REVIVAL IN THE CHURCH
Message for pastors, elders, church & ministry leaders:
On a recent retreat, I was mulling over Joshua chapter three. It began to come alive……Joshua 3v3-9: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, (i.e. God’s presence) and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, (i.e. church leadership set apart for serving His people), you are to move out from your positions and follow it. (Leaders lead). 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. God is doing something new in this time of Coronavirus. (Services and interactions may never be fully the same again. Leaders need to receive God’s strategies from heaven).
But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it." 5 Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you." (Consecration from the world, and being set apart for God and His purposes in these days). 6 Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people." (Leaders must respond to the challenge, seeking God for His way, not hiding their heads in the sand, hoping all will go away).
So they took it up and went ahead of them. 7 And the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you
in the eyes of all Israel, so that they may know that I am with you as I was
with Moses. 8 Tell the
priests who carry the ark of the covenant: 'When you reach the edge of the
Jordan's waters, go and stand in the river.' (How about that? Stand in the river! What an invitation to
seek God for the river of His life, the river of His Spirit to flow afresh in
you! Who knows what God will do with one who chooses to seek Him?) " 9 Joshua
said to the Israelites, "Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God. (We all have the
opportunity and invitation to spend time in His presence and in His word, being
led of His Spirit, and receiving fresh revelation….for such a time as this.)
Joshua 3:14 &17: So when the people broke
camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went
ahead of them. 17 The priests who
carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in
the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had
completed the crossing on dry ground. We are all ‘a royal
priesthood’ [1 Peter 2v9] and are all – especially leadership - required to
‘stand firm’ in the faith. Leaders' obedience prepared the way. 1 Corinthians 15v58 and Ephesians 6v14 are two of
the several verses on this theme of standing firm…worth looking into. Having
read this, pray for your church leadership, for ministries leadership,
for Cyprus denominations’ leadership including the Orthodox Church and the
Catholic Church in Cyprus.