MANY people think about returning to God and church after they hit rock bottom.
But smarter people find God and church before rock bottom comes. God and church are not like a flat tire that you pull out only when you are stuck by the side of the road.
God and church are not like an umbrella that you toss in the trunk of your car for when you need it.
God and the Church are not like a flashlight that you stick somewhere in a drawer to be pulled out only when the storm hits and there is darkness.
In such cases, after not having used it for a while, you might not remember where it is or how to get to it when you need it most.
God and Church are not doctors that you visit only when something hurts or when there is an awkward feeling in your body – as you might find out that you may be too late because the illness might be too advanced.
Many people head to church when they are confronted with a hopeless situation. But there is so much benefit to serving God before illness, hopelessness, or disaster strikes.
Acts 2:38-47, Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Three promises:
The first promise in that scripture is that your sins will be forgiven; the second is that you will receive the power of the holy spirit; the third is that your children will have all the same benefits you receive from your acts of repentance and baptism. But get this! The benefits are available even to those who are far off. It means benefits for distant relatives, children who have wandered, and other friends and family that may be part of your network.
I will address the first two benefits of repentance or Christian living:
The Benefit of a restored person.
As it relates to the first promise, the bible says to everyone who receives the Lord Jesus Christ, to them he gave the power to become sons and daughters of the most-high God. You have the privilege to call God your father. You do not have to wait until you are in trouble to acknowledge your pedigree – or who you belong to but there is no better feeling than knowing that you have such a connection to a father who has everything you will need when you get in trouble.
When you need a lawyer, he will be there.
When you need a doctor, he is right around the corner. Even when you need restoration, salvation, spiritual healing, and forgiveness, he is there.
So, the most beneficial thing you can do is to repent of your sins and be baptized. Once you do so, you establish that connection with God. What is even more interesting is that God gives you a clean slate. In his eyes, you have never sinned.
In his eyes, whether you are a murderer, thief, prostitute, adulterer or fornicator, repentance makes your heart like that of a new baby.
Benefits from the Holy Spirit.
The second promise in this scripture says that you will receive power from the Holy Ghost. What does that mean? It means that when you call on God in prayer for the safety of your children, God will listen – you can pray over the security of your household and God will protect – you can ask God for the security of your job, and he will respond – you can go to Him for healing, and he will answer. The fact is that the power that is installed in the Holy Spirit gives sons and daughters of God a direct pathway to him.
The connection to the Holy Spirit is powerful. It can prepare you for hard times. Having that connection is like building a solid shelter long before the worse storms descend upon your life.
The storms will come, but how do we prepare ourselves?
No one can prepare for a hurricane or tornado when it’s already here. You can’t prepare for diabetes when you already have it. You can’t prepare to prevent cancer after the diagnosis.
People like to prepare for the storm when they are in the storm. You cannot prepare for turbulence when you are in it. So, this scripture provides a way out before danger comes, and that way of escape is repentance.
The call to repentance.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, today I am calling you to repent before it is too late.
I am calling every mother today to repent,
I am calling every father to repent.
I am calling every son and daughter to repent.
I am calling every professional to repentance, too.
I am pleading with every business owner as well.
If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14). Luke 13:3, Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
Many are now afraid of what the new US President is doing and how that might impact the United States and the rest of the world. Some are concerned about the massive layoffs that are coming. Some are scared that his policy on tariffs may increase the prices of food, housing, and utilities. But today, I tell you that no man is more powerful than God. The bible says that if we humble ourselves before the most-high God and repent, he will heal this country. He will heal any country that repents and comes to him with a contrite spirit.
He can do the same for you. When you repent and seek God, he unleashes the power of the holy Spirit for you.
When you repent and seek God, he unleashes the power of the Holy Spirit to protect your family.
When you repent and seek God, he unleashes the Holy Spirit to provide all your needs, even when the rest of the country is going to hell.
Matthew 7:24 – 27: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Therefore, brothers and sisters, listen to the word of God today and repent of your sins and seek God, and you can build a solid foundation for yourself and your family. The message I leave you today is to repent, and you will receive benefits beyond any measure.