Daniel 1:1-2 NLT
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God.
It’s great to be in a church like The Crossing. The worship and those leading it are anointed. The atmosphere is charged with God’s presence. It’s a beautiful outward experience. But being in such an anointed environment is also a risk. One can misidentify the prevailing atmosphere as their own inner personal reality. We can assume that what we are “in” is also “in” us.
King Jehoiakim was the son of good King Josiah. Josiah was a godly king, who led a radical revival of repentance in Israel. He removed idol worship, punished the rebellious, and called the nation to holiness and humility before God. The nation responded, and God’s word was law. Jehoiakim grew up in a nation-changing revival with presence-based worship, a godly father, and a powerful prophet: Jeremiah. And yet, Jehoiakim rebelled against God with frightening indifference. And God said of his kingdom, “Enough! Let judgment begin!”
Church historians will one day review the church in today’s America and say that our generation hosted the most powerful, far-reaching, presence-based worship the world has ever known. Yet they will also record the generation raised in this atmosphere witnessed the most anti-Christ rebellion and boundaryless moral decline since Babylon itself.
Today, let us open afresh to His presence invading the entirety of our lives. Come, Holy Spirit!
Prayer:
Father and God Almighty, we come humbly before you in honor of Your holiness and Your sovereignty. First, we asked that You convict our hearts personally. We long to have Your presence in which we worship, sing, and experience in gatherings. Dwell “in” us. Convict us. Convict Your church. Bring revival to this nation, in Jesus’ name. Amen!