Get Right with God!

[Text:  Luke 19-20]

Today I'm going to center on Luke 19:1-9.  A crowd is gathering to see Jesus.  There we find a tax collector by the name of Zacchaeus.  Tax collectors were rather wealthy in those days, as they held a well-paying government job.  Zac was short in statue, and couldn't see over the crowd, so he climbed a Sycamore tree to get a better view.

Tax collectors then, as well as those in government office today, were over-taxing the people....allowing tax breaks for the rich, but overcharging the general public.  The rich were getting richer while the middle class and the poor were getting poorer!  So Zac was hated by the majority of the people.

When Jesus saw Zac clinging to the tree, He paused and said to him:  "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  Now the people were accustomed to seeing Jesus minister to the sick and mingle with the poor--but not to the rich!  However, Jesus sees the NEEDS of the rich as well as the poor....and Zac surely had a need that only Jesus could help him with, as Zac struggled with GREED and worshipped $$$ rather than God!  But after Zac met with Jesus, he was a changed man.  He had a change-of-heart.  To demonstrate the change, he immediately gave half of his goods away to the poor...and he offered to restore 4-fold anything he had taken falsely from anyone.   

Zac  gave away a lot of goods (money) that day, he lost his desire for greed, and he received a better gift...he received "salvation" (eternal life).  Why?  Because he REPENTED, turned his life around, and got in a right relationship with the Lord!

America needs to do the same today....repent.  How do we, as a nation do that?  II Chronicles 7:14 tells us how:  "If MY PEOPLE (we Christians) who are called by My Name will HUMBLE them-
selves, and PRAY and SEEK My face and TURN from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will FORGIVE their sin and HEAL their land."

Our "Pledge of Allegiance" states that we are "one nation under God"  (under God's authority), however, many have rebelled against His authority; therefore, we have sinned against Him and are slidding down a slippery slope of depression, defeat, and financial failure.  But the only way to SAVE this nation is to TURN back to God, to get on our knees and PRAY for this nation and its leaders.

Pray, people--PRAY, so that GOD (will continue to) BLESS AMERICA!