May 16, 2018 - may 16, 2018. One of the ways that we will know revival has come is when our lives, our churches, and our communities begin to look like ...
Look like heaven!
Rev. 5:9- And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals;
For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood, Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”
By: Ben Hays, Reach Houston Strategist, SBTC
may 16, 2018
One of the ways that we will know revival has come is when our lives, our churches, and our communities begin to look like Heaven. Remember that Jesus taught us to pray- “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When we begin to see what God will do fully and finally in Heaven begin to happen here and now on earth, in some measure, we can start to feel the revival winds blowing. One of the ways that we can “look like heaven” is to pursue a multi-ethnic vision of the family of God. John reminds us in Revelation that heaven will be a city populated by worshippers of every tribe and every nation. If Heaven will be multiethnic, why are the churches here on earth so mono-ethnic? Perhaps it’s an indicator that we still need revival?! Martin Luther King Jr. once said “the 11 o’clock hour on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America.” Those words were very true in the 1960s, and sadly, they are still true today. Today, because we live in Houston, there is an even greater calling to pursue a multi-ethnic expression of the Church. Houston, the most ethnically diverse city in America, ought to naturally be filled with multi-ethnic churches; if not, something is wrong. If Jesus said love your neighbor, and you live anywhere in the greater Houston metro area, chances are, some of your neighbors look different than you! As we reach our neighbors with the Gospel and invite them into Christian community, our churches should begin to look a lot more like Heaven.
Prayer Lord Jesus, we praise you that you have redeemed us out of every kindred, tribe, and tongue. May you send us out into our city with the power of the Holy Spirit to see your family grow to include all nations who have made their dwelling in Houston. Please reveal to us, and forgive us of any prejudice, injustice, or discrimination that our hearts may harbor. Send revival to our churches in such a way that they begin to look like Heaven.
