HEAL OUR LAND

"If my people, which 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 7:14

When Solomon dedicated the house of the Lord, God made His presence known.  That night, the Lord spoke to Solomon and gave him spiritual insight concerning Israel's spiritual future. 

The Lord knew that there would be times when Israel would turn from Him.  God knew that His people would forsake Him and reap the consequences of sin.  The Lord told Solomon that Israel would face consequences for their sin:  "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."  Notice three specific catastrophes that Israel would face because of their sin:  drought, destruction and disease.  Thankfully, the Lord offered Israel hope for such occasions.  He gave them directions on how to return to fellowship with Him.  He promised that if they obeyed His instructions, He would, "... heal their land."

Let me be very candid with you.  We, in America, need God to heal our land.  We are in desperate need for the Lord to intervene in our nation and bring us healing.  Here are some reasons our land needs healing:

• Racial unrest.  Our nation has deep, widening racial issues that are destroying our nation.
• Social strife.  The hostile demonstrations we are seeing on the news give us an indication of how close we are to lawlessness in our streets.
• Increased violence.  It is a common thing to hear about mass shootings.  The massacre of our citizens has become regular headlines in our news.
• Terrorism.  Much of the violence mentioned above is inspired by terrorism.  Our country is vulnerable to terrorism.
• Lack of respect for authority.  Our law enforcement officers are under attack in our nation.  They are being targeted for murder. 
• Political corruption.  Let's be honest.  There is wide scale political corruption in America.  This deepens the hostility that exists among our residents.
• Economic woes.  Our nation is deeply in debt.  It is unthinkable that our nation can ever repay the debt we owe ... and yet we continue to add to this debt.  This could easily lead to the economic downfall of America.
• Spiritual apathy.  Most church members in America do not see the spiritual disaster that we are facing.  Instead of being salt & light, most church members blend in with the sinful society they live in. 

I could easily go on, but I think these issues underscore the need we have for a spiritual awakening in America. 

When God revealed the consequences that Israel would face when they forsake Him, He also gave them this promise:  "If my people, which 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."  This verse was given for the nation, Israel, but I believe there are some spiritual principles found in the verse that give us our only hope for America.  You see, spiritual revival is America's only real hope.  From this verse, let's look at how revival can turn a nation around.

1.   THE PEOPLE OF REVIVAL

First of all, we see the people of revival.  God said, "If my people, which are called by my name..."  Revival can only come as God's people return to Him.  The word, "revival," means to "live again."  An unbeliever cannot "live again," because he has never lived to begin with.  He is still spiritually dead and far from God.  Revival is all about God's people getting right with Him. 

Furthermore, God says that His people, "... are called by my name."  Many religious activities have little or nothing to do with God. 

God is calling His people to experience revival.  The key to America's future is not found in the White House but in God's House.  The future of America does not hinge on what happens in a voting booth but in the prayer closet. 

2.  THE PATH TO REVIVAL

Secondly, we learn about the path to revival.  Revival is not about having extra services at church or having an evangelist come to town with a Gospel tent.  Although there is nothing wrong with extra services or an anointed evangelist, neither of these modern ideas are specifically mentioned in God's plan.  Look at the four things God identifies:

First of all, God calls His people to humility.  "If my people ... shall humble themselves."  Far too many Christians expect sinners to kneel and pray when they won't do so themselves.  Many believers expect unbelievers to publicly repent when they themselves refuse to repent.  It is time for God's people to quit being so pushy, arrogant and proud.  It is time we get off our high horse and humbly turn to the Lord.  The Bible states that God resists the proud.  I believe that God has turned His back on many believers and churches because of their pride.  The Bible says, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up."  Humility is the undeniable first step of revival.

Secondly, the Lord challenges His people to pray.  The Lord said, "If my people ... pray..."  When we humble ourselves, we find that we are totally dependent upon God.  Unless God turns things around, we have no hope in our homes, our churches, our businesses or our nation.  Desperation should drive us to our knees in humble prayer.

Third, the Lord invites us to seek His face.  God said, "If my people ... seek my face..."  Instead of looking to politicians, the Supreme Court or Wall Street for help, we need to look to the Lord.  Our faith and hope should be in God, not the government.  When God becomes our only love, His desire becomes our passion and His Word becomes our marching plans, then we can begin to see changes take place. 

Finally, we are instructed to repent.  The Lord said, "If my people ... turn from their wicked ways."  We can't do things in the future like we've done them in the past.  I believe that America is in the mess she is in due, in great part, to the spiritual failure of the American church.  It is time we quit playing church and start being the church.  The American church does not even resemble the early church found in the Scriptures. 

Let me be honest with you.  I can't count the times when I've gotten on the wrong road when I was driving.  It is embarrassing to admit that I've taken a wrong road.  Yet if I intend to arrive at the right destination, I must turn around and get on the right road.  Turning around is the key to reaching the right destination.  In life, turning around is known as repentance.  The American church --- and those of us in it --- needs to turn around.  We must repent.

3.  THE PRODUCT OF REVIVAL

Finally, we learn about the results of revival.  There are three things that God promises:

First, the Lord promises that He will hear the prayer of His people.  The Lord said, "...then will I hear from heaven."  I think it would be shocking to know how many church members pray daily, but rarely get answers to prayer.  When revival comes, God's people get back into fellowship with Him and experience the joy of having answered prayers.

Secondly, God promises to forgive the sins of His people.  In our text, God promises forgiveness to His people.  The Lord's people will regain the joy they once had.  Believers will once again have a song within and won't be able to keep silent.

Finally, the Master declares that He will heal the land.  The Bible says, "... then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Believers often think that revival comes when unbelievers repent.  Actually, the salvation of souls is often a product of revival and not revival itself.  When God's people return to their first love, evangelism becomes fruitful.  Lives are changed.  Families are reunited.  Relationships are mended.  God is glorified.

Occasionally, we hear of an outbreak of revival here or there, such as the revival that has taken place recently in Burlington, NC.  What we desperately need is a massive revival that sweeps across this land.  God is able to do it.  Are we willing to surrender our pride, desperately pray to the Lord, quit playing church and seek Him completely?

We don't have time to waste.  I challenge every reader to make this the day you humble yourself, pray, seek the Lord and repent.  Today may be the beginning of a great revival that turns our nation around!

THE TASK OF A LIFETIME

"And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD." - 1 Chronicles 28:20

Do you want to accomplish something grand in your lifetime?  Perhaps you are working hard to achieve goals and specific dreams, yet there are times when God says "no" to our dreams.  He may keep us from reaching certain goals that we set, including goals that seem worthwhile.

That was the case for King David.  David had a great ambition.  He wanted to build a great house for God.  You would think that God would certainly allow David to accomplish this mission, but instead, God told David that the house would not be built by him, but by his son.

As David neared death, he challenged his son to build a house for God.  1 Chronicles 28:20 is part of David's charge to Solomon:  "And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD."  King David was very vocal and intentional in his desire to have this project completed by his son.  Consider a few things about this amazing project.

1.  THE PLAN

First of all, there was the plan.  Even though David would not get to build the house of God, he made specific plans for the house.  He worked on design and materials for the project.  He made sure that his son would have everything he needed to accomplish the job.

2.  THE PERSUASION

Secondly, there was David's persuasion.  David had a grand vision, but he had to pass this vision on to his son.  Vision is not transferred automatically.  Vision is not transferred by genetics. 

Notice the words that David used to motivate his son:  "Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed."  You might say that David gave his son a pep talk in this verse.  Notice the encouragement David gave to Solomon:

• "Be strong."  David did not want his son to be a weak leader.  Strong leadership would be required to accomplish the task at hand.
• "Be ... of good courage."  David didn't want Solomon to be an insecure leader either.  Doubts and insecurities have destroyed many leaders.
• "... do it."  King David intended for his son to be a man of action and accomplishment.  It is one thing to plan a job.  It is another thing to actually accomplish the job. 
• "... fear not, nor be dismayed."  It is easy to get overwhelmed when you face a huge task.  David knew that Solomon would be tempted to give up and quit.  At the time of David's speech, Solomon was a young man.  When a young man faces a huge project, he often begins with great confidence, but soon the magnitude of the job weighs him down and gets him discouraged. 

David knew how to persuade his son.  David was entrusting his dream to his young son, Solomon. 

3.  THE PROMISE

Finally, there's the promise.  David promised Solomon:  "... he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD."  Solomon was promised that God would not let him down during this project.  God would be there for him.  Notice the extent of the promise, "... until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD." What a promise! 

Many people plan to accomplish something great in their lives.  A few actually begin accomplishing dreams, just to get distracted or discouraged and then quit. Very few actually finish the great project or lifelong dream.  Solomon would not only begin the task, he would finish it.

After David's death, Solomon built the great temple of God.  It was an amazing building.  It was his father's dream, but it became Solomon's dream, too.  It was the task of a lifetime and Solomon was blessed to complete the project.  The temple would later be referred to as, "Solomon's temple," but it was really the house of God.

Has God put a dream on your heart?  Are you doing anything about it?  The first step in finishing a project is to simply begin.  Today would be a great day to start.

THE INVISIBLE MAJORITY

"Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them."

- 2 Kings 6:16

Six books of the Bible give us a detailed history of the kings of Israel and Judah.  Of these six books, 2 Kings remains my favorite.  The book of 2 Kings opens with the final years of Elijah's ministry and quickly moves to the dynamic ministry of Elisha.  The book concludes with a historical record of several kings and the nature of their reign.

The ministry of Elisha is my favorite part of 2 Kings.  Elisha was a mighty man of God.  The Lord used him during a time of great apostasy and sin.  Kings feared and hated him because he would boldly pronounce God's judgment on their sin. 

The King of Syria became upset when he learned that Elisha was receiving inside information from God.  God would reveal to Elisha details about the Syrian military strategy.  Elisha would then tell the king of Israel who used the information to bring disaster on the Syrian army. 

When the king of Syria learned this, he sent his army to stop Elisha.  As the Syrian army surrounded Elisha, his servant got anxious and said, "Alas, my master!  how shall we do?" (2 Kings 6:15).

I must confess that often I have been like Elisha's servant.  There have been times that I've only looked at situations from a worldly viewpoint.  How easy it is to look at the visible and forget the things that are invisible.  It is simple to concentrate on the temporal and overlook the eternal.  It is easy to focus on the problems of man rather than the promises of God.

Elisha responded to his servant by saying, "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them."  Furthermore, Elisha prayed that the eyes of his servant would be opened to see the invisible army that was available to help them.  When the servant's eyes were opened, he saw that the mountain was covered with a mighty army sent to assist Elisha.

                       

Elisha saw things by faith.  His servant only saw things by sight.  These days it is easy to be consumed and overwhelmed by the evil of our land.  Things seem hopeless to us.  We scramble to find human solutions for the problems of this world.  However, human solutions will never resolve the deep, complex issue of sin.  Only God can do this.

Lest we be overcome with fear and doubt, I think we should learn some things from Elisha's observation.

1.  LIVE BY FAITH, NOT BY FEAR

First of all, Elisha said, "Fear not..."  Believers should not be living in fear.  We are called to live by faith.  The focus of our faith needs to be on God.  We should have no confidence in politics, promises and programs.  Our hope is in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  Our confidence and trust is in Him alone.

2.  LIVE ON PROMISES, NOT IN PANIC

We have the promise that God is with us all the time (see Matthew 28:20 and Hebrews 13:5).  Christians should live on the promises of God. 

I believe that Elisha's servant was in panic mode, don't you?  Yet Elisha was calm in spite of overwhelming bad news.  Elisha knew that God would fight for him.  Do you have such confidence?

3.  LIVE WITH ASSURANCE, NOT WITH ANXIETY

Elisha said, "... they that be with us are more than they that be with them."  Elisha had assurance that the host of the Lord was far greater in number and power than the Syrian army.

Back in 1980, Jerry Falwell began a conservative movement called, "The Moral Majority."  Today, the forces of evil seem to have overrun our country.  The majority seems to be immoral, ungodly and aggressive.  Christian persecution is beginning in our country, often with the approval of our courts.  To the ungodly host, it seems as though they are in the majority.  The reality is that the host of the Lord vastly outnumbers the forces of evil.  A third of the angels may have fallen along with Lucifier, but that leaves God with two angels for every demon the devil has.  Furthermore, God alone stands with greater power than all other beings combined. 

Think for just a moment.  If you are a follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells within you, the Son of God is praying for you, and the Father is watching over you.  The angel of the Lord encamps around you.  You are not alone in the fight.  For just a short period of time, the devil and his followers have limited power.  God has the ultimate power and will have the final say-so. 

We don't have to live in fear.  We don't have to stay in panic mode.  Anxiety doesn't have to rule our lives.  God is in control.  Because He is in control, we can comfort other believers with Elisha's words, "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them."

WHERE DO YOU STAND?

"And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word." - 1 Kings 18:21

These days, everyone has an opinion about God.  Some deny the existence of God.  Others have a "god" that is conceived in their minds, representing the ideals they embrace.  When all is said and done, everyone will face the reality that they have tried to avoid:  there is only one God. 

Let me be very candid with you.  There is not a Baptist God, a Pentecostal God, a Lutheran God, a New Age God or a Mormon God.  There's only one God and He revealed Himself to us through the Holy Scriptures.  

On Mount Carmel, God's man, Elijah, confronted the prophets of Baal.  A line was drawn in the sand.  Either the Lord was God or Baal was God.  It was like an old western movie, where a gunfight in the street would settle things.  In this case, an obvious, tangible test was given.  A sacrifice would be placed on an altar.  Each side would be given an opportunity to pray and the God who consumed the sacrifice with fire would prove Himself to be God.  Or as Elijah phrased it, "... the God that answereth by fire, let him be God."

As Elijah was about to challenge the prophets of Baal, he issued a call to the crowd:  "How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him." 

Three things became obvious from this challenge --- and the response of the people:

1.  MANY REFUSED TO STAND FOR ANYTHING

The response to Elijah's call seemed like an easy decision, didn't it?  Yet the Bible states, "And the people answered him not a word."  It is sad when people lack the courage to stand up for what is right. 

Across America, the Gospel goes forth and yet many people refuse to take a stand for Jesus Christ.  Like Elijah's day, many refuse to stand for anything.  In an effort to protect a reputation or remain "politically correct," many refuse to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  These days, it is common to hear people say, "I don't talk about religion."  In other words, they have no faith to stand on. 

2.  SOME STOOD FOR THE WRONG THINGS

On Mount Carmel, there were some who stood for the wrong things.  450 prophets of Baal got their moment of attention when they prayed to their god and asked for fire to come down and consume the sacrifice.  Baal worship was more common than the worship of God at that time.  It doesn't matter whether something is popular or trendy; all that matters is the truth.

Sadly, many are honored for being "good people," despite the fact they have stood for the wrong things in life.  It doesn't matter if you were citizen of the year.  All that matters is where you stood concerning Jesus Christ.

It is common to hear people give their opinions about spiritual things.  Ultimately, your opinion will not matter.  The ruling of the United States Supreme Court will not carry any weight.  The latest polls will have no value.  When you leave this world, you will stand before a holy God, not a god of your choosing.  You will be judged based upon His truth, not your preferences. 

Some say that the only thing that is important is that you are sincere in your belief.  You can sincerely believe the wrong thing.  A man may sincerely believe he has taken the correct road and still be traveling in the wrong direction.  The prophets of Baal were religious, sincere and zealous --- and yet they were wrong.  They even cut themselves and were willing to suffer for their faith.  Many say that, "all roads lead to God."  Yet Baal's road did not lead to life ... it led to death.  Baal's prophets died that day because they stood for the wrong things.  Many that we know today will go to hell because they stand for the wrong things.   

3.  ELIJAH'S STOOD ALONE FOR THE KING OF KINGS

Many stood for nothing, some stood for the wrong things, but only one stood for the Lord God ... Elijah.  Elijah stood alone in spite of the overwhelming apathy of the people and the idolatry of Baal's prophets.  It would have been easy to blend in with the crowd and avoid confrontation.

Because of Elijah's bold faith, he was accused of being a troublemaker (verse 17).  That sounds like the accusations brought against Christians today, doesn't it?   Yet if a man stands for the truth during a time of falsehood, he is not the troublemaker.  Those who reject truth, promote lies and mislead others are the true troublemakers. 

When Elijah prayed, God sent down the fire and it consumed the sacrifice.  Elijah stood alone for the King of Kings. 

Here in America, our nation stands on the brink of God's judgment.  The sins that God condemns are embraced, encouraged and endorsed by those who seek to lead us.  Few are standing for the truth.  Although it is disheartening to see our nation become a cesspool of iniquity, I think it is time for people to be challenged with the question:  "How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow Him."

When it comes to Jesus Christ, where do you stand?