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Revival We Need Psa 85:4-7 “Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. (5) Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? (6) Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? (7) Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.” The greatest obstacle of any theologian is when, what and where is revival. All generations have tried to define it. All have desired it. But not all have experienced it. There are basic thoughts about revival that don’t differ among denominations. One that is conclusive is “An absolute awareness of God’s holiness.” It can be taught and preached about, but until you are personally aware of it, you won’t have it operating in you. Revival cannot be determined by outside influences of fruit because fruit changes within us – it increases and decreases based on our walk. But one thing that is certain about revival: it comes because of God’s great MERCIES. That is what will break out when God is ready. He will see our cry for mercy like we have never cried before. Everything that has made us proud and arrogant will come down. We will turn because of our mistakes and sins that have kept us away from His Presence. As saints of God we are being forced to walk closer with the Lord and with each other. There is a pressure that will become a blessing because we are seeking God’s face like never before because we need His mercies and His healings. The enemy is given permission to sift us like wheat which breaks off the husk so the chaff can be separated from the kernel. This shifting represents our carnal shell being separated from that which is holy and eternal. The enemy so hates this process he rages with fury. Revelation 12:12 tells us in the last days the devil will come down to you having great wrath because his time is short. The enemy is raging at the church where holiness and obedience and righteousness is being taught and trained. We must stop this diabolical flood of the enemy by raising up the standard of the Lord which is His Word and by the Spirit until we can say with Jesus, “The prince of this world is coming and he has nothing in me.” (Jn.14:30) ALL OF THIS WILL BE MADE POSSIBLE ONLY BECAUSE OF GOD’S ENDLESS MERCY! He is completely faithful, because we don’t deserve revival. It is MERCY! Three things we must do during this time: 1. We must get through the awakening. We have to have an awakening of where we have been. It is not easy to recognize you are alive until you go to a funeral. Rom 13:11-12 “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 believed. (12) The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” 2. After an awakening comes an awareness. I am awakened to see where I have been and I become aware of where I now am. Luke 11:44 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over [them] are not aware [of them].” God is giving us discernment so we can recognize things that we did not know we were in. While we learn to discern, we recognize what is of God and what is flesh and what is the devil. 2 Cor 4:7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” There is a hunger that gnaws at you until you cry out for more of God. Then in His Mercy He responds. 3. After awareness comes abandonment. We are giving more than we ever thought possible to find God today. He will not disappoint us. Will we go where He wants us to go and do what He wants us to do? Will we forsake all others and cleave only to our husband? That is what abandonment is about. Repentance is more than just change; it is following after the one who forgives and changes us so that His will is done continually. One of my favorite verses in all of scripture comes from Psa 85:10 “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed [each other].” You have been offered Truth (Jesus) for years. You have been offered righteousness for years. It is time for mercy and peace that we might walk in the rest of the Lord. The whole reason the Lord comes to us is to have a consciousness of His Mighty Presence over our lives. The cross with the blood will sustain you and revive you with the life that you have prayed about time and time again. He will not disappoint. -Pr. Steve April Newsletter 2005 | Revival We Need | Revering the Truth | Pastor's Journal April 2004 Growing Up Is Hard to Do part 2 of 3 | The Suddenlies of God part 1 of 3 |
Biblical Counseling for Leaders
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