RETURN TO ACTION (Part 3)

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DAY 20 - January 24

Today, I want to take a moment to circle back and re-read part of Zechariah chapter 2.  Don’t worry, we aren’t going to do a deep dive into those crazy visions again, but there are a few verses that have stuck with me ever since reading them together last week that I would like to revisit today.  Let’s reread Zechariah 2:1-5 together now.

When I looked again, I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.  “Where are you going?” I asked.  He replied, “I am going to measure Jerusalem, to see how wide and how long it is.”  Then the angel who was with me went to meet a second angel who was coming toward him.  The other angel said, “Hurry, and say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem will someday be so full of people and livestock that there won’t be room enough for everyone!  Many will live outside the city walls.  Then I, myself, will be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the Lord.  And I will be the glory inside the city!”  (NLT)

If you remember, these five verses prophesy the growth that will take place in Jerusalem as the people not only return to the land God promised them but also return to obedience to the Lord, re-establishing the covenant relationship that the generations before them once had.  And it seems to me that there is a very similar returning taking place today.  

In recent studies done by Barna (a private research firm), there can be seen clearly a resurgence in “belief in Jesus, especially among Gen Z and Millennials, driving increased church attendance frequency (nearly doubling since 2020), with young men leading the surge.*”  And a study completed just last year in 2025 showed “a 12-point jump since 2021 in U.S. adults making a personal commitment to Jesus.*”  

Friends, these numbers are a big deal, and they should absolutely be celebrated!  But after giving thanks to the Lord for the sparks of revival taking place all across our nation, we must then pause and ask Him, “What can I do to help?”  After all, in the same way that Ezra studied the scripture, living it AND teaching it to those returning from exile, we need to be doing the same.  Those returning will have questions, and we need to be ready and available to help answer them!  There will be needs to be met, and we must ask the Lord, how can I best serve/meet that need at this time?  I don’t know exactly what “part” the Lord has called you to play in it all, but one thing I do know is this… if we will each remain faithful to walk in obedience to Him, we too will see what Zechariah prophesied in Zechariah 2…

“Heritage church will someday be so full of people that there won’t be

room enough for everyone!”

Not because of what we’ve done.  Not because of any specific ministry or person.  But because of who HE is and what HE has done and is doing in and through the hearts and lives of His people.  

I don’t know about you, but the thought of the church building being so full that there isn’t room for everyone gets my heart and spirit so excited!  But it also burdens my heart for our community and the surrounding area because it reminds me of how many people live just beyond our doorsteps that are living life without the hope, peace, and joy that we have in Jesus.  

Friends, we have work to do!  Who’s ready to see God do what only He can do in you and through you?  I know I am!  So, what can we do?

1. PRAY

“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT)

Yesterday, a key focus in returning to action was praying for the international ministries and missionaries we support monthly as a church. Today, we are going to focus our prayer on ministries and missionaries that we support as a church, both nationally and locally.  

Jadon Allen (Child Evangelism Fellowship)

Robert Jernigan (Emergency Support/Relief)

David McNaughton (Church Plant)

Michael Randolph (Rodeo Ministry)

Matthew & Fariba Salar-Arefi (IMM)

Jackson Sandeffer (Youth Alive)

Nathan Timmerman (Chaplain)

Timothy Ware (Church Development)

Dallas Dream Center

Dallas Life Challenge

Pleasant Hills Children’s Home

Nelson University

Prison Ministry Fellowship (Allred Prison)

MSU Chi Alpha (MSU, Wichita Falls)

Faith Mission (Wichita Falls)

KMOC (Wichita Falls)

The Center / Pregnancy Help Center (Wichita Falls)

Sober Living (Wichita Falls)

Good New Club (Wichita Falls)

Rising Sons Boys Ranch (Wichita Falls)

WF Food Bank (Wichita Falls)

Feed the Need (a ministry of Heritage Church)

Orphan Care (a ministry of Heritage Church)

I hope you keep both the lists from yesterday and today in a place where you can see them regularly and that you will continue to pray for them regularly.

2. GIVE

It is a common misconception that, as non-profits, churches receive government funding as a source of income.  But let me just put that rumor to rest: as a non-profit, we do not receive any government funding.  So, where does the money that keeps the church doors open, the church lights on, and the a/c working in the peak heat of Texas summers come from?  Believe it or not - you!  By way of your tithes (10% of your income) and offerings (what you give above and beyond to ministries & missionaries).  And just as the Lord has instructed each of us to steward well all He has given us, the same command stands for the church.  That means that each time you give of the Lord’s tithe and your offerings, church leadership is diligent to steward well the financial blessing the Lord has provided, making sure to allocate funds to the accounts in which the giver intended their gift to go.  The base of these financial gifts, commonly called your tithe (or 10% of your income, as directed by the Lord in Leviticus 27, Deuteronomy 14, Malachi 3, & Matthew 23), goes into a general operating fund.  This is what keeps the church functioning from day to day: keeping the heat running in the winter months, keeping the lights on year-round, funding all ongoing ministries, and paying the church staff, just to name a few.  

If you notice, that list did not include “financial support ministries or missionaries,” and that is because missions giving falls into a different giving category - offerings (this is what you give beyond your 10%).  Now, this is a very brief and simplified overview, but the gist of it all is this - when the Lord blesses us, we are given the opportunity to, in turn, bless others.  And one way we can bless others, both locally and globally, is by giving our tithes and offerings regularly, as the Lord commanded.  

Now, I know that sounds somewhat like a commercial, but it is not intended to!  The heart and intent is to teach you the principles of giving as laid out in scripture.  If you still have questions or concerns regarding giving, reach out to a staff Pastor or even one of our amazing board members.  Any of us would be happy to talk with you further and help answer any questions and/or concerns you may have as you continue to live your life in obedience to Him!

3. GO.  

Praying and giving are great, but we cut God short in our lives when we aren’t intentional to also GO - making Him known to those around us on a daily basis.  And I’m not just talking about your co-worker bestie!  I’m talking about the lonely and forgotten in our community.  Those who have been overlooked by most.  Those whom Jesus talked about in Matthew 25:31-46.  Let’s take a moment to read those verses together.

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit upon His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in His presence, and He will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at His right hand and the goats at His left.

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty, and you gave Me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited Me into your home. I was naked, and you gave Me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for Me. I was in prison, and you visited Me.’

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see You hungry and feed You? Or thirsty and give You something to drink? Or a stranger and show You hospitality? Or naked and give You clothing? When did we ever see You sick or in prison and visit You?’

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!’

“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed Me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give Me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite Me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give Me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit Me.’

“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help You?’

“And He will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help Me.’

“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

Friends, we live in a world full of the lost, dying, and broken.  The hopeless and the helpless.  And we hold the key in setting them free - JESUS!  But the only way we can share that key with others is if we GO!  And not in our own power, wisdom, or strength but in His and His alone.  

So today, will you make a commitment with me to pray, to give, and to go - being obedient to the Lord’s leading, helping make a way for ALL to come into a relationship with Him?  If so, pause here and make that commitment in a covenant prayer to the Lord.  And after you do that, simply get into action!  Each day, renew your commitment to the Lord and intentionally follow His leading.  And then get ready!  Because, as we embark on this Jesus journey together, we are going to see what was prophesied over Jerusalem all of those years ago become a reality right here in Wichita Falls!

“For we are God’s masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)