2 Peter 1:3-4 ESV
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
My husband Rick and I just spent the weekend in Akron, Ohio
(USA), celebrating 125 years of ministry with our home church congregation. My
mother’s mother, at least (not sure about her dad), and my father’s parents
began with this church congregation back in the late 1800’s or very early 1900’s.
My parents were both born in 1914. And, they gathered together with this church
congregation for 86 years before their deaths in 2000.
The church began in 1894 as a mission by a woman who owned a
brothel. She was told by her doctors that she was dying, so she asked for her
Bible. She read the Bible, and the Holy Spirit convicted her heart of her need
for Jesus. She, thus, repented of her sins and she believed in Jesus Christ to
be her Lord and Savior. And, the Lord healed her of her illness, too. Then, she
gave up the prostitution business and dedicated her life to Jesus Christ and to
his service. And, she donated her property to begin a Christian mission.
And, from that the church was born. Many people were coming
to faith in Jesus Christ as a result of this woman’s testimony and her
dedication to Jesus Christ and to getting his gospel message out to the people
in her city. And, many people who had been in slavery to sin were being
transformed of the Spirit of God away from living for sin to living for Jesus
Christ. Amen!
Cottage prayer meetings and evangelistic street meetings
were central to the success of this ministry in those early days of this church,
and in seeing many people come to faith in Jesus Christ and to dedicate their
lives to having a close walk of fellowship with Jesus Christ. And, this led to
the beginning of other church congregations in the city, as well. All glory to
God for the great things he did in the beginnings of this Akron church.
And, this encourages my heart, and it should encourage
yours, as well, how the Lord can take a sinful woman such as this and turn her
life around, and how he could use her to see people come to faith in Jesus
Christ and to leave their sinful lifestyles behind them, and how from her
faithfulness to the Lord many church congregations could be birthed for the
glory of God.
The Celebration
I gathered together with this church congregation from birth
on up, too. [I was born physically 12/31/1949 and spiritually perhaps around
the age of 7.] But in 1977, after I gave birth to our second child, my husband
felt God was calling him to full-time ministry, and so we left Akron for Ft.
Wayne, IN, where he attended Ft. Wayne Bible College for one year (now Taylor
University in Upland, IN).
After one year at Bible college, since he already had a
bachelor’s degree, he decided to go to seminary. But, we became pregnant with
child #3, and our finances prevented us from doing so.
Thus, back to Akron we went. However, the church
congregation had grown so large by that time that they sold their building on
Brown Street and they moved out to a property on South Main Street on the far south
end of town. And, we bought a house on the extreme north end of town. So, the
church’s new location was far from where we lived, and we had learned at Bible
college the importance of church gatherings in community, so we felt God was
leading us to another congregation much closer to where we lived.
By 1982, though, my husband Rick was transferred by his
employer to Raleigh, NC, and we have been pretty much living in the south (USA)
ever since then, with the exception of one year (2016-2017) when we moved back
to Akron so my husband could spend time with his dad before he died. But, we
are now back in South Carolina where we lived for 27 years prior to moving back
to Akron for that one year.
Anyway, since 1977 we have not been a part of that
congregation, although we did go back and visit periodically over the years,
especially when my parents were still alive. Yet, that church has always
remained in my heart. They have always been family to me. So, it was wonderful
having this time with them over the weekend. It was more like a family reunion
to me.
There are many new faces, but there are still many people
who I knew who are still there. So, we had a couple of days of seeing our old
church family and getting caught up on one another’s lives, and hugging each
other and just enjoying the fellowship together with them once again. Praise
Jesus!
Many of those I loved have gone on to be with the Lord. And,
some of those who are still there are not far from being with the Lord, too. It
was a joy to be with our home church family once again, and to meet new people,
too. And, the Lord used that time with them to encourage my heart.
2 Peter 1:5-9 ESV
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
My pastor (from 1968 to 1977) left the church in 1977 to
join a revival ministry in Canada and to pastor a church there. He lived there
a very long time, but several years ago he moved back to Akron. Not long after
he moved back, his wife died, and he has been a widower since then. He is in
his early 90’s, and he is very homesick for heaven, and he is missing his wife
greatly, and he can’t understand why God is keeping him here. His hope, though,
is that before he dies he will see revival in the USA once more.
For, back in 1972, the year my husband and I were married,
our home church experienced revival big time, and it spread throughout the city
and beyond. I believe it lasted for months. And, it had lasting impacts on many
people’s lives, some of whom were saved from their sins during revival, some of
whom experienced miraculous healings, and many of whom repented of sins, got
their hearts right with God, and went on to serve him.
Pastor Sipley spoke Friday night at this celebration about
revival, and fire was burning within me to see revival take place again in my
lifetime. I almost felt like revival was going to break out soon there in
Akron, so as I sat and listened to my former pastor, I could not help but
wonder why the Lord did not leave us there, and why he brought us back to South
Carolina.
But, I don’t know God’s plans, and I don’t know when revival
is going to break out in the USA once more, and in other nations, and I don’t
know where it will begin, either, but I hunger for it to take place. I see so
much apathy in the church, so much worldliness, so much complacency and taking
God and his grace for granted. I see so much lasciviousness going on within the
church, too, and even being smoothed over, and not being brought to repentance.
And, it breaks my heart.
So, I long to see so many within our lukewarm churches
brought to repentance and to be revived in their spirits in their walks of
faith with Jesus Christ. But, I realized this weekend that I need that Holy
Spirit fire rekindled in my heart, too.
2 Peter 1:10-11 ESV
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
So, the hope that I hold on to is that one day revival will
break out in the USA and that the church will forsake her idols and her
worldliness, and that she will repent of her sins and get on fire for God
instead of so many being lukewarm and casual about their relationships with
Jesus Christ.
But, I was also moved within myself that I need to be more
on fire for the Lord than I have been lately, and that I need that fire burning
in my belly to see revival take place, and that I need to get more serious
about prayer, ministry, and seeing people come to faith in Jesus Christ and to
walk in fellowship with him, too.
Are you where I am in this? Do you need your fire rekindled?
Will you join me in seeking God’s face for revival in our own hearts and in the
church in America and in other nations? I believe we Christians need to take
our calling more seriously. Do you agree? We need to be dedicated to seeing
people come to faith in Jesus Christ and to walk daily in his holiness.
Servant
of the Lord
An
Original Work / July 26, 2012
Based
off Romans 1:1-17
Servant of the Lord;
For the gospel you’re set apart.
Promised through the prophets of old:
Jesus, Son of God.
Through Him, and for His name alone,
We receive His grace
To call people, Him to obey;
Coming from their faith.
Servant of the Lord,
For the gospel you’re set apart.
Promised through the prophets of old:
Jesus, Son of God.
You belong to Christ;
Loved by God, and called to be saints;
Serving God with whole heart and mind;
Preaching Jesus Christ;
Always praying for others’ needs;
Helping hand to lend;
Giving courage to others’ faith,
For the praise of God.
You belong to Christ;
Loved by God, and called to be saints;
Serving God with whole heart and mind;
Preaching Jesus Christ.
Servant of the Lord;
Of the gospel, I’m not ashamed;
For salvation, power of God
To those who have faith.
In the gospel find righteousness:
Being right with God.
Turn from sin, and trust Jesus Christ.
By faith, live in Him.
Servant of the Lord;
Of the gospel, I’m not ashamed;
For salvation, power of God
To those who have faith.
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