We are just going to start typing to see what comes out of my brain or my fingers.  Sadly, this method is used far more than you need to know.  My goal is to write regularly here even if there are days when it takes more effort than others.  Last night's post pretty much wrote itself.  The fingers flew across the keyboard with ease.  Much more energy can be required on other nights to fill in this blank space.  I did check my statistics the other evening.  Most of the readers are here in America but I can still claim some from other countries.  This is a good point to say thank you to whoever stumbles upon this site.  You are appreciated even if you are anonymous.


I am going to miss my new friend Jonah.  This week will probably be our last week to take a look at this odd character.  Scripture always amazes me in how a short story can touch on so many issues in theology and in life.  Jonah is a story that deserves more attention that it usually receives.  Being eaten by a fish is only a minuscule portion of the account.  Here is a man who is already somewhat famous when we open his story.  Success is part of the back story for this prophet.  So how is it that his world gets so upside down?  I think even though Jonah knew God his biggest obstacle is having Him in a box.  It never dawned on him that God may want to save these awful heathens in a foreign land.  The irony is that these sinners respond to God in ways Jonah never does.


God still utilizes this prodigal prophet to bring genuine revival to those pagans.  No doubt that Jonah has other plans but God intends to do a great miracle.  Those sinful people move very quickly from judgement to a wave of God's presence.  We talk much about revival in our churches but see very little of it.  My opinion is we mistake having a guest preacher and singer for having revival.  Our problem is we live in a world without the free time we gave to meetings in the past.  Our being busy contributes to our barren state in contemporary Christian life.  Now we face the challenge of finding that new breath of the Spirit despite our overloaded calendars.  Here is another problem in that we want to hurry revival.  Real expressions of God's presence cannot be something that is without the preparation for the renewal.  


What do you really need to experience revival?  Making your spiritual life dependent on who sings or preaches is a huge danger.  God is the person who makes revival take place on that foreign soil.  Our response is to Him not who leads the service.  Those pagans did not want to be right with Jonah but with God.  God is the one who first wanted those people to know His grace.  That is the key to renewal in our life.  Look first and last to Him since it is His desire to make us whole.  This divine effort will always begin with Him.  If we do not know the divine power of revival do not blame God.  He is already wanting to do another great miracle in us.


Bro. Trey