AND it is a time to repent
I believe God is speaking to His Church right now in many ways, emphasizing certain Biblical teachings/truths. We have all been hearing many of the same messages/emphases:
"Do NOT fear"
"Have faith" ("Believe", "Trust", etc. - "Focus on God's promises")
"Draw near to me" (intimacy)
"Fast and Pray"
"Preach the Gospel" ("Share the hope that is within you..."
"Go into all the world" ("Reach out to people")
"_______________" (fill in the blank, etc. etc.)
But if we are listening, Jesus is also telling us to REPENT. Jesus would often say, "to those who have ears to hear, let them hear". He knew all-too-well that many do not have ears to hear. They refuse to listen. They would rather listen to Christian teachers who are giving them "what their itching ears want to hear" (2 Tim 4:4)
Jesus, speaking to the Church in Laodicea, said this (and IS SAYING THIS TODAY):
"Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent." (Rev 3:19)
What was okay a month ago is not okay now. Everything is being shaken in our lives. I think that this is the Lord inviting His bride into deep repentance in any and every area of our lives. In my times of prayer, the Lord has highlighted compromise in my life. Daily He is bringing correction to wrong attitudes that keep popping up and dealing with those areas of my life where I am not trusting Him. And it seems like it can be different from day to day - in other words, I feel like I am walking in faith and full of love one day, and then the next day I can be wrestling with anger and/or frustration.
I have had a number of Christian men reach out to me in the past few weeks to bring their sin into the light (even as the Scripture says, "confess your sins one to another that you may be healed" (James 5:16). They have come with to bring into the light their sexual sin, and also fear and anxiety. I know that this is happening all over the world!
So let us do what Jesus calls His church to do and REPENT.
*Turn away from anything and everything that gets between us and God!
*Turn away from any and all compromise!
*Turn off entertainment that we know 100% Jesus would never watch and would never have us watch if we were honest!
*Turn away from any and all illegitimate places we are turning to numb our pain!
*Turn away from our lack of love that has not compelled us to reach out to the people we are meeting!
*Turn away from our chronic unbelief that is being revealed at this time!
*Turn away from listening to voices that are contradicting what God is saying!
There is a NEW NORMAL that God wants to produce in our lives through this crisis - there is a disciplining that is intended to produce repentance in our lives.
"to those who have ears to hear...let them hear"
"Do NOT fear"
"Have faith" ("Believe", "Trust", etc. - "Focus on God's promises")
"Draw near to me" (intimacy)
"Fast and Pray"
"Preach the Gospel" ("Share the hope that is within you..."
"Go into all the world" ("Reach out to people")
"_______________" (fill in the blank, etc. etc.)
But if we are listening, Jesus is also telling us to REPENT. Jesus would often say, "to those who have ears to hear, let them hear". He knew all-too-well that many do not have ears to hear. They refuse to listen. They would rather listen to Christian teachers who are giving them "what their itching ears want to hear" (2 Tim 4:4)
Jesus, speaking to the Church in Laodicea, said this (and IS SAYING THIS TODAY):
"Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent." (Rev 3:19)
What was okay a month ago is not okay now. Everything is being shaken in our lives. I think that this is the Lord inviting His bride into deep repentance in any and every area of our lives. In my times of prayer, the Lord has highlighted compromise in my life. Daily He is bringing correction to wrong attitudes that keep popping up and dealing with those areas of my life where I am not trusting Him. And it seems like it can be different from day to day - in other words, I feel like I am walking in faith and full of love one day, and then the next day I can be wrestling with anger and/or frustration.
I have had a number of Christian men reach out to me in the past few weeks to bring their sin into the light (even as the Scripture says, "confess your sins one to another that you may be healed" (James 5:16). They have come with to bring into the light their sexual sin, and also fear and anxiety. I know that this is happening all over the world!
So let us do what Jesus calls His church to do and REPENT.
*Turn away from anything and everything that gets between us and God!
*Turn away from any and all compromise!
*Turn off entertainment that we know 100% Jesus would never watch and would never have us watch if we were honest!
*Turn away from any and all illegitimate places we are turning to numb our pain!
*Turn away from our lack of love that has not compelled us to reach out to the people we are meeting!
*Turn away from our chronic unbelief that is being revealed at this time!
*Turn away from listening to voices that are contradicting what God is saying!
There is a NEW NORMAL that God wants to produce in our lives through this crisis - there is a disciplining that is intended to produce repentance in our lives.
"to those who have ears to hear...let them hear"
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