We will continue with our word-for-word examination of God’s solution to a nation’s problems as voiced by Him in 2 Chronicles 7:14.  We will continue to focus on the words that are deliberately omitted by the church’s false prophets. Next: “seek my face.”

Here the Lord is telling “… My people who are called by My name” that they must “… seek My face.”  In Hebrew the word “face” is “paneh,” which means “presence”–one person being face-to-face with another person.  Biblically, to show one’s face to another is to show favor toward that person.  Conversely, to turn one’s face away from another is to show rejection of that person.  King David, upon contemplating his enemies, besought the help of the Lord, saying, “Hear, O Lord, when I cry out to You.  Have mercy upon me and answer my prayers.  When You (Lord) said to me (David): “Seek My face” I said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.  Hide not Your face from me; do not put Your servant away in anger ….  Do not leave me, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation” (by turning Your face away) (Ps. 27:7-9).

King David knew how to appeal to the Lord for His favor.  He knew that to keep the Lord’s face before him he had to obey Him  In Psalm 30:7 David recalled a time when “You (God) did turn your face from me and I was troubled.”  God heard David’s plea and promised: “…. I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you must go: I will guide you with My eye” (Ps. 32:8).  What do we look at when beholding the face of another?  The eyes–we look into the eyes in order to see one’s true character.  The eyes allow us to peer into the heart (mind) of another.  When we pray we want to spiritually look into God’s eyes and see His eyes looking at us.  In Psalm 33:18 He describes the type of person who can pray to Him and expect his prayer to be answered: “The eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear Him.”  To seek God’s face is useless unless one fears Him, as did Jesus of Nazareth.  Jesus prayed, and “was heard because He feared” (Heb. 5:7).  Those who fear God obey Him, as did Jesus.  Just as faith without works is dead faith (Jam. 2:10,14,17,18,20,24,26), prayer without fear and obedience is dead prayer.  Read the Introduction to this website and compare what is written therein to what church people believe and obey.  This will explain why the prayers of those who claim oneness with God go unanswered and why they are cursed in the same way and to the same degree as those who blaspheme God.  However, in His eyes there is a difference between them.  He views the churched lower than the unchurched because the churched claim to be His children while openly disobeying Him.  Biblically, this is called hypocrisy, which Jesus called “… the leaven of the Pharisees” (Lk. 12:1) and equates the sin with iniquity (Lawlessness)–Mat. 23:28.  To seek God’s face is useless unless one fears Him and obeys His Word.

The next word to be omitted from the prayer for help is “turn.”  Those calling out to God for help must “turn” from the direction they are going.  Going in that direction was the cause of the problem.  God’s command to “turn” does not mean an oblique turn, but a complete 180 degree reversal of direction–from wrong to right, from darkness to light, from rejection of God’s Word to obedience to it, FROM SIN TO RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS.  We are told in Romans 5:21 and 6:22 that righteousness and holiness on the part of the believer are necessary in order to receive eternal life.  These virtues being required for salvation, would they not also be required for answered prayers?  Did not God say that “the prayer of a righteous man avails much?” (Jam. 5:16).  If a believer automatically receives Christ’s righteousness at conversion, there is no need for him to turn for he would be turning away from righteousness.  Which brings us to the next words that are typically omitted from the Lord’s instructions.

“Wicked ways.”  Those words land like a hammer blow to the ego.  Bear in mind that the people who are praying for God’s help are His people who are called by His name.  This brings up a few questions in the minds of those called by God’s name.  For example, why is God commanding that I “… turn from my wicked ways?”  Did not Christ’s death remove my sins as soon as I repent of them?  Did not His death automatically make me righteousness upon my acceptance of Him as my Savior?  Why then does He call my inevitable sins “wickedness?” And why should I have to “turn from” all of my sins if God can’t see through Christ’s blood that covers those sins?  Did not Christ’s death remove every sin I commit as soon as I repent of it?  Isn’t repentance all that is required?  What’s with this “turn from sin” business?  This is impossible since sin was programmed into me at conception due to Adam’s fall.  Did not Christ’s death nullify all of my future sins once I received Him as my Savior?  God answers those questions with one word: “THEN.”

Notice that God requires those who are calling upon Him for help to humble themselves, seek His face and turn from their wicked ways.  “THEN I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land.  THEN My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to their prayers.”  To get a more complete picture of Christ’s view of professing Christendom read Revelation 3:14-20.  Here He is speaking to the modern day church, Biblically known as the Laodicean era.  Note that He calls those people His “church.”  Read “All That Glitters.”  Key word–Glitters.

As I have made clear time and again over the past few years through this website: IF YOU ARE CATHOLIC OR PROTESTANT YOU HAVE BEEN, ARE BEING AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE LIED TO AS LONG AS YOU REMAIN IN SATAN’S CITADELS OF SIN.  Due to what you are being taught, God commands you to “come out of her and be separate, touch not that unclean thing.”  Then, and only then, will you be His people and He will be your God (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1).

Some readers find it incredulous that I would even suggest that such virtues as holiness and righteousness–obedience to God’s Word (Law)–are necessary in order to be saved.  I have been told that faith in the saving power of Jesus Christ is all that is necessary.  Each of us has a source of Truth relative to salvation, answered prayer, etc.  There are only two sources: God’s Holy Bible and church doctrine.  Church doctrine is a compilation of man’s perverted, self-serving interpretation of God’s Word (Gal. 1:6-9).  In Matthew 15:8,9 Jesus speaks to and about those who reject His Word and embrace man’s (Satan’s) word relative to eternal Truth: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  They worship Me in vain by teaching the commandments of men (church doctrine) instead of My doctrines (Holy Bible).”  Note that false disciples in Christ’s day worshiped Him and honored Him in their talk while embracing and obeying their own commandments.  As He said, though their outward religiosity was impressive, their inward condition was deadly.  Nothing has changed.  L.J.