Our youth ministry has been working on a book called Fresh Encounter: Experiencing God's Power for Spiritual Awakening by Henry and Richard Blackaby, and the section on revival impacting nations really cut deep:
"Read 2 Chronicles 7:14 again to see what it says about reviving nations:
"If my people who are called by My name will 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."
Did you notice what God said must happen before the land would be healed? He did not say, "When the media experience positive changes" or "When government is reformed." God did not even say, "When Christians pray for their nation to be repented of their sin. The reason nations need revival is that God's people have not been the salt and light God intended for them to be (see Matt 5:13-16). When Christians see how wicked their nation is becoming, it is not the time to point a condemning finger at unbelievers. Rather, it ought to break Christians' hearts that their presence is not making a more significant difference in their land. It should not be surprising when unbelievers behave according to their nature. It is tragic when Christians do not act according to theirs."
It's funny how easy it is to blame the government for the pathetic state that Malaysia is in, but this made me wonder: Have Christians in Malaysia been walking in disobedience? Have some of us even failed to answer God's call to go into politics or spheres of influence that might give us opportunities to impact the nation? Do we believe even more in the hopelessness of our nation or in the God for whom nothing is impossible? Who desires restoration and integrity and holiness even more than we do?
If we have, then something is wrong with our Christianity. As Uncle Soo-Inn said, "We are rakyat of the Kingdom first before we are rakyat Malaysia." Why hasn't our heavenly citizenship taught us anything about being good earthly citizens? Or have we just stopped caring and allowed evil to run its course in our nation?
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