Some things I long for...
1. Real Conversion. Not just that people would go to church or do some nice things, but that they would encounter a risen Christ. That people would come to know the Son of God who bled and died to take away the sins of the world. That such an encounter would redeem their past, transform their present, and give purpose and real hope to their future.
2. That people would not be baptized into a lukewarm faith that has grown at ease in Zion and is riddled with complacency; but that they would be baptized with water and fire! That a holy zeal would overtake the church. That we would refuse to accept a form of Godliness but not the power (anyone can have a form, but only the Spirit gives the power). That we would grow tired of church services where people are not keenly aware of God's presence.
3. That people would wrestle and ultimately crucify the flesh with its lusts and desires so that they would no longer live, but only Christ within them! O that people would receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit's cleansing work in their heart to rid them (and really deliver them) from a desire for the things of this world! That their whole heart, soul, mind, & all their strength would be devoted to their love of Christ!
4. Send a great revival in my soul! May my love for Jesus eclipse all other loves in my life. May my love of neighbor be a compelling force for action in my life. May my spirit be stirred whenever I think of Jesus. May my desire for holiness be greater than my desire for this world.
5. May the glory of God descend on His people again. May we encounter God as Moses did on the mountain in the wilderness! May our churches shake as the Holy Spirit blows through our lives radically forming us into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
6. May the Church dictate to culture the Way again! Help us to stop looking to the entertainment industry, the politicians, or the celebrities for us to take our cues. Let the church look again to Christ (His Way, His Holiness, His Standard) as our example. Let us be His Body again.
7. May the church be marked by purity and power again. Not political power, financial power, or technological power, but power to live a holy life. Power to minister effectively in a culture and time that is increasingly difficult and even detrimental to holy living. Power to overcome. Power to stand against compromise and liberalism. May the church be undefiled by the worldly desires and shifting moral landscape. May the Bride be ready when the groom returns!
7. May the church be marked by purity and power again. Not political power, financial power, or technological power, but power to live a holy life. Power to minister effectively in a culture and time that is increasingly difficult and even detrimental to holy living. Power to overcome. Power to stand against compromise and liberalism. May the church be undefiled by the worldly desires and shifting moral landscape. May the Bride be ready when the groom returns!
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Check out the following articles:
Signs of a Good Church
20 Signs You are in a Dying Church
Stop Saying this at Funerals
How to Lead Your Church into Apostasy
Check out the following articles:
Signs of a Good Church
20 Signs You are in a Dying Church
Stop Saying this at Funerals
How to Lead Your Church into Apostasy