2 Chronicles 7:14 "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."
What that would look like???
People everywhere who are calling themselves after the Name of God:
1. Humbling themselves
2. Praying
3. Seeking God's face
4. Turning from their wicked ways
"THEN..." God says...
"...then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
This Christmas season while we are out there complaining because we have to see "Happy Holidays" and "Season's Greetings" everywhere instead of Merry Christmas...this season when we are fighting for the best parking spaces so we don't have to walk far, pushing and shoving to get the best items on the shelves...(so we will be loved by our children and family and friends, right? Or so they will love our gifts better than any of the other gifts?)
This season when we are upset about having "Big Government" and "Big Brother" watching our every move...but we want that same government to deal with all the poor people, the homeless, the sick, etc...that same government ruling a country that is divided with over killing unborn children and gay marriage...while we spend our time with sports, shopping, cooking big family feasts, decorating our lavish homes...yet we still send the poor to the government for assistance (all the while complaining about them even needing assistance) while we expect the government to do all this without raising our taxes...well this could go on and on and on.
2000 years ago there was no room in the inn for a poor man and his very pregnant wife to lodge for the night. It wasn't that they didn't have money to pay. The innkeeper just had no more room left. (Wondering...could he not have opened his own room to a woman about to deliver a child instead of sticking her in a dirty barn?) It's our sinful human nature that makes these choices. We wonder today why people don't like church...why the church turns people off instead of drawing them in...at least in America. In other poorer countries around the world, the churches are overflowing. How do we respond to that?
John 13:5 "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
John 13:34 "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."
What does this love look like? Apparently not what we are showing others who really need to see Jesus.
When the Christian Church sends people away rather than helping them...when the Christian church is more concerned with business and building bigger, better buildings, and lots of good programs within the church...but shutting those in need out...when they make money such a big issue that people feel ashamed if they don't give even what they can't give...so instead they stay away...and when that money they do give isn't really reaching the poor or the people Christ wants it to go to help...
How can we expect to get rid of big government until we change? How can we expect God to bless us until we change?
Well...back up to 2 Chronicles 7:14 again...what DOES that look like?
No comments:
Post a Comment