What Repentance Looks Like

Nancy DeMoss in her study on personal revival entitled Seeking Him makes these statements about repentance:

The purpose of repentance is not to make us feel better about ourselves but to restore us to a right relationship with God, so that our lives may again bring glory to Him and be used for His purposes. That is what personal revival is all about!


DeMoss continues:

So what does a repenter look like?...

• A repenter renews his/her mind with truth from Scripture consistently. He/she is aware that the battle against temptation is first waged in the mind and that the process of repentance begins there as well.
• A repenter responds to God immediately. At the first sign of conviction, he/she agrees with God about sin, turns from it, and turns toward the Lord.
• A repenter obeys God completely. His/her repentance is thorough, and does not cast a longing look back at sin. He/she forsakes the temporary pleasure of sin for the abiding joy of God's blessing.
• A repenter follows God personally. He/she does not base commitment to God on what others are doing. "Though no one joins me, still I will follow" expresses the attitude of the heart.
• A repenter accepts God's discipline faithfully. Realizing that sin has consequences, he/she accepts the Lord's discipline as an act of love and as a reminder when faced again with sin.

She concludes:

Responding to God is more important than whatever you were planning on doing next. If God is speaking, the time to respond is now. Will you humble yourself and allow Him to begin restoring you?


Think through what DeMoss suggests are signs of one who repents. Consider each point personally. Do these signs represent your heart to be right with God?

PERSONAL REFLECTION

(Contemplate God’s Word to you)

What was the most significant thought you received from this session?

Why do you think God implanted this upon your heart?

What do you think God wants you to do as result of what you have heard?

Is there anything that might keep you from receiving/doing/obeying what you heard?

Ask His help in achieving what He spoke to you.

Thank God for what you have heard; remember and apply it to your life.

USELESS RELIGION?

James 1:21-27 says, “21…lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. 26If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” (NKJV)

When I think of the founding fathers of this great Republic of the United States I think of men of great faith and a religion of power; a religion pure and undefiled before the God of the universe. A “useless religion” would have been satisfied to remain in the homeland and accept a life of tepid tolerance and compromise. No. Our founding fathers, the signers of our constitution, considered their God-given right to liberty as a higher calling than subservience to a king, a monarch.

Founder Charles Carroll:
Signer of the Declaration of Independence said, "On the mercy of my Redeemer I rely for salvation and on His merits; not on the works I have done in obedience to His precepts." From an autographed letter in our possession written by Charles Carroll to Charles W. Wharton, Esq., on September 27, 1825, from Doughoragen, Maryland. (Source: Wallbuilders.com)

Pray for America. Pray for each other. Awakening must come to America! It has been one hundred years since the last great awakening (1905-06). Our one great hope is the intervention of God. Lay aside the sin that does so beset your life and receive the Word of God with meekness which is able to save your souls. It will reflect accurately the condition of your heart…what kind of man or woman you have become.

If you look into the ”perfect law of liberty,” the Word of God, you will see what our forefathers saw. You will see not a “useless religion” but religion of power and strength through a risen Savior. You will see Jesus. You will see a religion born of God for the renewal and awakening of your heart.

TAKE AWAY – PERSONAL REFLECTION

(Contemplate God’s Word to you)

What was the most significant thought you received from this session?

Why do you think God implanted this upon your heart?

What do you think God wants you to do as result of what you have heard?

Is there anything that might keep you from receiving/doing/obeying what you heard?

Ask His help in achieving what He spoke to you.

Thank God for what you have heard; remember and apply it to your life.

Restoring Youth In America

This is a reprint of an email I recently received:


Whenever I have a serious discussion about the troubling circumstances that this country is facing, inevitably the conversation comes back to Taking Back America's Youth. We all know that our public education system isn't teaching our children about American Exceptionalism. We know that the Entertainment World, the Media, and Higher Learning does everything to tear down the very foundations that our Country was built on.

Today, we are going to start Fighting Back. We are going to start by having a conversation with our Nation's Youth. What better place than a social network? Facebook. We want this to become a place where Youth talk, inform and challenge each other. Eventually, this will be the launching pad for starting Youth-Led and Run Tea Parties in High Schools and Colleges & Universities. That's my Dream.

The group name on Facebook is "Restoring America". Here's the link.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Restoring-America/112115062138936?v=info&ref=ts

I'd like to keep this site available for the Under 30 group. Please help me to keep this focused on Youth so that they can share freely. And, for those of us, that have a little more time to be "seasoned", let's try to just observe and let the conversation and networking occur naturally.

Now, here's what I need your help with....

Please forward this Facebook page to all the young people you know: children, grandchildren, extended family, church youth groups, etc. You can help to encourage young people to try it out.

I know you all are committed to our Youth and not just because they are our Future but because We Love Them! Thank you all in advance for helping.

LOOSING A GENERATION

Scripture Reading: Plea for personal purity— PSALM 143

Personal Prayer & Confession (1John 1:9) Come before God in personal contrition & brokenness

Prayer for our churches, our cities and our nation— JUDGES 2:6-12

USA TODAY, April 27, 2010 article: SURVEY: 72% OF MILLENNIALS ‘MORE SPIRITUAL THAN RELEGIOUS’ (Reported by Lifeway Research and The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life)

This article reported that the research showed that 72% of 18-29 year olds say they are “really more spiritual than religious.” BUT ARE THEY REALLY? The article reported 65% of these people never pray with others and almost never pray by themselves; 65% rarely or never attend worship services; 67% don’t read the Bible or sacred texts; 50% are unsure that Jesus is the only path to heaven. The Pew research says Millennials are ‘less religious.’ Among those who claim to have accepted Christ as Savior, 68% did not mention faith, religion or spirituality when asked ‘what is important in life’; 50% do not attend church at least weekly; 36% rarely or never read the Bible. Only 40 % say they have a responsibility to share the Gospel. At the end of this article Tom Rainer, President of Lifeway Christian Resources says he ‘is encouraged by the roughly 15% who appear to be ‘deeply committed’ Christians in study, prayer, worship and action.’ In another article at christianpost.com, Rainer quotes, ‘For many Millennials, Christianity is a family heirloom rather than a faith commitment’ and that the next generation is slow to embrace a relationship with Christ and even slower to treasure it.’

THE OPINION OF THIS BLOG:
While I join Rainer in his praise of the 15%, I do not take a lot of encouragement from these surveys. It is a pitiful report on the spiritual climate of America among young adults. This is a generation who do not know the Lord. Read Judges 2:6-12 (especially v 10).

In the christianpost.com article Rainer says that research also shows that Millennials are really tuned in to ‘family.’ In addition, they are attracted to groups [is there a hunger here for relationships?]. Rainer states further that, ‘To minister effectively, the church should tap into this priority among Millennials. Certainly churches with a family focus is important. But that is the easy part. The generations coming up DESPERATELY need three things: 1) A spiritual awakening of mammoth proportions, 2) A personal first-hand faith in Christ and, 3) a deepening hunger for God.

It breaks my heart to read current research statistics which show a younger generation that is slipping further from a faith commitment. They avoid, ignore and/or fear personal time alone with God (no prayer life—65%, no worship time—65% and no reading of the sacred Word of God—67%). At the same time they seem hungry for relationships. Pray that your children and grandchildren will develop a hunger for God and a personal faith. Pray for a national AWAKENING OF FAITH.

Focus: That the younger generations will seek to have a genuine hunger for God; that they would strive to make faith in Christ personal; that they see the need to share the Gospel; that they would read their Bible to know God; that they would seek genuine worship; that they would pray to the living God. 
 

PERSONAL REFLECTION

(Contemplate God’s Word to you)

What was the most significant thought you received from this session?

Why do you think God implanted this upon your heart?

What do you think God wants you to do as result of what you have heard?

Is there anything that might keep you from receiving/doing/obeying what you heard?

Ask His help in achieving what He spoke to you.

Thank God for what you have heard; remember and apply it to your life.

Marks Of Revival

Scripture Reading: Plea for personal purity—1PE 2:12 (Act honorably, the world is watching)
Personal Prayer & Confession (1John 1:9) Come before God in personal contrition & brokenness.

The Marks of Revival

An intense spirit of conviction will be felt immediately
Pride and self-centered living will no longer be excused
Agony of sin will be so great that the thought of prolonging life in the midst of such wickedness will be intolerable
The cross of Christ becomes truly precious
Long-standing habits of self-indulgence will be broken
Ministers of the Gospel will become [burdened about disobedience to God]
Confession of sin becomes the order of the day
Great interest in the Word of God
Prayer becomes pure delight
Agony for souls becomes the prime object of life
New converts are made without arm twisting

Scripture Reading: Plea for the return of God’s people— Isa 2:1-4:4 (Because God’s people disobey the nation suffers)
Prayer for our church, our cities and our nation
      Focus: Drawn to saving encounter with Christ; believers strengthened and encouraged in their faith; recognize inadequacy without divine guidance

     Praise & Worship Ministers in our churches
    
     Vice President Joe Biden
    
     County Judge Glen Whitley
    
     Cabinet: U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk
 
     Supreme Court Chief Justice John Paul Stevens

PERSONAL REFLECTION

(Contemplate God’s Word to you)

What was the most significant thought you received from this session?

Why do you think God implanted this upon your heart?

What do you think God wants you to do as result of what you have heard?

Is there anything that might keep you from receiving/doing/obeying what you heard?

Ask His help in achieving what He spoke to you.

Thank God for what you have heard; remember and apply it to your life.