Here we get into the details about faith and life

4 Steps to Revival

When I hear the word “revival” I immediately think of a week of church services with an evangelist. There’s much more to it, of course. The dictionary defines revive as “to become active or flourishing again; to restore from a depressed, inactive or unused state; to renew in mind or memory.” I need that more often than the standard, scheduled spring and fall services. So how does Jacob accomplish that? God lays out four specific steps to revival for Jacob and his family.

First, consider his situation. Genesis 34 tells the sordid and shameful story of the date rape of Jacob’s only daughter, Dinah. Then after he fails to provide any moral leadership, her brothers take vengeance, perverting the covenant sign of circumcision as part of their plot to murder the men of an entire town and take all their wives and children as slaves. An extreme situation unlike any I’ve ever faced to be sure, but taking it down several degrees, and there are things we can relate to:

Personal failure.
Not living up to our calling.
Having our influence destroyed.
Responding to hurt with revenge.

Jacob was ruined. Any chance he had of drawing the Canaanites to Jehovah through his living witness was gone. Sure, he had the great Abraham and Isaac ahead of him, but instead of being a great example of faith, he’d be lucky if another tribe didn’t hunt them down and kill them all. It is in the middle of this mess that God speaks. “Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there, and make an altar there to God.”

Jacob needed a major spiritual renewal, and in that short set of instructions, God told him the four steps to revival.

Step 1 – Arise – Change your surroundings, your routine. You cannot continue to live and function the way you are now and expect to flourish. Arise. Take action.

Step 2 – Go up to Bethel – Bethel means “house of God”. We immediately interpret that as church. And yes, we should be part of our local church and the worship services there, but I also think of it as God’s presence.

Step 3 – Live there – Don’t just flee there when times are hard. Treat God’s presence less like a life-preserver that you remove once you get out of the water and more like life support that you cannot be removed from.

Step 4 – Make an altar – Sacrifice and worship. I give up being the center of my universe to the Lord who created and governs it, and from whom I usurped my position.

Which of these four steps to revival can you take today?

Prayer of Surrender

By Paula

On July 3, 1863, Confederate General John Pemberton sent a note to Union General Ulysses Grant asking for terms to surrender the fortress at Vicksburg, Mississippi. He and his men, outnumbered 2 to 1, had endured 46 days of siege before reaching this breaking point. They were broken, exhausted and starving.

I think sometimes we can identify. Often we feel surrounded by one crisis or another. Things like financial pressure, employment issues, health concerns and family turmoil can leave us feeling cut off, hopeless, drained or abandoned. In most cases, those things don’t have the decency to hit one at a time. No, they come in waves that threaten to take us completely under.

In 2 Kings, Elisha and his young attendant found themselves on Syria’s most wanted list, and the king of Syria sent an entire army after the man of God.

And when the servant of the man of God [Elisha] arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Open his eyes. I love that prayer, but it’s a difficult one. I think the natural prayer would have been more like, “Save us.” Or, “Deliver us.” Or even, “Destroy the enemy.”

“Open my eyes,” is a prayer of surrender, but not to the enemies or to the circumstances. It is a prayer of surrender to the God who controls the circumstances. It is a prayer that says I want to trust God more than I trust what I see with my own eyes.

It is a prayer God answers.

Enjoy this hymn Open My Eyes, That I May See

Cleaning Out the Junk

By Paula

Our house was built in 1920 and as was the standard of the day, it has plaster walls and ceilings. Now, some ninety-three years later the ceiling in my office is showing an ominous crack. We had a big section of the entry hall ceiling collapse several years back, and we do not want a repeat here. So I get a remodel this summer. The downside is… I have to pack up my office. You have no idea – who am I kidding, I have no idea how much stuff is squirreled away in this room. Most of it, I have gathered and collected over the years, but there is a lot of junk that has passively, insidiously accumulated. I didn’t mean for it to happen. I got busy with other things and let it creep in.

Often times I let my heart get cluttered with a bunch of junk, too. A bad attitude. Some self-righteousness. A grudge or two. I don’t mean for them to slip in. I know they are ungodly and inconsistent with the grace I’ve been given. But they stack up anyway. Sometimes they blend into the background so completely, I don’t even recognize them any more.

I can handle it in one of two ways. I can continue to ignore them and float along… until Jesus has to do a major clean-out operation. He cleaned out the temple a couple of times in the gospels, because the building, the worship and the hearts of the people had gotten so cluttered with junk, they could no longer connect with Jehovah God. The clean-out was public and probably painful for those on the receiving end. Jesus won’t shy away from doing that. But there’s an easier way.

David says in Psalm 139 “Search me, O God, and know my heart.” I can be pro-active. I can go to God and admit that I know I have a tendency to let junk build up in my heart. But I trust Him enough to show Him so He can help me get rid of it. It’s much less painful and it builds intimacy with God.

Just between us, this is something I’m working on. I’m not especially good at it yet. But I know it works.

As far as my office goes… I have 29 or so more boxes to pack.

Grace and Candy Bars

By Paula

In my Sunday school room, I keep a plastic storage container filled with little candy bars as an incentive/reward. When my boys read their Bibles for the week, they get to choose a candy bar. Some weeks, they get them anyway. Visitors get double. The younger kids, ones not in my class, know about the candy, and I often see them sneaking out of my room, grinning.

However, that also means I occasionally run out. My boys have come to expect those candy bars, and make no mistake, I hear about it when I fail to meet their expectations. What’s more, I hear it from the little kids when the box is empty.

There are no rules or laws about Sunday school teachers and treats (that I know of). I am not required to provide candy bars. I do it because I want to encourage my guys. I love my boys, and I want them to learn and grow, and this was just one little way to connect with them. They get accustomed to that, though, and a sense of entitlement develops.

Here’s the thing- those candy bars are grace.

Think with me for just a moment. God is not required to pour out His grace, yet He does. His grace even touches those outside His kingdom. See the parallel?

Just like my boys, I get used to the provisions of God’s grace. Often I begin to believe I am entitled to it. Many times, I grumble about how God chooses to administer His grace, whether it is poured out when I think it should be, and whether or not I am getting what I “deserve”.

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Ephesians 4:7

Grace is a gift. It’s always a blessed gift. Chocolate candy bars don’t even come close.

Vacation

By Paula

In sixteen days, we are leaving on vacation. I’m sure you know the feeling. Weeks and months of being overwhelmed, over-worked and over-committed are about to give way to freedom and rest. My husband has been swamped with meetings, reports, travel and seminary studies. The kids have endured challenging school years and extracurricular commitments. But soon, we get to leave all that behind for a vacation.

When it comes to the need for rest, for a break or for some daylight, we can all identify with that. We circle the days on our calendars. We shop ahead of time so we’re prepared. We even take on extra work just so we can get everything in order before vacation.

Truth is, God invented vacations. He gave them a different name, though. He called them “Sabbath”. God intended for us to take a break from our routine one day out of every seven. He set the day apart and called it holy, and He gave it as a gift to us.

“See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath.” Exodus 16:29

Since then we’ve overcomplicated it, made it a burden, misunderstood and misapplied it. Sabbath is a chance to come away, rest, recharge and reconnect with our Father. It won’t strain our budget. Our luggage won’t get lost, and it’s not dependent on perfect weather.

So… How long has it been since you’ve had a Sabbath?

How would things change if we recognized our need for Sabbath as deeply and as easily as we recognize our need for a vacation?

What if we approached it with that same sense of anticipation and longing?

Like Joseph

By Paula

No doubt you’re familiar with the story of Joseph — the coat, the dreams, slavery, imprisonment and finally vindication as he’s made prime minister of Egypt. (You can read the details in Genesis chapters 37-50.) I’ve often heard him described as a type of Christ in the way he forgives, and the way he saves his family. But lately as I looked at his life and circumstances, I saw that Joseph is a type of us.

Joseph lived a pretty good life in Potiphar’s house, but he was still a slave. Being in charge of the prison must have had its perks, but it was still prison. Joseph held on to those dreams, though. He knew there was more.

He knew he wasn’t made to be a slave or a prisoner. His destiny was to reign alongside the king.

We have that same destiny.

It’s easy to forget that fact. This world we live in now, with its challenges and sorrows, is not where we belong. This is slavery and prison. One day the king will call for us. He’ll clothe us in His own fine linen and set us over His kingdom to rule with Him. Just like this.

You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.”
Revelation 5:9-10

A slave who reigns beside the king. Just like Joseph.

How does that change your perspective?