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Online! | | Judgment: A Call To Repentance by Derek Prince | |
God does not judge us because He is unmerciful. He judges us in order to call us to repentance. If we refuse to see and bow before His judgments, we have failed to respond to God the way He desires. God judges us that we may repent, and He promises mercy to those who do repent.
Let us look at one passage in Jeremiah chapter eighteen, reading only verses 7-10, which clearly demonstrates that God deals with any nation in judgment according to the way it responds to Him.
"At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
"And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in My sight, that it obey not My voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them."
God says in effect, "I will warn you of judgment and tell you it is coming, but if you change, I will withhold the judgment. Or conversely, if I have promised good and blessing to you upon the condition of obedience, and you turn to disobedience, I will withhold the good. I will deal with you according to the way you respond to Me." This is the way God has promised to deal with any nation.
Do you believe God would deal with the United States like that? Do you think it is possible that God is even now dealing with our nation? Do you think that in many cases we have been very slow and stubborn to see Gods judgments and to acknowledge that we deserve them? God calls us to repent instead of complaining and criticizing. And He promises mercy if we do repent.
This principle of the peoples response is even more clearly stated in Second Chronicles chapter seven in a revelation that God gave to Solomon immediately after he had finished building the temple:
"If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people;
"If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (see verses 11-14).
That is Gods promise of mercy.
Notice that God holds His people accountable for the state of their land. Generally speaking, church-going people tend to blame the nonchurch-going people for the problems in the world. God says in effect, "The problem is not with them; it is with you. If I can deal with you, I can handle the situation." God always begins with His people.
First Peter 4:17 says, "...The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God." God does not start by judging the ungodly; His first judgment is of His people. And God is saying to His people that if I can get My way with you, I will reach the world through you. But if you resist Me, I have no way to reach the world.
In the great revival that swept Wales in 1904, God raised up a young man named Evan Roberts who became the spearhead of that revival that changed the whole nation and history of Wales. Evan Roberts had a slogan: "Bend the church and bow the world."
I believe that is exactly the way it is. If the church will bend, the world will bow. But if the church will not bend, we cannot expect the world to bow. Either we become the channel of Gods Spirit to the world, or else we hold up Gods Spirit from reaching the world. The way we respond to God is what decides the outcome.
So God says, "If My people will do what I ask, I will heal their land." It does not depend upon the ungodly. It depends on the believers. We are the salt of the earth. We determine the destiny of the nation.
Condensed and reprinted from Herald of His Coming, August 1991.
from: http://www.heraldofhiscoming.com/other/home.htm
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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
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|  2012/6/10 12:16 | Profile | AbideinHim
Member
Joined: 2006/11/26
Posts: 5185
Louisiana
| | Re: Judgment: A Call To Repentance by Derek Prince | | "So God says, "If My people will do what I ask, I will heal their land." It does not depend upon the ungodly. It depends on the believers. We are the salt of the earth. We determine the destiny of the nation."
Thank you Greg for posting this excellent article by Derek Prince.
Praise God that just as God chastens us so that we would repent of our sins and be partakers of His holiness, not out of a desire to punish us, but He truly is working all things for good to those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. He is working on a larger scale in the Church and if we would judge ourselves then we would not be judged by the Lord. But even the judgements of the Lord are for the purpose of bringing us to repentance.
If it wasn't for the goodness, mercy, and longsuffering of the Lord, this nation would have been destroyed long ago, but that is not the will of the Lord. God's will for nations is stated in 2 Chronicles 7. The Church is the key for the healing of the land, and it is all on the condition that the Body of Christ would humble itself, pray, seek the face of the Lord, and repent. If the church in America does not repent then the judgements of God will increase in number and severity. If the Church repents then judgement can be delayed or minimized, and we can even see revival and restoration coming to our nation.
Mike
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Mike
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| | 2012/6/10 16:16 | Profile |
| | Re: Judgment: A Call To Repentance by Derek Prince | |
If we are indeed in the last days, which many of us believe that we are - regardless of the righteous that live in any nation - Jesus told us what the condition of these nations - 'the world' - will be - most especially those nations that are most guilty of exporting debauchery around the world.
We don't obey GOD for any other reason but that He's worthy.
There's enough pipe dreams in the counterfeit church as it is.
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| | 2012/6/10 16:50 | | AbideinHim
Member
Joined: 2006/11/26
Posts: 5185
Louisiana
| | Re: Judgment: A Call To Repentance by Derek Prince | | http://www.heraldofhiscoming.com/other/home.htm
I found this to be an excellent website for articles on revival and preperation for the endtimes.
A Call To Fervent Revival Prayer
By Richard Owen Roberts
Gods Remedy For Todays Emergency
By W. C. Moore
Tremble And Pray
By Rich Carmicheal
OneCry: A Call To Nationwide Spiritual Awakening!
By Dave Butts
Declaration of National Spiritual Emergency
Judgment: A Call To Repentance
By Derek Prince
Watch ... Stand Fast ... Be Strong
By Horatius Bonar
How To Use The Sword Of The Word Against Afflictions
By William Gurnall
The Overruling Providence Of God
By J. Oswald Sanders
Praise God For The Furnace
By A. W. Tozer
The Blessedness Of Persevering Through Temptation
By A. B. Simpson
The Essential Role Of The Family In World Evangelization
By Rob Rienow
John G. Paton: Pioneering In The New Hebrides (Part 2)
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Mike
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| | 2012/6/10 17:04 | Profile | InTheLight
Member
Joined: 2003/7/31
Posts: 2850
Phoenix, Arizona USA
| | Re: | | Quote:
There's enough pipe dreams in the counterfeit church as it is.
Is that all revival is in our generation, a pipe dream? Have we lost all hope? The God of the Bible that I know is merciful and gracious, long-suffering and forgiving.
God said in Joel 2; "Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness!"
Yet just a few verses later He said, ""Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?
God will do great things!(v.21) God is near to those of a broken heart and a contrite spirit (Psalm 34:18). He revives the humble and contrite ones (Isaiah 57:15).
In Christ,
Ron
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Ron Halverson
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| | 2012/6/10 17:25 | Profile |
| | Re: | |
'Revival' is needed for those that are asleep, dead, don't fear GOD, are living in sin, are Lukewarm - yes definitely.
When Israel was in a Back-slidden state - that's when the prophets would come out with these messages of repentence.
WE should be 'living' in a REVIVED state presently [if we were ever in any of the states listed in the first sentence] - each one of us should be living His Word through our lives right now.
My problem with the "heal your land" promisers, is I was young once too - and I can see Christians, reading something like this - taking on the guilt of the sins of their nation - fasting and doing whatever BECAUSE OF their nation - and then if their nation falls under judgment - they blame themselves because they read an article like this that focused "right living" on that one promise made to Israel.
Brother Ron, did I not word it that way in my post?
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| | 2012/6/10 17:47 | | AbideinHim
Member
Joined: 2006/11/26
Posts: 5185
Louisiana
| | Re: | | WE should be 'living' in a REVIVED state presently [if we were ever in any of the states listed in the first sentence] - each one of us should be living His Word through our lives right now.
Most of the Church today is not living in a revived state. If the Body of Christ fulfills the conditions for revival then God will do His part, forgive our sins and heal our land.
You can't read the prophets without seeing over and over again that the judgements of God can be stayed through the repentance of God's people.
I beleive that we would see some amazing results to our prayers if the church would gather in solemn assemblies throughout the land.
Mike
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Mike
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| | 2012/6/10 17:59 | Profile |
| | Re: | |
And what if your land is not healed? What will you and all those that are "repenting" and fasting and doing all that they can 'so that' GOD heals their land INSTEAD OF Just because they LOVE HIM, regardless of His Words about - "as it was in the day of Noah - or Lot" comes to pass?
We need to obey Him Only Because We Love Him regardless of the outcome.
GOD have mercy!
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| | 2012/6/10 18:07 | |
| | Re: | | Brothers, I don't feel I should leave this without one more post of explanation and to say that my capitals are not yelling. I'd rather use code.
The example in my mind -
Let's say a young person reads this OP and uses what is said and waits on "GOD to do good" and heal their land - yet, things don't get good in their own little worlds and get worse or much worse in their country. How is this helping them? Could they possibly believe that GOD lied?
But if they consecrate their lives to Him because they understand what His love is and find that love growing inside their hearts - than even if persecution comes - they're ready, willing and able.
They won't look to Him for anything more than what He gives us. In whatever state we find ourselves in, to be content. Even if not taking a mark or pledging allegience to someone may mean sure death, comes to their nation. Whether it be here, or Africa or Asia or any of the other presently hostile to Christians, nations.
If we win the lost or backslidden with Christ and share what He went through to save them, they'll love, obey and serve Him 'no matter what' and will desire to lead others to do the same, through that witness of His love.
If people are sitting around watching TV and 'just living', like every minute doesn't count for Christ - then yes, they surely do need 'something'. You can call it revival but I see it as needing to love GOD much more than they do - and others, the unsaved, their families, their neighbors.
Love makes us do the impossible under impossible conditions and makes us willing to lay down our lives for others - not expecting anything in return. If we could win souls with that message and give them the desire for that heart, we'd see true soldiers of the Cross.
Thank you for trying to understand.
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| | 2012/6/10 21:16 | | murrcolr
Member
Joined: 2007/4/25
Posts: 1839
Scotland, UK
| | Re: | | Quote: Most of the Church today is not living in a revived state.
Thats an understatement the Church is dead.
But yet I believe in a Pipe Dream
I believe that God is going to visit my nation with revival, and that my nation will turn back to Christ and from my nation it will go to your nations Europe, Africa, The Americas, Asia and the Middle East. I also believe that strong preachers will raised up and will go to the nations with a strong message. I believe this message will prepare the church to face the Anti Christ.
Quote: But if they consecrate their lives to Him because they understand what His love is and find that love growing inside their hearts - than even if persecution comes - they're ready, willing and able.
Consecration is not enough to prepare us for the things that are coming.
Consecration is the beginning of a journey after consecration there will come correction by the Holy Spirit. Consecration and correction by the Holy Spirit prepares us for what is coming.
Watchman Nee says; consecration can only be according to the measure of our spiritual insight and understanding, but the Holy Spirit disciplines according to His own light. We really do not know how much our consecration involves. Our light is so limited that when it seems to us to be at its greatest, in God's view it is like pitch blackness. God's requirement so far exceeds what we can possibly consecratei.e. in our limited light. The discipline of the Holy Spirit, on the other hand, is meted out to us according to our need as seen in God's own light. He knows our special need, and so by His Spirit He orders our circumstances in such a way as to bring about the breaking of the outward man.
Since the Holy Spirit works according to the light of God, His discipline is thorough and complete. We often wonder at the things which befall us, yet if left to ourselves we may be mistaken in our very best choice. The discipline He orders transcends our understanding. How often we are caught unprepared and conclude that surely such a drastic thing is not our need. Many times His discipline descends upon us suddenly without our having prior notice! We may insist we are living in "the light" but the Holy Spirit is dealing with us according to God's light. From the time we received Him, He has been ordering our circumstances for our profit according to His knowledge of us.
http://www.worldinvisible.com/library/nee/5f00.0638/5f00.0638.6.htm
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Colin Murray
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| | 2012/6/11 7:25 | Profile |
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