If Jesus Christ were to appear to you today, and speak the word to you, I'm sure that you would hit the floor with much fear and trembling. When a holy God fills a place with His holy presence, His holy fear will also be manifested.
Where is the fear of the Lord in our churches today? Where is the fear of the Lord in our schools and in our homes? Where is the fear of God in our own lives? What is happening to the church? Why is sin rampant within its doors? Why are people making a mockery of God, His word, and His people? What are we doing wrong?
If we want to see true repentance in our midst, we must:
1. Preach the truth in love
2. Our lives must be an example to those around us. We must live holy lives. We must not live a double standard - saying one thing, and doing another thing.
3. We must call sin exactly what it is - SIN!
4. We must not walk in the fear of man, but in the fear of God.
5. We must learn to die to ourselves, our plans, our wrong motives, and live to do His will.
6. We must truly "love one another" as the Bible tells us to. Love does not point the finger at anothers faults. Love does not condemn or speak evil of someone. Love does not accuse. The love of God is lacking in the body of Christ today. We must repent, and ask the Lord to change us.
7. We must be a Caleb and Joshua Generation. Speak positively in a negative world. Keep backbiting, complaining, and negativism far from you. Believe God! We are able to go up and take the land!!!!
8. Respect those in leadership. Respect those whom God has placed over you. Do not speak against them falsely. Do not talk about them behind their backs. Pray for them, speak well of them, and encourage them. Treat them the way you would want to be treated, if you were in their shoes.
9. Keep yourselves stirred up in the faith. Pray in the Holy Spirit. Find time to be alone with Jesus. Stay in the word of God, and allow His word to consume you.
When Jesus appeared to His disciples, He spoke words of life to them. The spoken word caused their hearts to burn within them. They found themselves consumed with new desire, new love, new zeal, and new vision. They were stirred up, fired up, and shaken up.
When the word of the Lord penetrates your heart, it will cause a fire to burn on the inside of you. It's a fire that man cannot put out. It's a fire that has been ignited by God. It's supernatural in origin. It's awesome in power! It will cause demons to tremble and devils to flee! It will cause sickness to bow its knee, as it burns out all the dross and decay from ones body. Oh, the fire of God, is truly a supernatural thing. It's not stirred up by the words of men, but it's fueled by the words of God. The more the word of God is poured onto it, the bigger the fire gets. How much fire do you want burning inside of you? How much can you take? How far are you willing to go with Jesus?
If you want to be "on fire" for God, you must keep yourself in the the word. Allow the word of God to become a part of you. Discipline yourself to stay hungry for God. Don't allow yourself to become complacent and lazy. Pray for God to make you hungry!!! Pray for God to make you thirsty. Stir yourself up! Preach to yourself, if you have to! Lay hands on yourself and pray! Do whatever it takes to keep you moving with Him. Keep keeping on!
It takes work to stay "on fire" for the Lord. It takes effort. It means spending time with Jesus when you'd rather be out with your friends. It means witnessing to someone when you're dog tired and want to go to bed. It means laying down your life, so that He can live through you.
Lazy people will never reach their destination in God. They have an "I don't care" mentality of thinking. They just take up pew space. They only think of themselves and their needs. They haven't made a commitment in their hearts to serve the Lord with all of their hearts, minds, and souls. Is their hope for them? Of course there is hope for them. But, they must choose to follow the path that God has chosen for them.
When someone is "on fire", they can't sit still. They find themselves witnessing in McDonald's, IGA, Hardees, Walmart, etc. They can't help themselves. They are in love with Jesus and they cannot keep this love to themselves. They are unselfish people. They love Jesus more than anything or anyone else. They overflow with zeal, hunger, and thirst for more of Jesus.
What's it going to take to change this nation, our churches, our pastors, our leaders, and ourselves? Who's going to prostrate themselves before the Lord and intercede for this nation? Who's going to take the time to weep and travail for the youth in our nations and countries? Who's going to cry out for the salvation of thousands of homosexuals and lesbians in America. They are on their way to hell and don't even realize it. Who's going to pray for our school systems? They teach our children that homosexuality is an alternative lifestyle. They teach our children that it's okay to be gay. My friend, it's not okay! It's an abomination to the Lord. He hates it and He will judge it! Who's going to receive the burden of the Lord to pray for them?
Who's going to intercede for the drug addicts and prostitutes? Thousands are hooked on drugs, locked up in a living hell. Who cares about them? Who's going to go to the streets and pull these people out of the misery that they are in? Will Congress do it? Will the president do it? What about the church? Will they get out of their comfortable pews and reach out to those who have nothing?
It's time to travail for America! It's time to travail for our children and youth in this nation! It's time to cry out and war against the strongholds that have our nation bound in sin. It's time to cry out for Islam to fall. It's time to cry out for Hinduism to bow its knee to the name of Jesus! It's time for people to turn to the one true living God!!!! His name is JESUS!!! His name is wonderful!! His name is COUNSELOR!!!! There is no other name whereby men must be saved! Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven! There is no other way!!!
We've been deceived too long. May our eyes be opened to the truth of God's word.
When Jesus spoke the word to His disciples, their eyes were opened. Why? Because they received the words that He spoke. Are we receiving the word of the Lord today? If we are not, our eyes will not be opened.
The Lord wants to wake us up. He wants to use us mightily for His glory. We have a message for the world. Will we speak it? He wants His word to burn in us like fire? Will we allow it to burn within us? Or will we quench it?
Choose you this day whom you will serve. Will you serve God or the devil? There are no in-betweens. It's heaven or hell. It's life or death. It's our choice. I pray that you will choose life. I pray that you will choose Jesus.
Jesus loves you. He wants His holy fire to burn in you.
