Confess and Repent

2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

 This well known verse of scripture speaks to our lives and our nation as much today as when it was first penned.

 Many in the United States have turned away from God to the point of actually fighting against Him.  Our leaders have removed references of allegiance to God from many locations in our nation, including schools, public squares, and public parks.  In removing these items, they are basically saying that Judeo-Christian beliefs are no longer relevant.  In some places, monuments to false demonic gods have been erected.  A replica of the gate to the temple of Baal has been erected in New York City.  Many of the people of our nation have accepted the deceptions of the evil one as truths.  Those, including Christians, who do not agree with the evil deeds being done, do not speak against it, nor do they do anything actively to discourage it.  We have become so accustomed to sin that we don't even see or recognize it anymore.

 Romans 1:18 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,"

 Some national sins which we have become oblivious to or silent about are , abortion, greed, murder, pornography, sexual immorality, homosexuality, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, violence, slavery, materialism, anger, and the list goes on and on.  Some of these things have even become acceptable to the church.  Some say it is 2020 and God has changed His mind in this age of progressivism.  May God help us!  Many societies over the centuries came to this same place, where we find our nation here and now, and have all been judged and fallen. We have failed to learn, for example, from the history of ancient Israel, Rome, Greece or Babylon....

 I hear many well meaning, good intentioned U. S. citizens say, "God bless America".  What they fail to recognize is that God cannot bless a nation that has rejected Him and turned from His ways.

 Once again, 2 Chronicles 7: 14 declares, "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways then I will hear...

 1 Peter 4:17 tells us that judgment must begin in the house of God.

 If God's people are not willing to confess and repent of their sins, the unbelievers in our nation will never see the way to God's favor.

 Nehemiah 1:5,6 and 8,9 "And I said: "I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, 6 "please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father's house and I have sinned. ... 8 "Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; 9 'but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.'"

 We see here that Nehemiah confessed not only his and his family's sin, but also the sins of the nation. ('the children of Israel').  In verses 8 and 9, he reminds God of His promise of returned favor, if they repented. (if you return to Me, and keep My commandments).

 Daniel 9:4-6 shows that Daniel also confessed the sins of the nation to the Lord. 

 Isaiah 55:7 "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."  Praise God!  If we forsake our wicked ways and return to the Lord, He will have mercy on and abundantly pardon us.

 Some sins of the church which have not been recognized as sin, includes:  rejecting the unity Jesus prayed we would have, racism, gossip (under the guise of prayer requests), slander, conflicts and strife between the brethren and, really, every other sin that the world might commit.

 As individuals, we have allowed worldliness to enter our lives as never before.

 Psalm 139:23,24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; 24 and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

 Proverbs 28;13 "He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."

 1 John 1:5-10 "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."

 In the following scriptures, we see that David dealt with sin in a manner that pleased God. We can too!

 Psalm 32:5 "I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and You forgave the iniquity of my sin."

 Psalm 51:3,4 and 10-12 "For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight--That You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. ... 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit."

 As members of the church (those who worship and honor God), we must recognize and confess the sins of the nation before God, just as Nehemiah and Daniel did.  We must confess and plead for God's mercy and grace.

 We are living in perilous times.  I believe we have entered the time in which our nation, churches, and we as individuals will see God's judgment or mercy.

 I pray we will all come before God seeking His face and favor.  I pray we come confessing the sins of our nation, our churches and our sins in our personal lives.  Pray that our nation will turn from it's wicked ways and sins.

 Then, according to God's promise, He will pardon and bless America!