This was Lake Travis in Austin, Texas two years ago. It was at its lowest level since 1942 and we were facing the worst drought in Central Texas history. The lake is full when it reaches the level of 681 feet. Christians gathered in May, 2014 to pray for rain when the lake level was at 625 feet. A group of pastors even went before the Austin City Council to call the city to prayer, asking for revival that would come from God when repentance came to our city. We declared that we were going to ask God for rain and for Lake Travis to be completely filled for the first time in many years. I don’t remember getting any “amens” from the council, but we didn’t go expecting that anyway.

Lake Travis has a surface area of 18,000 acres, requiring approximately 326,000 gallons of water to raise one acre one foot. Do the math and you will see that we were asking God for a lot of rain! But within days of our prayer gathering, the rains began. And today, 56 feet of water later, it’s a different view at Lake Travis!

Paul reminds us that we are to “pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.” (Philippians 4:6 NLT)

On Thursday evening at 7 p.m., March 31, less than two years after our first gathering, Christians across the city will gather at Hyde Park Baptist Church to “thank Him for all He has done.”

And the revival? We’ve not seen it yet, but we’ve seen God at work in some unusual ways throughout the city and we will keep asking and looking forward to an incredible gathering to come as we will thank Him for all He has done – when revival comes!

Pastor Rod

Altogether Together.

A description of the early church in Acts 2:44 has, for a long time, intrigued me. In describing the church, Luke says, “All who believed were together and had all things in common.” The words which catch my attention are these; “were together.” The term “together”, in this case, refers to direction or location. In other words, these believers were moving in the same direction and camped in the same location. Location here is not geographical. These believers were planting their lives on the same area of commitment. I’ve sometimes translated this idea by stating that these believers “were altogether together.” What a great concept and testimony to the unbelieving world, not to mention a powerful position for accomplishing God’s command for taking the gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. Just like our churches today, this first church was made up of people from different backgrounds, social standing, educational levels and economic resources. There were any number of issues that could have divided them, but they had experienced the miraculous work of God in their lives and wanted others to know Jesus and His forgiveness as well. So, they laid aside the issues and preferences that could divide and focused on what was of greatest value – the gospel message. They were altogether together in their direction. They were “all in” for the gospel. And the result? The gospel spread like wildfire through Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and beyond. Even when faced with threats and persecution, they prayed for greater boldness to live and speak the word of God.

I read a short article recently by Pastor Jimmy Pritchard who is serving as the President of our Southern Baptist of Texas Convention. Jimmy had served on the committee for our International Mission Board charged with finding the man God would bring to lead our world mission agency. At his first progress report to the board of trustees, he remarked that he was somewhat surprised that the Holy Spirit seemed to be saying different things to different members of their group. After the laughter subsided, he reported that when the committee decided that they must pray and ask God for unity, they began to come together in a focused pursuit. When all was said and done, they found unanimous agreement in God’s direction. But it only happened when they were “altogether together” in pursuit of God’s plan instead of their own individual plans.

God’s charge to the church has not changed. The gospel message is our direction and our place of encampment. It doesn’t matter what we have on our church calendars or how we think things should be done, if we are not altogether together regarding the fact that God has placed us where we are in order to share the gospel in our neighborhood and around the world, we will be failures. Unless we do all that we do with that goal in mind, all of our words and activities are nothing more than exercises in religion. I want to be part of those who refuse to spend their lives in religious activity. I want to be all in for the gospel. That will mean I lay aside those things that could divide and unite with others in taking the life-changing message of Christ to our community and beyond. I’m thankful to share in that fellowship with you.

Austin, Texas is known for a lot things. It’s the Capital of Texas; “Live Music Capital of the World”; “The Third Coast”; and the “Second Silicon Valley.” It’s a great city, and because of that, it is the fastest growing city in the U.S. with more than 100 people a day arriving to make Austin home. It’s known for the lake system created by the Colorado River that flows through the city. Texas and U.S. history runs deep in Austin. But we’re making a new mark in history now. We’re suffering from historic drought conditions – the worst in more than 50 years. And the fact that we’re adding a hundred new people a day doesn’t help the water supply. Lake Travis, fed by the Colorado, is 50 feet below its standard level of 681 feet. In some lake areas, levels are so low that old towns and settlements are now uncovered which had been under water for many years. The state and local governments have put measures in place for rationing and preserving our dwindling water supply.

But even though the plans are needed, plans to ration and preserve will not solve our problem. For all the good things about Austin, we are a city in need of more than rain that will replenish our rivers and lakes. We are a city in need of a downpour of God’s Spirit, bringing revival to the church and the refreshing work of God to a spiritually dry city.

Is lack of rain an indication of God’s judgment? If it’s not God’s judgment, it’s at best His desire to once again get our attention and our hearts. We’ve read, heard, quoted and prayed the words of 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” But we may be guilty of reading the verse in isolation. Verse 13 sets the context for our humbling, praying, seeking and turning. For verse 13 says, “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people.”

God has shut up the heavens in central Texas. But IF we, His people, will humble ourselves, and pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways, THEN He will hear and forgive our sin and heal our land.

God, we need rain. But more than the rain, we need the healing it represents.

There is a small community next to the neighborhood where I grew up that, to this day, is still known as “Who’d-a Thought-It.” The story was that someone was traveling the road from the city one day and discovered that a home had been built in this new, somewhat isolated area, and exclaimed, “Well, who’d-a thought it!” I assume that the story is true as the name has been used by people for many years and it’s the only explanation I’ve ever heard.

All of us have those “who’d-a thought it” moments in life. I had one recently when I received a note from a happy bride of one year. She wrote to say, once again, how much she enjoyed the whole wedding experience, how wonderful the first year of marriage had been, and how much the words I spoke in the wedding had meant to her and her husband. Then she told me of a recent discovery. Though the words had been directed toward them, there was another couple attending the wedding that was having a difficult time. Some major health issues and struggles were taking their toll on them and even affecting their relationship. But the words of scripture and encouragement I shared with the bride and groom, though not even meant for this couple, were heard by them as needed words of hope. They latched on to those and left with a new resolve to trust God and renewed hope for their lives and home. And a year later they were able to tell this young bride that God had used her wedding and words spoken to her to renew their love and commitment. Well who’d-a thought it.

You never know who is listening and what God will do with your words. Or, for that matter, what the enemy will do if you are not wise with your words. Paul wrote, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt…” (Colossians 4:6) And David said, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)

Be careful what you say and how you say it. Our words have impact on people – even when we don’t know that they are listening. Who’d-a thought it?