My Heart

    I have heard countless times in recent years that the church's in America need revival; that we need to get God back in our schools, back in our government, back in our homes...but I struggle with the attitudes and the actions of the "Christians" I see and hear in the workplace, on the social networks, and in our churches. Revival is not just a catch phrase, it isn't like jump starting a dead battery, it has to be more; it is more. Our church just completed 5 revival services and while I was personally revived, reenergized, and refreshed in my heart it was also an eye opening experience concerning the "church."
    The "church" as I understand it according to the scripture is made up of those who have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, so with that in mind revival must be a personal thing; while it certainly affects the entire body of a church it doesn't flow from the church to the believer, it flows from the Holy Spirit to each believer to the church, and we become stewards of a great responsibility, to live out our faith. 
    So if revival is for the church and we as believers are the church then revival is for us! And if we have any hope of getting God back into our homes, our workplace, our school, our government then we had better be very concerned about getting God back into our individual hearts! Posting Bible scripture on your website isn't going to get it done, clicking "like" on a picture of Jesus on a social media website is an insult, and spending time in church dressed up and playing the part is insulting to the one who allowed himself to be crucified on the cross for our sins!
    If revival is for the church...and we are the church...then why are there empty seats in every church during every revival? Maybe it is because some believers feel they don't need revival...but if revival is designed and desired to refresh us for Jesus, to reenergize our zeal for Jesus...then which believer wouldn't need or desire that?
    If you have Jesus in your heart, but life has beat you down you are not without hope and you are not beyond His reach. Maybe you need revival, maybe you need prayer, maybe you just need an ear. He is listening, and so will I.
                                                                                                 May the LORD richly bless your Spirit,
                                                                                                                                                           Pastor.