Good-bye 2020! This year will go down as the beginning of God’s reckoning with America. What a doozy! We're still in the throes of a devastating pandemic. Spiraling anxiety. Financial woes. Racial and social unrest. Thank God for the Covid-19 vaccine, but it's apparent we’re not out of the woods yet. The Most High is still shaking things up! But to what end? What's the purpose behind the pain? I think you know already. We all know. (See my July 1st post, “God still believes in spanking!”)
Deep within our collective gut, we all have a sense of what the LORD is doing. And for those who have ears to hear, He states plainly, “If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14 KJV).
It’s the people of faith who carry the burden of revival! Notice that this verse, this principle of revival, is addressed to the people of God, the people of faith. The Lord doesn't say, "If the people of the world get their act together, then I'll do my healing thing." No! Judgment is to begin with the household of God (1 Peter 4:17). If you don’t remember anything else from this post, please remember this: Judgment is to begin with those who are called by his name! Jesus Christ is judging the household of faith first. Before He judges the world, He shakes out His body. Before He addresses the sinner, He calls to task the saints!
The church is being judged today. Some churches and Christian organizations are being exposed for being political machines instead of conduits of grace. Many are chasing the almighty dollar instead of the Almighty. Some are more interested in political cover than the protective covering of El Elyon, the Most High God. Class warfare is the order of the day instead of spiritual warfare. It’s not difficult for us to display a posture of holiness to the outside world, but God sees our heart (1 Sam. 16: 7)! So I ask: Are we still all-in for the Lord, or have we drifted from our first love? Are we loving on Jesus and pleading for power from on high to reach lost souls around us? Or, are we just going through the motions while we ask our celestial Santa Claus for more material things? It’s my firm conviction that before we can have true revival, we must first reject the spirit of worldliness.
Prosperity preachers, political preachers and ministers who don’t believe the Bible have done a great disservice to the body of Christ! Their great sin is they've caused God’s people to forget the great truth that this world is not our home (1 John 2:15-17)! Take a moment later today and read again Hebrews 11. Those saints listed in the “Hall of Fame for the Faithful” were victorious over the world, the flesh and the devil because they kept their eyes on the prize. And the prize wasn’t a big house, fine clothes and expensive cars. These faithful believers considered themselves to be “strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”
Check out what it says about Moses: “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward” (vv.24-26 NKJV). The believers in this inspiring, faith-building chapter kept their focus on the reward. Verse 16 says, “But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”
Brian Edwards shares, “In revival, the minds of people are concentrated upon things of eternity, and there is an awareness that nothing else really matters.” Andrew Murray added, “A true revival means nothing less than a revolution, casting out the spirit of worldliness, making God’s love triumph in the heart.” Do you truly want revival? Are you willing to "pray" the price for revival? Do you realize if we don't have revival in America, our country can soon descend into chaos and disgrace (Proverbs 14:34)!
Believers in Christ are God's co-workers, his fellow workers, according to 1 Corinthians 3:9. Therefore, we have a role to play if we desire to see the promised results of 2 Chronicles 7:14. The LORD has fixed it so that if believers don't do their part, He's not obliged to do His part. That's how "if-then" scenarios work. Before God hears our prayers, forgives our sins and heals our land, his people - not the world, must first obey the four directives found in this word. These directives are clearly laid out in the passage: if my people humble ourselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their dusty ways, THEN... What has to happen first? When these four actions are executed by His people, THEN the Most High will do His thing and show up strong on our behalf.
Church folk, believers in Christ, the Jesus freaks, the born-again people who claim to love and fear God, the saints - we must first uphold our part of this "if-then" scenario. And please note that 2 Chronicles 7:14 is just that, an "if-then" proposition! In essence God is saying, "If my fellow workers do their part of the job, then I'll do mine. However, if my co-workers don't do their part, then I won't do my part either." Clear as a bell!
A section of my book is devoted to Evangelist Dr. John R. Rice's teaching on the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Listen to what he says regarding revival. "God's great lack is not power enough to save sinners, nor sinners enough who can be saved, not circumstances that are favorable. No. God suffers for lack of workers, and He earnestly pleads with us, "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest" (Matt.9:38; Luke 10:2). The trouble is not with the world, but with the church. The trouble is not with the sinners, but with the saints. The revival problem is a Christian problem. We can have revival now if we want it enough to do God's will." Amen, Brother Rice! I say again: the judgment of God is to begin with the household of God (1 Peter 4:17).
When Jesus was ministering in Nazareth, his home town, it states in Matthew 13:58: "Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief." That's a terrible indictment against the people of Nazareth. Their lack of faith prevented a mighty outpouring of God's blessings. Will the future record show, “Now He did not do many mighty works in America because of their unbelief”? I pray that not be the case, and it won’t be, if we trust and obey.
All across America, the Spirit of God is lifting up 2 Chronicles 7:14. If we prove ourselves to be doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:22), this powerful verse can be the pathway to a spiritually prosperous new year. The premise of my book is God uses pain to prepare His people for revival, and I believe revival is coming in 2021. I believe The Spiritual Awakening of America is happening, and I trust you want to be a part of it. Click here to learn more.
Grace, Peace and Jahspeed!