Week 5 gone...bring on 6!

I have finished week 5! Now onto more of the same but gettin' better! I have thoroughly enjoyed the P90X workout and the Journey thru the Bible in 90 days too! It is all going as planned...tracking at a steady 20 pounds lost and muscles starting to show more. My shape is coming back...back from the dead! ha



In my reading of Ezra today, I was brought to the passage where Ezra is deeply upset about the sin of intermarriage that had been taking place that God commanded the people of Israel not to do. He fell before the Lord and began praying his heart out for the people of Israel. Ezra had not broken the command but because he was their leader, his heart pained him so. When the people saw and heard Ezra's prayer, they too felt the guilt and condemnation and thus fell before the Lord as well and began praying, seeking forgiveness and redemption, and later restored in communion with God.

It taught me that sometimes God's chosen leader (in this case Ezra) leads his people in repentance so that the people will be led to repentance. Ezra didn't need to repent for himself as he didn't commit the sins his people committed, however, because of his sincerity, concern, and love for his "sheep" and his fear of the Lord, he immediately responded thru prayer once he learned of the sins.

Therefore, the questions I had racing through my mind were centered around this question: "What areas has our leader (in my case Brother Danny or Tony) sought repentance for us as his people that either we need to begin repenting over or that we have altogether missed?" I don't think all people really hear the God-chosen leader in this manner. Many write off what the pastor says as "that is how he feels but not how I feel about the situation or issue or etc.". Rather, we should have the same response as did the people of Israel, and that is to fall down and begin repenting if our leader senses this is an area we need to pray about.

I wonder what our churches, our towns, our communities, etc. would be like if we all responded to our pastor's heart, concerns, etc like the people of Israel did with Ezra's prayer and concern? Why don't we just start now...and check back in 1 year...good things could happen!