“Your people shall be willing [volunteers] in the day of your power.” This was very evident during the Charismatic Renewal in the obvious willingness of God’s people to volunteer their time, effort and money to the work of Jesus Christ. When the Lord’s power is not evident that willingness is less seen. There’s a saying, “Success has a thousand fathers, but failure is an orphan.” The first part is true when a church revival is at its peak and the second part when it bottoms out.
There is a 20/80 factor in the local church, in that 20% of the people do more work than the 80%. There’s not that much pastors, elders and deacons can do about such slackness. It happened in the time of the prophet Haggai, when instead of working at rebuilding the temple, the people turned to home renovation.
But their money burned holes in their pockets; they could never get as much they needed. But when the inspired Haggai called them to rise and build and they obeyed, God strengthened them spiritually, and they put themselves into it with renewed enthusiasm! We need the same spirit in our churches!
Nevertheless, the day of the Lord’s power is coming, and when it does the Church, which is the temple of the living God and in which His Spirit dwells, shall be built — its detractors and outright enemies notwithstanding!
Those who threaten Christians with murder most foul will not be able to withstand the wisdom and the spirit by which we speak. If you think that you are experiencing God’s grace now — just wait till you experience it in the days ahead!