God has given us, according to 2 Corinthians 5, the famous verse, we’re a new creation, the very next 5 or 6 verses says we have the ministry of reconciliation. He defines the ministry of reconciliation (Paul does) as not holding their trespasses against them… Our approach is this: What if some of the disasters that come aren’t really released necessarily because God wanted to destroy, but because He gave the church an option. In John 20 He said, ‘whoever you forgive I forgive. [If you] retain the sins of any, I retain the sins.’ So my question to our people is, what if these things come because the church has held up accusation against the city of San Francisco? We’ve heard it said, ‘If God doesn’t punish San Francisco, He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.’ Hollywood, the filth that they’re releasing into the earth … Las Vegas, New Orleans, New York City… Those five cities are the most judged cities in the sense of natural disaster, economic crisis and terrorism. But, my question is, I wonder, if maybe, since He’s given us His name, He’s given us His authority, if maybe these things were released because the church has been holding the sins against them.
It is a prime time. It is a prime time for us to stand before God and realize, ‘I didn’t deserve your mercy, I didn’t deserve your grace,’ and in the same measure I’m saying, ‘take the favor you’ve shown me, and show it to them.’ I think we’re positioned, if we’ll capture the heart of The Lord on this, I think we can turn this thing.
Bill Johnson, Senior Pastor – Bethel Church, Redding, CA
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