Petros Baptist Church

In China, being a Christian can become a costly experience. Witness the case of Ms. Li Huage, who was arrested and sentenced to ten days for allegedly “disturbing public order.” for being a Christian. The report continues

She is now detained in Ying An Lu Detention Center, Wancheng district, Nanyang city, Henan province. Her husband, pastor Dong Quanyu was released March 16 after serving a ten day sentence for an “illegal religious gathering.” “Ms. Li was beaten heavily by the PSB officers on March 16 outside the detention center before she met with her released husband,” CAA says in a report obtained by ANS.

It boggles the imagination, doesn’t it, to consider how many American “Christians” would endure such things simply in order to attend Church. Most American Christians would rather sleep in on Sunday than make their way to the House of God. Maybe that’s why Christianity in America is waning and Christianity in China is growing.

The cost of discipleship is high in China. And low in America. And if somethings cheap we all know no one wants it.

Randy Roper will be our evangelist for Revival April 1-4.  Special music is also planned for each service and you are urged to invite your friends, family, and neighbors to attend.

All of this is well enough known now to those who attend with some regularity (since we’ve been announcing it for weeks).  But in order to really prepare for revival you are urged to do the following:

1- Humble yourself.  It takes a bit of humility to say yes to God and no to yourself.  So humble yourself and say no to all of the events, plans, and activities which will crop up and claim your attention during the period of Revival.  Humble yourself and get off the couch or the bench and make your way to worship.  And bring along your kids and your parents.  Humble yourself and stop making excuses as to why you can’t participate.  Humble yourself, and pray for someone other than your own family or for physical illness alone.  Which takes us to the second point of preparation.

2- Pray, and seek God’s presence.  Instead of expecting God to do your will, pray that you might do God’s will.  Seek him instead of expecting him to come trotting after you.  Church members who have to be invited to participate in the life of their own Church are simply incomprehensible.  Not a single person has to be “invited” to work by their boss.  Imagine for just a moment that your boss had to call each of his employees in order to invite them to work and then imagine how ridiculous it is that God has to invite his own children to worship him.  Seek God, if you really want revival.  And

3- Turn from your wicked ways.  If you are shacking up, stop it.  If you are acting immorally, stop it.  If you are promiscuous, stop it.  If you are a thief, stop stealing.  If you are a liar, stop lying.  Stop doing what’s wrong!  Genuine revival doesn’t come into hearts that are corrupt and which have no intention of repenting.

God will send revival when his people, those called by his name, humble themselves, pray, and turn from their wicked ways.  If they do not, revival will not come.

So the real question is, how many people in our community really desire revival to come?  How many are seeking God?  How many are praying?  How many are turning from their wickedness?  How many are willing to?  The answers to those questions will show whether or not we really desire revival.