Having Revival

This week we are having revival at our church. Well, actually we're having revival services. Only God knows right now if we are truly experiencing a revival. We may know later, but not now.

As I type this, I am aware that there may be some reading this blog who may be unsure what "revival" is. For our church and many other churches, "revival" is 1 or 2 special times of the year that we set apart to have anywhere from 3-5 extra services besides the normal Sunday morning and Sunday night. Most of the time, we invite a guest preacher to come in and preach for the whole week or however long the revival is scheduled for. The purpose of the revival services is for the church to be "revived" spiritually... recharged or renewed in spiritual fervor. It is a time of making renewed and fresh commitments to Christ. A time to really seek His face in extra-ordinary ways.

So far, we have heard two powerful, Spirit-anointed messages from our guest preacher, Cory Wilson. It doesn't take long at all to know exactly where Cory's heart is as a man of God, and to know that God is definitely speaking through Him. Sometimes I wish, we could return to the days like when Billy Graham was a young evangelist. There were times when he would go and preach in a city and they just kept right on having worship services and hearing the Word of God powerfully preached for weeks... just as long as they felt the presence and power of God. If I remember correctly, one time they had a revival in New York City that last 10 weeks!! Wow!!

Oh, how we need so desperately to be fed continually from the Word of God. I simply can't imagine, the change in people's lives and in the life of our church... if say for example, we had 1 hour of worship every night for a month. What in the world might God could do, if we as His people decided for one month... to turn off our TV's and to purpose in our hearts to gather together to worship Him through prayer, song, and the hearing of the Word of God! As I said, I absolutely can't imagine what God might do. We might just have another Great Spiritual Awakening as our country had in it's early years.

"Oh dear Lord God... give us more of You!! Our hearts simply ache to know You better!!
Thank you, Lord Jesus, who by means of your sacrificial death and resurrection, for giving us the privilege and capacity to approach Your holy presence. May your fame and glory be known around the world!"

NO, My Kids Aren't Spoiled! (haha)

In case, you can't tell... this is my wife spoon feeding my two boys while they sip their milk and watch TV. In reality, this doesn't happen a lot. But it sure made for a funny picture!! :)

The Difference in a Good Business and a Poor One

A few months ago, I joined this gym in Washington. I was going a few times a week. But recently I figured out just how much it was costing me in gas to drive all the way to Washington. Needless to say, I soon came to the conclusion that the cost of the gym membership + the cost in gas every week was just not reasonable for me to do at this time. So, today I went and cancelled the membership. I was on a month to month contract basis. All I had to do was give him 30 days and they would cancel the membership. But the guy who runs the gym (and may own it, not sure) told me that he completely understood and that he would not draft my account for April. Legally and technically, he could draft my account one more time, and he would be totally in the right to do so, but out of the kindness of his heart, he said he wouldn't.

The treatment that I received today was completely different from the treatment I received 8 months ago from a gym in Concord, NC. While we were in Charlotte I joined a gym called Xcel Xpress. I was under the same month to month deal there as I was here. But right before we moved away from Charlotte, I cancelled the membership. When I spoke to the manager, he said my account would be drafted 2 more times (2 more months) because I was supposed to give 60 days notice. Which first of all, doesn't make sense if it is month to month... and second, this is contrary to what I was told at the beginning, which was that I only had to give 30 days notice. But evidently when I signed the contract I didn't look close enough at the fine print. So, they charged me for 2 more months, even though I was living 4 hours away.

Fitness Unlimited cares about it's customers. If they ever open one in our town, I will definitely join again. But regarding Xcel Xpress, I wouldn't join that gym again if it was the only one around. I refuse to patronize any business that cons and deceives people that way. Thank you Fitness Unlimited for caring about your customers!

Why I Love Jesus

In eternity past, for some reason beyond my understanding, the Lord God chose me for Himself and set His love upon me.

Before I could even reply, God had chosen me and had set His love upon me.

Even after I had come of age, and I chose to live in rebellion and wickedness, God had chosen me and had set His love upon me.

Yet even after I was knowledgeable and had great understanding of His kindness, love, mercy, and grace, at times I still willfully chose to scorn Him, to live in rebellion, to spurn the grace and blood of Jesus Christ... yet God had chosen me and had set His love upon me.

I am the man I am today for one simple reason... God the Father set His love upon me. I am who I am because of the unbelievable and unimaginable grace of Almighty God!!

And this is why I love Jesus!!

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,  just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved."

Ephesians 1:3-6