Waves

Sometimes I think the kingdom of God advances in waves. God brings renewal and as a result churches become more holy and obedient and begin to reach out to their communities and to the world. And the church does influence the world, but at the same time the world influences the church. Both are changed. While positive things happen in the world, the church becomes lukewarm, until there is no real difference between those within the church and those without. And then God brings another renewal, often from some completely unexpected source, and the process repeats itself. I don't know certainly that this theory is true, but it's worth pondering.

Right now I wonder if - as a whole - the church is in a trough of lukewarmness: secular, materialistic, commercial, undisciplined, self-absorbed, lots of glitz and little substance. If so, I pray that God will revive us once again. In fact, God, revive my heart! I'm many of those things I just condemned.