Dear Editor, 
Most people will scoff at the following statements but I firmly believe that everything that has happened in the United States since 9-11-2001 is God’s judgment against our nation.
God has seen the wickedness of our nation and has decided to slowly turn up the heat of judgment until we cave in and repent of our evil ways.
Since our nation will not acknowledge God He has abandoned us to our foolish thinking, ideas, philosophies, idols and false gods.
He has allowed us to have our human reasoning tested and it has been found lacking anything beneficial.
As we continue to blindly follow the blinded leaders we are destined for even more devastation all in the name of saving our country.
When are we going to wake up and realize that salvation, humanly speaking, is impossible?
But all things are possible with God.
This is not just a charge against the un-churched of our nation. God begins His judgment at His house, the house of God. He continually calls His people back to repentance and a right standing with Himself.
One of the most famous passages for repentance begins with God saying, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves…”
We, in the church today, have plenty to repent for individually.
We also have whole denominations that have left the Word and ways of God behind. 
I do not write this from a point of self-righteousness. I just happen to believe that God is calling His people to repentance and someone needs to get the message out.
If God’s people do not turn from their wicked ways and begin seeking the face of the Lord, this nation will continue to be slowly crushed under the judgmental hand of God.
But there is still hope.
When Jonah announced God’s judgment to the people of Tarshish he knew that God was a merciful and compassionate God. He knew that the Lord was slow to anger and filled with unfailing love. He knew that God was eager to turn back from destroying people. I believe this to be true even today.
But it is not a good thing to continue testing and provoking the Lord our God.
It’s time for the churches to get back to following the ways of God.
Then those who claim His name need to follow suit also.
Then maybe we would have a greater ability to reach the lost with the message of the One and only true Savior of the world.  
Pastor Thomas R. Swain,
Fist Church of God,
Great Bend