PORTLAND CENTRAL CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE
  • Home
  • Programs
    • Prayer
    • Discipleship >
      • Groups
    • Engagement
    • Service
  • Church Online
  • Give
  • Messages
    • Recent Messages
    • Weekly Devotions Blog
  • About Us
    • Locations
    • Vision, Mission, Values & Beliefs
    • Meet The Team
    • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Ministries
    • Children's Ministry >
      • Awana
    • Youth Ministry
    • Agape Village
    • Reach PDX
    • Missions

Quick Read Devotionals

Revival

11/21/2021

0 Comments

 
All the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate.  They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given for Israel to obey.
Nehemiah 8:1
 
Revival brings to mind a traumatic change of events – a transformation. When someone is revived they are brought back from death. They begin to breath again, their heart starts to be, they open their eyes, and they can go on living. These are amazing things to see and hear about. You’ve seen them, the pictures of transformation – the before and after of remodel projects. The old house that looks brand new, the old car that now looks shiny. Many of us what that for our own lives – life, newness, meaning, and identity. 

We want it. We dream about it. We long for it. We talk with others about it. You know – one day when. So, what keeps us from experiencing it? What keeps us from that revival and transformation? Why aren’t more people walking in new life having discovered their God given identity and purpose?

Let’s consider Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem for just a second. Consider their before picture – dysfunctional, no wall, not even enough houses for people, oppression, selfishness, living in trouble and shame. Yet, now, they are one city, one people, gathered for one purpose. God did a miracle in them!

God did do an amazing work among the people in just under 2 months. It is an entirely new city and a new people. But, we need to recognize God wasn’t the only one that did some work – so did the people. They go to this point of revival because they were willing to put in the work. They built a wall, had difficult conversations, looked out for each other, and kept their eyes on God. Getting to this point wasn’t easy.

Transformation isn’t easy for anyone – not even the home remodeler or decorator. Someone has to do the work. I think many of us are not living the life God has for us and are missing out on some amazing transformations because we are refusing to do the work. We have to put ourselves in position for transformation. God wasn’t going to build this wall for them. They had to do that themselves. There is a work we need to do before we can experience this revival. The thing is, we probably already know what it is. It’s just a matter of whether or not we want to do it? Do the work and watch God do the rest.
​
Pastor Matt
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Pastor Matt Huff leads Portland Central Nazarene Church. He loves being in ministry and seeing lives transformed by the power of Christ.  

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    October 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020

    Categories

    All
    Daniel
    Discernment
    Easter
    Faith Building
    God Is King
    Gospel Story
    Grit
    Hope
    Jesus
    Jonah
    Joshua
    Joy
    Nehemiah
    Outreach
    Prayer
    Romans
    VBS 2021

    RSS Feed

9715 SE Powell Blvd.
Portland, OR 97266
Directions
Phone: 503-760-6272

Service Time: Sunday, 10:00 am
  • Home
  • Programs
    • Prayer
    • Discipleship >
      • Groups
    • Engagement
    • Service
  • Church Online
  • Give
  • Messages
    • Recent Messages
    • Weekly Devotions Blog
  • About Us
    • Locations
    • Vision, Mission, Values & Beliefs
    • Meet The Team
    • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Ministries
    • Children's Ministry >
      • Awana
    • Youth Ministry
    • Agape Village
    • Reach PDX
    • Missions