Kingdom Revival #2

Posted on FaceBook Nov 9, 2020

KINGDOM REVIVAL #2

HELLO, KINGDOM!

Revival (Merriam-Webster):An act or instance of reviving; the state of being revived, such as:- Renewed attention to or interest in something- A new presentation or publication of something old- A period of renewed religious interest- An often highly emotional evangelistic meeting or series of meetings

Biblical revival (Dictionary.com):- Restoration to life, consciousness, vigor, strength, etc.- Restoration to use, acceptance, or currency- An awakening, in a church or community, of interest in and care for matters relating to personal religion- An evangelistic service or a series of services for the purpose of effecting a religious awakening

As mentioned previously, I began the year on a physical and spiritual journey towards personal revival. Acknowledging that my body is the living temple of God, I needed to take care of it. 4 surgeries and many adjustments later, I’ve come a long way, but have a bit more to go. Spiritually, I needed to draw closer to God. I confirmed my surrender to God’s will, then COVID-19 struck. As churches shuttered, I (along with Pat) increased church “attendance” through on-line media, viewing not only our home church but several others every weekend and on Wednesdays. We worked on strengthening our personal relationship with God through on-line worship with our Christian brothers and sisters around the world. I continued with my increasingly longer Hello Kingdom “blogs” on Facebook. We continued with our GriefShare and DivorceCare ministries, by using Zoom. Instead of taking 4 months off in the summer, we started new cycles immediately after the first cycles in April ended and only took 2 months off. Apparently, that wasn’t quite enough, because Pat and I contracted COVID-19 and were isolated in our bedroom for the month of July. We drew closer together and in our covenant relationship with God. My “blogs” became shorter by breaking them into a series (Truth in Love) after the racial issues rose to center stage. And God placed on Pat’s heart to start a nightly Evening Prayer video series, which ended shortly after our quarantine ended and I returned to work (Pat had worked from home the entire time.) God then inspired me to post daily Morning Songs on Facebook, to give hope to all who would read and listen. That continued for two months. Then for the several weeks leading up to the election, I went through a period of deep personal connection with God, one of clarity and revelation.

Through all of it, I felt God was calling us towards a true revival of His church, a revival that begins with a personal commitment. We must be right with God first on an individual, personal level, before we can join with like-minded believers in fellowship for church revival. Surveys indicate that less than 1/3 of the world’s population identify themselves as Christian. In 2015, just over 70% surveyed identified themselves as Christians in the United States, but that has declined every year since 1990, when it was 85%. If 70% of the US population were Christians, then why are Christians being attacked and persecuted so strongly and being made to believe they are in the minority?

God may not have created and unleashed this pandemic, but He has, and is using it for His purposes. Unfortunately, many of us may have missed the boat. Through this pandemic, God has given us an opportunity to draw closer to Him, to revive our personal relationship with Him, a time for His Church to reset, as our Pastor refers to it. Revival starts with each of us individually. A lot of prominent preachers, teachers and evangelists are promoting that. But how do we do it? The answers to that are in His Word. Next time we will look at 2 Chronicles 7:14, referenced by many concerning this pandemic, but there is more to that verse than just that. For now, pray Psalm 85, particularly verses 4-7: “Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your anger toward us to cease. Will You be angry with us forever? Will you prolong Your anger to all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in You?”

Be Blessed!