Revival in Torrance
Ephraim boasts, “I am very rich; I have become wealthy. With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin.” 9 “I have been the Lord your God ever since you came out of Egypt; I will make you live in tents again, as in the days of your appointed festivals.
Hosea 12:8-9
God is addressing Israel’s rebellion, unfaithfulness, and deceitfulness. He highlights and compares Israel’s unfaithfulness to Judah’s (while not perfect) still walks with God. Both Israel and Judah will face the consequences of their ways. They will reap what they are sowing. With the account of Jacob, God reminds His people of the history of blessings He has provided for them, helping them overcome difficult circumstances in the past. He calls upon them to return to the Lord, to maintain love and justice, and to wait on God. The Israelites were in prosperity that is why they forgot about who the Lord for they did not sense an issue with their society. God warns them of the coming judgment that will strip them away from their prosperity.
I grew up in church all my life here in the South Bay and have been in several churches in Torrance, Los Angeles, and Gardena. When I think about the current state of the church here in the South Bay, I am saddened and I pray for revival once more. I am reminded of what was written to the church at Ephesus in Revelations 2. God rebukes the church and states that they have “forsaken the love they had at first.” Unfortunately this is where I believe if we do not repent and have revival, the churches here in the South Bay will be heading towards.
As I read through the warning to Israelites and Judah here in Hosea, I am reminded of some warning lights we should be aware when it comes to the South Bay:
Alliance with the World. Too many churches and Christians are influenced by the world rather than influencing the world. We must forgo the alliance with the world and that is not of God. This includes every aspect of our lives. I am not advocating for a legalistic rules and regulation in church but we should be seen as distinctively different from the world. This includes what we do, what we say, what we hear, what we wear, what we think, what we see, etc.
Reliance on Wealth and Status. Why is this important? This should not be something we should be relying on. We should have a balanced view of education, finances, and reputation but it should never be an idol. I know way too many families that have been estranged from one another because they put too much focus on where one went to school, how much they make, what their status is in the business world, etc. We’re all the same in the world’s sight!
Integrity no longer a Priority. We are deceitful more than ever in our society today. The world seeks to manipulate one another to get what they want. We don’t seek accountability like we used to. We don’t want accountability. When someone is trying to help us in our spiritual life to remain accountable, we get sensitive and defensive about it - asking for our privacy. I understand there is a time and place of discernment but deceitfulness and lack of accountability is the reason the people of God faced judgment because no one was keeping them in check. We find multiple times in Scripture to confess our sins to one another and to pray for one another.
Comfortable with the Status Quo. Torrance and the South Bay is a comfortable area to live. The weather is great, the area is nice, the schools are reputable, etc. We don’t sense the urgency to seek God in such a comfortable society. Yet here lies the problem, we are too comfortable that we tend to forget God and His blessings. The call to serve or to pray for one another is neglected. While we are blessed, we must remain disciplined in being humble and seeking God even when we may feel comfortable.
I am praying every week for a revival in the South Bay. Not for churches to grow numerically in attendance but for the people in the churches to grow spiritually. To develop a heart of humility, the sense of urgency, to desire to serve, mind to come together, heart to seek God. Let us continue to let go of the influence of this world in our churches and influence the world with the gospel. Let us rely on the Lord rather than wealth and reputation. Let us keep integrity a priority and remain accountable to one another, be more vulnerable and share our sins to pray for one another. Let us be disciplined in the comfortable area we live in to continuously be humble and seek God above all else.
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly. 3 The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. 4 The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 15:1-4
I get confronted about something almost every single week and one of the greatest advice I ever received from one of my mentors is “to always have a tender spirit and develop thick skin.” The pastor told me that is what will determine the longevity of my ministry. I cannot remain a pastor forever if I can’t develop a tender spirit and a thick skin at the same time. This reminded me of the first verse where it says “a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Sometimes when you are confronted or you are offended, you must respond with gentleness. This might mean to forgo your initial negative thoughts you experience when confronted and simply say, “I’m sorry.” This is what the Bible reminds us will lead into wisdom. If you respond in a negative way, the Bible makes it clear that it will only stir up anger. Therefore when in delicate situations, simply calm down and answer gently.
It says that a “soothing tongue is a tree of life.” Learn to soothe people with how you respond to one confronting or offending you. Those that are foolish will respond negatively with mocking towards correction, those that are discerning and wise will be have understanding. Another advice I received when I was in the ministry was how to deal with criticism. The pastor said to “treat criticism like bubble gum, chew on it a little bit then spit it out.” This is what we must do when we face criticism.
It says a “hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.” We as believers must control our tempers and have a calm spirit. As I mentioned before, “have a tender-spirit but thick-skin.” Learn to take the criticism and offense with a humble heart and it will bring complete peace in the sight of God. By the way, it also reminds us that God sees and hears everything, thus He will take care of judgment. Let go and let God.
