Keep the Faith: A Revival is Coming
I had a conversation last week with a longtime friend who asked me if I thought
revival was coming anytime soon. I wasn’t sure how to answer, especially given the
current circumstances, which would lead us to believe that we are nowhere close to any
sort of spiritual awakening. In fact, I fear that we are headed in the opposite direction.
But then I read the following passage from Psalm 102, and I quickly realized that
the Lord often surprises us with blessings of hope when we least expect it. While I have
been discouraged by the consequences of the coronavirus, which have had a
devastating impact on church attendance, I realize that God is always with us, and so I
encourage all of you to stay connected with us — whether remotely or in person —
because there is a promise of future prosperity. We just have to remain patient and
faithful. Here’s what the passage says…
Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not
yet created may praise the Lord: “The Lord looked down from his
sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the
groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.”
So the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion and his praise in
Jerusalem when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to
worship the Lord.
There is a generation coming that will praise the Lord just as we and our
ancestors have tried to do. We may not see ourselves as prisoners, but, in fact, we are
slaves to the Word of God, and although we may now be groaning, the Lord is looking
down from his sanctuary on high. He knows what we’re doing and how we are
desperately committed to keeping the doors of Oak Chapel open for that future
generation to one day come through. He hears our prayer and will release us from what
now seems like the slow, disheartening, and agonizing death of our church.
We are called upon to keep the faith so that the name of the Lord will be
declared, not only in Zion, but also in Wayne County; not only in Jerusalem, but also in
Jefferson.
The day will come when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the
Lord, and each of us will have had a role because of our efforts to keep the church
afloat.
So be not discouraged, a revival is coming. Whether it happens in our lifetime, I
cannot say, but I do believe that God will bless our efforts, and so I share my heartfelt
gratitude with each of you. Let us never give up, for the God we serve is faithful and
true, and his will shall be made known to a new generation of believers.
Until we meet again, Be Blessed! – Pastor John