I KINGS CHAPTER 8 - THE PRAYER OF SOLOMON

I Kings chapter 8 - The Prayer of Solomon and its truths for the church and our personal lives today

8:1, "Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion."
--we see godly rulers and leades demonstrating to the people what is the good and right way;  Woe unto a nation tha thas ungodly leaders that leads the people away from the Lord.  See how vast this leadership is in leading:  the king, elders, chief rulers and those left unmentioned but still apart was the priest who conducted the ark.

8:2, "And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month."
--as the leaders set the example in verse 1, now the men of Israel follow;  leaders lead the people;  The assembling of men of Israel was just as important as of the leadership doing it.  If men lead, but the people do not follow, there is no progression.  And it is said, that men lead by example.  Herein, as the leaders led in gathers to meet the Lord, so the people followed. 
And the other note here was that there king had gathered and called for this.  As loyal subjects they were to obey their king.  And just the same as subjects to our king we are to follow and obey.  'As I have done, so also do ye' was Christ's words to His followers, to us.  We will assemble unto our King and wait with Him and for Him to fulfill all things of His Divine purposes. 

8:3, "And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark."
--elders and priests taking up the ark, where God's glory Shekinah abode;  OUr nation is built on separation of church and state, due to men being martyred by evil religious leaders and zealots of days gone by in Europe.  But when godly, Christ-like elders and priests are together, the nation is one and the people are one.  If being joined to the Lord is broken apart by priests or elders there is not as much profit to it.  And you read here that all the elders joined to the priest to take up the ark.
Taking up the ark is that spiritual point they are joined together on.  It is much like Joshua saying to the children of Israel,'as for me and my household we shall serve the Lord'; as Elijah said to Israel at Mt. Carmel, 'choose you this day' and the people responded after the fire fell, 'the Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God'.  Join to the ark of God, which in all purposes for us is join to the Lord. 

8:4, "And they brought up the ark of the Lord, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up."
--bringing up the ark of the Lord and the vessels needed to sacrifice and worship the Lord as He commanded Moses;
Having finished the temple building, the items needed to worship and prepare the place for worship were needed.  We go back to the book of Exodus and Leviticus that spoke of the items that God ordained that the priests should use in sacrificing and offering unto Him.  They could not offer properly without those things that the Lord called for. 
What are the holy vessels today?  We have not an ark of the Lord to draw near to, and only the high priest was able to draw near once a year.  But we do have the High Priest, Jesus Christ, Who has made a way for us to draw near, not to a box where God came down upon, but right to the very source of His glory, He Himself. 
We are the holy vessels now in which the Lord God comes into.  We are to be holy vessels of honor and not vessels of dishonor filled with sin and self.  Holy vessels to be used and drawn from is the Word of the Lord, the Bible.  It is to be the body of Christ, the church in which God imparts His Spirit to fill and hover over and within. 
These vessels are to be brought up to the Lord and sanctified by Him for His purpsoes.  Once cleansed and endued with power they may be used to worship and bring glory to Him Who is worthy. 

8:5, "And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude."
--the demonstration of unity and worship through sacrifice;
NOte the unity that is here presented, the leadership and the people together, as one before the Lord. The act of which they do together is for our instruction, they sacrificed.  This labor of sacrifice is the worship unto the Lord.  As they sacrficied sheep and oxen for adoration, for confession, for worship; so we do the same things.  Our sacrifice is through Christ JEsus, Who sacrficied for us so that we may go free.  OUr sacrifice of our life, our time, our pursuits is for the furtherance of His kingdom.  Sacrifice unto Him is our thoughts, our hearts, our words to glorify Him.

They sacrificed animals in the old testament to offer blood for their atonement and sweet smelling savor unto Him. The very fact that they was without number for multitudes shows the willingness of the leaders and people to make an offering unto Him.  Our Lord was sent to offer Himself as the sacrifice for our sins.  His blood was shed for our atonement.  His one sacrficie covers a number that could not be numbered for offences, sins, transgressions and iniquities.  It is our joy to come to the cross and there to receive the sacrifice offered on our behalf that makes us worthy to be one of His children. 

8:6, "And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims."
--the ark is brought into the holy of holies;
The ark of the covenant and the most holy place were two abiding fixtures in the new temple where God's glory abode upon.  He came down upon and revealed HImself upon the ark to Moses and Aaron.  The ark was always that earthly place where God abode upon.  There was great power and Presence of the ark to the people.  And there the ark in the holy of holies has a designated place that God's glory can come down and abide in the midst of the place of worship. 
You and I are to seek that place where God abides.  That place of the holy of holies where God's glory fills and abides.  A designated place where God comes down and we are covered with His glory.  'Take off your shoes, for you are on holy ground'.  the bringing of the ark and the holy of holies into one existence in the temple are 3 in 1.  The imagery of the ark in the holy place with the anges wings overhead stsretching over it is much the same image of the throne room in Revelation.  It mighht be a stretch for some, but I see it clearly. 

8:7, "For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above."
--an angleic covering upon this holy place;
We see throughout Scripture the angelic covering.  "His angels shall keep thee, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone'.  'Do you not know that you have entertained angels unaware?'  To Daniel, 'I am your angel sent forth. . . ' these angels drawn on the wall, with outstretched wings to portray a covering underneath their watch care and sheltering.  But here it is not so much protection or deliverance for the ark and the temple, as much as it is of worship. 

In Revealtion we have a glimpse of the throne room of God.  Above the throne of God the Father and Christ Who sits at His right hand there is the 4 beast that circle above them.  And they cry out, 'Holy, HOly, Holy'.  It is worship in their hovering over and covering of.  Let all praise be unto Him, Who is worthy and here in this place His glory abides and is manifested to the children of Israel.  It is the designated place that He promsied to abide in.  Where God promises to meet us is where we should be found. 

8:8, "And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without:  and there they are unto this day."
--nothing of substance in this verse for us to labor over; two points of note;
1.  The staves that were through the sides of the ark to carry it are removed.  The removal of the staves meant that this was now in a permanent place.  It was not be carried around, moved about, but it had now come to a place of abiding in this permanent fixture of the temple. 
2.  'there they are unto this day'- as the writers and recorders of history make their personal observation here, the ark is still residing.  No doubt, this was long before the temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and the ark was gone.  Long before its removal into the glories of heaven that is revealed in Revelation, 'there was seen in HIs temple the ark of His testament'

8:9, "There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt."
--a remembrance of its importance and power to the children of Israel;
The two tables of the 10 commandments which Moses had put into the ark.  Also placed in the ark was the rod of Aaron which bloomed; and the bowl of manna.  But at this point those things had been removed.  The ark, the two tables of stone, Moses on the mount and the covenant that was made between the Lord and the people.  Everything always comes back to the covenant.  The remembrance of its importance to them and their relationship between each other.

8:10, "And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord,"
--the Lord has come;  there a numerous times in the Scripture that we should know, 'when the Lord comes'; 
He came into the garden to Adam and Eve - 'and they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the midst of the garden';
He came down to visit Abraham and tell him of the promised covenant child.  And following that He allowed for Abraham to intercede for Sodom and Gomorrah.
He came down on the mount and met with Moses.  He met him through the burning bush; upon the mount in the visit of 40 days and then another 40 days. 
He came down on the ark and filled the temple when it was sanctified. 
He came down born of virgin, for such a time as this that the way of redemption would be completed.  He came to seek and save that which was lost.  He came to fulfill all.
He came down on the day of Pentecost.
Our prayer today is that again He will come down in power and His holy Presence upon His people for His purposes to be fulfilled of His glory.
Multiple times throughout history it is recorded of when revival came down.  EAch time is different but there is some common things to be noticed that aligns with this verse:
--God may work through an individual; stirring them up, speaking to them, revealing Himself to them;  this is evident by the burning bush to Moses; the angel to Gideon; Paul on the road to Damascus where he was dealt with;  how God dealt with Jonathan Goforth in his own heart on revival and the great need of God's Presence;  how He dealt with Finney, Mooday and others one on one with their own life and their own heart before He came upon them and filled them;
--God uses His house and place of worship for many of these Divine fillings;  Evan Roberts was at his home church with the youth as God came down and filled them;  Burns saw it at McCheynes church on Sunday worship where God came down;  David Branierd was preacing on sunday when God came down and filled everyone in the House of the Lord from right to left;  the gathering of the Hebrides at the house of the Lord and at the conclusion of the service the deacon stopped and said, 'Lord, did You not say You would pour water on them that are thirsty?'  Campbell recites, 'God came down that night'. 

This is exactly what the heart cry of God's people is, 'to see the Lord fill His temples (His servants, know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost) and His temples (the dwelling places of worship where true believers are gathered together in His Name and for His purpsoes).

8:11, "So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud:  for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord."
--the labor and work of men ceases when God shows up; 
I have always been intrigued by this.  God comes down in His glory and fills the house.  the worship, sacrifices and prayers of the people all stop and attention is given to His glory.  What a sight to behold! 'They could not stand to minister because of the cloud'.    He had filled the house and occupied every point of it.  Men were now left helpless and only to ponder and wonder at the great sight before their eyes. 
Now there is a time to go back to work.  But needless to say, who could ever be the same after such a sight and experience.  We all need this today.  The church needs this so desperately.  Is there a prayer for it? a longing for it?  The minsiters can't go on with visiting, with meetings, with fellowships, with services, because the glory of the Lord is present.  Oh, may we see this great wonder in our lifetime. 

8:12, "Then spake Solomon, The Lord said that He would dwell in the thick darkness."
--the beginning of the prayer of Solomon; verses 12 - 53;
The beginning of prayers is always about God  When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He said, 'Pray like this, "Our Father which art in heaven. . ."  Here Solomon begins his prayers with what the Lord had already said.  Worship, praise, adoration is alone and all about the Lord God.  It is talking to Him about what He has doen, Who He is, what He has promised and naming His very Name. 
Now Solomon is not exactly praying at this point, as much as he is addressing what is happening to the people.  The Lord God has come down and occupied the temple  The people are in wonder and fear.  Everytime an angel or God comes down they begin with that statement, 'fear not'.  Solomon is addressing this mystery about the happenings.  If he was in prayer, he would not be talking about the Lord but to the Lord.  'The Lord said that He would dwell. . .'; if he was praying he would say, 'YOu, O Lord said that You would dwell. . .'  the pronouns determine who one is talking to and about. 
But he is beginning to get ready to address the Lord on behalf of the people, and himself. 
'Dwelling in the thick darkness' - the Lord dwells in all things, in all places at all times;  He is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscience;  Yet we have proximities that are given to help us grasp His inifinitness with our finitness.  The Lord dwells in the light, for He is light.  But the Lord also dwells in the darkness.  How can light dwell in darkness, and darkness in light?  Only the Lord knows and is able.  Yet, we hav two illustrations to help us understand.
1.  in the beginning there was God;  there was nothing but darkness;  light had not been brought into being yet.  And as the Spirit brooded upon the face of the deep, and God dwelt in the midst of existence, time and creation there was only darkness.  Yet, we know the Scripture that declares God is light and in Him is no darkness.  He is light but dwelt in darkness.  Then God pronounces it, 'let there be light, and there was light'.  Where did the light come from?  there was no energy of stars, sun, fusion or any other matter or source, where did it come from?  It came from God, He gave light in this darkness. 
2.  in our lostness and sin, we are in the dark;  there is no light apart from Christ.  Yet, when Christ looks upon us with mercy and redemption, He imparts light into our darkness.  Now being saved and to be made children of light, we still dwell in darkness of this world and mankind around us, yet we are light.  'Let your light so shine in this darkness that men may know'. 

These are two examples that help us to understand the depth and mystery of the Lord said He would dwell in the thick darkness 

8:13, "I have surely built thee an house to dwell in , a settled place for thee to abide in for ever."
--Solomon declares his conversation to the Lord as dedicating the house for His place of dwelling;
Solomon had spent 7 years in building this building.  This does not really factor in all that David did in preparation for the work.  As David had built himself an house, and sitting on his throne, he looked about and this thought came to him, 'The Lord has no dwelling house among us, but the tent, the tabernacle.'  And he began and sought to build a house.  The Lord stopped him by Nathan the prophet and said, 'You will not build me an house; although it was good that you desired to do so.  But your son after you, solomon, shall build Me the house."  And God ordained the place, on the property of the temple mount, the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.  God gave peace to Solomon from all Israel's enemies to build it.  God provided all the materials to build it. 
It is a place to dwell in.  It is the place established for the people to come to God, and in which God came down to receive worship from His people.  No other place on earth was like it established for God to dwell in.  And yet we know in the New Testament with the temple removed as the place of worship, for the Jews had rejected the Son of God, and looked more ot the building than the purpose of its making, God to dwell in.  God gives us the teaching, that our bodies are the temple of the Holy One to dwell in. 
WE have churches built across our landscape that are established places of worship.  Different places, different styles, different people, different times, different denominations, but the one same purpose, for God to dwell in the midst of His people when they come together.  WE often forget this, because of our selfish purposes, traditions, religiousity.  But we come together for God to come down and dwell among us and in us.  An established place has always been a source of blessing for God's people and His kingdoms advancement. 
A settled place for Thee to abide in for ever - the place was to be established forever for the covenant children of Israel to be faithful and for all the nations and the population to learn and see that God is the Lord God of heaven and earth and is to be worshipped and glorified.  This settled place was removed twice because God's people forgot what they was supposed to be doing.  God would have abided there for ever had they chidlren of Israel served the Lord as He had said.  'Take heed' was issued to the people, but the people forgot the Lord and went served other gods. 

8:14, "And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel:  (and all the congregation of Israel stood;)"
--turning from the Lord to the people, and blessing is given to the people;
The lesson of position is found here.  When one addresses the Lord they come bowed, humble and lowly before Him.  spiritual eyes and heart are focused on him; 'Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith'.  But in reality the soul of man bent before Him will not look up to gaze upon His glory.  But when we address men we turn our faces to look upon them, eye to eye and face to face.  Solomon bowed before teh Lord, but when he desired to speak to the people, he arose and turned to them and addressed them. 
He gave a blessing upon the people of the Lord.  Now no one can give a blessing unless they possess a blessing from the Lord.  They were in the midst of God's glory upon them.  The Lord was nigh and had promised to fulfill and bless His people.  They were the congreation of Israel, the covenant children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 
--all the congregation of Israel stood;
The king was addressing them and they were to stand in attention to his words.  They all stood, respect and reverence was present upon them. 

8:15, "And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying,"
--Solomon giving praise and thanksgiving unto the Lord before the people for what He hath done;
solomon begins his dialgue and ends his prayer with blessing unto the Lord (v. 56).  Blessings to be given unto the people for the purposes of the Lord:  'I bless you, in the Lord';  and blessingsto be given unto the Lord, for He is worthy to receive all honor and praise from His creation.  David in numerous Psalms gives blessing unto the Lord.  To bless takes on several meanings, especially when depending on who/Whom is the recepient of the blessings.  As alreaddy mentioned one cannot bless that has no blessing to give.  To bless those that are less than receiving a blessing is only vanity.  You cannot bless evil; you cannot bless sin. 
The definitions in regards to blessing the Lord is: to extol(lift up) as holy and give praise, to glorify.
In regards to blessing man:  to conver holiness upon the subject.  So in refernce to our verse, Solomon is giving praise unto the Lord and declaring blessing upon the Lord for He is holy and worthy of receiving the declarations of His vastness and glory.
--Spake with His mouth unto David my father, and hath with His hand fulfilled it - Solomon the promise of God to his father and declares it to be fulfilled this day.
the account may already be known by the people, but there had been many years leading up to Samuel the prophet, when there was no word from the Lord.  But the Lord found David, a man after His Own heart and chose him to be king over all Israel.  With that desire of David to please the Lord, the Lord blest him and his family  He used him to be the one to bring fulfillment to His ways.  Therefore, the Lord promised David and made a covenant with him and the Lord always keeps His Word to His children.  He has spoken it, and He will fulfill it.  We may grow weary in waiting for it to be fulfilled, but He will accoomplish it.  'His Word will not return unto Him void'.  The faith of our hearts and His people must rest in the assurance of this.  Throughout all Scripture is the promsies of God saying, 'I will', and one can read and see HIs faithfulness that none of His words fall to the ground but are all fulfilled.  He speaks it and fulfills it;  what has He spoken to you?  What has been promised and left unfulfilled?  Question not, doubt not, be not guilty of unbelief, but remember He has said it and He will do it. 

8:16, "Since the day that I brought forth My people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that My Name might be therein; but I chose David to be over My peopel Israel."
--Solomon rehearses the events of God leading them to build a house and why David was chosen;
the Lord spoke to David these words about the development of the temple.  God says, 'I brought forth Israel out of Egypt'.  And in this statement it is to remember and consider the marvelous and powerful way in which He brought them out of Egypt.  the 10 plagues, spoiling of the Egyptians, the crossing of the Red Sea and the destruction of the Egyptian army.  God led them by the cloudy pillar by day and the firey pillar by night.  God brought them out to bring them in;  God brought us out of sin and darkness and lostness to bring us into His wonderful redemption and salvation.  One must remember what power brought you out of Egypt (out of the world/sin) 

'I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house' - There was established places throughout the history of Israel moving through the wilderness and when they was established in the promised land for the ark to rest and the people to come and offer sacrfifices.  But there was no city chosen to establish til we see how this is all orchestrated by His Divine hand.  Shiloh had been the previous place the ark was kept, but the men and priests did evil and that place was left desolate and forsaken. 
Let us examine the Scriptural place of direction that God allowed to take shape for Jerusalem to be the holy city where Solomon would be the temple and the ark and worship would be established.
1.  From the days of David beginning to conquer the land, it is revealed that when he became king he set his sights on Jerusalem to be his city.  He took the city and gave the edict that whosoever would conquer would be the general of the host.  Joab became the general and the city was David's.  Yet we see that there remained among the Israelites those 7 nations of people that was to be removed.  But the city became David's and there he set up his monarachy.  And as he sat there after conquering his enemies he contemplated that he had a house, but the Lord did not have a house.  And he set about to build one for the Lord.  This is when the Lord came to him and expressed that he had much blood on his hands and he would not build it, but his son would 

2.   God's purposes are so much higher than our ways.  God allows for Satan to tempt David to number the people.  David does so, and thereby initating sin.  They were not to number the people.  DAvid confesses of his sin and repents and for punishment the Lord allows for him to chose one of the three options.  A pestilence is sent upon the land and the angel of the Lord, with sword drawn, is slaying the people through this disease of death.  the angel is stayed upon Mount Moriah, the land owned by Arunah the Jebusite.  what was a Jebusite doing in the land? in the city of the king? 
But there upon his threshingfloor the angel stopped and waited.  David rising to go make atonement before the Lord, bought the land of Arunah the Jebusite and there offered sacrifice before the Lord.  The land of the Jebusite would be the place of the temple, called Mount Moriah. 

'That My Name might be there' - oh how precious is this thought when God places His Name there upon a city, upon His people, upon that soul;  For where His Name is, there is greatness all around.  IT is the greatness of that Name that we need to be reminded of.  It is the Name which is above every Name.  It is the Name that brings redemption; the Name that heals the sick; the Name that makes the demons to flee; it is the Name that invokes power for His glory.
Now upon this city, the temple would bear His Holy Name so long as they feared, obeyed and worshipped Him.  But if iniquity entered in; if rrebellion became the norm; if self became priority then His Name would no longer be there upon that city.  Not a city of refuge but a city of desolation - depended on His Name there or absent from there.  And so it is with out lives, if we bear that truth as Christ-ians.

'But I chose David to be over My people Israel' - it is the Lord's choosing what shall be; and when the Lord finds a man after His Own heart He is able to do wonders.  As Saul had departed from obeying and doing right before the Lord, he was rejected and removed.  God sought man to lead the congregation of Israel unto Him for His glory.  This was the covenant and hope all along.  Praise the Lord when He is able to find such men; curse the day when there is none to be found. 

8:17, "And it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the Name of the Lord God of Israel."
--that which is in the heart may be brought for His glory and honor;  But all such thoughts are of the Lord, in puts the desire to do such things in the heart. 
'And it was in the heart of David my father to build an house' - Christ taught that what is in the heart will come out of the man;  If evil be in the heart, evil will come up out and manifest itself; if goodness be in the heart, then rightouesness will come out and manifest itself.  David's heart was pursuing after God.  'As the deer panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee O God.' 
To build the house was as he was sitting in his own house that had been provided for him.  HE thought to himself, 'Here I have this nice house, beautiful palace and the ark of the covenant is in a tent.  surely a house of magnificence would be better suited for our Lord to have a house of worship befitting Him?'    And with that he called Nathan the prophet and shared his desire to build a house for the Lord. 
--'for the Name of the Lord God of Israel' - and is there any other Name like that Name? No, He is the Lord God, God Almighty and His Name and Names give value to His power and glory.  And this house to be built would be a house to give honor and glory and praise to Him, Whose Name is above all Names.It is not honoring the Name, for the PErson of God is the Name.  In worshipping His Name you are worshipping Him, Who bears that Name.  They are two separate things, but one in the same.

8:18, "And the Lord said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto My Name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart."
--God acknowledges that the Lord heard and knew David's desire;  Does God not put such desires in the hearts of men for His purpsoes?
Found within the heart, not a scheme of the mind or will, but of the heart.  Can man every have a desire that pleases God apart from Him?  And found within our hearts are wickedness, sin, vileness and iniquity.  Until the Lord come in the heart and there abides.  And then from Him flows these desires of honoring and glorifying Him.  Many good things in the heart does the Spirit give us to 'desire to do', but it requires our reaction and obedience to do it. 
'Thou didst well that it was in thine heart' - Do you realize how many good things God's people have had in their hearts but never acted on it?  Good intentions, but no action to it.  Thus the ideas and intentions of the heart died.  They never came to fruitiion.  David was ready to respond and act to this, until the Lord speaks to him about this.  And here is the Lord approving of Davids willingness to do it.  'Thou didst well' is a phrase we long to hear from him.  That which please our Lord is our pursuit and desire.  And at the end of our way, when we stand before Him to hear Him once again speak these words, 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter now into the joys of the Lord."

8:19, "Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house:  but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto My Name."
--Solomon continues to give the scenario of how it all came about;


8:38, "What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all Thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart and spread forth his hands toward this house:"
--a call for individual prayer or the prayer of a group or people;  the offering of prayer and supplications to be made before the Lord for these things mentioned. 
'The plague of his own heart' - this was the first phrase of this chapter that captivated me and made me take a longer look at Solomon's phrases and supplications.  It's easy to speak of the 'plague of his heart';  but what about the very personal phrase, 'the plague of my heart'?  "The heart is desperately wicked who can know it?"  the plague of my heart reveals the choices, the life, the sin before a holy God Who will not tolerate sin.  And oh the preciousness of a Savior Who took my sin and bore my shame so that I might go free.  And this leads the soul to see their own unworthiness and how great is His worthiness.  We see not for me alone, but all the heart of men, wicked men, family, nations, that have this issue, 'the plauge of their own heart'. 

It is for us to be a cardiologist and examine the plauge of the heart.  Expose it, reveal it, show the way for it to be made whole, to made right in Christ.  Christ healed the physical plauges of men from blindness, death and leprosy.  He can heal the plauge fo the heart by saying, 'be thou saved'.  Oh, did He not do it for Zacahias?  'today salvation is come to this house';  did He not do it for the thief on the cross?  'Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise'. 

Know what the 'plague of the heart is'.  It is sin, it is self, it is the root of all evil within us. 

8:43, "Hear Thou in heaven, Thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee for:  that all people of the earth may know Thy Name, to fear Thee, as do Thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by Thy Name."

How much is it when God's people pray and wait for Him to answer? But how much greater is it when strangers and heathens pray and see the answer to their prayers?  'When the stranger calleth to Thee for' is the statement about those outside of relationship to Him to pray and seek His face. 



Began: 2/19/14
Edited:  2/20/14; 2/24; 2/25; 2/26; 2/28; 3/3; 3/7; 3/10; 3/17; 3/18; 3/20; 3/21; 3/28; 3/29; 4/7; 4/8; 4/10; 4/11; 4/12; 4/18
Finished: 

CRISIS ISSUES AT HAND FOR PRAYER

We are in crisis and these are a few of the issues at hand that must be addressed and labored over in prevailing prayer.

Are we in crisis, as a nation, in the church, in our homes?  Almost all will agree that we have never seen it this bad before.  For the most part, we understand why this is happening.  Some will no doubt, remain oblivious to it all, but it is happening regardless whether men give place or thought to it or not.  But the church, and we as individual Christians, have a responsibility to understand these things.  It is our warfare and we are not to remain ignorant of his devices.  Let us examine these issues and the response that the church & prayer leaders should be actively engaging in, in this crisis hour.

I.  What is the crisis?

Quite simply put, we are falling apart as a nation.  Our future is very limited.  We are no longer rising upward, nor have we plateaued, but we are disintegrating.  Evil is multiplying and sin is increasing.  And the one group of people that can turn it all around is the church.  But Christians are very much apart of the problem.  They seem unaware of what is happening in relationship of why we are headed this way.  And if they are aware of the problem the resolve is not there to address and deal with it properly.  The absence of the church in the midst of this free-fall of our nation is only accelerating the rate of our destruction. 

The crisis comes from a pattern of decades that has led us away from what is described as 'the good and right way'.  This 'good and right way' is spelled out to us and demonstrated in Scriptures and days gone  by where communities, nations and people practiced it.  When we obey God, God blesses and takes care of us;  when we disobey God, we open the flood gate of curses and there is nobody there to take care of us.  Satan seizes the opportunity when men decide to disobey Him and he takes full advantage of it.  Satan has done this in our present condition.  With a lessening of the 'good and right way', laws, decisions and practices of many in every day life are set against God.  Thus, provoking God to respond to the choices, laws and decisions that we have made and allowed.  When God sets Himself against a people there is immediate descent into chaos and destruction. 

Some may ask, "then why haven't we been destroyed or 'removed from the earth'?"  Because God has had mercy and restraint.  His desire is not to destroy us but to redeem us.  He has done everything to make us to be reconciled with Him.  And there is a remnant, a faithful remnant that continues to labor in tears, anguish, prayers, and pleadings with God to hold back His wrath. 'In wrath remember mercy';  God hears and answers that prayer.  Thus we have some time left.  Identifying and addressing these issues at hand must be brought before the body of Christ; it must be anguished over by the church; and we must in unity fight the same warfare that God 'in wrath would remember mercy'.  Failure to identify and deal with these issues allows for the sin to remain and it yields to the reasonable conclusion brought on by our sin, which is judgment and annihilation. 

All points of life are impacted by these decisions and choices.  Thus, God touches each aspect of our life in these points.  These points are wide and broad that impact us:  government; education; family structure; family; military; time - present and future; businesses; friends; nature and communities.  And when rebellion against God is the source of the problem, these impacts are of wrath, judgment, destruction, death and annihilation.  It occurs at a slow rate, because the Lord God desires for the people to repent and turn away from their wickedness.  But if they refuse then the judgments and punishments increase reaching deeper and deeper to impact the people.  At some point, the resolve is not met and thus God declares to a people, 'You are finished'.  And once God pronounces it, it may be too late to reverse it or stop it. 

Several examples of this crisis reaching its climax and both ends of mercy and wrath:
--when Sodom and Gomorrah reached their point of offence toward God, He annihilated the cities with fire and brimstone;
--when Israel sinned in provoking the Lord to anger, Moses interceded and God did not consume them;
--when Israel sinned in provoking the Lord to anger, and God said that after Josiah was gathered to 'his fathers' in death, He would send them into captivity, and He did;

And what shall we say of the other examples of Noah and the flood, due to the evil of men's heart continual to practice evil.  Or of Nineveh and how if Jonah had not preached the word of the Lord, that city, which was wicked and evil would have been destroyed.  But they heard and responded rightly and humbled themselves before the Lord, finding mercy in their repentance.

The purpose of this letter is to prohibit us from reaching this point where God cuts us off.  And in order to do that, we must be aware of our plight.  We must respond to these things and labor to reverse course before we reach the point of annihilation.

II.  Where is the crisis to be found

It is impossible for me, yea I have no desire, to lists all the infractions against the Lord that has caused the crisis.  I would rather seek that we be made aware of the most impacting issues that has led and continues to be used of Satan to destroy us.  These 5 points are huge impacts on our society, generations and way of life.  As I said, these are not the only ones, but the ones that I would argue is the most contentious of our crisis issues.  For it is found in these 5 points the greatest and far reaching impact on the multitudes. 

A lists of great evils of our nation:
1. Alcohol
2. Abortion
3. Drugs
4. Sexual Sins
5. The Absence of the Presence and Knowledge of God and Christ

1.  ALCOHOL

This is an evil that has done much damage to families, individuals and the church.  It is practiced in the church and out of the church.  It used to be a great debate as to whether alcohol was truly sin or not.  And of course, the argument for allowing it is founded upon two Scriptures, which even those not in church seem to know: 1. Jesus made water into wine; 2. the Apostle Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach.   These are the two illustrations used to couple with 'let everything be done in moderation' to justify the use of alcohol.  I believe that the church has surrendered the argument simply because of these two issues to be considered:
1.  too many of the church members are engaged in alcohol and have never seen any evil in it;
2.  they do not know the Scriptures well enough to explain the sin of it. 

What is the Scriptures for not using alcohol? 
There are two things to be discussed in this for those that are willing to listen.  The very fact that someone ask about alcohol use as a Christian generally is because everyone else drinks and they want to drink.  They are looking to do what the world does.  This is not Christianity, this is all about self.  But in the hopes that they are inquiring because they sincerely want to know what evil is, here is the following considerations: 
1.  Reason with them, rational thinking
Have you ever been around an alcoholic?  Have you ever buried someone from a drunk driver? or from those that excess drinking and their liver was gone?  Have you ever dealt with those that have had huge affects from drinking and drunkenness?  family abuse? emotional, phsycia and sexual abuse from its use?  All these things are enough to say, 'none of this glorifies the Lord'.  The first rule of the catechism is that in all things we are to glorify the Lord.  None of this glorifies the Lord in drunkenness.  Every alcoholic and drunk began with a first drink.  So how do you prevent drunkenness and alcoholism? You don't take the first drink. 
2.  This Scripture is enough for me.  Leviticus 10:9,10,  'do not drink wine nor strong drink. . . when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die. . .And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean'. 
It is declared not to drink wine nor strong drink and then come into the Presence of the Lord.  There is a difference.  Many are accepting of carnal, casual, social drink.  That is their choice and their preference.  But if we desire revival, the fullness of God's Presence, then there is no place for this evil of drink.  Whether it be one drink or numerous, it defiles the mind, the body (temple of the Holy Spirit), and it leads to far worse evil.  'A drunkard' shall not enter into the gates of heaven', that is pretty clear.  But then carnal men want to fall back into what is drunk?  And that is a very thin line for each one is different.  What is the best resolve?  If you don't take the first drink, then you don't have to worry about being labeled a drunk.  And if you don't have that first drink, then there is no restraint about being in the Presence of the Lord. 

To me, these things seem straight forward.  But there is a fleshly, carnal religious group in the church that must legitimize and justify their socially, preferred use of alcohol.  And again we fall back on to a clear command, 'come out from among them, and be ye separate'.  The world has legalized alcohol consumption and enjoyment of it.  The world indulges in this everyday.  Look at how much money is wasted on this excess of drinking alcohol each day.  The church has even give place because so many of them indulge in it.  We are commanded as Christians that whatsoever we do we do for His glory.  'Whetehr therefore ye eat or drink, to it to the glory of the Lord.'  But when you ask church goers why they drink, it is not the glory of the Lord, it is for selfish reasons.  In other words, self over Spirit.  And the church is called to separate from these patterns of living worldly and fleshly, but the church has not done this. 

2.  ABORTION

The legalizing of abortion in our nation is the main issue here.  For when leaders, especially a government or rulers permit and give allowance for that which the Lord God said is an abomination, you stand in jeopardy of provoking Him.  Abortions had been done long before 1973.  But the reasons why it was legalized and what has been the aftermath is most important for us. 
One of the most prolific reasons for this push was that women's rights to choose what they wanted to do is at the heart of this.  If the woman didn't want the pregnancy, for whatever reason, they would have the right to abort.  And the Supreme Court agreed that life of a baby is not life, and could be aborted.  This was a double standard of course, for where they gave women the right to choose, it gave no right to the innocent baby, who cannot speak for themselves. 

As a result of this, 55 million babies have been aborted.  This is an entire generation that has been murdered and removed.  The ramifications of this truth have not been fully disclosed or known at this point.  But this much we do know, God holds a people, a person responsible for the shedding of blood.  IN the Old Testament Cain slew his brother Abel, and God said to Cain, 'thy brothers' blood calls to Me from the ground'.  The Lord set it up in the law of Moses to the children of Israel, that if a man was murdered near a city and the murderer was not found, that the rulers and elders were to atone for the blood spilled on the ground.  God declared that the blood which King Manasseh shed in Jerusalem was still accountable by the children of Judah long after Manasseh was dead.  Innocent and shed blood is required to be atoned for by God.

The reason of this is found also in Scripture.  Why does God deal with shed blood on the ground as a sin?  In Leviticus 17:11, that answer is given, 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood'.  If the blood holds the very preciousness of life from God within it, then as a part of God in man, it is precious in His sight.  When it is shed, it is to be atoned for.  In the Old Testament it was life for life, blood for blood.  When sin was committed, atoned by the blood of animals.  But the New Testament offers us a greater atonement by the blood of Christ being shed to atone for our sins and the sins of a nation. 

But when innocent and shed blood is not atoned for, then the Lord holds them guilty for shedding blood and defiling and contaminating the land, as He did with Manasseh.  Now consider how much blood is spilled on the ground that defiles our nation and communities through murder, murder-suicides and abortion, how great is our evil.  A mass of blood that is required by this generation due to the fact that there is no atonement for the shedding blood, because men do not care or think about these things.  Yea, where is the church in all this?  Do they know the high accountability of blood spilt on the ground and its need to be atoned?  There is much political, legislative and judicial wrangling, but that will not resolve the true issue so 'the life of the flesh is in the blood'.    Herein is the call to prayer over this most filthy abomination that has defiled our land, our generations, and has left blood on our hands that must be answered for before a holy, just God. 


3.  DRUG USE

This has been a crisis slowly advancing and increasing.  It was always 'other' people and places that had to deal with this.  But now over the years, we see in the church, in our families and across our nation, the sin of drug use is so prevalent.  And it has become a destroyer of our society, loved ones and way of life.  We have that verse where Paul says, 'but we are no ignorant of his devices'; meaning that we should know what Satan is up to.  But could anyone see, the destruction, the legislation, the consistency of people to allow, favor, and use this which they know to be destructive. 

the crisis for drug us for the church is two-fold.  One is that we can see the drug culture for decades has been the illegal use of drugs like marijuana, cocaine and heroin.  It was always taboo and scorned by society and the church.  However, the twist now is the second issue facing us, the church has become hooked on drugs through prescription drugs.  And the two issues are now one, illegal drugs and prescription drugs are blending into one issue.  The terminology of this phasing together is found in the drug choice of marijuana being used for 'medicianl purposes' vs. 'recreational purposes'.  And with that twisting of the meanings and words you have a society that embraces the use of it and then legalizes its use. 

Over all the government sees an opportunity to tax and make money on the destruction of its own people, just like prohibition.  They can't control or stop it, so they will legalize it and govern that way.  And herein is our dilemma and problem, a nation that is legalizing sin.  What is the sin?  'Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?'  Christians are not to waste their money on buying drugs, when that money is the Lord's and should be used for His kingdom.  Drugs are to be used that alters, destroys and attacks our minds, wills and physical bodies. 

Again, as alcohol, it is a luxury, a practice, and way of the world.  'Love not the world, neither that which is within the world.  For all that is in the world. . . is sin.'  For too many it is a routine, habit and addiction that possesses them that they cannot stop, nor quit.  As a cancer, it eats them alive and destroys all their life and those around them.  It destroys that which cannot be replaced: health, money, opportunity and time.  Tell me the family that has not had a loved, a near loved one that they have not intervened, prayed for, hoped for to deliver them from this evil.  But alas, it took them and destroyed them. 

It is the most irrational thing that we can watch unfold in our nation with drug use.  For those that are on illegal drugs, their main source of medically helping them, is to put them on more drugs (other drugs).  So that our means of correcting this is fighting drugs with drugs.  How hell must laugh at our inventions and ways.  There are creative measures of breaking dependence, there is withdrawal methods used and promoted.  But as we should know, unless the Lord heals the sinful, addictive appetite, it is only a matter of time before it is right back to where it was in drug use.  'The dog returns to its vomit.'  We must come to understand what is happening, why it is happening and how it is happening that Satan continues to gain ground through such sins as drug use. 

this is an evil in the homes, in the churches, and across our nation.  Left unaddressed by proper means of prevailing prayer, holiness, condemnation of its evil, this will only continue and grow. 


4.  SEXUAL SINS

There are numerous sexual sins in the Bible that is to be taught and made known.  One excuse of sexual sins elevating in our society may be ignorance of what is right and wrong.  But for the most part, it is not ignorance, it is the will of the people to saturate themselves with this evil.  Let us examine 5 areas of the greatest damage of sexual sins today:
1. Adultery
2. Fornication
3. Homosexuality
4. Lasciviousness
5. Abuse

ADULTERY- 'Thou shalt not commit adultery' is one of the 10 commandments given to the children of Israel.  Its relevance has not changed in all these centuries.  Christ goes beyond the very act of marriage vows being broken and teaches that if a man/woman even looks at another women/man with intent to commit adultery, there heart is guilty and they are found guilty before the Lord.  This is the clear teaching for us, 'that out of the heart proceeds these evils'.  'Adulters shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven'.

The condition of our nation is a clear reflection of this sin, adultery.  Twenty years ago for many school rooms, it was 95 % were unbroken, traditional marriage of a man and a woman.  Now, there is multiple parents from divorce, multiple ever changing partners due to new relationships and to find a traditional marriage is less than 5%.  For the most part of these broken relationships and multiple partners is due to the fact of adultery.  It seems in our day and age, married couples cannot stay faithful to one person.  The rampage of lusts in the hearts has caused the sin of adultery in and out of marriage.  It is a gross epidemic. 

The range of this sin is what is amazing.  Everybody knows the pain, betrayal, and I do believe they know the sin of it.  Yet, it is not shamed, it is not rebuffed, it is not scorned; but it is practiced, embraced, and chosen by many.  In the church and out of the church it is found; old and young; all walks of life are embracing of it.  The acceptance of it may have many contributors from the practices of movie stars, the story lines of soap operas and movies, found in that planted seed the 'grass is always greener somewhere else'.  But at the root of it, there is only one sin that drives this evil of adultery, it is the selfish lusts of men and women that hear God say, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery'; and they reply, 'Well I guess I will, because I want too.' 

FORNICATION - 'Flee fornication' I Corinthians 6, that was taught by Paul, which the first church in Acts declared to be a foundation for them.  When discussing the issue of circumcision, the elders of the New Testament church declared to two points: 1. do not eat the sacrifices offered to idols; and 2. do not commit fornication.  It seems that they saw the evil of lustful flesh and commanded them to stay pure and undefiled.  As the other sins listed, 'a fornicator shall not enter into the gates of heaven'. 

Another sin of great epidemic proportions across our land.  Defining fornication is two-fold, if adultery is sin of a married couple, then fornication is sin of single people.  It holds forth the cause of lusts in individuals that they defile and commit unclean acts among each other.  And as it is practiced among unmarried, and especially younger people you would be hard pressed to find pure virgins in this day and time.  Not that there isn't virgins, praise the Lord for those that have maintained and kept themselves true to the Lord.  But in so many confessions and accounts of teenage, college life and young adult life, too many have said that they had multiple partners and engaged in it much.  And again, there is no difference, Christian or not, they have committed the sin of fornication. 

The results have led to unwed mothers, increase of bastard children, sexual diseases due to multiple partners and an increase of sexual sins.  For once this appetite has begun it seems to grow and increase leading to other sexual sins of perversions.  A few years ago, there was a huge movement for abstinence.  But like most movement, it came, peaked, and now everyone is looking around saying, 'what happened to that?'  In this sin as well as the others, it seems the church becomes so infiltrated with it that they must compromise with it, they stop preaching and teaching rights and wrongs, and it has become the norm, because 'everyone does it'.  But the responsibility and the role of our prayers is to keep Satan from defiling and causing this sin to spread and destroy our generations.  This is probably one of the most unconfessed and unrepented sins of our day in the church.

HOMOSEXUALITY - 'If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination' Lev. 20  'Men leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet' Romans 1 Too many try to defend this abomination that homosexuality is only condemned in the law.  We see it has always been around, 'men with men, working that which is unseemly'.  But God, Who does not change, has not changed from Sodom to today in His stating that this sin, perverted from the lusts of men and women, is an abomination in His sight.  It is that which is not to be done, spoken of, and definitely not to legalized by a government.  It is and has been the ruination of empires, nations and kingdoms. 

The problem today, is that 20 years ago it was taboo.  Many laws against the practice and there was all but no public admission or practice of it.  Ah, but today, how Satan works, it is on TV, movies, open confession, and now legalizing of its rights and practices.  And even so far as to say, that the church cannot speak against it.  And how far does one sink, when the church allows, permits and performs same-sex marriages all to the same edict from the Lord God, 'it is an abomination'.  Why would the church, Christians, ever promote, endorse, or practice abominations?

LASCIVIOUSNESS - 'Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness. . .' Galatians 5  'Who being past feeling gave themselves over unto lasciviousness' Ephesians 4  We define this sin as lewd and lustful.  And at the root of all these sins of adultery, fornication, and homosexuality is the layering of this sin over the root of lusts.
The love of selfish, humanism opens the door of lusts and refuses to shut it.  WE have gone from a society that such things were only shared or spoken in secret, dark places.  But not now, now they are open, public, and embraced by all to see. 

Technology has advanced this to some degree.  Accessibility to pornography, illicit movies on TV and access in computers, phones, etc. all allow for all to have access to view and be subverted by it.  Just as in alcohol and drugs, where the addict all began with one sample, one trying of it; so lust and satisfying of selfish desires started with one view, one thing to enter the eye and into the mind and set a blaze to the spark of lusts within.  And where Christians have a bucket of water to douse out the flame, too many don't or won't.  And thus, it grows and consumes more of life, time and impact to our way of life. 

ABUSE - 'Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all the day long:  and there shall be no might in thine hand."  Deuteronomy 28  In coming across this verse, which is found in the chapter of blessings and curses, that due to the sin of adults, God allows for the children to reap also in the punishment and judgment.  The innocent are touched due directly to the irresponsible choices, life styles and ways of those that should know better.  Thus, the parents sin are affecting the children to the 'third and fourth generation'. 

It is an alarming reality for our present day of the abuses that children must endure in the home, by adults that have the oversight of them.  We see constant headlines that reflect the abuse of our children sexually, mentally and emotionally.  Scars and abuses that last a lifetime and often cause repeat offenders in the behavior that they have had to endure.  The breeding of such sins cuts deep into our way of life and society.  The complete functioning ability of children to be innocent and naive is gone.  Almost all children have been abused in some way in this wicked society.  It is such a mounting problem, that the current trend by the government is that since they can't stop unlawful deeds, they legalize it.  And many fear and are forecasting that these children abuses will be legalized.  What a damning reality for our sinfulness if this comes to fruition!


5.  ABSENCE OF THE PRESENCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND CHRIST JESUS

Now we come to the last point, and by far the root of it all.  All the other previous sins mentioned are due directly to this one.  For if the presence and knowledge of God were upon us and with us, sin would not rule and reign over so many.  But alas, due to the absence of God in our nation, lives, families and even in churches, sin multiplies and rampages across the land side.  These 4 impacts on our society has been legalized, embraced, practiced and made a  normal way of life for decades.  But there is no way that any one could argue or say that had God been first in our lives, these things would have ever become the norm.  We are truly living in a nation that now 'calls evil good, and good, evil'. 

Did the church, did our nation, did we, as individuals simply wake up one morning and decide to forsake the Lord?  literally to betray the Lord?  No, Satan in his masterful way, has waited for a long time to chipping away at the framework of our nation to bring us to this point.  But somewhere in the last 5 years, his chipping away caused an avalanche of evil to now be embraced and impacting our nation in a major way.  But the only way he could have done damage, is if the Lord's people allowed and permitted it.  This was done, when Satan bided time for us to leave our first love, walk away from holiness in pursuit of happiness and utterly become bankrupt on spiritual disciplines that cannot be replaced that taught us how and implemented us to 'grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ'. 

Without Him we can do nothing and have done nothing.  Yet everyone continues to speak and state, the opposite of this.  We cite, 'I can do all things through Christ, ' and Christ echos back, 'you left Me along time ago to work through you'.  A return to His Word, to prayer, to intimacy, to a knowledge of His holiness and attributes is the need and should not be counted as our sin for failing to do so.  Realization of the church's crisis issue is set before us.  For out of this absence from His Presence, these other evils have found day-light and opportunity to grow.  While we were sleeping, Satan found opportunity to expand his kingdom. 



WHAT IS THE RESPONSE OF THE CHURCH AGAINST THIS CRISIS

Let us look at 4 responses that the church must do in order to combat and defeat these issues of impact.  I do not believe that just one of these 4 will resolved our problem.  Nor do I believe it is limited to these 4.  But in order for us to grasp our responsibility in the midst of this crisis, I put forth these 4 responses that should be embraced and maintained among God's people.

The Four Responses - prayer; repentance; intimacy with the Lord; and tears/anguish

1. Prayer

And I know that many when I write and say this,  so many are prone to jump to a defensive position and respond, 'But we are praying'.  But whatever prayer that we have been doing for the last 50 years, has not touched the impacts of this crisis.  Therefore I explain that prayer is to be made, but it must be prevailing prayer.  People do pray and they pray everyday.  I believe they do pray sincerely, and they may pray daily.  But just as the disciples had cast out demons before, and then the demonic boy in Mark 9, they could not cast out.  They asked Jesus, 'why could we not cast him out?'  And Jesus replied, 'only by prayer and fasting'.  There was a greater response needed from them against this greater evil.  Prayer may have prevailed before but with increased evil and sin, there must come a greater response of prayer by God's people.  We must learn to go from walking in prayer to wrestling in prayer for victory over this crisis.  I have labored pain-stakingly to address this and will give no more time to it here.  Prayer is not enough;   prevailing prayer that is birthed in importunity is the prayer needed to gain victory over these crisis issues.

2.  Repentance

It has always been a basic Biblical, Christian response.  However, somewhere along the way the church lost it.  Great volumes were written on it, great testimonies reflected it and God was glorified.  But there was a season that it seemed lost to the vocabulary of Christians, churches and few bore the testimony of it.  We became and continue in a practice of those that have never repented, but seem bent on always returning to their folly and sin. 

The definition of repentance is to turn away and not return to the state from which they left.  A born again Christian turns away from their sin and does not return to it.  Those in the light do not go back to darkness, those in bondage do not return and there is great deliverance and victory over the sin that ensnared them before.  But in the church today, there is a continual process of those that supposedly repent and confess on Sunday and by Monday they are back to the same sin.  There has been confession, the pronouncing of their sin, but truly one can say that there has not been any repentance.  John wrote of Christan's, that even though we may sin, Christians repent and do not 'continue in sin'. 

Too many have forsaken this truth and lessened the impact of sin on the church and babe in Christ.  The depth of this folly goes deep and once again the church must be consistent, bold and authoritative of this Biblical Christan principle, 'repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'. 

3.  Intimacy with the Lord

Although we covered this response at #5 of the crisis points of impact, there is other directives that should be presented for a proper response of the church to our Lord in relationship to the Presence and intimacy with our Lord.  The relevance of prevailing prayer and repentance comes from those that spend much time with the Lord.  The less time one spends with the Lord, the less prayer and the less moving of the Spirit upon them to repent.  Yea, they cannot even recognize what is to be repented of if they do not spend much time with their Lord.  therefore it is reasonable to assert that intimacy with the Lord builds with spending more and more time with Him.  Yea, the old hymn says it best, 'More about Jesus would I know; more of His love to others show. . . More, more about Jesus'. 

It is a test of how much time we spend with our Lord.  And when that time is 'daily' happening, and yes it must be daily, that there is growth of our love for Him and with Him.  To be absent from Him leads to decay in our relationship with Him.  For if you are not spending time with the Lord, then who are you spending time with?  Yourself? family? others? world?  Someone is occupying your time with Him.  The absence of intimacy with the Lord leads to sin; therefore a proper response for us is to restore our intimacy with Him and in Him.  Andrew Murray said it best, 'Alone with God will make one wholly for God.'  See to it brethren that you are much alone with Him. 

4.  Tears/ Anguish

"Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me"  said Jeremiah upon watching the dismantling of the city of Jerusalem and the people of Judah into exile.  He had warned, had told them exactly what would happen if they did not deal with their crisis, but they would not give heed nor place to him. 

Then we have Jesus gazing upon the city of Jerusalem and seeing the people that had heard and seen His miracles, His teachings and wondrous works, and 'Jesus wept'.  Beholding their opportunity, that He had told them and their rejection of Him, He wept. 

Upon hearing of these things about Jerusalem being burned, the walls tore down and the city desolate, Nehemiah sat down and wept.  An entire people removed, destroyed because of their wickedness and sin. 

And even now, upon our nation, upon our families, we see the wretchedness of sin, the embracing of it, the impact of this crisis.  Where are our tears?  where is the brokenness?  do we not know that He is coming in wrath and anger? 




Begin:  2/4/14
Edited:  2/5/14; 2/6/14; 2/7/14; 2/8/14; 2/10/14; 2/13/14; 2/14/14; 2/15/14
Finished: