ONLY THE CHURCH
If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
The church is the only way that the United States will be healed. It’s time for the church to take its rightful place in this country and reclaim what the Lord has given us. It’s time to quit playing church and BE the church of Jesus Christ.
Often 2 Chronicles 7:14 is the preamble we pray on Sunday morning when asked to pray for our country. It doesn’t stop with the prayer. The Lord is requiring more of the church to experience the manifestation of His promise to heal our land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 is clearly addressed to the church: “If my people who are called by my name…” The people called by His name are Christians, in unity, as the church, the “ekklesia.” Modern translations call us the “church”, but the original Greek word translated by Jewish Rabbis is “ekklesia” which is defined as “a called-out assembly or congregation.” Called out. That’s us.
And what are we called out to do to see that our land is healed?
“Humble themselves” – know that God is the only way the United States can be healed. Not the Republicans, not President Trump, not Governor DeSantis, but only God. Being humble is minimizing your own importance and submitting to the authority of the Lord.
“Pray” – prayer in this context is honestly and solemnly requesting God for His help for our nation, asking for His grace and mercy.
“Seek My face” – In the Old Testament, the word “face” is sometimes translated as “presence.” When you seek God’s face, you seek His presence. Psalm 105:4 tells us to look to the Lord and His strength, not our own strength, but His strength, and to seek His face continually—not just on Sunday morning, not just during our daily devotion or quiet time, but continually.
Turn from their wicked ways – Before the United States will be healed, the church first has to be healed of their wicked ways. Not the wicked ways of the abortionists, murderers, child abusers, satan worshippers, or people perverted in so many ungodly ways. God is speaking of the wicked ways found right within His church. In Chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of Revelation, Jesus Himself addressed the seven churches and explained how His church can turn from their wicked ways: ▪Return to your first love, remembering what it was like when you first got saved and were on fire for the Lord–go back there and make Him your first priority in life. ▪Don’t be afraid of what you see going on in the world, for you are “in” the world, but not “of” the world. ▪Don’t compromise with the world. ▪Don’t permit the immorality of the world to be part of the church. ▪Some churches have great names and do great works but are dead as far as their personal relationship with Jesus. ▪Hold fast to what you have in Jesus. ▪Don’t be lukewarm. Revelation 2:1-3:22.
The last instruction is don’t be lukewarm. The church is to be on fire for Jesus. And what does fire do? It spreads. It burns down things in its pathway. The Holy Spirit will fan the flames of the church’s fire as we leave the safety of the walls of the church and go out into the community, the city, the state, and the country and seek the Lord as to how he will use us to heal this land. We were all born for such a time as this!
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