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In New York City, you can visit church after church, from stately cathedrals to small congregations, and you’ll seldom hear a word preached about repentance. The same is true of many evangelical churches across America and worldwide. You can visit congregation after congregation for months on end, and never hear any mention of repentance.

Of course, there are churches today that do not compromise on this important biblical doctrine. But a vast number of churches have decided that repentance is too offensive a message. In fact, entire denominations have de-emphasized it.

Have you ever known depression? Have you been so worried and perplexed that you endured sleepless nights? Have you had times when you were so low and troubled, no one could comfort you? Have you been so down that you felt like giving up, feeling your life was a total failure?

In Matthew 18, Jesus tells a parable to teach his disciples what the kingdom of heaven is like. As with many of his parables, everything in the account relates to Christ and his church.

Jesus begins by describing a king who calls his servants to account. Scripture says, “When he [the king] had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents” (Matthew 18:24). Here was a servant deep in debt. He owed the king the equivalent of hundreds of millions of dollars, an amount he could never pay back.

On the night before his death, Jesus sat down with his disciples to share the Passover supper. The group had an intimate time of communion together. Then, as the meal ended, Christ said solemnly, "The hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table" (Luke 22:21). What a horrible truth to be seen at such an intimate moment. Satan had audaciously entered one of Jesus' own disciples, Judas.

Prayer is often one of the most selfish areas of Christians' lives. When you think about it, most of our prayers focus on our own needs. The two main subjects of our intercession are our own spiritual growth and the needs of our families and friends.

Occasionally, we may reach beyond our own narrow concerns and pray for others. Yet usually when we say, "I'll pray for you," we don't do it. Or, we pray for them once and then quickly forget about their need.

I have never claimed to be a prophet. But there comes a time when the Word of God becomes such a fire in my bones, I have to speak out what I see and hear. Call it a watchman's message, or whatever you will — but I have to tell you what God has put on my heart concerning this nation!

I do believe God has true prophets — those who are occasionally moved upon by the Holy Spirit to foretell future events and coming judgments. Indeed, on a few rare occasions, the Spirit has compelled me to warn of impending judgments. But the prophecy I bring you now is not predictive.

I have a godly friend who has undergone incredible suffering -- physical, spiritual and emotional. This person's suffering has seemed to me to be beyond human endurance. It has been so intense at times, I've wondered how my friend could go on without collapsing under the burden of it all.

Home Depot is a chain of large warehouses that sells home products wholesale. I was in one of their stores recently just as a new work shift arrived, and I watched some of the employees "gird up." They put on black, wide-band belts — or girdles — that were required by their employer. These girdles provided added strength in lifting heavy items, and they helped safeguard against injury. They were an apparel made specifically for the workplace.

Every Christian claims to trust the Lord. But the truth is, many of God's children are not ready to face the black storm of sorrows that is fast approaching!

The vials of God's wrath are soon to be poured out upon the earth, ushering in a time of trouble like none seen before in man's history. And unless we lay hold of a special, unshakable trust in the Lord, few Christians are going to survive the very hard times ahead!

"And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.