My reading has me in Jeremiah, not by accident, I assure you! God has a message for us, today.
“Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good. And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.”
Jeremiah 18:11-12 KJV
Isn't that what we do when we refuse to humble ourself, repent of pride, unbelief and forgive? Are we not walking in obedience to the evil imaginations of our hearts?
That brings hopelessness!
Obedience in repentance brings hope!
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”
Jeremiah 17:9-10 KJV.
“Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.” Jeremiah 17:5 KJV
“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.” Jeremiah 17:7 KJV
This message sounds terrible when filtered through the lies of the enemy - it brings condemnation! However, when filtered through the love of the cross, it brings conviction and hope! Repentance is obedience and obedience is true Worship!
A Gospel with no repentance is not good news! It is the way of death not life and that is what the sleeping church, (that is preaching unity) will lead many, many deceived people to; HELL. They believe they love Jesus and are going to heaven, but they refuse to obey His commandments. That is not love!
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15 KJV
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
James 4:10 KJV
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1 John 2:16 KJV
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16 KJV
“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Matthew 6:14-15 KJV
“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 4:17 KJV
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10 KJV
“In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;” 2 Timothy 2:25 KJV
Do you know why we preach repentance!
Do you know why we shine light on the darkness of the sins of the heart?
Do you know why we sound like a broken record?
Because your life and the lives of the people you love depend on it!
Examining your heart, when God brings to light the darkness still there; laying down your pride; confessing and repenting of your sin, not only brings healing to your body, but gets you that much closer to becoming His bride without spot or blemish. It's us allowing Him to clean us up!
We submit; we surrender; we obey - we become usable.
Father, we come to You, having nothing we can boast in, but we can boast in You; Your mercy and Your grace and Your great love! LORD, open our eyes; open our ears; change our hearts - bring us to repentance! Expose all of the darkness we have hidden in our hearts so that we may see our sins. We lay down our pride, and repent in complete surrender, for You are God, and we are not! We ask this in Jesus’ precious name!
Now sit down and make a list of the people who have hurt you and those you have hurt. When you ask - God will show you the faces and the instances you need to address; those that still hurt are not forgiven. Even if you have said “I forgive them” - put them down.
Let’s get ready for Repentance Sunday! Get ready for revival!
Even so - MARANATHA!
From 11/25/16
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