A Word from THE WORD
Good Morning Happy Church,
Today is Thursday, February 25th, 2016. Today is the 56th Day of 2016.
Today is Joan Whitley’s Birthday!
Please remember to pray for Valarie Nelson and all of Jim’s family today. His funeral is today at 11am at the Church.
There are only 310 days left in this year; and, there are only 45 Days Left until Our Spring Revival Begins!
We will begin the Revival Meetings on Saturday, April 9th with a Banquet and Sermon at 6pm.
Sunday, April 10th, we will hear Bro Bobby at 10am and again at 6pm.
Monday and Tuesday, April 11th and 12, we will hear Bro Bobby at 7pm each night!
Please clear your schedule to attend as many of these meetings as possible.
As I often say, “The two things you have to invest to be blessed are your Attendance and your Attention!”
Please be in prayer for Dr. Bobby and Sandra Boyles as they travel here and back.
Pray that God will pour out HIS SPIRIT on us as never before!
Pray for the salvation of the lost; repentance and renewal in the life of God’s people; new people to become part of our Church Family; the calling out of ministers and missionaries; a spiritual awakening in our area; and, for Jesus Christ to be glorified in all that we do!
REVIVAL: A RETURN TO THE FATHER
Luke 15:11-24
11 “And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.
12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.
13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.
14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.
15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.
19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’
20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.
23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.”
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.”
The story of the Prodigal Son has been referred to (even among secular scholars) as the most perfect story in human language. Of course, I agree.
But, we are thinking about revival; or, at least the prospect of experiencing a revival.
Let me point out a profound truth that applies to our craving for a fresh touch from the Holy Spirit of God.
As Jesus nearly always does in HIS parables, HE is using this young man as a metaphor for all people everywhere.
Like this son, we are all rebels. By nature, by desire, and by continual practice we are rebels against the will of the Father.
There are two things the son wanted in this story; and, they are the same two things we want today:
He wanted stuff and he wanted autonomy.
So do we.
Amazingly, the Father gave the son his share of the goods and allowed him to take them away without any restraint on how he would use them.
We know how he used them.
It is so much easier to love God when we have stuff. Loving God in the absence of stuff is much more difficult.
And, we love autonomy.
Humans would be much happier with a mute bellhop than we are with God; especially a God Who tells us how to live.
Revival?
Revival is coming home to the Father. I pray that we do not wait until we, like the Prodigal Son, are desolate and desperate.
Why not come home to HIM now?
Why not consider that the right way to live begins with the determination, “I will arise and go to my Father.”
Beloved Ones, returning to the Father is REAL REVIVAL!
Revival CAN happen, it really CAN happen!
Will we really have revival?
We will soon see!
Carpe Diem!
LANNYFAULKNER.COM 