THE ROLE OF GOD'S PEOPLE IN SUCH A TIME AS THIS

2 chronicles 7:14

History has shown to us that every nation has her own hard time. Starting from Biblical record there are times when the world or individual nation passes through difficult times such as this present situation we are in right now. It might be plague, it might be war, it might be famine or natural disaster but whatever the situation might be, God’s people have been used as agents of transformation because God will always honour the voice and the acts of his people.

When Egypt and other nations are passing through hard time, Joseph was raise as the saving agent. Moses was used to bring Israelites out of the captivity of the Egyptians. Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah and God was ready to compromise, if he found ten righteous men. Genesis 18. In 1King 18 – Elijah pleaded that God should send rain. In 2King 7:1, during the famine that led to mothers eating their children, God used Elisha to prophesy turnaround. In Numbers 25 Phinehas intercession turn away the wrath of God from Israelites.

In 2King 20 – Hezekiah led the people of God to pray against the threat of his enemies and God fought for them. Esther risked her life for the salvation of the Jews. Nineveh pleaded to God after the prophecy of Prophet Jonah that it would be destroyed and God changed his mind. If the earth still remain, there will always be situation where an individual nation or the world at large will find themselves in critical situation. But there is this assurance that God still honour the voice and the act of his people. The greatest calamity that can befall any nation or the world at large is for the people of God to be confused and feel hopeless without taking the necessary spiritual action to avert the situation.

Whatever is happening now is not the first and sorry to say (but that is the truth) will not be the last except by the second coming of Jesus Christ. But there is this plain truth about it: God still honour the voice and the actions of His people. God’s way might not make any sense to the world but it’s meaningful to His people. Even Israelites only know the act of God, it was Moses who knows the way of God. The world will always ask for signs but God is interested in making His mind known. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him. What eyes have not seen what ears have not hard nor come to the mind of man, are those things that God has for His people but they are made known to us by the spirit for the spirit searches all things even the deep things of God.

The world will always want to do it their way but the people of God should understand the way of God. While the world is trying to do things their way, can we please go back to God and do things the way of God? This is not the time to ask questions, it is the time to take actions. The Church might not be allowed to gather together but the reality is that there is no distance in the realm of the spirit. Even while we are in our various houses something has to be done.

WHAT TO DO

There should be genuine repentance: The greatest evil that has befall our generation is that we are pleading for mercy when we refuse to do the needful. The bible says: he that covers his sins shall not prosper but whosoever confess and forsake them shall receive mercy (Proverb 28:13). One of the dangerous teaching that has spread all over in our generation is that mercy has no condition, that your actions don’t matter you can always plead for mercy. But looking at that passage of the scripture and some other passages that has to do with mercy, it is very glaring that mercy has conditions.

The first condition for receiving mercy is to accept that you are a sinner: This is what many of us are not ready to do. We only try to shift the blame to others, we point accusing fingers to others. Many of us are like those whom Jesus was talking to in Matthew 7:1-6 who judged others but refuse to judge ourselves, we see the mote in the eyes of others when there is a beam in our eyes. We prayed like Pharisee who focused on self-righteousness and neglect the imperfection of man. Don’t forget that Romans 3:23 says that for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. You are part of the “all”. 1 John 1:8 - 9 says if we say we have no sin, we deceived ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It would be difficult to intercede for the world when we are not in right standing with God.

The next is to confess our sins: Confession is a serious issue to God, although we take it with levity today. I have seen many preachers preach about mercy and compare David with Saul. As good and fantastic the teachings might be, we forgot that Saul never accept he’s wrong. He will always cover up with an excuse but David will always confess he’s a sinner. God will never be happy with anyone who try to dodge confession. James 5:16 emphasize that there is no genuine healing without genuine confession. So we have to confess our personal sins and on behalf of our nation and the world at large we have to confess to God that we are wrong, and he is right.

Third level is for us to forsake our sin and turn to God: God does not want anyone to perish but he’s calling for repentance. Repentance means to turn from our evil ways to God. There are so many things in the world today, even among those of us who claim to be serving God that God is not happy with. Things the bible called abomination unto God, the works of the flesh, things Paul listed as signs of perilous time. Most of these we embrace in the church today and claimed to be serving the Lord. God is calling for repentance.

After repentance we need to humbly go to God and plead for mercy: God want to hear our voice. He want us to speak to him. He told us in Jeremiah 33:3 that we should call upon him, he will answer us. He is the God of all flesh, nothing is difficult for him to do. Jeremiah 32:27. With him, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37) even things that are difficult for men are possible with him. No situation is beyond God’s power, no plague is above our God. He is bigger than every mountains, including mount coronal virus. No sickness is beyond his power. No storm he cannot calm. He is the great physician. He has power over death, over sin over sickness and over Devil himself. When he speaks, nothing challenges it. His words are yes and amen, the voice of God is powerful, it roars like thunder.

Coronal virus is still around because God has not spoken to it. It takes one word from the Lord, we will look for it found it no more. All we need to do is to be active as Christians. This is the time to collectively in our individual homes to plead for divine intervention.

Let’s plead to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world to take our sins away (John 1:29), let’s plead to the anointed Jesus to heal our land (Acts 10:38). Let’s call on the savior to save us. God is our refuge and strength, a present help in trouble. (Psalm46:1). Just like the three Hebrew said, our God is able to deliver us. He has the power and he is willing. Let us rise and call him. The public gathering might be stopped but our relationship with God is not stopped. Let’s repair our personal and family alter let’s call on the name of our God, He will answer us.

God is waiting for you and the time starts now.

Please share with anyone who cares.

Pastor E. Doyin Adeyemi