Revival

2Ch 29:1  Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.
2Ch 29:2  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.
2Ch 29:3  He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them.
2Ch 29:4  And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,
2Ch 29:5  And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.

 

We certainly can apply this to our own homes, churches and our nation. First we are to be sanctified, personally cleansed of sin. Idols torn down and the presence of the LORD sought through prayer and obedience to his laws and the word of God. Repentance begins in the temple of our body. First comes personal repentance and sanctification, being set apart unto God for his service. Then get to work removing the sin from the church, the family. These are the starting places for a national revival.

 

Luke 24:46  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
Luke 24:47  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luke 24:48  And ye are witnesses of these things.

Power to do all this is not of the flesh but of the Holy Spirit of God. You must have the baptism of Jesus in the Holy Ghost, the infilling of His presence.

Luke 11:13  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? 

The Holy Spirit is a gift from God through Jesus. It is not earned or learned, but received by faith.

Isa 40:31  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. 

We are not a threat to a nation, but a blessing. Those seeking truth, mercy and goodness will welcome a revival.

A nations stolen wealth

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:...

A wonderful young lady who was saved from prostitution by the power of God through our Internet ministry, would often say, "do not be wanting a gift from a stranger, because there will be a price to pay"

2 Kings 20:12 ...Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent Hezekiah his best wishes and a gift, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been very sick.

13 Hezekiah welcomed the Babylonian envoys and showed them everything in his treasure-houses -- the silver, the gold, the spices, and the aromatic oils. He also took them to see his armory and showed them all his other treasures -- everything! There was nothing in his palace or kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.

14 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked him, "What did those men want? Where were they from?"Hezekiah replied, "They came from the distant land of Babylon."

15 "What did they see in your palace?" Isaiah asked."They saw everything," Hezekiah replied. "I showed them everything I own -- all my treasures."

16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Listen to this message from the LORD:

17 The time is coming when everything you have -- all the treasures stored up by your ancestors -- will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD.

18 Some of your own descendants will be taken away into exile. They will become eunuchs who will serve in the palace of Babylon's king."

19 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "This message you have given me from the LORD is good." But the king was thinking, "At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime." (NLT)

Hezekiah had become self centered and careless in his final years. He allowed the enemy to come and to look at all the secret treasures of Jerusalem. They would be coming back to steal it all. Our nation's secrets are being stolen too. It seems that the leadership cannot give away and waste our resources fast enough to accomplish their vision, but whose vision is it? The "ME" generation wants it all now, putting the nation's future in debt and in danger, including our ability to defend ourselves. Hezekiah showing his treasures to his enemies reminds me of what Jesus said.

Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Hezekiah who had been on his deathbed requested life and God gave him 15 more years. He was in a good mood when he exposed the nation's treasure to the enemy. When we witness for God, sometimes the enemy will attack and trample the word of God. This is like the swine who tramples our treasure under his  feet. We are to seek the true treasure and it is most precious to us. Daniel would be one of the ones who were taken into exile and made a eunuch in the king's palace, but he remained faithful to his God. Regardless of what comes to us because of careless leaders and the sins of the people, we are to remain faithful as God is faithful to us.

2Co 4:6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 

We are to be humble and faithful servants of God with his light shining in and through us to give hope in the darkest of times. He is our strength and comforter, now and forever more.

John16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

We follow Jesus, looking to him who has gone before us and secured the victory.