Although I don't listen to the Crabb family very much, I did hear a song by Jason Crabb (written by his father who is a wonderful songwriter!) that expresses how I feel at times. God is good; God is faithful; God has never disappointed me once, but sometimes I hurt and get overwhelmed...and I cry. I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Revival God's Way
Revival God’s Way
Our revival services came to a conclusion this past Wednesday night. Dennis Deese from Piney Flats, Tennessee was our guest evangelist. Bro. Dennis preached with power and passion. In each of our services, decisions were made as the Spirit of God moved in the hearts of those attending. It was a great week. My prayer is that what began this week will continue into the days, weeks, months, and years ahead.
If we ever lived in a time when the church needs revival, it is now. I personally don’t know of any Christian who would disagree with that statement. However, recognizing a problem or need and doing something about it are not the same. In a day when our families are falling apart, when immoral behavior is at an all time high, when substance abuse is destroying lives, and when just about every ungodly behavior is not only accepted but actually endorsed by multitudes of people, what are we as the church doing to bring about a move of God? Read again God’s words in 2 Chron. 7:14...
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Are we doing anything that even closely resembles God’s instructions? We are pretty good at cursing the dark, but are we doing anything to share the light that we have?
I am inclined to believe what Leonard Ravenhill said many years as to why we do not have revival. He said that the church does not have revival because she is content to live without it. We do all the necessary things to “plan” a revival, but it does not come. Experiencing revival is not jumping through a set of hoops or following some formula that we have been told will ensure a great move of God that will result in a lot of movement. Revival, true revival, will only come God’s way. The Bible teaches that God desires brokenness and contrition.
“For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “ I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isaiah 57:15).
Brokenness and humility will always precede revival. Pride will only prevent it. This is why I believe it is so difficult for revival to come – because not many are willing to get broken over their sins. Pride will not allow it. But when we do get humble and turn from our selfish and wicked ways God has promised to move among His people. Someone once wrote that if revival truly broke out among God’s people there would be...
"...increased and renewed participation in worship, an outpouring of love among God’s people, a heightened awareness of holiness with confession, repentance and restitution, an eagerness for Christian service, anointed preaching of and an individual interest in the holy word of God, a growing boldness in prayer, a remarkable ease in witnessing to and evangelism of the non-church community, all out involvement in spiritual warfare, an unusual sense of well-being or wholeness."
I long for those things to happen. But more than any of those, I desire that God would come down and dwell among His people. That we would desire Him alone and not just what He does for us. That we would experience the Blesser and not just the blessings! I am convinced that revival can come and that it will come if we are willing to have revival God’s way.
I praise God for the decisions made this week; I really believe He was in those decisions. I want what began this week to continue. Revival can still sweep through this community and any other community if His people are willing to pay the price and stop being content with the status quo.
By the way, you can check out Bro. Dennis’ ministry by going to his website, www.dennisdeese.com. You will find a lot of helpful ministry resources on this site.
Our revival services came to a conclusion this past Wednesday night. Dennis Deese from Piney Flats, Tennessee was our guest evangelist. Bro. Dennis preached with power and passion. In each of our services, decisions were made as the Spirit of God moved in the hearts of those attending. It was a great week. My prayer is that what began this week will continue into the days, weeks, months, and years ahead.
If we ever lived in a time when the church needs revival, it is now. I personally don’t know of any Christian who would disagree with that statement. However, recognizing a problem or need and doing something about it are not the same. In a day when our families are falling apart, when immoral behavior is at an all time high, when substance abuse is destroying lives, and when just about every ungodly behavior is not only accepted but actually endorsed by multitudes of people, what are we as the church doing to bring about a move of God? Read again God’s words in 2 Chron. 7:14...
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Are we doing anything that even closely resembles God’s instructions? We are pretty good at cursing the dark, but are we doing anything to share the light that we have?
I am inclined to believe what Leonard Ravenhill said many years as to why we do not have revival. He said that the church does not have revival because she is content to live without it. We do all the necessary things to “plan” a revival, but it does not come. Experiencing revival is not jumping through a set of hoops or following some formula that we have been told will ensure a great move of God that will result in a lot of movement. Revival, true revival, will only come God’s way. The Bible teaches that God desires brokenness and contrition.
“For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “ I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isaiah 57:15).
Brokenness and humility will always precede revival. Pride will only prevent it. This is why I believe it is so difficult for revival to come – because not many are willing to get broken over their sins. Pride will not allow it. But when we do get humble and turn from our selfish and wicked ways God has promised to move among His people. Someone once wrote that if revival truly broke out among God’s people there would be...
"...increased and renewed participation in worship, an outpouring of love among God’s people, a heightened awareness of holiness with confession, repentance and restitution, an eagerness for Christian service, anointed preaching of and an individual interest in the holy word of God, a growing boldness in prayer, a remarkable ease in witnessing to and evangelism of the non-church community, all out involvement in spiritual warfare, an unusual sense of well-being or wholeness."
I long for those things to happen. But more than any of those, I desire that God would come down and dwell among His people. That we would desire Him alone and not just what He does for us. That we would experience the Blesser and not just the blessings! I am convinced that revival can come and that it will come if we are willing to have revival God’s way.
I praise God for the decisions made this week; I really believe He was in those decisions. I want what began this week to continue. Revival can still sweep through this community and any other community if His people are willing to pay the price and stop being content with the status quo.
By the way, you can check out Bro. Dennis’ ministry by going to his website, www.dennisdeese.com. You will find a lot of helpful ministry resources on this site.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)