‘And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

For we were bondmen, yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem’.

Ezra 9:9, 10 KJV

I don’t often use King James Version in my writing but today I feel nostalgic and I miss the poetry.

After all, I cut my teeth as a youngster growing up on this version and it very effectively shaped me in my formative years.

Please don’t be offended by my comments regarding my lack of use of this particular version because I recognize it's valued to the generations before me and, no doubt after me, but I also enjoy the literacy of the New American Standard. I try to use both in my ministry.

The opening passage in Ezra recounts the efforts of the returning Babylonian exiles to restore the Temple in Jerusalem, and to reignite proper worship therein.

It strikes a chord with me because of current events in the professing church that are both alarming and disheartening to me because of the legacy I perceive is being lost in this generation.

The apostle Paul encouraged the church at Ephesus, ‘I therefore, as a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope that belongs to your call – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all’.  Ephesians 4:1-6 ^ESV

This is written to a church later described as having ‘lost their first love’ (Revelation 2).

Ephesus had all the ‘mechanics of religion’ right but had lost their passion and love for the truth as it is in Christ that would lead them to true godliness. (Ephesians 4:21; Titus 1:1)

1.

Now, back to Ezra.

Ezra lamented the fact that the pagan world’s values and affections had invaded the people of God, even to the priesthood.

‘Now when these things had been completed, the princes approached me,saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites. 

For they have taken some of their daughters as wives^1.for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness.

When I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my robe and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled’.  Ezra 9:1-3 ^NASB

We are seeing reports of a revival in the church and hearing a lot about ‘hunger’ for revival but I wonder if we truly understand what genuine revival will bring to us.

The word translated ‘reviving’^2. in Ezra 9:9  means, among other things, ‘preservation of life, the quick, recover selves’, in other words, Ezra was asking God to bring His people back to their ‘spiritual senses’ to rebuild the house of the Lord.

You’ll remember that the Tabernacle in the wilderness had to be built according to God’s specific instructions, without deviation, and it was only after those requirements had been met that the Spirit of the Lord came to rest upon it.^3.

I am sometimes embarrassed and grieved by the methods men use to bring a distorted understanding of ‘revival’ to the visible, professing church.

Revival is not in emotional displays, though we do respond emotionally for sure, but when we think that our emotional displays are ‘revival’ we are out of balance with what the scripture defines as ‘coming to our senses’.

Genuine revival results in godly character, obedience to biblical truth, common sense morality, and a passion for the Word of God and it’s spiritual implications in our lives and experience.

The truth is not relative to whim, trends, or pop culture.

Christian morality is not parading around onstage in your underwear ‘praising God’^4., and if you are truly born of God you will know better than such foolishness. It’s not in  promoting proponents of perversion or immorality^5. claiming ‘they are the net’ to draw people in.

I believe ‘this’ is ‘strange fire’ that will result in God’s judgment.

The only ‘Net’ we need is the Good News of Jesus christ and His power to save.

Today, if we speak up against evil, particularly in the church, we are labeled ‘judgmental’, a ‘bigot or racist’, or a ‘hater’.

But, if we don’t speak up, and the trends continue, what is the end result?

2.

I would encourage my brothers and sisters that we don’t need artificial means, sensational 

effects to experience the ‘Presence’ of God; we need repentance, brokenness, submission, and 

obedience.

When the news of the compromise and disobedience reached Ezra's ear he cried out to God along with ‘everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles’.  

He repented for the sins and guilt of God’s ‘holy’ people.

In his prayer, he recognized that God had shown grace in allowing a ‘remnant’ to escape captivity and who understood in their obedience and faith that God had provided a ‘peg’ or ‘nail’ for them in ‘His Holy Place’ meaning that God had a designated place for those who returned to Him in devotion and love.

Interestingly, in the three ‘returns’ from captivity not all of those who were captives returned.

Some made the choice to stay in the land of their bondage while still identified with the people of God.

I am no great preacher, and I can't claim a huge following nor do I pastor a mega church.

I am the pastor of a small rural church in Northern Nevada but I take seriously my responsibilities to teach my congregation with integrity and sober-mindedness.

I earnestly desire my ‘peg’ in God’s Holy Place and call upon Him to ‘lighten my eyes’ so that I might see the way before me and act in harmony with His Truth and display godly character as evidence of the Holy Spirit’s revival in me.

My heart is filled with joy when I see God’s people walking in His Truth and encountering His Presence. The joy that is the result far outshines a momentary emotional experience.

That joy follows me through my day and sings me to sleep at night, it puts a song of praise on my lips with the morning sun and renews me in this knowledge that ‘He will never leave me or forsake me’^6.

In the midst of circus, theater, and the artificial God has a ‘remnant’ who ‘tremble’ at His Word, who are appalled at the folly of compromise, immorality, and worldly standards embraced by some who claim to know Christ.

God has a remnant who are not led astray by the theater, the visual and sound effects, a people who can look beyond these things.

God has a people ‘in Christ’^7. who walk by His Word.

God’s people remember that He is ‘holy’ that He ‘rides upon the clouds’, and is ‘a devouring fire’.

When the remnant is revived in the realization of God, His character, His holiness, and His power, we will in truth ‘build the house of the Lord’.

3.

If I appear to be overly critical of current methods used in the church to draw crowds I make no apology for it. Neither am I arrogant about it. I am a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am imperfect and have known sin and failure.

But, I have also known mercy and grace, biblical grace, instructing me to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age , looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. (*cf. Ezra 9:8 ‘peg’).

These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you. 

Titus 2:11-15 ^NASB

By some standards in the church of today, this instruction would label Paul a ‘legalist’.

Like Ezra, will you join me in asking God to forgive us for compromise, sin, and neglect of righteousness?

Will you join me in asking for a return of His genuine Presence reflected in the godly character of His people as they turn to Him in humble submission and praise?

I am hungry for God.

I love you

• ^{2 Corinthians 6:14-18}
• ^{Strongs #4241}
• ^{Exodus 40}
• ^{Hillsong Conference}
• ^{Hillsong Conference with Austin Powers}
• ^{Hebrews 13:5}
• ^{Ephesians 1}

4.