Revival

(1Co 3:6) – “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” Revival week is upon us, and again I do so appreciate all of you that have prayed and invited people to come out. Sometimes we may develop the attitude that praying and inviting people doesn’t work, but then we forget that it’s God that brings the increase, not us. Praying petitions God by faith to act, much like praying for the rain of heaven to germinate a seed, and inviting people is like a farmer faithfully planting his seed in his field. You might say, “well nobody listens, nobody cares, or comes out when I ask them.” Stop right there, and remind yourself how God worked in your heart before you were saved. People are complicated beings, and at times very busy, and so we need to stay focused on the fact that God is at work behind the scenes. Stop telling yourself that praying and inviting doesn’t work. It does, a seed can’t grow unless it’s planted. So plant and pray for increase. I like you get frustrated with the fact that I don’t always see God at work, and so I have to remind myself by faith that He is at work. 1Co 3:7 - So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. So keep laboring, pray, keep inviting, and by faith believe God when he says that He will bring the increase.

“Issues”

As Christians we have been given ears to hear and eyes to see and understand God’s mysteries, but we have also been given a heart that is capable of bearing much fruit for God. Jesus said that from out of the heart comes the “issues of life.” “Issues” meaning the purposes behind what we do, and the why we go the direction we go. For example, if a Christian’s heart is right, then that Christian’s desire will be to please God and to bear much fruit, but if the heart is not after God, it cannot bear fruit at all. In God’s Word, Jesus tells us that there are 4 different types of hearts that hear the Word and yet handle it differently. 1) Hard Heart. Hears the Word, yet refuses to listen to it. You might say well this person is definitely unsaved. Not true. Christians often harden their hearts after hearing God’s Word, and refuse to change and repent. 2) Stony Heart. This heart has no real root of faith, and as a result lives life more with excuses than in Christ’s Word. This heart argues more for why they can still sin, then for why they should stop. 3) Weedy Heart. Is a heart that is cumbered about with too many things. It is so busy in the world that it forgets about the things of God. It’s so involved in the things of this world that it has no time to bear fruit, yet serve. But, 4) A Good heart. Is a heart that does not question God’s Word, but it just obeys God, serves, and bears fruit. Which one is yours?