Revival!!

We all have our own ideas of what revival looks like, or at least what we think it should look like. Most of those ideas are based on what we’ve personally witnessed in past years.  However, God doesn’t always consult with us to see how we think He should do things before He does them. Sometimes, God does things differently than we might expect. 

I’m reminded of stories in the Bible when people, no doubt, expected God to do things one way but He did something differently.  I can imagine the Children of Israel never expected to defeat Jericho by marching around the city, or shouting at that wall.  They probably expected a show of military might, or of strategic genius, but victory came thought obedience.  I’m sure King Saul wasn’t expecting deliverance from the Philistines, and their champion  Goliath, to come through a teen-aged shepherd boy who wasn’t even old enough to be in the army.  Yet David fought for Israel, and God fought for David.  I doubt that Peter expected to have money to pay his taxes by catching a fish and finding a coin in its mouth, but that’s what happened at Jesus’ command.

We should remember that God says, “My ways are not your ways…” (Isa. 55:8-9).  I’m steadfast in my belief that what God is doing among us, and in many other American churches, is unlike what we’ve seen in the past or even have expected for our future.  I believe that God has likely done things this way before, but our experience is so limited that we may not have seen it. 

I was talking to a pastor last week who had heard about God doing some miracles here in our fellowship.  He told me that he had been confronted with a woman who was in need of healing from cancer, and was reminded of what God had done in Sister Edith’s body with the removal of tumors, so he decided to pray for that woman right then and there!  I earnestly hope and expect to hear a good report from that prayer.  I talked to another pastor this morning who has been in ministry for more than 40 years.  He told me that he had witnessed God move this past weekend in a way he had never seen.  God had given such specific information to a man of God about a woman they were praying for, that it was absolutely astounding.  That woman was convinced of God’s power, she was touched and filled with the Spirit of God!  I’ve heard others within the last month, people who have been in church all of their lives, say they have never felt God so strongly or seen Him move in such a powerful way.

My point is that we shouldn’t be surprised when God does something surprising.  He does things His own way. He’s God after all!  What we call revival is simply the restoration of what was once alive, back to a state of life or vitality!  That’s what revive actually means and that’s what God is doing in His church!  It might look different than we expected. It might sound different.  It might even leave us a little perplexed, as was probably the case for the nation of Israel, for King Saul, and even Peter in the previous examples.  God does things differently than we expect.  Yet if God is the one doing it, it’s good… and I’m all in!  How about you?  Revive us Lord!!

What is God doing??

What is the Lord doing? It seem to me that we often wonder what the Lord is up to. Something negative happens in our lives and we think, 'where is God?'  A blessing comes our way and we usually thank Him, but then go on about our business. In our everyday lives though, we are often content to just meet with Him on Sunday morning in the worship, to then hear the Word and that holds us until next Sunday.  Sometimes we spend a little time in the Bible reading or some time in prayer during the week.  Maybe we even go to a Wednesday Night Bible Study if we can, but we are still often left with the question of what the Lord is doing in our lives.  Perhaps we could say it this way, "What's the plan Lord?"  "What's the big picture?"

For the most part, I am right there with you. As a pastor, I have to be at Wednesday night study, and I have to spend quite a few hours in study each week to be able to minister the Word in several services. Yet I too find myself often leaving a service, or time of prayer, and going right back into life without knowing what God is really up to in my day to day life.  I always want to hear his direction, but I sometimes can't seem to hear clearly. 

I certainly don't believe He wants us to know everything, but I do think He wants us to know far more than we do.  So what is God doing?  Why am I at this place in my life now?  What's next?  How do I get there?

I think all, or most of those answers are available to us in prayer and the Word of God. Proverbs 3:6 tells us, "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Verse 5, just before this, tells us not to lean to our own understanding.  I believe we lean to our own understanding far too much.  If we aren't hearing clearly from God though, what else are we supposed to do?

It's clear then, that we need to hear more clearly from God. What hinders that?  I'm sure there are lots of things.  If we are regarding iniquity in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us (Psalm 66:18)... So, it's not likely that He will keep speaking to us either if there is sin in our lives. If we are too busy with other things, we too won't hear because of distractions.  If we want to hear Him, we have to make meeting with God a real priority.  We also might fail to hear Him because we are simply not diligent in trying to hear, or maybe we don't really want to hear because we are afraid of what he might say (Zech.7:13). (I've been there!) 

I do believe that God wants to speak to all of us.  I think His Word is chocked full of instruction (Proverbs 4:1).  I think as the sons and daughters of God, He desires for us to be led by His spirit (Romans 8:14). Granted though, it seems very difficult to hear Him sometimes even though it shouldn't be.  

This morning in prayer I really met with God.  His presence was overwhelming!  As I write this we are in day 12 of our Corporate Fast, so as you can expect I have spent extra time in pursuit.  I was alone in the church and so I felt no inhibitions of crying out to Him. As He came so near I felt sorrow for our distance from Him, I felt hunger for more of Him, I felt His desire for more of us.  And in that time something occurred to me that I already knew, He wants to guide us but we aren't often close enough to be lead. Peter walked afar off (Luke 22:54), and so do we. The simple, yet not easy, answer to the whole conundrum that we seem to face in this area is: repentance, continual pursuit, then communion (or fellowship) with Him.  It is really that simple... and it's really hard for us to get everything out of His way so that he might be near.  Yet, it's worth it!

John 5:19 says, "Then Jesus answered and said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.'"  We desperately need to get to that place in our relationship to our Heavenly Father.  We can only follow His lead, if we can see/hear what He is doing.

I urge you GO AFTER GOD!  We need Him! Be determined this year to walk close to Him, so you can hear and react to what He is saying. He wants you to hear Him (John 10:27).  He wants to lead you (Isa. 40:11). 

In the Love of our Most Holy God,

Pastor Jerry