Tuesday, June 21, 2011

IF We....

Nehemiah 9:27 - Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies, who oppressed them; and in the time of their trouble, when they cried to You, You heard from heaven; and according to Your abundant mercies You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hand of their enemies. 

Yes, God's mercy is great toward us...if we humble ourselves before Him. God always inserts this if into everything. He is not a gray area. His truth is not a gray area. His covenant with His people is only contingent upon our willingness to yield to Him.

This is a continuation of my Friday blog, a recalling of all the good God has done. From creation to the show of His love, provision, growth, protection...and judgment and mercy. This can be for us if we will truly understand and turn from our wicked ways as a world, nation, church and individuals. Seems a dauntless task.

Despite the repeated falling away of His people, Israel, He always showed mercy when they realized once again their need for Him. He waits for us today to return to Him...as much as He desires others to come to Him for the first time.

If we as a people, a nation, a world or church would do as in the scripture above, He could have mercy on us also. We could see ourselves delivered into the hands of our enemies some day. We might be experiencing that already. When was the last time we as a country returned to God, cried out to Him that He might deliver us?

Maybe this all sounds a bit much...how can we return to God? Maybe fight against those whose thoughts against Christian prayer in school, removal of the name of God, the watering down of the true meaning of the Gospel. It troubles me even the best people, Christians no less, will allow this to happen.

Nehemiah 9:29 says it all: ... That You might bring them back to Your law. Yet they acted proudly, and did not heed Your commandments, but sinned against Your judgments, 'Which if a man does, he shall live by them.' And they shrugged their shoulders, stiffened their necks, and would not hear. I'm thankful for one thing. The Lord knows who is for or against such things. He knows who the enemy is. I'm thankful that despite what we see happening, He will be my protection and provision when the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy in the physical world...unless I choose to go the way of the world, unless I choose to let the world filter into my life and I become accustomed to it. He is a gracious and merciful God to those who call Him their God, their Lord and Savior, who keeps His covenant with His people.

I had a discussion with a woman I'd only known three hours. We discussed the watering down of the Gospel message in many of today's churches...how it is happening in her church, to the point where she will not attend, although her husband is employed there...not pastoral staff. He realizes where the church is going...but it is a job! 

And I read an article this morning about a man with a television ministry who will no longer support a particular Christian station because they don't want him to speak harshly against some things which we need to be so very aware of these days...and not allow our churches to partake in. The issue: for the sake of not becoming offensive, taking on that role in embracing the diversity of all religions. We simply cannot do this! Some churches, and I believe some just don't realize they're doing it, are allowing false doctrine to creep in, not that they say it quite as bluntly. 

So as a nation, as a church, we will receive what we deserve...and hopefully it will turn the people back to the only Person we can rely on and have faith in. There are those who do not want to support, as the man I mentioned, anyone who is going to twist the truth of God's Word...or water it down.

There are people in this world and in our country who are those described in Nehemiah 9:35,37: ...they have not served You in their kingdom, or in the many good things that You gave them, or in the large and rich land which You set before them; nor did they turn from their wicked works. And it yields much increase to the kings You have set over us, because of our sins; also they have dominion over our bodies and our cattle at their pleasure; and we are in great distress.  Leaders have served themselves and their own desire for power, not the people.

A humbling of ourselves and a true turning back to God is what we need to do. Will we ever see this again? Jesus will return. When He does He comes back for His faithful elect. He comes back to show Himself as the King of kings. He will be seen in all His glory and those who have doubted His awesome power will finally, albeit too late, bow their knees.

The time to stand for Christ is now. Seek Him before it is too late (Isaiah 55:6). We can humble ourselves now while we still can or wait when we are forced to. If we, as God's people, would humble ourselves, pray and seek His face, He will forgive... (2Chronicles 7:14). This is what happened in Nehemiah 9:2:

Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

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