"If My People..." A Cry for Repentance

"The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people's conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance."

II Peter 3:9 AMP

"Therefore say to them [the Jews of this day], Thus says the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you; it is the utterance of the Lord of hosts."

Zechariah 1:3 AMP

"Rend your hearts and not your garments and return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness; and He revokes His sentence of evil [when His conditions are met]."

Joel 2:13 AMP

"If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and heal their land."

II Chronicles 7:14 AMP

The following is an excerpt from the Light and the Glory by Peter Marshall and David Manuel

"It is a sobering experience to look closely at our history and see just how highly God regarded what can only be called "a right heart attitude." One finds long droughts broken by a settlement's deliberately fasting and humbling itself, turning back to the God whom they once trusted and had imperceptibly begun to take for granted. One also finds instances of one settlement being spared from Indian attack, while another is decimated, when the only apparent difference seemed to be in their heart attitude towards God and one another.

Whenever we began to wonder if we might not be "shoehorning" history to fit our presuppositions, we had the recorded beliefs of the settlers themselves as a guide. And in page after page of private diary or public proclamation, the immediate response to any disaster, human or natural, was "Where do we need to repent?" In fact, there seemed to be a continuing, almost predictable cycle: in great need and humility, a small body of Christians would put themselves into the hands of their Lord and commit their lives to one another. They would do their best to live together as He had called them to live. And He, in turn, would begin to pour out His blessing on them with health, peace, and bounteous harvests. But as they grew affluent, they would also become proud or complacent or self-righteous.

Nonetheless, the blessing would continue unabated, sometimes for generations, as God continued to honor the obedience of their fathers and grandfathers (Deuteronomy 7:9). But inevitably, because He loved them (and because God's patience has an end), He would be forced to lift the grace which lay upon their land, just enough to cause them to turn back to Him. A drought, or an epidemic of smallpox, or an Indian uprising would come, and the wisest among them would remember….Like the prophets of old, they would call the people to repentance. And if there was a true and lasting change in their heart attitudes, God would forgive their sins, and His grace would be returned.

That a drought could be broken, or an Indian attack averted, by corporate repentance is an idea which sounds alien to many Christians today. Yet it was central to the faith which built this country, and is one of the most prominent, recurring themes in the Bible….This was the linchpin to God's plan for America: that we see ourselves, individually and corporately, in a state of continuing need of God's forgiveness, mercy, and support."

Reading these words aloud in school today, the impression that repentance is the only hope of change for America implanted itself in my heart and seems to be settling in for a stay. Way back in 2007 God began bringing the words of II Chronicles 7:14 "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray….and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land." (Emphasis mine) to mind, often. The impression that Americans need to repent for the sins of their nation has returned repeatedly throughout these past four years.

As I read about repentance releasing the redemptive power of God over a nation and how God's favor would continue unabated for generations of the unfaithful all because of the faithfulness of previous generations, I found myself looking at my children gathered around me. We are a group of believers who believe in and understand the covenant between God and followers of Christ. The question I now hear myself being asked is if it is true that the groups of believers gathered together in repentance need not be large, and history proves this to be so, then what is left to hinder God's redemptive power from once more being experienced in this nation? Could not we, as a family devoted to Christ, repent for the sins of America? Would not God, in His rich mercy and loving-kindness hear, see, and know that there are still people who strive to walk in covenant with Him according to His Word?

Right on the heels of my heart-led wonderings more rushed in. Our family isn't the only family of covenant believers in Christ in America. What would happen if every family of faithful Christians in American made a decision to obey the Word of the Lord, follow the example of those saints who have gone on before, bow their knees, seek the face of God, and turn from their wicked ways in true, sincere, repentance? Would not the hand of God move across this nation? Would not the love of God be revealed in a mighty miraculous way in this land?

I believe it would. I believe with all of my heart that just as God called Israel to turn their back on sin and follow Him with their entire being, that just as He led the early settlers of America to do likewise, He is calling out to Christians in America right now to do the same.

America is tottering on the brink of a dangerous precipice. Yet no matter how overwhelming the wickedness and evil sweeping through the land seems, the goodness of God is greater still. Remember, "If His people who are called by His name…" Today I say as Joshua did in chapter, 24 and verse 15 "… choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you swell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

What about you, dear reader? Whom do you serve? Has the truth of Jesus Christ and the Father's love for you been made plain to you? Do you know that God loves you so much that He sent His son Jesus to earth to live as a man? Did anyone ever tell you that Jesus died on a cross and was beaten beyond recognition as a human to pay the price for your sins and mine? Has it been told to you that because Jesus did this, those who believe in Him and receive this gift of salvation are set free from the curse of the law of sin and death and can live in the righteousness of God? I pray that every one reading this post knows Jesus and is a child of God. However, as long as there is even a remote possibility that someone might not know and love God, I would be honored to introduce you to Him right now. If you long to know and be known by God, who is love, follow along with me in prayer: God, I know that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He came to earth as a man, died on the cross to set me free, rose from the dead three days later, and is now at the right hand of God. I confess Jesus as Lord. Thank You for saving me and making me complete in Christ Jesus. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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Did you just pray along with me? If you did, you are now a child of the Most High God. You have just entered into a covenant of love with the Creator of the Universe. Welcome to the family of God! What now? You just began a relationship with God. In order to have a good relationship, those involved in it spend time together getting to know one another. God already knows you completely. However, most of us bring quite a few incorrect ideas about God into our relationship with Him. You may have some of those yourself. The more time you spend getting to know God, the truer your opinion of Him will become. The best way to know Him? Begin reading His Word, the Bible. Don't have one? Head on over to

www.biblegateway.com. This website provides several different translations of the Bible. Read through several of the translations. When you find one that is easiest for you to understand, begin reading in earnest. The book of John found in the New Testament is a common place for new believers to begin reading.

Here are some verses that go along with today's post: (Please feel free to look them up and study them for yourself.)

John 3:14-18

John 1:5

John 1:12, 14

Romans 8

Romans 8:35

Believers of Jesus gather together to worship the Lord in many places. As they spend time studying the Bible and praying together, they are encouraged and their faith is strengthened. Because there are so many different groups of Christians finding a group to be a part of can seem overwhelming. As difficult as it may be to find a group of faithful believers to meet with, please make the effort to look until one has been found. Most areas have more than one Bible teaching church to attend. The location and/or size of the church does not matter. The most important thing is that they believe Jesus is the Son of God, the only way to be saved, and that they teach the entire Bible. Sadly, there are groups of Christians who only believe portions of the Bible rather than all of it. Yes, a church or body of believers may possess a hypocrite or two, maybe more. Don't allow that to discourage you. Christians are real people doing real life together. They are not perfect; they're saved. Just like you, other believers in Christ are works in progress. Learning what it means to be a Christian and how to live like Jesus takes time. We must all be patient with each other and encourage one another.

Would you like more information than what I've been able to share here? Feel free to visit one or more of the following websites. These ministries have been a tremendous help and encouragement to our family:

www.kcm.org

www.jdm.org
 


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