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This week we continued our study on Nehemiah 9:1-3.
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can also download our service at Baptist-Christian at iTunes. It is interesting to note the ninth chapters of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel are all devoted to prayers of confession for national sin that ask for God’s grace. It’s also interesting to note this national event involved all 50,000 Israelites. The “all” in that statement is the point. Because of their national sin, God had reduced His nation from millions to just 50,000. It makes one wonder how quickly God could reduce a nation of, say, 250 million people for their national sins! If ever America needs national revival, it’s now! Let’s consider some of the most important elements of personal, or national, revival.
- A CONVICTION OF SIN! Verse 2. Since we’ve nearly done away with sin today, it is hard to be convicted, isn’t it! How do we know Israel was convicted? The people fasted. See Isa. 58:1-5. Even though the words “convict/conviction” never appear in Scripture, the words translated rebuke, reprove, etc. all carry that meaning. True Biblical conviction is revealing sin with the intent of leading to repentance. The work of the Holy Spirit in “convicting of sin” (John 16:5-9) means this: the Holy Spirit convicts both the saved and unsaved of their sin of rejecting Christ! When a Christian refused to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, they are in truth rejecting Christ! Think about it! Notice that Israel was also
- CONVULSING IN THEIR SOULS! Verses 1, 3. We might say they bottomed out. Everything they had was taken from them until all they had left was their physical life. When God removes all the obstacles we build between Him and us, we are not only convicted of our sin, we are also conscious of our sin. In this case the idea is that Israel was so conscious of their sin, the conviction made them sick to their stomachs! Have you ever been there? Perhaps we should go there sometime? There was also
- CORRUPTION THAT MUST BE SEPARATED! Verse 2. See Isa. 58:6, 7. The point here is that fasting without prayer is like a body without a soul-dead! Fasting with prayer is serious before God IF it is for the purpose of repenting the way God tells us too! Here Israel separated herself from all ungodly corruption that had become part of her daily life before the Lord. The theological term for that is sanctification!! When done God’s way it leads to
- COMMUNION WITH THE SAVIOR! True communion with God is prayer in an attitude of worship. How long has it been since you worshipped God in prayer? A soul that is starved from sin and sinfulness finds it’s nourishment in life-giving prayer to God Who reaches down to it in redeeming love to draw it out of the deep waters and set it in a spacious place, because God delights in it! The song writer is correct: “Oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!” How about you dear reader? Are you ready to begin moving back toward God in true spiritual revival? He’s ready to receive you and revive your soul with His mercy and grace.
If we can help you with your spiritual questions, call us at (574) 643-9419.
