands by God’s covenant people, Israel. She gives Israel what she needs to defend herself and showers her with more tourists than any other country. Those who bless the sons of Abraham will be blessed (Gen. 12:3).

The story of Elijah at Mount Sinai is recorded for all of us to never allow ourselves to get into the place of losing our sight of the greatness and majesty of our God. The point is: Never allow yourself to be negative. It will always cost you something.

Lift up your heads, O you gates; ...that the King of glory may come in.