As our church is making plans for a revival, our music director has asked for those of us who would to sing solos for Sunday morning and the night services. As I was talking with my husband about the two songs I was trying to choose between, When He Reached Down His Hand For Me or O Why Not Tonight, he asked if O Why Not Tonigh wasn't a song of invitation. And of course it is a song of invitation given at the end of the service inviting those who are lost to come to Jesus Christ and be saved. But his question started me to thinking. What better time is there to sing a song of invitation than during revival time. In my younger days I can remember that the main focus for revival time was to bring in as many lost people as you could reach in hopes that they would hear the message of salvation and repent and be saved. And what a joy it was to see all those who would heed his call come forward to accept Jesus Christ as Lord. I shall never forget when I was about twelve years old at a tent revival in my hometown of Colquitt, Georgia I had my first call to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. It was at that tent revival I first heard the song Victory In Jesus and how beautiful it was to my ears. I went forward that night and did as I was told I should do but a conversation I overheard during the week caused me to doubt that I was really saved. But never did the Lord give up on me and I heard his calling many, many times over the years. Aren't we so thankful he loves us in spite of ourselves. I felt a constant calling on my life from that time until about nineteen years ago when I finally realized that without God my life was void of any joy, peace or contentment. When God called out to me that Sunday morning, nothing could hold me back from going forth to the altar and kneeling there I fully repented and received forgiveness of my sins as I asked Jesus to accept me as one of his own. Why am I saying all this? I"m saying this to say. Why not sing a song of invitation at a revival meeting? In doing so you are inviting someone to come forward and be saved from their sins and begin a new life as a new creature in Christ Jesus. The song Victory In Jesus may be considered a song of invitation as it beckons to the lost to come and find salvation and the sick to come and find healing of all manner of sicknesses and diseases and of our rich reward when we step into heaven's gates and see our Lord and Savior who came and died and rose again to make it all possible. In the last few years I've heard it said more than once that revival time is about the need for the revival of the saints of God, the christians. As I think on both of these ideas of what revival time is about, I can't help but wonder what better way for Christians to be revived, or refreshed, what better way for their spirits to be lifted, their hopes renewed and to be encouraged to continue their walk of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ than to see the fruits of their lobors when those who once were lost in sin now are saved. Many prayers had gone up on their behalf, many times they had heard the gospel message of Jesus Christ. many times had they heard sermons preached, and many had been witnessed to one on one but it all seemed in vain. But now at revival time, the invitational song is sung and the invitation given and just when it seemed there is no hope, we see those whom we have wept and prayed for come unashamedly to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Their labors which seemed to have all been in vain now in this time of revival has brought forth fruit. You may ask, But what if it's only one person that accepts Christ when there are so many who are still lost? While we would like to see all saved, we can still in our sorrow over those who are still lost rejoice over those who are now a part of the family of God. In Lule 15:10 we read, Likewisw, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. Imagine that! We are to be just as happy over one lost soul that comes to Christ as we are many! Just think about the time when each of us invited the Lord Jesus to come into our hearts, forgive us of our sins and he so graciously forgave us of our sins and placed his precious Holy Spirit within us to help us serve him, to lead us and guide us in all his truths. And just as the early morning sunlight breaks through the darkness of night and takes away the darkness and brings the dawning of a new day, so it is when we come to know Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives. The darkness of sin that we had been living under is no more, for at the moment we accepted Christ the light of his love shone through that darkness of sin washing it away and bringing us into the light of his love and marvelous grace. As I am writing this so many songs come to mind but the one I keep hearing over and over is, Who am I that a king would bleed and die for, who am I that he would pray not my will thine for, the answer I may never know, why he ever loved me so, that to an old rugged cross he'd go, for who am I. And then another comes to mind that answers it pretty godd. I'm Just A Sinner Saved By Grace, when I stood condemned to death he took my place. And I'm reminded once again that on that day of my salvation, the angels of God in heaven rejoiced over one sinner that repented. Hallelujah!! And each time I am priviledged to see even one lost soul come to Jesus Christ and accept him as Lord and Savior, whether it's during revival time or regular weekday services, my heart is overjoyed, my spirit is lifted, I am revived, refreshed, and encouraged to continue to serve him who gave his all that all might be saved and the angels are given reason to rejoice. And the hearts of those who had for so long prayed for me and awaited the day when I would choose to live in the light of God's love instead of the darkness of sin now may br revived, their spirits lifted and are encouraged to continue to serve the Lord. Their labor no longer seems to have been in vain as they see the change in my life because of the fruits of their labors. From time to time I have heard revival time referred to as a time of refreshing or Bible conference, but to me it will always be revival time. But let's not dwell on titles, but rather getting the gospel message of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world.Though we are faced with many changes in our world today, one thing we can be sure of, God's Word and God's loves will never change nor will it ever fail us. We are living in some mighty troublesome times. Therefore let us be more diligent than ever before in our efforts to reach the lost. Our nation has strayed so far from God. Let's pray like never before that all people will begin to call out to God in repentance. II Chronicles 7:14 says, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal the land. Let us pray as never before that we might not only see a time of revival in our church, in our church members, but that we might see a great revival throughout this land of ours and throughout all the world.
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