 |
Posted By: retiredrev
Revival has always been the heartbeat of the local church. She has sought for a repentant church family, for souls to be converted to Jesus Christ, and for communities to be cleaned up by virtue of a revived people.
If most local churches have lost any thing of value, it seems to be this heartbeat for revival. The most revered of all revival scriptures is quoted often. It is found in second Chronicles 7:14.There God spoke to Solomon these profound words: "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."
This is the clearest guide to revival recorded in God's Word. Preachers preach on the text, people believe the text, and Satan fears the text. But simply preaching it and believing it is only half the victory. Real victory comes when the guidebook is followed.
Josiah was the boy king who led in a national revival among the Jewish people. That revival produced outward change but did not change the heart of the people. The sin malignancy remained. For the physically inflicted, doctors do all they can when particular cancers are discovered. Sometimes they consider the disease in remission. But in a matter of days or years, in most cases, the problem reoccurs. The cancer seems defeated only to emerge in another part of the body at a later date.
So it was under Josiah's revival. The nation of Israel discovered that the malignancy of sin had reemerged and the heart of the nation's people was characterized as an unrepentant and unchanged population. That's when God sent His prophet Zephaniah to the nation to warn them of the coming of the Lord.
Zephaniah ministered as a result of the reform under Josiah. He hammered home the message of hope beyond judgement which was coming. He called for a change in the heart, not just in one's mouth.
In the 2nd chapter of his book, Zephaniah, he gathered the people together. He cried out, "Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD'S anger".
I've read and heard a zillion blueprints (well it seems to be that many) by so called trained and intelligent individuals concerning their answers to our nation's problems. And not one of them has hinted at the idea of a spiritual revival. And you might respond, "that is a subject you can't talk about publically any longer. We are a diverse nation and we can't hurt anyone's feelings.
But spiritual revival is preciously what our nation needs in this darkening hour. We've all been told by national leaders that we are in a hole so deep its doubtful we will ever be able to get out. I certainly don't think, for instance, I'll ever see our nation debt free. We'll just print more paper money and keep on propping up our economy with debt until the nations holding our loans demands for them to be repaid.
Although revival speaks to the believer, the spiritually revived has an enormous influence on communities in which people live. Renewed peace and cleansed hearts permeates throughout everything a community undertakes.
Thus, as we move along in this New Year, and then beyond inauguration day, let our prayers be heard in Heaven. Let's pray for a cleansing in the hearts of repenting individuals. We don't need protracted meetings just because they are the norm. We need a revival which shall cause individuals to look beyond the outward person and into the heart. You see, until the heart is cleansed, outward reform will never last for long.
God's formula for revival, given to Solomon back in 2 Chronicles, remains the guide to real revival in 2009. It is His people, humbling themselves before Him, praying and seeking His face while turning from their wicked ways. That is what prompts Him to hear, forgive, and restore. May this be our prayer.
permalink
Posted: 01/04/2009 08:25pm - Total Views: 125 - Category: Devotionals
View: Backlinks
Similar Blog Entries: Spiritual Discomfort - Is This The Beginning of Revival?,
Faith Is The First Thing That Brings Spiritual Power Into Our Lives,
Needed a Place to Talk,
revival,
Spiritual Growth,
|
|
ChristianBlog.Com is a ministry of 4CM Network.
Posted by:
