It's Up To You

There is a narrative irony housed within the context of this story. On one hand, we have a newly constructed temple. On the other hand, we have an unhealed land. On one hand, we have a myriad of people praying and making sacrifices to God. On the other hand, we have a God who provides a conditional response to a conscious committed prayer. I have discovered through this narrative irony that building outside does not mean I’m not still broken inside. I have discovered that heralding shouts of acclamation does not provide escape from the ails which keep me hurting. I have discovered that the consummation of my sacrifice does not change the calamities in my soul.

God shows us a scary truth that more times than not, we work hard to avoid.

THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM

He shows us that after all of the fire, after all of the sacrifices that God consumes, our land still needs healing. He shows us that new buildings will never fix broken hearts. He shows us that sacrifices will not wipe away scars. He says our land needs healing. Notice if you will, the issues that we face are not personal but collective. God says it is a land sickness. There is a spirit called disobedience that is hovering over this land that’s keeping us from moving forward. This spirit is causing a sense of stagnation to this land. And even though we are seemingly growing, even though we have had some fire-filled gatherings, even though we have made some sacrifices, collectively, we still suffer from sickness because of the sin of disobedience.

Whether you desire to admit it or not, our land needs healing. When we spend more time on the phone gossiping then we do on our knees with God, it’s a sign that our land needs healing. When we spend more time tearing somebody down instead of picking somebody up, it’s a sign that our land needs healing. When we spend more time preparing for a party over and above preparing for prayer meeting, it’s a sign that our land need healing. When we can make it to work on time but constantly be late to church to thank the God who provided the job you prayed for, it’s a sign that our land needs healing.

The term healing is unique because its definition suggests the notion of being healthy again. This lets us know that the condition of the land was not always like this. There was a time when the land was healed and healthy. There was a time when the land was prosperous. And while we hear the sounds of Amen and yes Lord, can I ask you a question? What were you doing then that you are not doing now? In what ways were you following then that you are not following now? In what ways were you serving then that you are not serving now? In what ways were you committed to ministry then over and above your commitment to ministry now? How were you talking about your church then in comparison to how you talk about your church now? What kind of impact was made in the community then over and above the impact or lack there of within the community now?

Our land needs healing. God does not leave us at the cause of our problem. He provides a -

THE CURE TO OUR PROBLEM

God shows us within this narrative that the cure to our problem is not a byproduct of divine power alone but a byproduct of personal participation. In other words, God suggests that this healing is not on me; it’s on us. And if healing is on us and not God alone, there is something that we must do that we haven’t been doing. God’s not going to allow us to put the ownness on Him. He will not be our scapegoat. We have a stake in our own healing. He provides a four-step plan that will serves as the process of recovery. And, I am convinced that you will not have to asked anyone whether they want healing or not. My words will say I want healing. My walk will say I want healing. My actions will say I want healing. The way in follow will say I want healing. The way we lead will say we want healing. The way we serve will say we want healing.

Our process begins through personal acts. In other words, these acts are something that we have to do for ourselves. No one can do it for you. Look at the steps – YOU have to humble yourself. That means you have to make a conscious decision to submit yourself. God is not going to allow a series of events to occur in your life to make you humble. God says if you want your land healed, you have to make a choice to submit. Submission suggests that you have to come under the mission. You don’t have a mission. You come under THE mission. God give one vision and anything more than one vision is division.

After you humble yourself, you have to pray. Prayer suggests that the ways in which we have been communicating has to change. We have to cancel our contract with this negative phone ministry and sign up with a new heavenly carrier. God is not saying that we need to stop talking. He is simply saying that we need to start talking to him. When we begin talking to God, God will shift our situation instead of sabotaging our situation. When we begin to talk to God, He will begin to lift our load instead of leaking our business. The song writer says it like this – Have a little talk with Jesus. Tell him all about your troubles. He will hear your faintest cry and answer by and by.

Our next step is seeking His face. After we pray to Him, we will naturally begin to seek after Him. There is no way that you can be in constant communication with God and not be motivated to see his face. Lord I have gotten so accustomed to your voice that now I want to seek your face. That means I begin the process of looking for Him. I am not wasting my time, looking for mess. I am looking for the master. I am not wasting my time, looking for the next story. I am looking for the savior. Oh, I want to see him, look upon his face, there to sing forever of His saving grace, on the streets of glory let me lift my voice, all my cares are past, home at last ever to rejoice. The last step in the process of healing is turning from my wicked ways. I have discovered that turning is not that tedious if your have already been talking to the Lord. If you have humbled yourself, prayed and sought his face, then your mindset and actions have changed. Turning is only seen as a problem, if you have attempted to work God’s process out of sequence. It maybe your time but it’s still God’s terms. And I don’t know about you, but I can turn from sin because I’ve been spending time with God.

Well, as I hasten to my close, after identifying the cause of my problem, and the cure of my problem, God leaves me with –

THE CONCLUSION OF OUR PROBLEM

God says, I will hear from heaven , I will forgive their sins, and I will heal their land. Because you were willing to did your part and follow God’s directions, God is willing to do His part and change your situation. When we do it His way, God will hear. When we do it His way, God will forgive. When we do it His way, God will heal. When we do it His way, God will deliver. When we do it His way, God will set us free. When we do it His way, God will remove the scars. When we do it His way, God will wash away the stains. When we do it His way, God will remove the barriers that keep us stagnant. When we do it His way, God will change our reputation in this city. When we do it His way, we will start loving the right way. Hoping the right way, working the right way, serving the right way, trusting the right way, following the right way, working the right way, building the right way, impacting lives the right way, ministering to the community the right way. It’s on you. If we are going to heal, it’s on you. If we are grow, it’s on you. If we are going to move forward, it’s on you. God shows us exactly what happens when we do it His way. And because God is a God who does exceedingly and abundantly above all that we ask or even think, He shares with us an additional clause to his conclusion. Verse 15 says, Now, my eyes will be open, and my ears will be attentive to the prayers made in this place. That means that after you humble yourself, pray, seek his face and turn from your wicked ways, after he hears from heaven, forgives your sins, and heals your land, he will no longer close his eyes and close His ears. He will forever look on you and hear what you have to say. Because he knows that you have done your part. Not only are your cured but God will choose this house and consecrate this house so that his name will remain forever – Flow in the spirit.

If His name remains – desert me, disappear, fade, fail, falter, or forsake me, move, migrate, part ways, scram, split, or set away, vacate, vamoose, vanish. God is a God of his word. If he said it, He will do it. All of His promises are yeah and amen. That means yes, it is so.