Lord Rend the Heavens and Come Down!

“Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence—As fire burns brushwood, As fire  causes water to boil—To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence!  When You did awesome things for which we did not look, You came down, the mountain’s shook at your  presence.” (Isaiah 64:1-3).

These desperate words uttered in prayer by the prophet Isaiah, were an anxious plea for God to do something amazing in his day. Isaiah was living in desperate times, and the Nation of Israel was divided. The Kingdom of Assyria had already taken over northern Israel and was moving south consuming Judah on its way to Jerusalem. Isaiah’s desire was to see God do again what He had done in the past, and that was to come down in power and glory on behalf of the Nation of Israel.

If we are to ever see the Church rise up and take her rightful place in our Nation again we must cry out to God with the same desperation that Isaiah displayed. We must awaken from our slumber and        complacency and desire the presence and glory of God to reside in our Churches and homes. We must cry out in desperation that God would rend the heavens and come down in power and glory. If the statistics are right that 80% of Southern Baptist Churches are plateaued or declining, then we must recognize that the  Assyrians are at the gate of our city. We must recognize that we are in desperate times.

When God came down and delivered David from his enemies, David afterwards wrote in Psalm 18:9 “He bowed the heavens also, and came down with darkness under His feet.” God displayed His power, justice, and goodness in an amazing way so that all who saw them would take notice. Job in his terrible anguish, sitting in sack cloth and ashes, cried out in desperation for God to send a mediator between God and man to plead man’s case.

Finally, we know that God rent the heavens and came down in His ultimate power by sending Jesus Christ to put on flesh and walk the earth in righteousness and power. He displayed the glory of the Father and His plan of redemption. He overcame death, hell, and the grave and brought salvation to all who would believe. It is here that we must make our desperate cry and plea to the most High. We must plead the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. We must arise as the spotless bride of Christ and walk in Holy Ghost power again. We must shed ourselves of the sins that so easily ensnares us, and walk in victory and purpose.

Oh Lord, that You would rend the heavens and come down, and walk among us again in glorious power and might. Cause us to draw close to your heart and walk in obedience to your commands. Revive your Bride again and breath on her so that she might awaken from her bed of slumber. Come down again in power and glory, be exalted and magnified in all the earth. Amen.

Serving the King Together,

Eric