ReFresh 2008

Today marked the beginning of our ReFresh conference for 2008.  "What is that?" you might ask.  Basically, it's what our church does for revival.  But it isn't just at night.  We have sessions during the morning through lunchtime and then it resumes again in the evening.  It's really something that I make every attempt NOT to miss each year.  And each year, the devil tries his best to keep me and/or Frank from being there.  It usually shows up in the form of our children.  Never fails.  Every year one or more of the kids get sick right around the time for ReFresh to start.  This morning was no different.  Mallory woke up in the middle of the night (which she never does) and then she woke up at 6:00 this morning...with fever.  I knew something like this would happen.  But my wonderful, lovin, GRACIOUS hubby offered to stay home with her so that I could go to ReFresh this morning.  What a man...

It was awesome yall.  Tom Ellif spoke on one of the barriers that keep us from true revival.  One being that of unforgiveness.  He talked about what it meant to forgive and what it did NOT mean to forgive.  And what forgiveness does for us personally.  If you have never heard Tom Ellif speak before, you should make sure that you come to hear him because he brings it every time.

Some of us have been discussing over the past several weeks our own personal opinions on why we don't have revival, what holds us back.  Unforgiveness is a good one.  Exposure is another.  When you are experiencing true revival, the closer you get to the cross, the more your sin is exposed.  Now, I'm not necessarily talking about painted-on-a-billboard-for-the-world-to-see kind of exposed, but the Lord will reveal more of your sin to you.  The ones you have pushed down.  The ones you have forgotten.  The ones you have hidden, or thought you have, but you can't hide anything from Him.  Fear of man is something else that keeps us from experiencing revival.  We are always so worried and concerned about what others are doing and what they might think of us if we do something or say such-and-such.  We are less concerned with what a Holy God thinks and feels.  What's wrong with that picture?  We can't experience true revival, true worship, true joy, true love because we are so wrapped up in others...watching them, keeping tabs on them, second-guessing them, judging them...instead of staying focused on what the object of what our revival, worship, joy, and love should be about anyway.

The other thing is that we can't have true revival, personal or corporate, because we are not a desperate people.  We just are not desperate for God.  We can't put down our stuff to get revived, refreshed.  Can't put aside our schedules and routines, our football games and business meetings, our cell phones and internets, our need for going, going, going all the time.  We can't put away our desire for the bigger and better, or the need for play and relaxation.  We can't put away SELF.  That's why we can't see God move on our churches, on our city...on our nation.

I need a refreshing.  Do you?  What will you put aside so you can be ReFreshed?