Thank heaven for 7:11?

Interesting. Have you even woke up at the same time day after day at the same time even though you do not have an alarm. In the last few weeks, even on vacation I would wake up and look at the clock and it would say 7:11. Now when I see that normally my head hits the pillow again. However after the third time it happened on vacation, I decided to ask God why. That day we went to Silver Dollar City in Branson. Russell took the kids and I went window shopping. I ended up getting lost and ended up in an "inspirational" art gallery. Well I decided I might as well go in. A photo of a man mending a tattered USA flag caught my eye. I recognized it as a print that we sold at the book store I worked at three years ago. I asked about it and she told me that it was based off the scripture 2 Chronicles 7:14. I realized that this is the same verse that Elizabeth read me right before we left for Missouri.

Fast forward about a week. I was listening to a sermon and a funny thing happened. The verse the pastor used was, you guessed it 2 Chronicles 7:14. But then the pastor informed everyone that he was going "to mess with us" and actually start on verse 11. (7:11) Hmmm. Coincidence, I don't think so.

"When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace, the LORD appeared to him at night and said: "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 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.

We want healing but how many of the ones called by his name are humble themselves and ask. We want our economy fixed, our land healed, we want no more sickness, no more pain inflicted on us. But keep in mind that this does not say the world should turn from their wicked ways and seek his face. Those called according to his name and purpose are those that call themselves Christians. When the church decides that they cannot do it, they do not have the answers but humble themselves and pray and seek his face and turn from their wicked ways, he WILL hear us and forgive the sin in our land.

Jesus blood was spilled for our sin. This verse implies that if there is poverty, pain, sickness, drought, etc, then there is sin by his people, the church. Maybe it is time that we humble our selves by asking for forgiveness for all of our country's sin as if it was our own. Not point the finger of accusation. (i.e."if they would stop having abortions", "if the right president would have been elected", "if people would stop spending more money"... etc.) Jesus he bore our transgressions for us, if we are called to be like him and pray for them, then the blood will heal our land. We must seek the Face of God in all we do and stop thinking that the right legislation or a bailout will work. It is only and will only be the blood of Christ that will overcome all sin. It is time we admit that we, the church, have made mistakes...