REPENTANCE LEADS TO A PLACE OF RESOLVE!

 Daneille Gray Snowden (c)2021

2021

The theme for 2 Chronicles 7:14  is: 'repentant-prayer.' It begins with the big two letter word:

IF!         

Wow! As a mom, I found myself saying; "Only IF my kids would listen and obey...."

 As a minister and co-pastor with my husband, again and again we would say this; "IF only the church would rise up and be who God called them to be."

To myself; whelp, let's just say I have said: "IF" to Daneille countless times! 😁

IF's synonyms: whenever, assuming that, granted that, with the condition that...

"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 Chron. 7:14

Replacing IF in this passage with it's synonyms we read: 

"WHENEVER MY PEOPLE..."   "ASSUMING MY PEOPLE..."     "GRANTED THAT MY PEOPLE..."      "WITH THE CONDITION THAT MY PEOPLE..."

'WILL PRAY - SEEK ME & TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS...'

Another words, right now in history the ball is in our hands! 🏀

We shall call this ball: REPENTANCE! Repenting even when we're not individually 'at-fault', but repenting on behalf of our nation, and the church!

Prayers such as: 'Dear God, please forgive us for turning away from Your Ways which is clearly lined out in Your Word; by running our country with the ideology of man instead of You! Forgive us for the thousands of babies we have slaughtered because we developed this ideology.' 

When we look at the word repentance, I would first like to look at the base word: Penitence. It is the act of self mortification of devotion and showing sorrow for a sin.

In true repentance we envelope sorrow and become contrite. 

Penance, Repent, Contrite & Remorse all mean: regret for sin and wrong doing. 

Penitence implies sadness and being humble realizing ones misdeeds. 

When we repent; it will bring us to a place of resolve! 

I love this! 

Our human mindset is led to believe if we repent we just sentenced ourselves to a life prison term. But, this is not the case!

REPENTANCE LEADS TO A PLACE OF RESOLVE!

This  resolve is accomplished by the BLOOD OF JESUS! Not by our own merit!

Heb. 9:14 "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

There are examples of men and woman of God who cried out for their people. For example:

Elijah- He came from a life of obscurity to confront a King (Ahab) +  the nation which was steeped in idolatry. Calling for repentance. 

Haggai - who challenged them to 'Consider their ways!' (1:5)

Read about the lives of Esther, Isaiah, Paul...and more as they challenged their people to turn from evil and surrender to God.

REPENTANCE REVEALS A HUMBLE HEART!

See David's response in Psalms 51:  [Read entire chapter: PSALM 51 ]

v.1 "Have mercy upon me, O God..." 

v.3 "For I acknowledge my transgressions..."

v.7 "Purge me.." 

v.14 "Deliver me from the guilt of..."

v.17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart

These, O God, You will not despise.

I love what author Claire Musters said;

 "It opens us up to our own healing by releasing God's grace on our life."

This allows us to embellish more so in His Love and Forgiveness! Plus, releases a security and even faith! 

Repentance to our God and to one another helps us grow in maturity as well; this happens as we learn to accept responsibilities when we make mistakes. 

Matthew 6:14-15

 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

👉REMEMBER THE ENEMY'S TACTIC IS TO DIVIDE & ISOLATE US!

He will stir-up hurts, then comes unforgiveness. 

1 Peter 5:8

 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

Yet, repentance can build unity!

Col. 3:13 "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."

1 Cor. 1:10 "I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be UNITED in the SAME MIND and the SAME JUDGEMENT."

A CHALLENGE TO THE CHURCH RIGHT NOW: 

Rev. 2:5 

"Remember therefore from where you have fallen; REPENT and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—UNLESS YOU REPENT."

In v.4 God is telling them they have lost their first love. They have lost their passion, relationship, desire and goals by not placing God and His Ways first; proceeding on in sin towards Him as well as to one another. 

The church needs healing! It will come as we turn back to God in a full repentance mode! 

I read a good study where they stated that: 

"If we don't repent, we worship ourselves!"

Simply saying; God doesn't know better than I (or others) do.

When we repent; we are basically worshiping God!

Brad Hambrick made a list on when we do not repent we are basically saying:

1.) We know better than God.

2.) We brainstorm support for the false beliefs we want to hold onto.

3.) We grow convinced that God should rule as we believe.

4.) We long for a world that follows our beliefs.

5.) We try to make God into our own image.

He stated: "The basic definition of repentance is: agreeing with God."

&

"If we fail to repent, we miss an opportunity to reveal the majesty of God's Character and redemption to ourselves."

There is hope and victory for us individually and for the church of Jesus Christ. The vehicle for this is: REPENTANCE. 

Galatians 6:7-8  says this clearly; "God will NOT BE MOCKED! We shall reap what we sow!"

If we are sowing seeds of disobedience, and then not repent of walking in our own ways; we will reap exactly what we sowed. This is a life that will spin into chaos, discontent, division in families, friends and even the church. 

Our country has murdered babies, and put into law for the rights of people who are living lives of sin that God listed He hates. Our country has taken God's Word down and replaced it man's hateful, sinful, and lustful ways. 

1 Cor. 6:9-10

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

Time is up; and now is the time for we the church to repent and pray for our country!

If individuals still do not repent; God's Divine Judgement will come. 

Be assured; as Daniel, and the 3 Hebrew Children were preserved so you will be as well. If not now; we shall be redeemed in heaven with our Lord Jesus!

🗝 The key for HOPE and for REVIVAL, is repentance as the second part of our main scripture says:  "...turn from their (your) wicked ways..." (2 Chron. 7:14b) 

THEN!

God will hear, and heal our land!

Challenge: start with your family then with friends, creating a prayer meeting that is all about repentance, as well as praise to our God. Pray God's Word too, you can start by using the scriptures listed here. 

God bless,

Daneille Snowden