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Pastor Arthur T. Roxby, III. better known as "PA" or "Pastor Art"
392 Dunkard Hollow Road Alum Bank, PA 15521 (814) 839-4012 e-mail: revart@hughes.net
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Get To Know Pastor Art
| Education: | Doctoral Student at Asbury Theological Seminary, All but dissertation!! |
| Masters of Divinity Degree from Nazarene Theological Seminary in 1995 | |
| Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Trevecca Nazarene College (now University) in 1987 | |
| Graduated from North Star High School in Boswell, Pennsylvania in 1983 | |
| Hobbies: | I love to hunt, especially bear and deer, fish and play softball. I am also a passionate NASCAR fan. (Go Mark Martin!) Don't forget that I LOVE history, especially the American West. |
| Favorite Books: | Steel Wave by Jeff Schaara, The Interventionist by Lyle Schaller, and I still love The Barbarian Way, Unleash the Barbarian Within... |
| Favorite Sport: | Anything that goes fast...plus I enjoy coaching soccer... |
| Family: | Allyson and I have been married for 20 years, we have three children, Caitlin 17, Kyle 16 and Abbey 11. |
| Favorite Scripture: | I love the book of Exodus. Because life is a journey. |
| Most Recent Hunting Success: | Last year's doe with my Great Grandfather's deer rifle (Remington 722, chambered in 244 Remington) |
| Dream Car: | Either a 1969 Ford Torino or a 1967 F-100 |
Why Revival Tarries…
(or doesn’t)
When God moves in the life and fabric of the church during revival, it is a powerful and meaningful experience. Many doubt the validity of the experience as mere emotionalism. Yet those who experience God for themselves know the power that comes over them when the Holy Spirit moves convicting, cleansing, release, peace and joy that surrender to the will of God brings. The true nature of revival is exactly this, God’s people praying for his will and his kingdom to become a reality in their midst and then obeying God and following his leading. We celebrate God’s moving in our midst renewing commitments, healing years old hurts and damage and bringing Beth and Jacob into God’s family.
It would seem though that every time there is a movement of God’s spirit, there is a time of emotional highs, excitement and buzz about revival, and then things seem to return to “normal.” The question that this raises is “Why doesn’t a spirit of renewal stay?”
The answer is found in the same events and conditions that frees God to renew and revitalize his church.
The emotional high that accompanies revival cannot be sustained indefinitely. In the same way that and individual is subject to emotional highs and lows, so too the church cannot be perpetually “high”. This does not mean that renewal and revival cannot be maintained. God wants to pour out his continued blessings on his people and his church. God wants to see his spirit moving among his people. God’s will is that his power, love, grace, healing touch, and peace would reside in his church and flow outward to the world. So, how does the church continue to abide in God’s presence in this way?
The answer is through prayer and obedience. The need to be revived comes about because over time people often become inattentive to the word of God. We become lax in listening to his voice. Rather than seeking God’s face, growing deeper and more passionate in our relationship with him, and obeying God joyfully and freely, we relax, we drift, and we loose the passion for God that enables him to move in the midst of the church. We exchange the kingdom priority for worldly priorities and our spiritual fire diminishes and cools.
My invitation to each of you is to kindle the fires of spiritual passion within you and within our church. Pray unceasingly for God’s will in your life and in the lives of our church family. Pray for a spirit of continued obedience to come over you and our fellowship. Give your whole self to the work of the kingdom. Live out the great commandment in new ways. Love God and others passionately and recklessly. Continue to allow God to heal damaged relationships. Freely give forgiveness. Pray without end for God’s Spirit to move. Obey God quickly when he speaks.
Individuals committed to a passionate experience of God live in a continued state of renewal and revival. Churches that are committed to prayer, to obedience, and to sharing God’s love with the world cultivate an atmosphere in which the Holy Spirit regularly moves. Those churches continue to see the miracles that God wishes to heap upon his people and the generation that we are called to lead to experience God.
God will continue to renew us if we want him to. God will continue to revive his people if they will commit to pay the price for his presence in their midst.
Seeking his face and presence,
PA
