Softened Hearts

We received our weekly update from our friends in Nepal, Pastor KB & Suchila Basel, this morning. As I was reading the report, this statement by Pastor KB caught my attention. Pastor KB was sharing about a team that went to a ministry location to encourage the leaders. Many great stories of much fruit being added to the Kingdom were shared by many of the local Pastors. What they testified of was this; "the hearts of the people are softening more"

This spiritual shifting was bringing many to seek, as the apostle Paul declared in Acts 17:3 "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah." The scripture goes on to say many were persuaded or 'their hearts were softened' to believe. Reports from Paraguay have a similar ring, community leaders, long resistant to the Gospel message, have had their hearts softened, and now with arms open are inviting Jesus into their hearts and to the communities they oversee.

Depending on what you are seeing and your spiritual discernment, these are the best of times and some of the most difficult.One cannot ignore the fact that death has and is taking place by a virus, death is also taking place by many other forms of sickness and disease. The recent monsoon season in Nepal has taken more lives than any virus. Christian persecution takes lives on a regular basis. Governments are shaken and crumbling before our very eyes. These are as scripture foretold, perilous times.

Throughout history there is usually one of two factions to these events in human activity. One is the pride and arrogance of the rebellious nature, causing a hardened heart and man says 'I can fix this'. We see this in Isaiah 9:9b-10.

Who say in pride and arrogance of heart:
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
But we will rebuild with hewn stones;
The sycamores are cut down,
But we will replace them with cedars.”

Pride is a dangerous emotion. It causes powerful leaders to crawl on their hands and knees and graze with the cattle. (Daniel 4:33). The seed of rebellion, satan has planted in humanity is truly on display before our very eyes. God is being challenged for supremacy. That is a challenge man will lose, as he has over and over throughout history. The cry going up from a vast majority of our evangelical leaders is the need for repentance. In simple terms, this is nothing more than a "softening of hearts" to lift our eyes up to God once again. 

We see in Daniel 4:34, Nebuchadnezzar did just that. A diet of grass would do that I would think? Scripture says he lifted his eyes to heaven and understanding returned to him. In humility he writes, "no one can restrain His hand." This is a prophetic word to the church today. The hand of the Lord is upon His church. His church, established through His son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Jesus had already stated that this church, his legislative assembly will not be overcome by the power of death, and just so you know Jesus says "I give you the keys to Heaven's Kingdom." (Matt 16:18-19)

May the hardened hearts of men and women be softened so they will lift their eyes to heaven and seek God. May God's people humble themselves and repent, turning from their wicked and evil ways, so our great land can be healed. America lift your eyes to Heaven! This is where our help is!