Admittedly, when most of us preachers have used this

verse, we think in terms of church. If everybody will get their

act together, repent of their sins, and live for God, then

our church will be a whole lot better off. The pews will be

filled. The offerings will be more than adequate. Etc.

But this classic verse on revival says, "...and heal

their land." Not the church.

To heal the land means the people of the land come to

living faith in Jesus Christ, the one true and only God. Wholeness

healing only comes when people accept him who is

the way, the truth, and the life.

So, as I now read it, God is a lot more interested in

healing our land, our community, than he is with pumping up

the church.

The church does not deserve to be pumped up if we

don't pump out love and life to the land. God is interested in

healing Atlanta and all its environs. He wants his church to

get interested in what interests him. To join God's

purposes, churches must come together.

I am not so bold to think that we can tear down walls

of denominational pride walls that have taken centuries

to build. However, I am old and bold enough to think that

we can with God's help.

We churches must begin to see ourselves as one church.

Did we not learn there is only one body, one Spirit, one hope,

one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:4,5)?

Over the years, churches have come to be like

grocery stores. We have Kroger, Cubs, Winn-Dixie, Ingles, et al.

You say you like Kroger because of its produce section.

Someone else says they like Winn-Dixie because of their meat

department. Basically, they both get their lettuce from the same

dirt and their beef from the same cow.

Basically, Christian churches offer the same product:

Jesus Christ. However, I regret to observe that many of us act

like we offer a totally different product.

For instance, Baptists for decades thought Catholics

had substituted the Pope for Christ. We never took the time or

had enough love to find out the real truth.

What's God's perspective? I just bet when he looks at

the South side of Atlanta, he does not see all the little

churches, but he sees his one church.

How do we become in function what God sees as

reality? We must begin to function together. Pastors and

ministers must come together in loving, relational concern for

one another. We pastors must learn to take time for one

another. We must demonstrate to one another that we believe in

the other's integrity before God Almighty.

After all, we all believe and receive the same Lord

Jesus Christ.

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