Repentance

Repent

“Many today hate to hear the word REPENT, but a time is coming when no-one will ask you to do so.” Isn’t that a great quote? and it’s anonymous as far as I know. Now let me ask you this – when was the last time you heard it preached? I’m not a betting man but I doubt you will have heard it preached recently. It’s unpopular you see – puts people off the church. We have to keep them coming into the church and we don’t want them disturbed or upset by talking about things like repentance.

What is it about repentance that is so off putting, I wonder? Maybe it is the thought of actually regretting those things we have done that are so against God’s principles? Maybe it’s the thought of actually swallowing our pride and admitting that we have done wrong in His eyes? Maybe it’s then swallowing even more pride in order to apologise, say sorry, and asking for God to forgive us? Maybe we regard it as childishness and being made by God to sit on the “naughty step” for a few moments?

John the Baptist preached repentance and baptism in water for the forgiveness of sins. Wesley preached repentance too. So did William Booth, Spurgeon, Smith Wigglesworth, Billy Graham, Rodney Howard-Browne, Reinhart Bonnke, and many more great preachers and evangelists. They also preached, with John the Baptist, Luke 3:16 “John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” But that is another subject for another time J

When I look at the state of the world with all its troubles and evil, that is when I believe that a good old-fashioned dose of repentance is the only remedy. We need a 2 Chronicles 7:14 moment – today – NOW. We need to turn from our sins and repent. Repent - To feel such regret, remorse, and contrition for past conduct as to change one's mind and conduct regarding it. What a great definition.

It is time to swallow our pride; to examine our hearts and our conduct. Are we all that we could or even should be before God? If not then it is time for a radical rethink of our relationship with God because if that relationship were right then surely our words, thoughts and deeds would be a lot more right than they are today.

Yes, it is surely the time to repent, to turn from our sins and to look to the Lord to heal our land. Repent – Jesus is coming again soon. Oh Lord, the cry of my heart is for repentance to sweep our land. First through your church and then through those you would call into your Kingdom.

Let repentance start with us Lord, and perhaps revival could follow?