"IF MY PEOPLE?!?"

About two weeks ago I decided to take a break from my daily Bible Study that I have done for the past six or seven years.   On different days I would write notes that GOD laid on my heart, and from time to time add to, or delete from, those notes until I was left with the transcript below.  It is a rather lengthy read, but I really am sharing it to declare my heart before a HOLY GOD.    

2 Chronicles 7:14                   (KJV)

"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."

Years ago I began writing almost daily on Social Media in an effort to re-develop my word recall that was curtailed by the Brain Hemorrhage I experienced in 2007.  An honest evaluation of my ability to select words would be that it is better than post Hemorrhage, but still not where it was pre-Hemorrhage.   And I'm not so sure that it will ever be as good as it was pre-Hemorrhage, for I now have to clear what I say with the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD.  

The Bible verse that I took over a week writing about when I started is the verse above.   Many people who are wiser than me have written about this verse and it's promises.  To me it is rather plain that GOD's Word is a guide for me individually, and as a nation each individuals guide to jointly follow GOD.  Even the entire nation of Israel (as opposed to the current day United States) wasn't totally and completely a Godly nation, but as a whole trusted in GOD for its sustenance.   However, modern day United States continues to turn Her back on ALMIGHTY GOD and HIS principles and proclaims common sense will deliver us from the iniquity we so often find in our culture.   

The term "my people", I believe, relates to the Believers in GOD who follow HIS Word.  Now nobody "follows HIS Word" flawlessly, that is why JESUS came to live a Perfect Life that we could not.  To be a part of the "chosen race" (1 Peter 2:9) that are "called by MY name" we should be "set apart" from "this world" and all of it's wickedness.   

However, it appears we will do whatever is necessary to "get-a-long" with the enemy and his followers and to keep the peace.   Instead of drawing a line in the sand and proclaiming that we are following the WORD of GOD, no matter the costs, we look for ways to capitulate to our enemy and surrender more battlegrounds.  Unless we are willing to "count the cost" and develop a "fight to the death" mentality, we will continue living in FEAR OF THE DEVIL instead of LIVING IN VICTORY OVER HIM! 

The only way we can get to the point where we can be elevated above the enemy is to "humble themselves, and pray, and seek MY face, and turn from their wicked ways;"!  Wanting to not abbreviate this writing, I was inclined to list these four COMMANDS separately, but one cannot be followed by itself without the other three!  Our nation has been blessed beyond anything our founding fathers would have dreamed of.  But I am afraid that we have become so PROUD to believe that we are able to by humbled by the enemy!  Yet on September 11, 2001 nineteen Al-Qaeda terrorist brought the most powerful nation on the face of the earth to its knees with nothing more than a few box-cutters and a willingness to die for what they believed in.  Looking back, I wonder if I had HUMBLED MYSELF, and PRAYED, and SOUGHT HIS FACE more diligently and TURNED FROM MY WICKED WAYS if GOD ALMIGHTY might have heard my prayers and healed our land??  Not that my prayers are so much more effective than others, but my GOD is unlimited in HIS POWER!!!

Now we are sixteen years later and, believe it or not, we are in an even more fast-paced lifestyle than then!  Will GOD have to allow the enemy to attack the United States again to get our attention?  Will HE have our attention for more than a week or two?  Will we need to be HUMBLED again, or will we elect to HUMBLE OURSELVES?  Or is mankind nearing the end of GOD's Plan and nearing HIS Judgment??

As many are aware of, GOD gave me a Non-Profit a few years back named Psalms 46:10 Ministries, Inc.  Psalms 46:10 (KJV) says "BE STILL, and KNOW that I AM GOD; I WILL BE EXALTED AMONG THE HEATHEN, I WILL BE EXALTED IN THE EARTH"!  

It might be time for us to BE STILL and stop trying to be richer, better, healthier, or whatever word you want to use, than our neighbor?  How about we operate defiantly different than the rest of "this world"?  

Continuing to operate at a pace demanded by "this world" denies the POWER of JESUS CHRIST and HIS resurrection.  Many times JESUS would get alone with the FATHER to strengthen and encourage HIMSELF.   Sine we have HIS SPIRIT living inside of us (John 17:23), we should delight in getting alone with the FATHER, as JESUS did.  

But I am always feeling like I have to get to the office, or to an appointment, or anything except BE STILL and know that HE is GOD!  Who do you think that "feeling" comes from?  The "great deceiver" of course!  He wants to make us believe that we HAVE to do everything and anything EXCEPT getting alone with GOD!  I am reminded of when Moses requested to "see YOUR Glory" in Exodus 33:18.  He glowed for days afterwards because he had been with GOD!  Most of us don't want to STAND OUT because of being HOLY before ALMIGHTY GOD., we wouldn't "blend in" if we STOOD OUT.

Which brings me back to the point I was making before.  We must be willing to obey HIM, even if it means doing things precisely different than what "this world" requires, or DEMANDS, from us.  

On the brink of one of my favorite Bible history lessons, Moses obeyed GOD, even though it made no sense to do so.  Exodus 14:2 (ESV) says ""Tell the people of Israel to TURN BACK and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea."  Now the Israelites were fleeing from Pharaoh and all his hosts and the one thing they didn't need do was to get boxed in (or trapped) be the pursuing army.  The mountains were treacherously high on the northern and southern sides where they went.  The ONLY HOPE the Israelites had was for ALMIGHTY GOD to deliver them.  

Of course, we now know, GOD did exactly that!  

Have we become a people so dependent on our own abilities to provide our own needs that we don't rely on ALMIGHTY GOD to come through for us?  Do we only give GOD that which we think we can get by without?  What do we do then when we come upon a Red Sea moment in our lives?  Does fear and panic overcome us?  Do we even know how to pray to ALMIGHTY GOD for deliverance from whatever we find ourselves in?    

Until the Church begins to follow the leadership of the HOLY SPIRIT instead of doing what seems "logical", we will continue to live in a state of carnality and faithless behavior, in my humble opinion. 

There are many pastors who are on a "burnout" path, and some refuse to acknowledge it.  JESUS was only in ministry on earth for three (+) years, but HE began his ministry with a 40 day sabbatical!  We should encourage our leaders to not be so proud to believe that GOD can not complete HIS work without their input.   It should be all about what GOD can do, not about what the man in a position can do.                               

Ultimately the church, both corporately and individually, is being called by ALMIGHTY GOD to HUMBLE OURSELVES, and PRAY, and SEEK HIS FACE, and TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS!  Most so-called "Christians" are too busy to hear from GOD.  I will endeavor to not only hear from GOD, but follow HIS instructions wherever I am led, and exactly WHEN I am led, to Glorify HIS Name!!!