RENEWAL--- are we ready or not?

God is a God of renewal! Look at the OT picture of Israel and note how many times we see Him coming to renew, or restore His Chosen People! Renewal and restoration are similar terms, with a slightly different meaning, in my opinion. I see "restoration" as restoring something back to its original condition. But "renewal" would seem to imply the thought of creating something new, as well as restoring what was originally there! That's why I think renewal is the more appropriate term to use for what needs to happen in the Body of Christ today. Not only do we need to be restored to the simplicity and power of the church in the book of Acts, but we must be open for the "greater works" mentioned by Jesus in (John 14:12) as a promise to His followers. What will it take on our part to bring renewal to our communities?

1/ In (Acts 2:1) we read "They were all with one accord in one place". This speaks to me of the need for complete "unity" among believers from all denominations in our communities. How willing are we to work toward this type of unity? Are we willing to pay the cost? It might mean laying aside some "pet doctrines" that we have carried ever since becoming a christian. It could mean accepting that certain brother or sister who worships in that "different" church on the other side of town. You know where they pray real loud, and do strange things! Or maybe the Lord would even ask you to draw out some money from that little "nest egg" you have been saving for a rainy day, and give it to some brother who is going through a financial hard time. These are only a few of the things God might ask you to do to prove how much you desire renewal in your life and in your church!

2/ In (Acts 4:31) we read "After the prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness". Are we willing to be filled with the Holy Spirit as Paul exhorts us in (Eph 5:18) "But be ever filled and stimulated with the Holy Spirit" (Amp version), or are we still afraid of what might happen to us? Are we willing to obey this simple straight forward command in God's word? Or will we continue to believe our traditions, some of which teach us that this experience ended with the last of the original apostles in the first century? Are we honest enough to admit that we have held to our traditions more than to the word of God? Before we can declare the word of God with boldness in our city, it seems to me we must really believe the word and start to put its commands and principles into effect in our lives!

3/ In (Acts 6:7) we read "And the word of God increased , and the number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly"! Is this your desire for our city? Imagine with me, if you will, what would happen if God should allow the number of believers in our city to be multiplied by a small factor like 3, or even 4, what would our present churches do with this increase? But notice God uses the term "greatly", which could mean 30 or 40 times as many as at present! How can we prepare for numbers like that? That same verse could hold the answer, "and the word of God increased". We need to see the word of God increasing in individual lives and in the entire city. There has to be some way to saturate our communities with God's word, like maybe with small local Bible studies! Are you part of one? Maybe God wants you to start one with 2 or 3 neighbors in your home. Your tradition might tell you that before you could do that you would need 2 or 3 years of Bible school training. But (Acts 1:8) and (1 John 2:20) tell us all we need is the Holy Spirit, in His fullness! And Jesus did declare in (John 16:13) "When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth". Will we believe the words of Jesus, or hold to our traditions?

4/ In (Acts 8:26-27) we read about Phillip, a newly appointed deacon in the church at Jerusalem, who heard a word from an angel of God, and obeyed immediately. The result was the salvation of an influential man of great authority from Ethiopia, who spread the message of the gospel to that nation. I believe that if we as followers of Jesus, will sincerely work toward, and start to practice these 4 things---1/ Unity, 2/ God's fullness, 3/ Increase in the word, and 4/ Obedience, then we will be prepared for renewal. And when God sees we are ready, He will send a gracious outpouring of His Spirit to renew His Body in our community!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer