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Roots of Revival - part 1 At sundry times we hear the call for revival. We can’t join in unity with that call unless we know what revival really is. Some interpret a revival to be a sequence of meetings for the purpose of reawakening religious faith and fervor. However, “The Recovery of Breath” is the actual meaning of the word “revival”, when used in the New Testament. From the beginning, starting with Adam, God breathed life into mankind and continued relationship by speaking words of life to him daily. (John 1:1-4 KJV) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (Psalms 33:6 KJV) “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” God is the author of the life that we have been given, as well as the breath that we breathe, so if we desire any increase in the area of life we will have to go to Him for it. But why do we need revival? God has not gone anywhere. (Mal 3:7 KJV) “Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts…” The fact that God is Omnipresent tells us that returning to Him has nothing to do with our geographic location. When God says, “Return unto Me,” what He means is: “show Me that you truly want Me.” There are many ways that we can abandon God’s ordinances, but one of the easiest traps to fall into is not taking His word to heart. Showing that we want God is not just about doing everything perfectly; it is more about breathing His word into our lives, as if it is the oxygen we need to live, and then living it out by the faithfilled expressions of our moving and being. (Heb 10:22-25 KJV) “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Revival is resident where we exhibit assurance in the truth of the word that God has breathed toward us. If God said we should not forsake gathering ourselves together, and we start to doubt or to sell short the meaning of what He is conveying, then we cannot possibly expect to inherit the promises that come with the words He is giving. You see, if we were to demonstrate Heb 10:22-25 with our lives, we might soon find the promise found in (Matt 18:20 KJV) “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Remember, it is those who are following the word of God who will find the times of refreshing that come from the presence of the Lord. And those who find that refreshing will best be able to speak the words of life to others, even if that means praying for them to be revived. -Kurt Thurston March Newsletter 2002 | Good & Evil part 2 of 2 | Pursuing God Pastor's Journal March 2001 | Roots of Revival part 1 | As Real As It Seemed |
Biblical Counseling for Leaders
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