Revelation 2: 5, 16, 21, 22; 3: 3, 19
... Repent ... repent ... repent ... repented ... repent ... repent ... repent ...
The Revelation of Jesus Christ as given to John records in chapters 2 and 3 messages to seven churches in that day. And seven times God says to repent.
The word "repent" literally means "to turn around." It is used to describe what our thinking is doing when we change our minds to turn away from one thing to embrace something else.
God wants us to turn our focus around to not be obsessed with Worldly things, but to consider God's spiritual things the most important: to think His thoughts and have His attitudes.
Thoughts are not material things, but spiritual. And our attitudes are produced from our thoughts.
And all the things we do come from our attitudes and thoughts. So when we're doing things that are hurtful or harmful or damaging in any way, that means that our thinking patterns are faulty.
Then we are to confess these wrongs, and agree with God about how they have woefully missed the mark--"sin" means to miss the bulls eye with your arrow.
God wants us to forsake all the wrong attitudes that draw us away from the good things He wants to give us. He made this Earth for us to build our World upon it, and He put in it everything we need to get along with one another and prosper.
He gave us His Manufacturer's Instructions to teach us how to cooperate with how He designed things here to work, and it's all based on our loving God back and loving one another. When we think God's thoughts for us (Philippians 4:8-9), how He loves us and wants all that is good for us; then we will also love our neighbors, wanting only what would be good for them.
And we will be obeying all the Law.
O my Father, I pray for the leaders of Your church today, that they would open their eyes to understand the crucial importance of repentance in preaching the Gospel!
I pray that they would refuse to modify their teachings to barely mention repentance, and return to the fire and passion of the necessity of repentance in facing their own (the listeners, readers) sinfulness and allowing Jesus to take their place on the Cross because their own culpability deserves the death penalty He paid on their behalf.
And, Father, I pray for my own family members who have not yet turned to You. Please open their eyes to see Who You are, and what Christ has done on their behalf; and grant them that repentance and faith to draw them into Your glorious Kingdom and Family.
And, my Father, whatever else I am still lacking, please supply, open my eyes to see what You have already provided, and appropriate it to my use that I may serve You in spreading Your Gospel in whatever way You have planned for me to do so, according to Your pleasure.
And You will receive all the glory, honor, and praise for You have done all things and brought all Your Plans to completion.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
