Can We Build It? Yes, We Can!

God is so good!! He has blessed me in so many ways and one of those blessings is being a grandma! I'm lovin' it!! As you know, one of our grandchildren lives with us. Xander is almost a year old and into everything, literally!! I never thought that I would be watching children’s programming and singing kiddie songs all day long! One of Xander’s favorites is “Bob the Builder, and the theme song has become a favorite around our home! “Can we build it? Can we fix it? Yes, we can,” the song says!

Today, I want to share with you some thoughts on how we can build a church that will be pleasing and glorify the Lord!

Have you ever wondered to yourself, What has happened to the church? Where is the excitement? Why aren't people truly committed anymore? Where is the ole’ time fire that ignited great men like Billy Sunday, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, Dwight Moody? Why don't we see a great out-pouring of the Holy Spirit? Why is there not revivals where people fill the churches to capacity and many are saved?

The fact is, God hasn't changed; The Holy Spirit hasn't changed; Jesus hasn't changed; We have changed!

Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever

I have thought a lot about these very questions and I feel a sense of urgency to speak to you from my heart today and share what the Lord has laid upon me.

We live in a time when the church is quickly fading away as we see the Second Coming aproaching. We have made less time for God and more time for "us." Everyone you talk to is extremely busy and loaded with an abundance of stress. Satan has put so many things in front of us to take our eyes off the Lord and put them on things that won't matter in comparison to eternity. T.V., sports, video games, and the Internet has become the “gods” of this generation. We are committed to everything but to the One who matters the most! We have allowed the enemy (Satan) a foothold into our homes and we are losing our children and this generation to him. We can't blame the church for our children being lost or straying away, we have to look within oursleves. From the beginning of time, we as parents have had a powerful influence on our children. I see this all the more with Xander in our home. He watches and immitates things we do. Oh my friend, it is so important that we live a life pleasing to the Lord every single day because they are watching our lives!


How would we feel if Jesus would have given as much commitment to us as we have given to Him? Jesus gave 100% for us so why should we think He will be satisfied with anything less from us? What if Jesus came to stay with you today? What would you do differently? Immediately, I can think of things I would need to change in my own personal life. For example, more time in prayer and definitely more time in His Word, and more time sharing with my family and friends the salvation message. Here is a precious hymn that came to mind as I was putting this letter together. It speaks truth to us even today:

"I Gave My Life For Thee"

I gave My life for thee
My precious blood I shed,
That thou might'st ransomed be,
And quickened from the dead;
I gave, I gave My life for thee,
What hast thou given for Me?
I gave, I gave My life for thee,
What hast thou given for Me?

Frances R. Havergal, 1836–1879, authored this song and here is how she came to write it:
A vivid painting of Christ, wearing His crown of thorns as He stands before Pilate and the mob, was displayed in the art museum of Dusseldorf, Germany. Under the painting by Sternberg were the words, “This have I done for thee; what hast thou done for Me?” When Frances Havergal viewed the painting during a visit to Germany, she was deeply moved. As she gazed at it in tears, she scribbled down the lines of this hymn text on a scrap of paper. After returning to her home in England, she felt the poetry was so poor that she tossed the lines into a stove. The scorched scrap of paper amazingly floated out of the flames and landed on the floor, where it was found by Frances’ father, Rev. William Havergal, an Anglican minister, a noted poet, and a church musician. He encouraged her to preserve the poem by composing the first melody for it. The tune was composed for this text by the noted American gospel songwriter, Philip P. Bliss, and was first published in 1873.
As I write this letter to you, my heart is so burdened. Do we want to see change? Do we want to see revival in our lives and in our churches? In Acts, Paul said "many were added to the church daily.” (Acts 2:47) The church was growing like crazy. The gospel spread with excitement and people came out to hear and were gloriously saved! The same Holy Spirit that filled the early church and great men and women in times past, is still with us today. If we will begin to seek the Lord and put Him first in all we do,we will build a church and a life that will be pleasing to the Lord.

Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you"

Here are four steps that we must consider in order to build a great chruch:

1) Love the Lord with ALL our heart, soul and might! (Deuteronomy 6:5) This is the first and foremost thing we must do. We can’t build a church if we don't love the Lord with our whole heart. We must surrender completely to Him! Make God #1 in your life. Make Him Lord over all and make a commitment to be faithful to Him first in everything!

2) Pray, Pray, Pray!! Great revivals began with ordinary men with a burden for the lost and the church. Some prayed for hours everyday and with such fervency. How much time have you spent today talking to the Lord? I know for me, not enough! This letter is for me more than anyone!
Do you want to see revival? Do you want to see the church grow and great things happen? Do you want to see your chidlren and family saved? If so, then we must begin to pray and seek God for these things and never retreat, never give up!

II Timothy 1:12 "for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that
He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.
Ephesians 3:20 "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all
that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us"

3) Fall in Love with God's Word! My dad has been preaching a series of messages on Psalms 119 and they have been absolutely amazing!! We need to fall in love with God's Word. It's our instruction manual that's necessary in order to build the kind of church and life that will be pleasing to the Lord. It contains the answers to all of life's problems and brings comfort in time of need. It lifts you up when you are down and encourages you to press on! It is filled with some of the most amazing stories ever! I have never read a book like it before! It's a living, breathing Book.

Psalms 119:97,103 "O how love I Thy law! it is my meditation all the day. How sweet are Thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

4) Have a burden for the lost! Our commission is to get the gospel out to a lost world! They are all around us; in our neighborhoods, at our workplace, friends, and even in our own homes! The fields are ripe and ready for harvest! What are we waiting for?

Luke 10:2 "Therefore said He unto them, The harvest truly is great, but
the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would
send forth labourers into His harvest.

This verse sums up everything!

II chronicles 7:14 "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 their land.

If we take these points individually and as a body of believers, God will be honored, and we will see amazing things happen in our own life and in our churches! The lost will be saved, and the church will begin to make a huge impact in our communities around us! Now is the time!

Matthew 16:18, Jesus says,“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Jesus is the Foundation and the Builder and we are the workers that work together as one, to get the job done!!

My dad has said many times from the pulpit, “If you light a fire, people will come out and watch it burn!” So, today I ask you, Can we build a church by loving God with all our hearts and making Him first? Yes we can!

Can we build a church by praying continually for the church and for the needs of those around us?? Yes, we can!

Can we build a church by falling in love with His Word and doing what we have been instructed to do? (Word In, Word Out!!) Oh Yes we can!

Can we build a church by reaching out into the community and showing the lost that we care about where they will spend eternity? Yes, we can!

Philippians 4:13 “I can do ALL things through Christ which strengtheneth me”Let’s get busy and build something great for the Lord.

Let’s be found faithful when He returns! He is coming soon!!

“Encouraged in Heart. . . United in Love”Jenny
II Timothy 1:12