Worship Conference
For the past few weeks, a theme has recurred in my prayer life: that there is rejoicing in heaven when people repent on the earth.
The elections were taking place when I posted last week’s blog; votes were counted by Wednesday. I can report that I was gratified at some things that happened in the election and troubled by a few others. But scripture doesn’t say God rejoices when a Democrat or a Republican wins the election; He rejoices when a sinner repents.
I didn’t see anyone repenting as the campaigning was going on – I saw a lot of debating and arguing – and I’m afraid there were many who supported the candidates and measures I voted for, but they did so with such a mean spirit that it made me cringe.
Jesus said they will know we are His disciples not by our voting record, but by our love. Some of us have impeccable voting records, but little love. Whose disciples are we? What have we learned from Jesus?
I will be praying for three things in the next few years: (1) that God will raise up men and women of godly character to serve in both political parties in our country; (2) that God will move more of His people into the media and that He will give them a voice; and (3) that there will be revival on a grass-roots level.
Unless hearts turn, there will be nothing for heaven to rejoice about.
I believe there was rejoicing in heaven as we met at the worship conference in Santa Maria, CA. My friends Betty Machado and Joseph Councilman put it on; Pastor Roger Wheeler opened his church to host the gathering.
Worship was good and the manifest presence of God was strong in meeting after meeting. But in one of the meetings, Kathleen Carnali was leading us in a spontaneous song in which we began putting off the works of the flesh – putting them on the altar and calling for God’s fire to consume them – and asking God for the grace of new and godly character. The altar was lined with people, breaking before God.
A cynic might look on and wonder: how long-lasting will this repentance be? Did lives really change?
Nobody can answer this question; only time will tell. But the scripture doesn’t say that when sinners repent, angels put them on probation for forty days to see if their repentance will stand the test of time. There is rejoicing in heaven whenever we repent – sinners turning to Jesus for the first time, or Christians turning to Him for fresh cleansing later.
At the pastors’ gathering, we picked up the theme. It is possible to allow God to circumcise our hearts and, by grace, to make a commitment to God and not waver. It is possible to trust Christ and become a new creation, with old things passed away and all things made new.
We can pray for revival, but do we believe the gospel? Do we believe that if Jesus comes in, life will be different? Do we believe He frees us from sin, or do we expect to wallow in it as long as we live?
Jesus said, “Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.”
I rejoice that I saw repentance in an atmosphere of the Holy Spirit at the worship conference. I’m sure there was rejoicing in heaven. And I’m sure that in at least some of us, change will prove to be lasting.
I hope we will all pray for revival as we prayed for the election that just took place. No candidate, Republican or Democrat, has the power to transform our nation as deeply and as permanently as the Holy Spirit can if He brings repentance and revival.