Isaiah 19:24-25 In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.”

Looking at the current state of international politics, this prophecy seems like a total fantasy. However, nothing is impossible for God! Reading the whole chapter, it becomes clear that this is the result of repentance. People and nations tend to shy away from repentance for a number of reasons, but the results of repentance are always good. Repentance requires three things: knowing that you have been wrong, knowing that God is right, and being genuinely sorry. That is an incredibly blessed state of affairs! The Bible, and indeed, the world around us, is full of people who rejoice to be dedicated to the Lord because they were so against Him before, and they are overwhelmed by His grace toward them. That is the fruit of repentance! In the New Testament, Paul is probably exhibit one, going from being a violent persecutor of the Church to being its foremost evangelist. A major problem today is that too many “Christians” have never really fulfilled the three parts of repentance, and so are strictly nominal. They claim to be Christian and even attend church from time to time, but never having confronted their own need for salvation, they have no personal relationship with Jesus as Lord. We need to remember that Jesus said, “Repent and believe the good news,” (Mark 1:15) not, “Come and join the church.” We can’t expect God’s miraculous grace if we refuse to repent.

This applies to me in two directions. As I have been writing, I must keep my own repentance up-to-date, and as a pastor, I’ve also got to make the necessity of repentance clear to those to whom I minister. Sadly, in the past I have baptized some people without confirming their repentance, and they quickly faded away. I personally find it strange that people can say all the right things without really having a change of heart. Many people not unreasonably make a big deal of baptism, but repentance is clearly primary, as the story of the thief on the cross beside Jesus illustrates. (Luke 23:39-43) I am not to seek numbers ahead of repentance. I am in no way to be ashamed of the call to repentance, since it is the way to salvation and the fruit is so incredibly rich.

Father, thank You for this reminder. With my changing schedule, I have more time for in-depth personal conversations with people. I ask for wisdom and anointing as I get out of my comfort zone and present the Gospel personally, so that more and more people may indeed repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!