REVIVAL HINGES UPON THE RESSURECTION

It is fascinating to watch the resurrection of nature as the dead of winter is springing to life during this very time of the year. Already in my neighborhood I have witnessed seemingly dead and dreary looking sticks miraculously burst forth with brand new buds. These buds have over the last few days shed forth exquisitely beautiful flowers and leaves. All that splendor, all that brilliance, and vast array of vibrant life comes from something that was bleak, barren, and dead shall we even say ‘ugly.’ Now added to the drama of what we are witnessing there is also sound and smell. There has certainly come out of the cold dead silence a flurry of brash and majestic sounds. Birds of various kinds are singing so sweetly, butterflies are fluttering, bees are buzzing, frogs are croaking, fish are splashing, and crickets are ……well you get the point, whatever crickets do. The sun is beginning to shine brighter it seems, the days feel warmer, and who can escape the fragrant smell of it all. That which was dead is now ALIVE!
The wonder of it all is revealed as it points us to the heavenly Father’s plan. Surely all of God’s creation is trying desperately to point you and me back to a very special event. In fact, this event brought life from that which was pronounced lifeless, dead. This magnanimous event was none other than the resurrection of His Son Jesus who was slain on an old rugged cross and pronounced dead as He had indeed died, but also rose again to life on the third day. Glory hallelujah praise be to God! You see, we know that there were eyewitnesses that went to the grave on a certain Sunday morning and when they got there they were astonished to be greeted not by the tomb as usual, but by angels with a message. It was a message unlike any other ever told. It was a message of joy, hope, and new life. “Jesus is NOT HERE He is RISEN, come see where He did lay. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead!”
Now, we may not understand it all. That is “the how” He did it, but we certainly can understand “the why” Jesus died and rose and ascended back to heaven to His Father. Hebrews 9 begins to shed some light stating, “Jesus has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.” Scripture also tells us in Ephesians 1 - 2, “You He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins. God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). In Jesus we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”
Finally, we have come to question of personal revival. Just as we can see from nature the transformation from death to life comes only from the power of God. As we have seen through the scriptures the resurrection of Jesus Himself from death to life also came through the power of God. Therefore, what you and I must realize is that if we have any hope in this world of being revived from death to life it can only come through our faith in the resurrection power of God. Have you ever placed your faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection, understanding that His shed blood can cover your sins? The eternal significance is this. “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Good Intentions Are Really No Good

If you were to take a survey of the general population in any given town in America you would find that over 95% of folks surveyed would have good intentions about everything. Good intentions about being faithful to their spouses, good intentions about keeping their word, good intentions about paying their bills, spending time with their children, being a loyal employee, not stealing, not suing, not fighting, and just being a better person in general. Ok, how are all the good intentions of those people working? My point is that it takes more than good intentions and warm fuzzy feelings and thoughts. It takes COMMITMENT! In any area of life, if you want to achieve a certain goal you must first be willing to sign your name on the dotted line, you must draw a line in the sand, you’ve got to stand up and let your word be counted and not ashamed for the world to know it. It will cost you something, mark it down. The question will then become is it worth it to go from just being a good intention in my life to something that I will commit to?
You see all throughout God’s Word there were times through the course of history when God called His people out, the ones that followed, served, and obeyed Him, the ones that truly at the end of the day loved Him. He called them to come out from among all the rest of the people and commit their lives to Him in a renewed and significant way. It was often a very public way in order that there was no confusing those who were committing to Him. Do you remember Joshua’s famous plea from his death bed to the church who still had much land conquering to do? “I’m not going to be here to lead you any longer, so this day make your mark, draw your line, sign up. Choose you this day whom you will serve whether it be the One true God, or whatever society tells you that you need, (idols of your own making.)” Do you remember several hundred years latter a showdown of Olympic proportion that could only be described as “Fire on the Mountain?” The church had by in large defected because of a ruling president and first lady that hated God. Then along comes a man of God named Elijah who calls the people of God to make a commitment right on the spot, to sign up, draw a line, in front of everybody, now! “How long will you waiver between two opposite opinions? If you love the Lord and want to be indentified with Him line up right here, otherwise stay where you are.” If you remember that narrative by the end of the day God had brought down fire on Mount Carmel and all those who did not align themselves with Christ lost their very lives.
Fast-forwarding to the first century when the Lord Jesus Christ Himself walked on this earth He also called men who would be His disciples to make a commitment to Him. "Follow Me," He would say, "Leave everything you have, and come follow ME!" On the first Sunday of this month, March 1, that is exactly what you and I are going to have the privilege of doing symbolically, to recommit ourselves to Jesus and His work. Leave everything that we think we have and put our mark down, draw our line in the sand, sign our name to following Jesus with ourselves, our families, and all that we own. These areas should sound familiar to you as we have been for the past few weeks studying about refreshing our individual faith, our families, and our resources. This Sunday will be the culmination of our efforts, as we all will be asked to join together and commit on the altar all we are to Jesus as His church body in Travelers Rest. God would say to us today that it is time for our good intentions to become more than just good intentions!

I love you and pray for you, Pastor Scott