I can't get away from II Chronicles 7:14--"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 will forgive their sin and heal their land."
Not only are we to search our own hearts, but I believe we are to speak the Word of God to one another. We have kept our mouths shut long enough in America.
In general, Chrisitans in America lack the fear of the Lord and we have adapted the Word to fit our culture. As a result we are no longer a blessed nation and we need to stand up and declare the truth in hopes of establishing the plumb line once again.
No one wants to offend --myself included, but I do believe the Word of God is being withheld to such and extent that an imbalance has occurred and sin is rampant among the saints.
This is the Word of the Lord to the American church today.
Ezekiel 3:4,7-11
Then He said, "Son of man, go to the people of Israel and give them my messages.
But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted.
Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces and your forehead strong against their foreheads.
Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.
Moreover He said to me: "Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you and hear with your ears. And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people and speak to them and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, 'whether they hear, or whether they refuse."
Ezekiel was to speak to his own people. The house of Israel represents the church and the Lord is telling us not to be afraid of our brothers and sisters. The Lord has been trying to turn believers around in America for years and now we are seeing signs of judgments in our county.
We are to apply the Word of God to our own lives first (receive My Word into your heart) and repent and then speak the truth, in love, to our brothers and sisters who the Lord calls 'captives'.
The church in America has its own compromised version of the Word of God and the Lord says we are a rebellious people who will not listen to Him. He is requiring us to speak, despite the fact that most will not listen, but will be stubborn and give us angry looks.
I was floored upon receiving this. How was I to muster up enough couragge to stand my ground when my approach is usually laid-back?
The key lies in Ezekiel 3:7. The Lord says, "I will make your face strong against their face." The NIV translation says, "I have made you as obstinate and hardhearted as they are." This is what He did for Ezekiel, so he could carry out His commmand and He'll do it for us as well!
My personality is the opposite of what is being required here, but He often chooses those that are completely lacking to show Himself strong in their lives. All I have to do is cry out for this change. It may, or may not be an immediate change, but I am to continually ask for His grace to speak the Word boldly.
Ezekiel 2:8 states that if we do not speak out the truth, we will be considered rebellious by the Lord and verse 18 says their blood will be upon our heads if we don't tell them.
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