I hope everyone who has stayed with me through this teaching on revival has gleaned hope and knowledge from it.
HOW CAN WE HAVE REVIVAL?
Only God can send revival. He alone is the Source: “Wilt Thou…revive us again” (Psalm 85:6)? No man, no organization, can “schedule” or plan spiritual revival. It is not something men do; it is what God will do if we are repentant and imbibe of His Word and remain constant in prayer.
Remember, God’s Spirit, which gives revival, is renewed in us daily, but conditionally! What are those conditions?
We must face up to spiritual realities. “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5)?
We need to see ourselves as we are—as God sees us; we must be honest. We must be repentant. “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:5).
We need to acknowledge God for Who He is and stop playing church. “How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of men!” (Psalm 31:19).
We must see sin for what it is—confess it, repent of it, and forsake it. FOREVER! “Go, and sin no more” (John 8:11).
We must cultivate an earnest desire to be revived. If we believe strongly enough in a cause, how can we not get involved? Read the entire fifty-first Psalm for a beautiful example of David’s attitude.
Often we don’t want revival badly enough to make any difference or change in our lives. Change is what Christianity is all about. We must change from what we are—our “old man,” or nature—to become more and more like Jesus Christ is in every way. Godly character is knowing right from wrong and choosing to go God’s way no matter what—even if it seems uncomfortable or awkward or brings persecution. Isaiah 55:6-7 encourages us to “Seek ye the LORD while He may be found.” This implies that a time is coming when God may not be easily found. No one knows how much time he or she may have left. God wants to send revival upon those who genuinely seek it.
We need:
Personal revival: that means individuals getting right with God.
Home revival: that means families getting back to the place they need to be.
Church revival: that means to be doing the work Christ ordained (Mathew 28:19-20).
Revival—a returning to God—is not turned on and off like a water fountain, but if we meet God’s conditions He will bestow it upon us. He wants us to be renewed!
There are people—millions, no, billions, of them—who need to be taught what you know! Yet do we—God’s called-out ones—sometimes grow complacent and self-satisfied? How can we revive others to God’s Truth when we, ourselves, need reviving? Can we expect God to add members to a sick, lukewarm, non-functional body? “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we [first] believed” (Romans 13:11). We are reminded in Mathew 25:5 that all ten of the virgins in the parable slumbered and slept, but fortunately, some woke up in time.
Is it not without cause that Christ asks in Luke 18:8, “Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith upon the earth?” Will He find spiritual revival?
Let us all hear and heed God’s regular “call to revival” by attending church services each and every week (Hebrews 10:25), as well as His annual holy days (Leviticus 23). These are God’s divinely appointed special holy days that He commands us to attend so we might be spiritually revived. When He comes again will Christ find us so doing (Matthew 24: 46 Blessed is that slave whom his Lord finds so doing when he comes.)?
Let us cry out with all our hearts and beseech God Almighty, “Will You not Yourself revive us again,
That Your people may rejoice in You?
7 Show us Your lovingkindness, O Lord,
And grant us Your salvation.” (Psalm 85:6-7)!
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My prayer for you:
Heavenly Father,
We come to you today asking for your grace and mercy, forgive us, Lord of our sins and, draw us closer to you.
Lord, I ask and claim your healing powers for my Brother Bruce ( Isiah 53:5) by your stripes he is healed, who is, as we publish this message laying in the hospital fighting for the life you gave him. He’s one of your frontline soldiers Lord and he needs your touch.
We pray for all with sickness to turn to you THE great physician and be healed in the name of Jesus.
We pray for a great revival to blanket our land and bring peace to our troubled hearts.
We lift our president up to you, he’s a good man and doesn’t deserve the hate he receives from his opposition. Give him strength and wisdom to weather the storm.
Thank you, Lord, for loving us we give you all the praise and glory…
We ask these things in the precious name of Jesus!
Amen