GOD DOES THE COUNTING
Many Christians have become barren from sitting in a dead church and listening to a pastor who has no anointing from God. In the process they have become spiritually starved, with no spiritual authority. Families suffer; children backslide; marriages fall apart. There are many Ishmaels being born in churches today. Ishmael stands for “flesh” and many Christians are bound by flesh, claiming to be heirs of righteousness.
God is going to cleanse and heal children after His heart and give them to the church. “Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 54:1). God is not talking about simply emptying the houses of Ishmael and giving the crowds to the righteous. It is much deeper than crowds, numbers, and success and He is going to do the counting, not man. “Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?” (Micah 6:11).
“The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there” (Psalm 87:6). Look at any great gathering of Christians and they may all be singing loud praises with upraised hands. But God is not impressed by the crowds. Rock bands draw huge crowds but there is no praise to God there. He knows who is holy and those who mourn for sin.
This last revival will come because God will pity His own name. He will sanctify His name before the whole world. Let me share with you a great prophecy from Ezekiel. “But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes” (Ezekiel 36:21-25).
God is going to cleanse and heal children after His heart and give them to the church. “Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 54:1). God is not talking about simply emptying the houses of Ishmael and giving the crowds to the righteous. It is much deeper than crowds, numbers, and success and He is going to do the counting, not man. “Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?” (Micah 6:11).
“The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there” (Psalm 87:6). Look at any great gathering of Christians and they may all be singing loud praises with upraised hands. But God is not impressed by the crowds. Rock bands draw huge crowds but there is no praise to God there. He knows who is holy and those who mourn for sin.
This last revival will come because God will pity His own name. He will sanctify His name before the whole world. Let me share with you a great prophecy from Ezekiel. “But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes” (Ezekiel 36:21-25).