These are sad, sad days.

Christians and Christian leaders are not the only ones falling into gross sexual perversion. But it is more sad when they do, because it’s an anti-testimony to the promise of gospel to yield new life.

This week, I had to witness the tragic story of a Christian leader—a

man I had met a few times and listened to on many occasions—who confessed to gross sexual misconduct with a minor. The details of his secret life are just beginning to be exposed, but there’s so much to grieve.

There is the child or children he has harmed. The wife who probably was unaware of his secret life. A young step-son who was certainly in harms way. I imagine his wider family and friends and how they must feel. Let alone the multitudes who know him and were influence by him through his very public ministry position.

I couldn’t even begin to know how to pray about these events this week and it just makes me weary in my heart. so I went to the Word…

Psalm 94

O LORD, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth! Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve!

O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult? They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. They crush your people, O LORD, and afflict your heritage. They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless;

And they say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.” 

Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge— the LORD—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.

Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law, to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked. For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it. 

Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers?

If the LORD had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute? They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge. He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the LORD our God will wipe them out. 

The truth is, our world is infected with many viral and wicked spirits that consuming far too many brothers and sisters, ruining lives, stealing innocence, corrupting ministries and blaspheming the Name of the Lord.

But anytime I’ve read these kinds of words in scriptures, especially in the Psalms were the laments are so passionate and raw, like “Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve,” I have felt uncomfortable. Because these kinds of seems texts seem so uncompassionate. So condemning.

Its like our Christian culture today is so fearful of being seen as judgemental that we are scared to speak up and condemn evil acts, we’re afraid to call things sin, to teach the fear of God and to demand repentance. We’re afriand to call believers to accountability and to hold each other to standards of purity before a Holy God. Instead, our first desire to be seen as as tolerant and open.

But this Psalm is nothing but a cry out to the Lord and hard demand for His justice.

And I had to ask myself, Am I willing to pray that like that? Am I willing to cry out to God to bring the full might of his justice and retribution to bear on all who are intent on stealing innocence, killing children and widows and destroying righteousness?

Am I willing to pray like that? Do I dare call down the full fury of the Lord, The Most High, the Almighty on this generation that is willfully harboring a legion of gross, perverted evil spirits and letting them run rampant on our streets, in our schools, in our community, on our televisions, in our movie theatres and in private spaces of our hearts?

Am I willing to pray out loud, “Lord! How long will you be mocked! How long will we have to endure this wickedness before You come with your power and might and bring the rod of correction? Rise up for us against the wicked! Wipe them out  and restore Your Name… Lord, wipe them out!”

Am I willing to pray like that?

Yes.