A Word from THE WORD

Good Morning Happy Church,

Today is Tuesday, March 8^th 2016. Today is the 68^th Day of 2016.

Today is Daniel Faulkner’s Birthday!

There are only 298 days left in this year; and, there are only 33 Days Left until Our Spring Revival Meetings Begin!

We will begin the Revival Meetings on Saturday, April 9^th with a Banquet and Sermon at 6pm.

Sunday, April 10^th, we will hear Bro Bobby at 10am and again at 6pm.

Monday and Tuesday, April 11^th 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!

The Solemn Assembly

Joel was a Prophet to Israel just after the end of the Babylonian-Media-Persian Captivity that ended around 516 BC.

The people had not completely turned back to Jehovah and HE responded to their continuing rebellion with continuing judgments – primarily through a devastating plague of Locusts. (Joel 1:1-2:11)

Again, God commands them through HIS Prophet to…

¹² “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; ¹³ and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
¹⁴ Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?” Joel 2:12-14 (ESV)

They, like the United States in the 21^st Century, were a people very much in need of a revival!

Here is God’s inspired action-plan for revival:

¹⁵ “Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly;
¹⁶ gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.
¹⁷ Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, “Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” Joel 2:12-15

(1) “Blow the trumpet in Zion!”

(2) “Consecrate a Fast!”

(3) “Call a Solemn Assembly!”

(4) “Gather the People!”

(5) “Consecrate the Congregation!”

(6) “Assemble the Elders!”

(7) “Gather the Children, even Nursing Infants!”

(8) “Bring the Newlyweds!”

(9) “Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, “Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

Let us commit ourselves to doing all 9 of these preparatory steps; and, let’s do them in biblical order beginning with #1:

“Blow a trumpet in Zion; Consecrate a Fast; Call a solemn assembly!”

Believing it to be the will of God, our Elders have set aside Saturday evening, April 9^th; Sunday morning and evening, April 10^th; and, Monday and Tuesday evenings, April 11^th – 12^th as a special time to gather for prayer, praise, and hearing the Word of God!

You have been notified over and over again about these meetings… That is the “Blow a trumpet” part!

As part of our pre-revival efforts, we will be asking that as many of us who can to set aside some time for fasting and prayer that God will bless us and our Church by a special visitation of HIS presence and power… That is the “Consecrate a Fast” part!

We have invited – as you know – Dr. Bobby Boyles to be our speaker for these 5 special meetings.

That is the “Call a Solemn Assembly” part!

The “Solemn” part comes in because of the dramatic nature of the meetings and the awesome possibility of experiencing real revival in our lives both individually and corporately.

“Solemn” does not have to describe the nature of the meetings; indeed, I fully expect them to a joyful time of sweet fellowship and worship!

But, the fact that we so desperately need them; and, the fact of how much hangs in the balance, makes these meetings a very solemn occasion for sure!

Again, this Morning, I want to “Sound the Trumpet!”

Our Revival Meetings begin in only thirty-three days!

Get ready now… set aside the time now… Start praying now… DO NOT MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY to experience a great moving of God!

Revival CAN happen, it really CAN happen!

Will we really have revival?

We will soon see!

Carpe Diem!