In last month’s newsletter, I provided information about our upcoming revival, scheduled for January 2024. My hope and Prayer is that you have been in Prayer about how you may assist, support, and participate in that effort. However, I also know in my heart that many may be wondering why we need revival at this time: Our Church appears to be strong. Our Church appears to be growing. Our Church is seeking God in all that we do. Why do we need revival?
While all of these are true, I would remind us of some important reasons we all need revival and to be in God’s Presence, according to an online publication from the Arkansas State Baptist Convention:
- We need Him if we are ever going to recover a biblical sense of fear and awe. In Revelation 1:17, John fell on his face in the presence of God. He simply could not stand. More than a physical response, the bowing of our bodies reflects the yielding of our hearts to His rule in our lives. When God is present, our lives are reoriented around Him and not ourselves.
- We need Him if we are going to do real battle with sin in our lives. In Isaiah 6:1-5, the prophet had a life-defining encounter with the Holy presence of God. The result was that he became intensely aware of his own sinfulness. Like raising the lights in a darkened room, God’s holiness will highlight all the impurities in our lives. Isaiah wanted to deal with the sin in his life and so will we!
- We need Him if our land is going to be healed. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God says that if His people are repentant, then He will “heal their land.” If we are honest and as look around us, we can clearly see that our nation is suffering and needs a spiritual awakening.
- We need Him if we are going to love the world the way He does. In Luke 9:36-38, Jesus has compassion on the masses of people without God. When He is present among us, our hearts will come into alignment with His heart and we will show compassion to others.
- We need Him if we are going to answer the cry of our generation. All around us, people have questions about God. Who is He? What is He like? Can He forgive me? Can He help me? They have questions about God and a real hunger for spiritual reality, and they want those answers from people they know and trust. We need to prepare ourselves to help others find their way to the Truth.
- We need Him if we are going to recover the hearts of students and young adults. Although many young people have been raised in evangelical churches, they understand very little about God or the gospel message. They have not been discipled by parents or the church to walk with God. We must be diligent to prepare our children and our youth with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for the spiritual battles they face each day.
- We need Him if we are going to see more people giving their lives to Christ, trusting Him for salvation. In the presence of God, lives are changed and resistance to the gospel melts away. We need His presence in our lives, so that we may be ready to share His Good News with each opportunity that comes our way.
- We need Him if we are going to impact our nation for Christ. During the First Great Awakening, 20 percent of the colonial population came to Christ and joined churches. Today, less than 20 percent regularly attend church. If we want our Nation to be impacted, it starts with each of us, one by one. Are you willing to say YES to Jesus in all things of your life and be an example for others around you to see?
You see, everything changes when we seek to be in the presence of God. I pray that He will revive each of our hearts with Himself, transforming our Church, our Community, our State, and our Nation as we are transformed as His people.
It starts with one person, willing to say YES. My Prayer is that that one person is you!
Remember, Jesus Loves You and So Do I!!
Pastor Jeff