Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

I recently read a book by Donald Miller called BLUE LIKE JAZZ. He works with students @ Reed College in Oregon, which is one of the most liberal colleges in America. They decided to have a “Confession Booth” during their week of partying. The twist is the Confession came from the Christians confessing how Christians have failed the world. Cool! That would be cool to do next year @ Mardis Gras. Instead of staying away from “evil” places, why don’t we do like Jesus and go there and minister? Just my random thoughts!

Over the last 2 years I have seen more apathy than I care to see. I’ll be honest, it is easy to get caught up in it. It is like a frog put into a kettle of cold water on a stove and then the heat is gradually raised. Eventually the frog is boiled to death. I have begun to wonder if Mobile is French word for “land of church splits.” People jump from one church to another trying to get their needs filled.

I’ve got a novel concept, why don’t we fill God’s needs by loving one another and reaching the city for Christ no matter what church gets the credit. Even “happening” churches in Mobile are having their share of problems. I talked with a leader at one of the “in” churches (flavor of the month) last week and he said they are encountering apathy there.

We need to quit looking for pastors and leaders to get us motivated to reach our community for Christ. It is up to us to have revival in our hearts and have a burden to keep a lost world from going to HELL!

The word “Revival” has lost it’s meaning in our world. Many churches have “revival” meetings they plan for 1 day to 2 weeks long. What they are really having is crusades. True revival starts in the heart. Joel 2:13 talks about rending our hearts, in other words ripping it out. God doesn’t want us to just pay lip service to our relationship with Him, He wants us to give our all to Him. The last 2 major “revivals” in our country were started by students. In the 1970’s The Asbury Revival started @ Asbury U and Seminary in KY. In the 1990’s it started in Brownsville, TX by a college student at Coggin Ave. Baptist and moved to Southwestern Seminary where I was attending. Revival starts with me. My prayer is that I can be totally submitted to Him.

II Chronicles 7:14