In order to live in the conquering power of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must make sure there is nothing hindering the free flow of His power in our lives. Oh yes, God will drop little crumbs of manna every now and then to let us know that He is still here, but unless there is absolute surrender, there’ll be no victorious living. God intends for His church to be the prime moving force in this world against Satan’s dark forces, but I believe it is safe to say that most couldn’t pray their way out of a paper sack.
Years ago, just after the founding of our nation, a French political analyst named Alexis De Tocqueville, came to visit here to learn what was so unusual about a handful of scant famers and common people who could break the grip of the mighty British Empire. He said that he looked for greatness in our harbors, rivers, plentiful fields, endless forests, mines and seemingly unlimited natural resources. He studied our schools, our government and our leaders, but he failed to find the secret of the new nation’s strength. Not until he visited America’s churches, where he heard pulpits ringing aflame with righteousness, did he find the real answer.
“AMERICA IS GREAT”, he said, "because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."
God wants to raise revolutionary soldiers, believers who walk with Him; they must be people who aren’t caught up in the cares of this world. They must be people whose sole purpose in life is to serve Christ and glorify Him in all things. I want to be one of these people; do you? We see this displayed in the life of a man named Gideon.
Israel had entered a season of defeat and great catastrophe. They did evil in the sight of the Lord via idol worship and the immoralities that come with fertility religions. As a result, the Lord had given Israel over into the hands of Midian, to be manipulated, mistreated and abused. It continued for seven years. As a part of the Sinai covenant, God had commanded Israel to not allow the heathen world to infiltrate their lives. They were commanded to destroy every heathen altar and image, but after entering Canaan under Joshua’s leadership, they became complacent and didn’t obey the Lord’s words. As a result, they now lived defeated and humiliated. After seven years of rebellion and national defeat, they decided to call upon the Lord, feeling the weight and consequence of their sins.
When a child of God enters a season of sin and refuses to listen to the rebuke of the Holy Spirit, the Lord turns him or her over to the consequence of sin. Our own backslidings rebuke us. When we allow things to enter our lives, questionable things, we quench the Holy Spirit and short-circuit everything He desires to do through us.
Notice the living conditions they were forced to accept. First, Midian had a strong hold upon Israel. They were forced to settle living in the dens, caves and strongholds of the mountains. The people of God couldn’t stand up against the Midianite invaders and had to settle for defeated lives. The Scriptures teach that God’s people do not have to live in defeat. Bible Christians are those who should be running devils out of their homes by the authority of the word of God. When one gets a belly full of living spiritually impoverished, maybe he’ll believe God for a work of grace and repent of all known sins. It’s not God’s fault when miracles don’t happen. Maybe we need to begin looking inward and be honest about what we see.
Deliverance and renewal only come after we repent of our sins. After Israel began calling out to the Lord, He heard their cries and appeared to a man named Gideon. The Bible says the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree and talked with him. God would now raise up a leader to confront Israel’s enemies and drive them back. God wants to raise up leaders for the people of the United States in these last days. Who among us is available and willing?
One may ask: What shall we do? The answer is simple. Let’s renew our hearts to God and His righteousness. Let’s repent of our own personal sins and commit ourselves to proclaiming the pure Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ throughout our work places, homes and down every street. The power of God will never fall upon us if we continue to play games with Him. He knows those who are truly His. Most have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5). The pulpits of America must flame once again and sting the conscience of our people. God will bear witness to His message if we are faithful to proclaim it.
Many no longer see the need to attend worship on Sundays because they see the hypocrisy of the lives of those who claim to know and serve Christ. Once Christ is real in one’s life, the evidence will mount, and it will be undeniable. Let the unbelieving world try as it may to disassemble Christianity upon the world stage through godless heathen philosophic attempts, but they can not deny the evidence of a changed life. Jesus Christ died for us on a cross, rose again from the dead, ascended back to the right hand of His Father, and sent His Spirit back into the world to live and thrive in the hearts and lives of His people. I was once lost and dead in my sins, but Jesus came to me, convicted me and entered my life; therefore, in the sight of all, I yield my heart, mind and life to Jesus. Use me, O Lord, and advance the perimeters of your great kingdom.
