Each August we plan to have a series of meetings we call revival. We have been blessed to have some great men of God faithfully preach the Word of God to us each year. Last year we had five men in here that did a great job sharing their heart and the heart of God, challenging us to truly be God’s people. This year I have invited Rev. Bucky Kennedy to be with us for revival. Bucky pastored a great church, First Baptist, Vidalia, GA. His ministry was growing and doing very well but Bucky clearly felt God’s call to full-time evangelism. I have been blessed to hear Bucky preach several times and I can tell you that God’s anointing is on him and he will come prepared to share with us what God has laid on his heart.
As Bucky comes prepared I am committing to you to be in prayer for you and for me. I am praying that God will stir revival fires in my heart. I need a fresh touch from Him and want to see Him truly transform my mind that I might see people the way that He does and that I might be burdened for the lost and love them the way He does. I am praying as the Psalmist prays in Psalm 139:
NAU Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
Psalm 139:24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
If I am harboring sin in my life that is hurtful toward God, it shows that I have taken lightly what His son did for me. I pray that I will be broken by my sin and by the sin of the world around me. I pray that I will pursue God wholeheartedly and be able to pray with Paul:
NLT Philippians 3:10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,
Philippians 3:11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
In His Amazing Grace,
Dan
That passage just flies all over me! Paul could say “I want to suffer with him (Jesus)” and I confess I find that nice to say but hard to walk in! However, I know that I do desire to know Him and His power therefore I must be willing to suffer with Him. Are you willing to suffer with Him?
Revival will only happen if our hearts are prepared and it will require some painful and honest searching of our souls. Confess your sin as God reveals it to you and ask God to take up full control of your life. Let’s ask God to make this series of services something that changes us for years to come and changes Ellijay for years to come. Let’s pray that people would be drawn to Jesus and their eternity changed because of what God does through this revival.