Then they remembered that God was their rock,
And the Most High God their Redeemer.
Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth,
And they lied to Him with their tongue;
For their heart was not steadfast with Him,
Nor were they faithful in His covenant.

  - Psalm 78.35-37

...when they strayed from the right track the Lord did not spare [His] people...What then will He do with this great black blot on our generation? It has heinous and appalling sins in common with the wicked ones of the world; but over and above that, it has as though inborn in it a load of ignorance and folly that cannot be erased or avoided.

  - Gildas, The Ruin of Britain, British, 6th century

Note that “load of ignorance and folly” – scary.

Gildas, writing before the middle of the 6^th century, was disgusted with the state of the Church in his native Britain. At the same time that Patrick had been evangelizing most of Ireland, and a revival of great proportions was ramping up, British churches were filled with people who confessed God as their Rock and Redeemer but then lived like all their pagan neighbors. They were ignorant of Scripture and they lived in folly like the unbelievers of their day. No obvious Kingdom distinctiveness set them apart as the people of God.

Hmmm. This sounds familiar.

This country boasts around 70 million people who confess Jesus as Rock and Redeemer, many of whom, Sunday after Sunday, flatter God with their mouths, but, when they disperse into the surrounding secular culture, lose most of their distinctive traits as Christians.

And what’s worse, they pattern their lives and churches after the getting-and-spending, fun-and-games culture in which they live, and bring its protocols, preferences, and practices into the Body of Christ as though this would honor Him.

Meanwhile we marvel – those of us who pay attention to such matters, that is – at the powerful, reviving work of God’s Spirit in places like China and sub-Saharan Africa. We look up to the Lord and ask, “Why not here, Lord?”

Isn’t it obvious?

Peter wrote that it is time for judgment to begin at the house of God. He did not hesitate to judge His people in the past, or, as in the case of Britain in Gildas’ day, to bypass them while He fostered and spread revival in other parts.

The Church in America is in real need of revival and reform. But we don’t admit that, don’t seek it, and consider that, for the most part, our churches are good enough just as they are.

So let us not be surprised when either judgment comes to waken us from our stupor or we are bypassed – as is presently the case – by outbreaks of revival in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

God will not be mocked, whether we mean to or not.

Psalm 85.4-9 (Lyons: “O Worship the King”)
Restore us, O God, renew us in peace,
And cause all Your wrath against us to cease.
Will You evermore all Your wrath to us show?
Revive us that we may Your joy again know.

Lord, show us Your love; restore us, we pray!
And help us to hear the words that You say.
Speak peace to Your people; in truth let us stand.
We fear You; let glory and grace fill our land.

Revive us, O Lord – revive me!

A challenge for the ministry year
Church ministries begin again in the fall and pursue their aims and activities through to the summer. What will you contribute to your church’s ministry during this ministry year?

Let me challenge you to begin a Revival Prayer Group, a regular gathering of people devoted to seeking the Lord for revival, renewal, and awakening. These groups are cropping up within The Ailbe Community as part of a larger movement to seek the Lord for revival in our day. We’ve prepared a book to explain why and how to begin a Revival Prayer Group, and to provide you with all the guidance and materials you need to keep it going.  My challenge to you is this: Order three copies of Restore Us! by clicking here. Give one to two friends and challenge them to read it with you and to begin praying daily for revival in your own lives. Restore Us! includes 12 prayer guides based on the psalms for you to pray and sing. Then meet to discuss your reading and to form your own Revival Prayer Group. Write to me and let me know how it goes.

Why would you not do this? Given the state of the Church in our country, and the obvious moving of God’s Spirit elsewhere, would we not be remiss to do whatever we can to urge the Lord to show us His love, renew us in His peace, turn away His wrath, and restore us until His glory and grace fills the land once again?

Psalms to Pray for Today and Thursday
Today
Morning: Psalm 119.97-104; Psalm 26
Evening: Psalm 101

Tuesday
Morning: Psalm 119.105-112; Psalm 27
Evening: Psalm 102

T. M. Moore, Principal
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.