Scripture
Will you not revive us again so that your people may rejoice in you?
~ Psalms 85:6 (CSB)
Quote
The victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings.
~George H. Morrison
This Psalm was most likely written after Israel returned from their Babylonian captivity. Israel had a tendency to turn to folly. The Hebrew word for turn is shuv and it can be translated either turn or return. It is used four times in Psalm 85: verse 1,3,4,8. Verse 1: The LORD returned Israel to their homeland. Verse 3: The LORD turned from His burning anger. Verse 4: “Return to us God of our salvation” and verse 8: Don’t let us turn back to our foolish ways. A big part of REVIVAL is you and I turning from our foolish ways. Like the Israelites, we have the tendency to turn to folly. In a sense, entertainment is folly and so is sports. We Americans are entertaining ourselves to death. I mean that literally. Some folks get hooked on drugs by taking pain pills after a surgery or for some chronic ailment but many get started by using drugs recreationally. Alcohol is a drug. I picked up a hitch hiker just a few days ago. When he got in my car, I could smell beer. I said, “What have you been drinking?” He said unashamedly, “Beer.” Then He said, “But I don’t do drugs, I just drink beer.” I said, “You idiot, beer is a drug.” Just kidding, “I said, “Beer is a drug, it is a depressant, do you want to be depressed?” He said, “No.” I said, “Then stop drinking beer.” Beer and marijuana are gateway drugs that lead to other things. Do you want to destroy your future? If you do, get hooked on drugs. If you are doing drugs, you don’t have a future. Turn from your folly and to Jesus.
They had a great revival in Nineveh but they turned from their folly. They turned from their violence and evil ways to Yahweh. There will be no REVIVAL a part from REPENTANCE. God is not going to turn to us until we turn to HIM. Had we not turned from HIM to our folly, we would not need reviving. But we are flawed and messed up humans and like a watch, we will run down. Sometimes life squeezes us like a piece of citrus fruit and all the juice and vitality gets squeezed out until there is nothing left but the pulp. Regardless to our condition or how we got there, the answer is to turn to Jesus. We can’t turn to HIM and embrace our sin and folly at the same time. June and I were talking about the COVENANT membership thing yesterday and how reluctant people are to make a public commitment. I remember years ago when we had a Sunday School Revival and Daniel Edmanson tried to get us to go to a COVENANT based Sunday School. We ask teachers to commit to 48 Sundays a year. How did that go over? It didn’t. More than one didn’t want to feel obligated to teach their class. They knew their intentions and it was to miss as many weekends as they liked. So understand this: you can turn to HIM or to your folly but not both.
- The Gideon Offering was $572.00. This was the cash offering. I think there are a couple of checks that have to be processed.
- REVIVAL @ DBC November 4-7 with Wade Morris the barefoot prophet.
- Ray Edwards did get moved to Summerford Nursing home; room 242. He loves company so pay him a visit.
- FALL STEW this Wednesday night. I think Swamp Johns will be at the Pumpkin Center Fire Department tonight {10/23/18}.
- TRUNK-A-TREAT: I get to help with two Trunk-A-Treats this year: DBC this Sunday evening and GRACE POINT on the 31st.
- The Walmart Twins are now the Walmart Quads.
