I have recently been involved in various settings where the topic of the state of the Western Church has been the main discussion.  The conversation has gone down a variety of directions, but the dead end is that the Church is in horrible condition and desperately sick.  One fellow said he had lost all confidence that the Church in the West could even be resurrected; it is so mortally unrecognizable from its New Testament origins.
<P>Well, that is a little extreme for me, because I have been praying for revival, or should I say spiritual awakening, in the Church for many years, and I know for a fact that I am only one of thousands who make this a regular part of their prayer life.  Though I am a realist and see the sickness of the Church as well as the next observer, I do have hope.  I must have hope.  You see, hope is founded in relationship, while faith is founded on the Word of God.  We have both to challenge us onward and give us internal drive to press on in the work to which God has called us. </P>
<P>My hope for revival is because I know King Jesus is more deeply grieved by the disobedience in the Church than I can ever possibly be.  He sees how the Church gives scant attention to the Great Commission, when it is His most important commandment, His final commandment to the Church.  I know His heart, and He hasn&#8217;t changed.  He still loves the lost more than we can ever understand.  With small percentages of manpower and money dedicated to getting the Gospel to the two billion who have never even heard once of Jesus&#8217; love, I still have hope for great revival.  Here in the states, the Church spends $1.5 million per baptised conversion, yet in many Muslim countries there are over two million precious souls who do not know of Jesus as Saviour, for every one missionary working among them.  Something has to change&#8212;but I keep on hoping and praying.</P>
<P>In order for this revival that I hope and pray for to happen, I think I know what must change.  I was reminded of it over breakfast with some buddies.  This same topic came up, the Church&#8217;s disobedience to complete the Great Commission, and there the answer to the problem was right on my plate.  I was eating  eggs and bacon.  For the hen to produce those eggs, it took a commitment.  It didn&#8217;t cost much, whatever she could afford.  But . . . the bacon.  That pig made more than a contribution.  He made a surrender.  His life was ended.  </P>
<P>Am I calling for us to die for Jesus?  Well, I guess we certainly have to accept that as our possible destiny.   After all, isn&#8217;t that what crosses are for?  Dying?  When we came to Jesus, weren&#8217;t we saying that we wanted a cross? Didn&#8217;t we say that we were denying the right to our self?  What that means is that our life is no longer our own.  Our time is not our own.  Our money is not ours to spend however we desire.  Our career is not ours to choose.  It means that &#8220;I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.&#8221;  We know what His desires are for this world&#8212;for the unreached.  Does your life look like you are dead and He is living in you?  For the world to be reached for Jesus, for the Church to be revived, the Great Commission to be completed in our lifetime, we&#8217;ll have to quit making commitments and start picking up our crosses and going to the lost with God&#8217;s love which was revealed perfectly in Jesus Christ.  Will it be commitment or surrender?  You&#8217;ll have to decide and obey.
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