Tag:

repent

If …

by TerryLema

“If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to consume the land, or if I send pestilence on My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” [2 Chronicles 7:13-14 HCSB]

How often have we read or quoted or published that verse? I see it everywhere. And maybe because it has become so familiar, we have become a bit immune to the importance found therein.

God spoke those words as His response to a prayer of a young Solomon at the completion and dedication of the Temple. On the day that the temple was dedicated, the glory of God fell. The chapter opens with that profound event.

“When Solomon finished praying, fire descended from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The priests were not able to enter the Lord’s temple because the glory of the Lord filled the temple of the Lord.” [v1-2 HCSB]

The people of God had received an awesome privilege and blessing, God’s Very Presence came to dwell in their midst. But with that also came a heavy responsibility to remain true to that blessing.

If they failed to remain true, instead of reaping God’s blessings, they would find His judgment. Drought. Famine. Disease. Sound familiar?

Let us be clear about one thing. The judgment that God would send would not be caused by the actions of the pagan nations who did not know Him. It would be the result of the abandonment by God’s people. When they embraced “wicked ways,” God would bring correction. Something to think about, isn’t it?

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A Call to Repent

by TerryLema

1 Kings 13 is an odd chapter in the Old Testament. At least it seems odd to me. Solomon had died, his son Rehoboam had foolishly acted in a way that split the nation. The tribes Judah and Benjamin remained faithful in Jerusalem (becoming the Kingdom of Judah) while the remaining tribes split from them under the leadership of Jeroboam and set up their capital in Samaria (becoming the Kingdom of Israel). Jeroboam, worried about people returning to Jerusalem to worship at the temple and thus reunite with the House of David, set up a false worship, and installed anyone who wanted to be a priest to lead that false worship.

God sent a prophet to Jeroboam to proclaim judgment on the false altar and worship. Then it gets weird with that prophet being seduced by another and eventually killed.

But it is not the weird part I focused on this morning as I read the chapter. It was what Jeroboam did not do at the end of the chapter. “After all this Jeroboam did not repent of his evil way but again set up priests for the high places from every class of people. He ordained whoever so desired it, and they became priests of the high places.  This was the sin that caused the house of Jeroboam to be wiped out and annihilated from the face of the earth.” [vs33-34 HCSB]

Jeroboam, even after being warned about the evil of setting up false worship and idolatry, did not repent. He continued in his wickedness and was eventually destroyed.

God is calling His people to repent. That is the theme for this September 2020. Everywhere I look I hear the call of repentance. And as we know so well, it must begin with the church. We need to look at our ways and see if we have allowed a false worship or a shallow or perverted Gospel to infiltrate our gatherings. We need to determine if our leaders are following God as they should or if they have “become priests of high places.”

To repent involves sorrow and an acknowledgement of guilt as well as the courage to turn from our wicked ways back to our Savior and King. I pray, beloved, that the church finds that courage. Amen

 

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7:14 PM Prayer

by TerryLema

2 Chronicles 7:13-14: “When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” [NKJV]

Many Christians leaders are calling for a day of fasting and prayer tomorrow, March 29. They are also asking Christians to stop at 7:14 PM every night during this crisis and pray 1 Chronicles 7:14. That certainly seems a prophetic word since we are in the midst of a “pestilence” in our land.

We can’t gather in our buildings in most places across this nation. We are to self-isolate to prevent the spread of this COVID-19 pestilence. But I have learned over the years that there is no time nor distance in the power of the Holy Spirit and prayer.

So, let’s join the world and set a timer on our phones, watches, Kindles or whatever to remind us to stop what we are doing at 7:14 PM and pray and repent and humble ourselves before the LORD our God Almighty.

The United States is a great nation, one of the greatest in history. Our people have invented more, done more, that we probably even realize.

Still, there is much for which we need to repent. We are a divided nation under the control of greed and covetousness. We are a nation that sheds the blood of innocents every day. We are a nation that often disregards the poor and the marginal of our society. We spew hate from our media and social media. Many of our churches have become bastions of complacency and heresy.

God promised, however, that if we seek His face, if we turn from our wicked ways, He will hear and forgive and heal our land. 7:14 PM Prayer. Amen.

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Over One Sinner

by TerryLema

If you read one of my favorite chapters in the Gospels, Luke 15, you’ll see those three parables, the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost Sons. And you’ll see something else. Rejoicing!

“’Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” [v6-7]

“’Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” [v9-10]

“Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate…. and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” [v22-23, 32]

Each lost one who returns is a cause for celebration and rejoicing. Not just the rejoicing and celebrating done here when we see someone come to salvation through Christ Jesus … but rejoicing in heaven. I love the way Jesus said it in verse 10 – rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God.

When I read that small phrase, I wonder just Who is doing the rejoicing in the angel’s presence – and I think it is our Father God. Can you imagine the amazement on the faces of the angles as they watch the Father celebrating the return of one child after another? Just to imagine that scene constantly replaying in heaven leaves me breathless spiritually.

That God would love us so. That He would rejoice over each one who comes to Him is almost unfathomable.

Oh Father, thank You for Your love. Amen!

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