Sodom Had No Bible

This is 66 books. It's 1,189 chapters, 31,173 verses, 18 historical books, five poetical, 17 prophetic writings, four gospels, and 22 epistles. 40 different writers, but we know just one author, written in three languages over the course of 16 centuries, translated today into well over 100 languages. It's comprised of 3,294 questions, 6,468 commands, 1,260 promises, 3,268 verses of fulfilled prophecy, over 3,100 verses of unfulfilled prophecy. In this book is the genealogy of nations, the record of 143 miracles, a revelation of one God who spans two testaments, both old and new. This is the Bible. It's the infallible Word of God. In the Bible, though it's printed and bound like any other book, I know that you know this, but I think it bears repeating. This is not like any other book. The Scripture would say that all Scripture was

given by inspiration of God. That Greek word inspiration literally means that God has breathed. He put life in this in the same way that he would make Adam and that lifeless body would lay upon the earth until God breathed life into that body and he became a living soul. In the same way, God has breathed his spiritual life into these words, and this is what makes them so different. It's why the writer of Hebrews could say the Word of God is living, active, it's powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. How is it that you can read this book inspired and written thousands of years ago, but it speak to you at this time and in this place and it give you direction for a situation in your life now. It's because it is a living word. I tell you tonight, I'm thankful for the Word of God. I love my Bible.

I love all my Bibles. I used to have a lot, but I gave a lot away. I still have quite a few. I have a stack of them that sits right beside my chair. I love my Bible, but tonight my subject, my title is borrowed from a book that was a series of 20 essays published in 1971 entitled Sodom Had No Bible. Sodom had no law of Moses, no prophets, no Bible as we know it. One might think, well, surely they are free from responsibility in the absence of the Scripture, no law of Moses, no prophets to speak God's Word, no Bible as we know it. Surely Sodom is free of any moral responsibility. This is not so. Paul would write at length in Romans 1 and 2 and tell us that people were never without a witness, that creation itself testified of God. Creation is an

ever present reminder of a creator. He would tell us that God's moral law in Romans chapter 2 was actually placed within the heart of humanity. We would use this terminology, conscience. It is within the nature of human beings given by God, this moral compass that is put inside of us. And so, yes, Sodom had no Bible, but they were not without consequence. Second Timothy 3 and 16, the Bible said all Scripture was given by inspiration of God for these four things. It was profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. A simple definition of each of these is such. Doctrine simply means teaching. This means the Scripture teaches us what to do and what to believe. Reprove, on the other hand, is the conviction of sin or of wrong. As we read the Scripture, it becomes a moral compass to us and

guides us in the proving or the testing of what is right and wrong. Simply put, the Bible tells us what not to do. It's also given to us for correction because it's not enough to know what not to do. You must know how to make right the wrong. And this is what the Scripture does. It gives us correction. It shows us the way of restoration, whether we are talking about the salvation of somebody's life and the restoration of their spiritual well-being unto God or we're talking about the reconciliation of a fractured relationship. The Bible offers us insight to all. And lastly, he said it is for instruction in righteousness. It is to say the moral training or the giving of, perhaps we could say, our God-given purpose. The Scripture gives us instruction in righteous living, righteous work, what our lives should be like. But I

think perhaps we take this for granted. But Sodom had no Bible. The story of Sodom's destruction by God was told in Genesis 19. It was one of five sister cities located in the ancient valley of Sydom near the Dead Sea, along with Gomorrah, Adma, Zaboam, and Zohar. The Bible would actually tell us that this area was once very fertile and populated, but no longer. I read in Genesis 18 and 20. The Lord said, because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down now and see whether they have done all together according to the cry of it, which come unto me. And if not, I will know. Verse 22. And the men turned their faces from thence and went towards Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. God hears the cry of people who are remorseful over the wickedness of

this land. The Bible said their sin was grievous. It moved God to action. He could no longer be passive. This is very similar to what we see in the account of Noah's Ark. It repented that God had made man. It grieved him. It provoked his justice to action. And so it is again in this story, he says, I must go and see. And so as he says this, the Bible tells us Abraham stood yet before the Lord. There were some who left, but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. Perhaps you may recall what this conversation was. Abraham begins to plead with God. We would call it intercession. He asked God, will you please, Lord, will you spare this city for 50 righteous? God says, yes. And they go back and forth. Would you spare the city for just 45 righteous people? Would you spare the city for only 40 righteous people?

30 righteous people all the way down to Abraham asking God, would you please spare the city for just 10 righteous people? Of which there were not. I can't prove it to you, but I can't help but wonder by this time of scripture, the Bible actually names 10 individuals that would have been biologically related to Abraham. So it is my supposition tonight, my assumption that Abraham was simply burdened for his family. 10 righteous people and God would have spared a whole city, but he could not find them. And here we are confronted with this sobering truth tonight that saw them, which was once a beautiful city. Prosperous is now ruined and burning. How does that happen to which that old writer would say, saw them had no Bible? I know when we speak of saw them, I'm well aware as you are what is most often being judged for. We speak of its perversion. And while

this is true, it is not complete. Ezekiel 16 and verse 49. Word of the Lord says, behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister saw them. Pride, fullness of bread, abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters. Neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and the needy. They were haughty and committed abomination before me. Therefore, I took them away as I saw good. I know saw them is often mentioned for one, but there are several things that grieve God. The pride, the fullness of bread, the abundance of idleness, the neglect of the poor and the needy, the lack of compassion with which they live, the self centeredness that consumed them, the haughtiness of their attitude, pride, abundance, idleness, and a lack of compassion. I would submit to us tonight that yes, saw them was a wicked, morally corrupt and deeply perverse city. But the root of saw them sin was not that it was

their pride and their wealth. Abundance had turned to apathy and pride had turned to perversion. I would submit to you tonight to consider with me that perhaps this great land that we live in in love has a lot more similarities to saw them than we would care to admit. I've been reading some historical writings as of late. Gentleman by the name of Sir John Begut Glob, Army General for the British forces and historian who served through the Second World War. He studied 11 empires that started with the Assyrians in 859 BC and ended with the British in 1950 AD. And Sir John determined this that each empire in human history has followed a remarkably similar pattern from its birth to its demise. All of them span approximately give or take but approximately 250 years and all of them go through the same seven stages. He says this, the seven stages of an empire are

first the pioneers. These are the brave explorers provoked by curiosity of what lies ahead in that unknown place. And then they are followed by the age of the conquest. These are those who follow the pioneers with strength and force. They bring victory in stability to the people. And then it is the age of commerce. This is the expansion of business and wealth and resource. This is where increase is found. And now with some semblance of business comes the age of affluence. This is where people begin to enjoy the fruit of their labor. There is comfort and pleasure becomes a predominant value of the people. This is followed by the age of intellect, where now they're not content with what they had. They seek by means of intellect and human ingenuity to be more efficient, more industrial. This is what we would call the industrial revolution. And

then it is the age of decadence. This is the age where the unrestrained nature of human beings, humans that lack moral compass begin to degrade into moral decline. They pursue senseless luxury, which leads them to the seventh and final stage of an empire, the age of decline and collapse. Historians agree almost unanimously that America as we know it is in the age of decadence. It's scary to think of what the future might hold. He describes in vivid detail in his writings, notable markers of that last age. He said the age of decline and collapse is marked by defensiveness, pessimism, materialism, frivolity and influx of foreigners, a welfare state and a weakening of religion. He attributed the decadence to too long of a period of wealth and power, too much selfishness, too much money and the loss of a sense of duty and shared responsibility. So what is your objective tonight,

preacher? My objective is to awaken us to this reality. Sodom didn't have a Bible, but we do. And the danger that infiltrated Sodom did not die with Sodom. The same condition is written of in Revelation chapter three, the seven churches of Revelation. Theologians sometimes have a differing of opinion, but there seems to be a common consensus that through the seven churches of Revelation, God was speaking to us of the things that the church would encounter or deal with in the last days. Revelation three and 17. The Bible says this, because you say, I am rich, increased with goods and have need of nothing. Know us not that thou are wretched and miserable, poor and blind and naked. What was it? Time had passed and culture had changed, but the revelator was speaking of the same reality that grieved God with the city of Sodom. That

their abundance had made them apathetic. That their pride had become the door for perversion to enter. And I'm guilty of it. I like the comforts of this present world. I don't want to trade them. I happen to enjoy plumbing and electricity and I thank God for air conditioning and I'm not looking to go back to a tent every Sunday. I like this stuff. However, I am wrestling with the reality of the scripture and what I see in this present age. Sodom have no Bible, but we do. So here it is. Law finds himself in Sodom by a by a sovereign act of mercy by by an angelic escort. He would not come any other way, but God sending his angels to pull this man in his family out of the mess and out of the judgment. We have to consider now lot. What what happened? Where did you go wrong? Because

your journey began with your uncle Abraham with a call from God following in the footsteps of that father of the faithful, that old patriarch lot. Where did you go wrong? I won't read all the scripture tonight for the sake of time, but I'll paraphrase the story and perhaps you'll recall much of it to memory. But the Bible begins when the herdsmen between Abraham and law find themselves in strife, little relational turmoil. It was the result of the blessing of God, their herds were growing and they decide we have to have a parting of ways. Lot looks out into that well watered plane and based on what he sees, he decides that this would be a good decision. And I would submit to you, his first mistake was this. He separated himself from the authority or the accountability in his life. This was not a journey that God

called him on. Abraham called him on this journey. It was not wise of him to pursue selfish independence. This was his first mistake. And the Bible tells us it seems just a subtle detail. But if we really believe that this is inspired by God, there is insight even in the fewest of words for us to consider. Lot pitched his tent towards Sodom. Now every morning when he rises from the tent, Mary looks peering into that wicked city. By application tonight, I would say this is simply Lot making accommodation for the wickedness of Sodom. And as is the case when you make accommodation for evil, it never stays with accommodation. He eventually moves into the city because you'll always end up moving in the direction you're looking. Now it's not just an accommodation of evil. He's actually assimilated himself into the city. Back the Bible again, these are just subtle details,

but significant, I think. The Bible tells us that those angels find him at the gate of the city. This means that he has found a place of welcome to business. Perhaps the implication is that he has influence in the city. He is known of the people. He is a leader of some sorts, a businessman of some sorts. He's not hiding out in his tent trying to preserve himself from the evil of his day, but he's out and about, well acquainted with the reality of this city. So it is that it just gets more and more vile. Men would come to the house and he would offer his daughters to preserve his guests, and it's grotesque, and it's evil, and it's wicked, and this is what Peter would write of it in 2 Peter 2. Turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, God condemned them with an overthrow,

making them an example unto those that should live ungodly. Now look at this. He delivered just law, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked for that righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. I want to work through these two verses here. Yes, God delivered law, but it came at great cost. The Bible says that law was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked. And then in verse 8, it speaks of law saying that righteous man is dwelling among them in seeing and hearing, notice this, vexed his righteous soul. So what it's saying is the righteous man being law, vexed his righteous soul. So in the first mention, the Bible tells us that he is vexed by the filthy conversation of the wicked. This is something that was done to him. But in the next verse, it

says law himself vexed his righteous soul. This is something he did to himself. On the surface, it seems like they are one and the same, but if you were actually to look at the original language, though in the English it is vexed in both verses, it is not the same Greek word. Verse number seven, the Greek word used for this word vexed, it means to wear down or to oppress. It's actually the same word that is used in Acts chapter seven and verse twenty-four, where Stephen is preaching about Moses and he speaks of how Moses watched the persecution of those Hebrews. He saw how they were oppressed. They were vexed. In seeing the Hebrews being oppressed or vexed, he speaks of how Moses killed that Egyptian. So what this is saying is we should not be surprised as Christians, as righteous people in an unrighteous age, when we find

ourselves in an environment that is overt and oppressive towards our values and our morality, he is reaching all the way back to the story of Moses to paint to them the picture. This is not a new conflict. This is a war that has raged in the world for a long time. It is the spirit of the age. It is as Paul said, that spirit that now works in the children of disobedience. It's what Daniel would call the spirit of antichrists that seeks to wear down the saints of the most high. It's the same thing. He says he was vexed. He was oppressed as he considers the filthy conversation. This does not mean their their literal conversation. This is old English from the 1600s. He means their lifestyle. What he's saying is law, a righteous man endeavors to live his life among this wicked, vile, unrighteous people. He is

vexed. There is an oppression in the atmosphere that vexes him. It wears him out. It discourages him. It bothers him. How true is that today? Being godly in a godless world will make you a target. I can recall days prior to being in full-time ministry and being in secular work environments and the reactions that you would get and the questions that would be asked, well, why does your wife look like this and how come when we do this staff event you won't come to this but you will come to this and how come how come you didn't laugh at that or you excused yourself from this? Well, because I have a different value system and you don't have to intentionally be combative or seek conflict. This is just the reality. Being godly in a godless age will make you a target. There is something in

the spirit of the age that will vex you. It just oppresses you and it tries to wear you out. That's why you've got to be careful what you consume. Verse eight, look at this now. The righteous man in seeing and in hearing vexed his righteous soul. So, the first vexation was the result of the environment he was in. It was what was done to him but the second vexation is actually the result of his own decision. Law tortured himself. That Greek word that's used for vexed in verse eight is used elsewhere in the New Testament. Matthew chapter eight and verse six, when it speaks of a servant who is homesick with the palsy, the Bible says he is grievously tormented. That word tormented is the same word for vexed in 2 Peter verse eight. That word tormented means that you are prevented from normal activity or Matthew 14 and 24. The Bible said the ship was

now in the midst of the sea. It's tossed with waves because the wind is contrary. That word tossed is the same Greek word as vexed. Matthew 14, it is understood or defined as being distracted from a proper course. Those waves prevented that boat from moving as it was intended to move. Mark six and 48. He saw them toiling in rowing for the wind was contrary. That word toiling is the same Greek word as vexed that we read in 2 Peter. They are rowing against a current. They have intention. They are working to move one way but the current is working against them and all of these are just word pictures that give us insight to what's happening to law in Sodom. The environment that he has placed himself prevents him from pursuing the normal activity of a righteous man. The environment in which he finds himself is easily

distracting him from the proper course of righteous living. The environment that he has found himself just as they are rowing that boat against the current now a righteous man is in a fight against a cultural current. A flood of unrighteousness. What would be the logical thing to do lot? Get out of Sodom. Sodom didn't have a Bible. I marvel at the wisdom of God when we consider the scripture that he could put these little nuggets in there that here we are thousands of years later and the principle speaks so precisely to the present age in which we live. Look at this for the righteous man is dwelling among them. This is 2 Peter 2 and 8. Note these two words. In seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul. What was it? What was the decision that Lot made or perhaps did not make that resulted

in him vexing himself? It is what he saw and what he heard. Now I know in the city of Sodom and in Lot's living room there was no TV. Lot did not have an iPhone. There was no YouTube. He had never heard of Netflix. Social media and its many forms and platforms was nowhere near invention but human nature really hasn't changed. The gateway to the soul the channel of influence over the mind and the heart of an individual has always been through what they see and what they hear. For as far back as the garden itself Eve was caught up at that piece of fruit it it looked pleasurable and it looked good and the longer she looked the serpent said the more time I have to talk and now she is caught in the crossfire of the same devices the enemy has always used sight and sound. So here we are thousands of years later

battling that same vexation that's overtaking our world. I'll confess to you tonight. No, I confess to where I was preaching the last few days. My preaching in the present moment is in part being influenced by the events happening in this nation and the way that's settling on us and I know Sodom had no Bible but we do but yet does it matter if the Bible sits unopened untouched and unread unstudied and unlived we are so quick to see and watch so many things so quick to hear listen to so many things I will confess to you I will confess to you I'm uncomfortable with the toleration and sometimes the silence of apostolic people concerning media in 2025. I've heard young people good young people in our church referencing song lyrics that got me curious so I thought well Google will tell me the lyrics of a song and

you realize that when the song's talking about driving down the road in a red pickup truck with the brown tipping back the brown paper bag that ain't sweet tea and I know you just kind of you like the melody you think it sounds good he's got a cool voice yeah well what he's talking about is drinking and driving what is it it's the enemy doing what he's always done through sight and sound you can go study the infiltration of so many of the ideologies that are that are widely accepted today just 35 or 40 years ago some of these characters would have never been welcome on tv the morals displayed today would have never been welcomed on tv but when they were what did they do they made the one with the most unwelcome moral the most likable character because they knew if you could develop an affinity

for it you would make accommodation for it and if there would be an accommodation for it then there would be an assimilation into it see this is the same thing the enemy has always done he has deceived people through what they see and what they hear i'm challenging us tonight to take inventory on what we consume what do we watch you say well it's just a harmless show is it is it because storylines that are built on adultery and affairs and moral decay and are not harmless it's just it's not i mean it's not a worship song but it's not really it's not really a bad song is it because if if the song is such that god is absent and the values of the world are present where is the end of that road i'm not trying to be unnecessarily hard i am burdened though because

sodom had no bible but we do we do and i fear that if we're not careful we can find ourselves just like lot living in a land full of vexation but ultimately it was not just the oppression of his environment that got him it was the oppression he invited upon himself by what he saw and what he heard you can't you can't pray enough to justify bad input you can't well i you know i know i watch this i know i listen to this but now but now i'm just gonna pray that out and then do it again no it doesn't work that way you negate the good by the input of the bad so it is that we have to take consideration of our lives and our homes and ask what what is being seen and what is being heard so well we hear such great preaching pastors

preaching so well and teaching so consistently yes but all of that can be invalidated by what you see and what you hear we are quite literally living as law righteous people in an unrighteous world rowing against a strong current of moral decay and just as he was vexed by what he saw and what he heard so too are we the church being vexed by what we watch and what we listen to the frightening power of media is this it it literally redefines normal the sinful behavior that is glamorized not only conveys powerful messages of what is to be accepted culturally but what is to be expected so it is that the fictional world of media actually becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy pastor's table conference here a couple weeks ago dr painter spoke of this at length told the story of heath ledger who's hired to act in a movie locked

himself in a hotel room for over 30 days in order that he might assume the persona and the character of whom he was supposed to be and ultimately lost himself and commit suicide how is this because the fictional world of the media actually becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and the church cannot be silent on these matters parents cannot be silent on these matters leaders must speak because saddam didn't have a bible but we do so here's here's the sad reality law was saved but his family influence was lost as they are walking out of that city with angelic escort the bible would say his wife looked back and becomes a pillar of salt you know what this tells me the world had greater influence on the person closest to him than he did god forbid that the world have more influence in your home than you do i'm not here tonight to give you a

list of things that you have to do but i'm hope i hope to god i provoke you to consider what do i have to do to keep the world out of the atmosphere of my heart and my home this was the mandate of deuteronomy 6 verse 6 these words which i command you this day shall be in your heart and you shall teach them diligently unto thy children and you shall talk of them when you sit us in thine house and when they'll walk us by the way when they'll lie us down and when they'll rise us up first it has to be in your heart but then he said you have to get it into your house there is no way it'll get into your house if it's not first in your heart but it is not sufficient for it to just be in your heart

you have to take the necessary precautions you have to teach the right thing you have to enforce the right boundary you have to have the right accountabilities to make sure that what's working in your heart actually gets into your home and this is where lot failed he was saved and praised god for it but his wife wasn't even though his daughters would come out alive it's only a few verses later when you realize though they lived their morals were never made right they commit a grotesque act against their father and this is evidence to us that the values of Sodom lived on in them when they kept living how did this happen because he made accommodation and then he assimilated and they watched it and they heard it and they talked about it and now they lived it Sodom had no bible but we do i'm trying to

provoke you tonight to get serious about this book in living for god this this was never meant to just be something we digest by preaching but something that is our daily bread something that we come to daily for for nourishment for direction for guidance it's a living word i wonder pastor and i chatted about this recently but sometimes i wonder if we even really believe this we really believe in the power of preaching paul told that church in the new testament that they were blessed because they received his words as the words of god if we really believed that this weekend god was going to speak to us from this pulpit they wouldn't be an empty seat in the sanctuary you'd call in sick you'd you'd you'd change your plans you'd cancel whatever you had to if we really believe that every time we gathered we we were going to hear from god

there wouldn't be an empty seat in the building but i fear that we are not holding the word of god in the high place it deserves in our lives i want this word in my heart come on david said it he said thy word have i hid in my heart that i might not sin against thee it is not enough to know it it's not enough to memorize it we have to internalize it we have to be changed by it this is what he was saying i i'm being shaped i'm being changed by the word it's not just information in my life it is the transformation of my life he said it's a light under my path their old charles spurgeon quote said something to the effect of if if it was just a light to your head that when you're walking on a dark path both your feet

and your head would be in the ditch the point is this it's not just to know it's to live the bible has real bearing it impedes on our lives it it it is for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction and righteousness this word tells me what to believe and how i am to live and how to behave listen i'll confess i don't know how to be a husband i don't know how to be a father without this let alone a preacher you can't be a good owner you can't be a good employee you can't be a good family member or a friend without this we need the word and so i come tonight to provoke us because our world is evil there is evil at work in the world and psalm 97 and 10 said you that love the lord should hate evil so we cannot live as lot lived

we cannot waste our days rowing against the current we need to get out of that environment and get in the environment that is of god that is full of purity moral integrity biblical righteousness we are deceiving ourselves if we think well we'll be okay perhaps you will but his wife wasn't his daughters weren't his life was saved but his influence in his home was lost i remind you the strength of the generational church is our families it's not our programs these are all supplemental tools it's not our facilities though they do help us the real strength of the generational church our families that do as the scripture told us to do get it in your heart and then get it in your home it is a mandate of scripture stand together with me and matthew 11 jesus spoke called those cities by name they were unrepentant

they heard the truth they saw the miracles but they did not change he looked at them and he said if saddam would have received the mighty works that i've done among you it would remain to this day and he said it will be far worse for you in judgment than it will be for saddam you know why because they had the law of moses they had the prophets they had the bible saddam had no bible but we do and we are without excuse second chronicles 7 14 the bible says if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will i hear from heaven will forgive their sin and will hear their land this is our mandate to stand as abraham stood when god said i'm going to the city of saddam abraham said wait for for ten righteous will you spare the city

it was the role of the intercessor and this is the duty of the church but the power of our intercession is lost if there is not purity in our lives we cannot live as law unwillingly vex ourselves by the reckless consumption of the world's media just godless stuff unnecessary stuff and so little scripture saddam had no bible but we do and i'm imploring you please please please fall in love with his word this is not i know it's leather and paper like so many other books but and you can you can open this and i know god moved on a prophet of old to write these words thousands of years ago but here i am in tarot hold indiana sitting in my little black chair with a cup of coffee when i open it up and that living word speaks to me in my present condition and my uncertainty and all

my questions and needing direction from god there that living word speaks to me we've got to love and live his word i wonder if we could close our eyes and lift our hands and if we could just do as abraham did and we can stand in the gap and ask god to have mercy on our nation mercy on our city mercy on our families ask god in his grace to pour out his spirit among us lord i thank you that you are rich and mercy that you are long suffering and you are kind and as abraham stood between you and a city tonight we stand between you and our city you and our nation and we are asking father that you would extend your mercy one more time that in your grace and in your love and in your compassion that you would reach into this wicked

world and that you would pour out your spirit and you would draw people out of the world and draw people out of darkness god we are asking o god that you would deliver that you would save and you would heal as only you can lord we know there is no hope apart from you that you alone are the hope of the world there is no salvation except through you so tonight god we stand as abraham stood asking for your mercy to be extended to our land asking god that you would extend your grace one more time that you would stretch forth your mighty arm of salvation and you would draw them out we're asking god for a revival for a harvest lord we are hungry to see lost souls saved to see lives restored families put back together oh god i'm asking that you would help us that you would work by your spirit that you would work by your power

forgive us lord when we have allowed the abundance of our lives to make us apathetic towards you when apathy has robbed us of prayer and apathy has kept us from our bibles lord i'm asking for forgiveness tonight put within us god a new a fresh desire for your word a hunger for you lord let there be something that is not content for the day to go by if we have not feasted of your good word lord we need you lord we can't be who we are called to be apart from you we need your wisdom we need your direction we need your counsel lord we need your patience patience your strength all of these things come from you in and of ourselves lord we are so insufficient we need you now lord we need you now oh help us holy ghost lord by the power of your

spirit work in our hearts work in our homes let the word be more than the reality of this sanctuary lord let it echo into our homes let it echo into our families lord let it get from our heart into our houses help us now lord help us break free from the patterns of law lord we are not willing to jeopardize another generation we are not willing lord to release our family into this wicked world god we pray a hedge around our homes i speak a hedge of protection around every marriage and every family tonight i pray the blessing of the lord upon every home i pray every dwelling place of the righteous would be light in a dark place i pray the angels of god would walk with them and keep them i pray the peace of god into our homes let them be free of

strife and free of anger let it be an atmosphere of joy let it be a place where the word is discussed and where the spirit dwells and where the presence of god is felt oh hallelujah hallelujah lord help us be a righteous people help us be a pure people help us be a holy people lord i i don't want to be hard but god i'm burning i'm burning for apostolic homes and families i'm i'm burning at the condition of our world lord i don't want i don't want to be a strong church on sunday but a weak church on monday i don't want to look like a strong family on sunday but a struggling family on monday oh god help us internalize this help us be changed by this in the name of the lord jesus christ hallelujah hallelujah i love you lord i love you lord

i love you lord saw them had no bible but we do my challenge to you tonight is don't let a day go by whether it's seven verses or seven chapters that word is my ability it is the source of my strength david said it and jesus said it it is written thy word have i hid in my heart it is the source of our strength to resist the cultural current that oppresses us at every turn you can feel it in every shopping mall in every store you you can feel it as you go about your day but his word will be our strength saw them had no bible but we do lord i pray your blessing upon these people i pray they would walk in the favor and the strength of god i pray you would order their steps grant them opportunity and conversation to reach for the lost of this

city help us be as an abraham who stood tall and bold and righteousness who was a voice of intercession in the dark hour go with us we pray now in jesus name amen