2 Timothy 2
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
Report on Korean trip: At the Korean airport we were met by Christian academics and certain ladies, the one being a former Miss Korea who got converted and was our hostess. When we visited Korea years ago, it was a third-world country, but it was amazing to see the progress that has taken place in the last 10 years in South Korea. The Christians’ houses we visited were neat and well-kept and public facilities clean, in contrast to former years.
Seoul, the capital of South Korea has a population of about 12 million, which is 1.5 times the population of the Zulu nation. The city is full of high-rise buildings, and proper roads, although the country has no reserves of gold or diamonds. When I asked them how it was possible that they’ve advanced and progressed so much, they answered that it was the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ that made the change in South Korea. They said that their main export product was the Gospel. In 2003 alone, approx. 30200 missionaries went out from South Korea to preach the Gospel in other countries and in North Korea. North Korea is still communist and stagnant economically, being separated from South Korea by the communists.
They also shared with us how the revival started in 1907. A number of foreign missionaries and local believers came together often and prayed for revival. One day one of the missionaries stood up crying and confessed that the Lord had convicted him that he did not truly love the Korean people, although he had left his country, people and family. Then a second and a third got up, confessing that they also did not have true love towards their Korean brethren. A fourth missionary also stood up, and confessed how his brother had given him money for the Korean brethren, but he took some of it for himself, and only gave a portion to the Korean Christians.
After these missionaries made right with their brethren and confessed their sins, God started to work and revival broke out.
Revival starts when Christians confess their sins and stops when the Christians stop doing so.
Jesus said:
John 3
20 For everyone practising evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
Our text says that “the Lord knows those that are His, and let everyone who names the Name of Christ depart from iniquity.” Is there still any iniquity and wickedness in your life? May this word take root in your heart, for this is the decisive factor whether God will use you or not.
The following story is told of Luciano Pavarotti, the well-known tenor singer:
The world-renowned opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti recalls, “When I was a boy, my father, a baker, introduced me to the wonders of song. He urged me to work very hard to develop my voice. Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in my hometown, took me on as a student. I also enrolled in a teachers’ college. As graduation was nearing I asked my father, ‘Shall I be a teacher or a singer?’ “‘Luciano,’ my father replied, ‘if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose, you can only sit in one chair.’” Pavarotti continues, “I chose one. It took seven years of study and frustration before I made my first professional appearance. It took another seven years to reach the Metropolitan Opera. And now I think, whether it’s laying bricks, writing a book—whatever we choose—we should give ourselves completely to it. Commitment that’s the key. Choose one chair.”
Have you chosen only one chair? Have your chosen Jesus for life? If yes, then commit yourself to Him for life and do it well.