Pastor A

Revival: You cast the deciding vote – An old black preacher once told his congregation, “Folks, when something hard to handle hits you, the Lord votes for you, the Devil votes against you, and you cast the deciding vote.” The simple fact is that the Lord desperately desires to send revival; the Devil will do whatever possible to discourage, distract, and defeat revival; and yes, we cast the deciding vote.

That deciding vote often determines the well-being not only of an individual but often an entire church or even a community. It is eloquently expressive of the man or woman who feels his or her direct responsibility for the good of others. We elect our pastor and give him the authority to administer. But we cannot delegate to him our responsibility as a Christian church member. Authority can be committed to others, but not responsibility. The elected must have the backing of the electing. No matter how much the pastor desires to experience revival, it will take the personal, individual church member casting their vote for revival.

The casting of that vote entails careful preparation of the heart, soul, and mind. Prayer is the engine that will take us to that throne that can bend the ear of our Heavenly Father to once again rain down on us His convicting and life-changing power. Lord Josiah Stamp once stated, “It is easy to dodge our responsibility but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.”

What will your vote be this coming Sunday? Will you pray, plead, and pour out your heart before the Lord prior to Sunday? Will you be present for every service? Will you invite, invite, and invite? Yes, you carry much weight; in fact, the deciding vote!