Our starting place with God! (Pt. 2) By James Lantz
As I stated before, all of us must start from the same place in our approach to God! The scripture says that in order to come to God we must believe that He is the Almighty God and that He will do what He said He will do. Heb. 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. It is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance! John the Baptist preached repentance. Jesus preached repentance and the kingdom of God. All of God’s ministers know that repentance is the starting place with God. The very fact that God would reveal His goodness to us is an act of mercy and grace! John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day. We are drawn by the love of God which is revealed through the giving of His Son, Jesus. For God to freely forgive us of all sin based on our repentance and believing in the substitutionary sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ is beyond what anyone could think or fathom. Satan and all his cohorts had no idea that Jesus death and resurrection would allow God to receive millions of children. Jesus own disciples were not grasping the power of Jesus death and resurrection as being counted for them. I was not grasping how great a gift God was offering me as a young person when the Holy Spirit moved upon me at times urging me to yield to God. Even after I received the Lord Jesus I was slow to repent when I did wrong not recognizing how quickly God wanted to get me into more of His goodness.
Being quick to obey the promptings of the Spirit will lead us to prosper!
On June 27, 1967, I made a public decision to come to God and receive His gracious offer of eternal life through Jesus Christ His son. Shortly thereafter I was baptized in water following through with my commitment to Christ. My understanding of God’s great mercy and goodness was much smaller than today, but, I believed that God was the God of all creation and that He had received me. Jesus called the rebirth of my spirit being born again. John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. Colossians tells us that our spirit was removed from the kingdom of darkness and placed into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. That same resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead made my spiritually dead spirit alive unto God! John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. This was the beginning of my relationship with God. I repented of sin and confessed that Jesus was now my Lord and savior. The changes in my life were slow at first, but I had a desire to know God better and began to read the word of God. I did not know much about the power of confession but it began to work for me as I held on to my confession that I was christian. In my teens I began to learn that it was my responsibility to put off the old man and to put on the new man. Eph. 4:22 – 24 That ye put off concerning the former conversation (behavior) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Putting on the new man is telling the truth, not sinning because you are angry, resisting the devil, working a good job (not selling drugs) so that you have something to give (includes tithes & offerings), speaking words that edify others, being kind, tender hearted, and forgiving others as Christ has forgiven you. ( Eph. 4:25-32 ) Walking in the spirit is not some spooky way of life, but rather a purposed and disciplined life that chooses God’s way over our own way so that we may win the prize. I felt like I was a put on in the early going but as I persevered I became more comfortable in the things of the Spirit. I remember how the devil fought me with thoughts of how foolish I was to believe and act on God’s word. Thank God I have learned how to resist the devil with my tongue and the word of God just like Jesus did when tempted by Satan.
Repentance changes everything concerning what God can do for you!
Repentance means to be sorry for your sin and to change! Recently, during our camp meeting, the Lord told me (not an audible voice but in my spirit the same way he speaks to any of his children who will listen), if AT ANY TIME. I knew He was referring to what the prophet Isaiah said. Mt. 13:15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. God’s great passion is toward man, to save, to deliver, to heal, to prosper! God reminded me of His great mercy that He is ready to heal everyone who will turn to him and He is ready right now! God is not like people who will not forgive or want to put it off as long as they can. God has already forgiven us and placed our punishment on the Lord Jesus Christ and He is waiting for us to respond to His gracious offer. The greek word translated converted in that fifteenth verse means to revert or to turn, very much the same as repent or change. This same greek word is used when Jesus told Peter, I have prayed for you that your faith fail not, and when you are converted, strengthen your brethren. Jesus told Peter that Satan is after him, desiring to sift him as wheat, but when he reverts back to believing again he is to strengthen his brethren. Peter said, no way Lord, I will die before I deny you! When things didn’t go like Peter thought they should, he cursed and said, I don’t know the man. When Peter heard the cock crow, he went out and wept bitterly, repenting of his sin. There is a difference in being sorry for your sin and being sorry that you got caught. Peter had true repentance and humbled himself before Jesus and the brethren throwing himself over on the mercy of God. Peter’s repentance included not only sorrowing, but obeying Jesus words to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come. Peter was not just waiting, but praying and searching the scriptures with fervent expectation. God forgave him and restored him and he was the one anointed to preach that great message on the day of Pentecost. Judas Iscariot also repented, but his repentance was regret of how it turned out, not a sorrowing of turning to obedience. The Lord would have forgiven him but he apparently wasn’t interested in humbling himself to ask and repent before the brethren. Acts 1:25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. God is so merciful and pays attention when people humble themselves before Him. King Ahab was more wicked than all the kings of Israel that were before him and yet God had mercy on him when he repented from killing Naboth. 1 Kings 21:29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his sons days will I bring the evil upon his house. The judgement that sin brought on Ahab was not removed but delayed. His repentance was repentance for killing Naboth but not repentance unto a changed life to worship and serve God. He did not stop his idol worship nor did he command his children and the nation of Israel to turn to the living God. When Jesus spoke those words, lest at any time, it was conditional to a heart change to do what God said. It was not that they could not see but rather they would not see, they didn’t want to see the work that God has for them. True repentance that brings healing is doing what is right and stop doing what is wrong. Love God with all your heart, seek first (before your own things) the kingdom of God and his righteousness, forgive others, be diligent at your job, go to church, read your Bible, bring your tithes and offerings, live a holy life, vote for righteousness (not being bribed by the candidate who promises you gifts), be a blessing to those around you and to your generation. You are a chosen generation! You are the salt of the earth! You are the light of the world! Ps. 84:10&11 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
