Kingdom Revival #8

Posted on FaceBook Dec 18, 2020

KINGDOM REVIVAL 8 Repentance

Hello, Kingdom

“. . . . and turn from their wicked ways . . . .”

And now we come to the final ingredient in the recipe for revival, as given us in 2 Chronicles 7:14, which is repentance. Scriptures give several examples of God’s wrath unleashed, or threatened to be released, on His people. Yet in each instance, His mercy is also on display.

– Genesis 3:21: God banishes Adam and Eve from Eden after they disobeyed his command to not eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. But, showing His mercy and to make a point, He clothed them with animal skin.

– Genesis:5-9: God’s wrath with man is apparent when He causes Noah to build an ark to save his family and 2 of every animal on earth before destroying the rest of humankind in a great flood. There was no opportunity for repentance.

– Genesis 19: God decides to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sinful, wicked, ways. Abraham, learning of the impending destruction, pleads with God that if he could find 50 good men (and eventually just 10), the towns would be spared. God agrees, but angels found only Lot, warned him to gather his family and leave immediately. Lot could convince only his wife and two daughters to flee with him. But Lot’s wife looked back and was turned to a pillar of salt.

– Book of Jonah: God instructs Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and warn the people He would destroy it in 40 days because of its wickedness. Jonah takes the scenic route, going away from Nineveh by boat, and returning inside the belly of a great fish. Jonah was running away in fear of going to the wicked Nineveh. When he finally arrives and preaches the message God has given him, he does such a good job, the King and the people repent and turn from their wicked ways. God relents from destroying them.

These are but four examples. In the first God banishes but shows mercy before following through. In the second, God saves Noah and his family, but destroys everyone else. In the third, God, after allowing the righteous to flee, follows through with the destruction. In the fourth, God gives opportunity for repentance, gets a great response and relents from the promised destruction. Now we find a similar situation as Jonah, in 2 Chronicles, when God gives Solomon the “recipe” for revival.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God gives us the promise of restoring our lands. The story of Jonah later in Scriptures, is an example of what “turning from their wicked ways” can accomplish. That promise of hope is as valid today as it was when Chronicles was written. God may not have created this pandemic, though He could have to test our faithfulness. Had we as one body responded and repented immediately at the onset, things might look a lot different today. Have we become so lost that God resorted to wiping out many? Whether this pandemic was created and unleashed by God, or He is using it for His good, the response by us should have been the same: repentance. This pandemic gave us an opportunity to draw closer to God, to choose a path of personal and spiritual revival, a reset of our walk with Jesus Christ. How well have we done? How have YOU responded? Many of us thought this pandemic would end on Resurrection Sunday way back in April, but here we are 8 months later, still in the middle of it all. Now we may be hoping that it will end with the season celebrating the birth of Christ.

Now, as then, and way back 2000 years ago, our focus is still off-center. We are looking for a quick fix rather than a life-style change. We must turn from our wicked ways, seek God’s face, pray and humble ourselves before God.

I’ll leave you today with God’s Word from Ephesians 4:30-32: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ Forgave you.”

Be Blessed!