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First Assembly of God Newsletter August 2009 |
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The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 85:6 - "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?" Revival is renewed conviction of sin and repentance, followed by an intense desire to live in obedience to God. It is giving up one's will to God in deep humility. Like hundreds of bubbling underground springs, revivals are waiting to burst forth in individuals, churches, and communities across this nation. They can either become fountains of life or dry up before they even reach the surface. What will make the difference? Revival can be expected when Christians have the spirit of prayer for a revival, that is when they pray, their hearts are set on nothing less than a genuine outpouring of God's convicting Spirit on saint and sinner alike. Prayer is the state of the heart. A Christian who has this spirit of prayer feels concern for the lost. They are always on our mind. This is praying "without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). His prayers seem to flow from his heart like water: "O Lord, revive Your work" (Habakkuk 3:2). However, a revival consists of two parts: that which concerns the saint and that which concerns the unsaved. Because I am speaking primarily to Christians, let me share a scripture with you found in Hosea 10:12 - "Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness upon you." Fallow ground is ground that has once been tilled but now lies dormant. It needs to be broken up and mellowed before it is ready to be planted. If you want to break up the fallow ground of your heart, you must begin by looking at yourself. Examine and note the state of your mind. See where you are. Many people never do this. They pay no attention to their own hearts, and never know whether they are doing well in their faith or not. They don't know if they're making progress, stagnant, or regressing. Now is the time to divert your attention from other things and look into this. Thoroughly examine the state of your heart, and check to see if you are walking with God everyday. Self-examination is looking at your life. It is considering your actions since receiving Christ as your savior and learning the true character of your life. If sins have been committed, confess them and repent of them one by one. Those of us who profess to be Christians should never be so self-satisfied that we expect to start a revival by suddenly jumping out of our slumbering state and start witnessing to the lost. We must break up our own fallow ground first. You may get excited without breaking up your fallow ground, but it won't last for long. Your zeal will not be effective in witnessing to the lost. Unless you are right with God, and filled with His Spirit, your work will be mechanical and fruitless. Let's begin to break up the fallow ground in our hearts, and echo the words of the Psalmist - "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?" — Pastor Jeff |
BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATOR NOTES
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Every Sunday your church bulletin contains a heading after the date such as “Building Fund Sunday.” We use a different heading each week of the month to remind people of various emphasis areas within the church budget. Those who feel led to do so are invited to give offerings, over and above their tithes, to help meet these ongoing needs. Following is a brief description of each of the weekly emphasis areas. |
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| Besides these five emphasis areas, there are certainly many other worthy ministries within our church that you may feel led to support through your offerings. A few that readily come to mind are Sunday School, Children’s Church, Vacation Bible School, Royal Rangers and the Youth Group. Be assured that all offerings you provide to any of these areas are put into the appropriate account and used for that particular ministry. We sincerely appreciate your generous support to our ongoing ministries through your tithes and offerings. Without you none of it would be possible. — Steve Parsons |
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