Revival & Reformation Part 2-Are you THIRSTY for revival?

Last week we focused on what it means to be revived. Now we can explore our readiness for revival. Is the church of God ready for revival? Are we just throwing around the word casually? What are the conditions necessary for a revival?

Taking an earnest look at the state of affairs in Christendom reveals that many churches are not ready for revival. The members do not seek it with all their hearts. They are too preoccupied with the cares of this world: the socials, the parties, work and family affairs. There is precious little time devoted to prayer, fasting and asking God for revival. We are currently in a spiritual drought, yet we do not realize it. The deer pants for streams of water in the dry places, but God’s children do not thirst for the living water only He is able to supply.  (Ps 42:1)

The theme of our Church is Revival & Reformation. We have started the 777 Initiative. How many of us have taken this seriously? It’s one thing to outwardly proclaim that we desire revival and reformation; it’s quite another to demonstrate that we REALLY are thirsty for it. How many of us have taken the quarterly times designated by our Conference for fasting and prayer seriously? I was dismayed to read a recent article by a member of our worldwide church, which revealed that this condition of spiritual lethargy is a worldwide phenomenon. She wrote that in her church, most of the church members had forgotten that they should be heeding the call to fast, pray, and earnestly ask the Lord for the latter rain.  Instead, the church held a luncheon on the designated days and became a place of temptation and a snare to those who had remembered and wished to seek God with all their hearts.

What has happened to us? We seem to have grown cold and lost our first love. We no longer possess the zeal of the early church to embrace revival and submit to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible predicted that in the last days, this would happen.  The question is, are we going to let ourselves continue to drift in this condition or are we going to seek the Lord and beg of His mercy so that He may lift us out of the spiritual quagmire that we have fallen into? This phenomenon is not seen in countries where persecution is at its zenith; perhaps we who enjoy religious liberty have taken this precious gift for granted. The Lord does not approve of our “lukewarm”, comfortable, self-focused Christianity. It is time to go on our knees and seek the Lord with all our hearts.

“On the other hand, there are some who, instead of wisely improving present opportunities, are idly waiting for some special season of spiritual refreshing by which their ability to enlighten others will be greatly increased. They neglect present duties and privileges, and allow their light to burn dim, while they look forward to a time when, without any effort on their part, they will be made the recipients of special blessing, by which they will be transformed and fitted for service.”—The Acts of the Apostles, 54. {ChS 43.4} 

References: Christ’s Object Lessons 303-304; Rev 3:14-20; Ps 42; The Acts of the Apostles 54

A "Parable" on Law and Grace

The Apostle Paul wrote eloquently in the book of Romans on the theme of Law and Grace, and I think we are all enjoying studying this topic immensely. However, many still find it difficult to understand despite their best efforts and intentions.

I have often found that analogies, hypothetical examples and practical experience are the best ways to understand abstract concepts. Our Lord often spoke in parables, using the simple everyday things of this Earth to illustrate certain aspects or Kingdom principles. And so, here goes my attempt at trying to make this a bit easier to understand. (Rom 6-7, Jude 1:4, Heb 12:4)

The Law of God is like a trapeze artist who has the task of walking a tightrope, a difficult if not impossible task for most of us! Just like the Law is difficult to keep in our own strength, so it is with the trapeze artist who has not put in hours of dedicated practice – raw talent can only take you so far; the rest is dependent on the amount of effort you put in. In the same manner, keeping the Law without the aid of the Holy Spirit working within the recesses of our heart, is an impossible feat for the best of men. We often fall!

Just as the trapeze artist cannot afford to look to the right or the left, so we are encouraged to “meditate on His Law day and night,” for then we will have good success. We cannot afford to cruise through life unintentionally, without thinking of doing our best to keep God’s Royal Law in the strength of His Spirit and with the “mind of Christ.” (1 Cor 2:16, Jos 1:8)

How does grace fit in with the Law? Well, the trapeze artist feels a lot safer while swinging across the heights or walking the tightrope because she knows that if she falls, there is a net beneath that is strong enough to catch her. Secure in this knowledge, she is able to test the limits of her endurance. She hopes she will never need to use the safety net, but she is thankful that it is there when she does fall. In fact, the safety net gives her the mental stability and comfort she needs to soar higher and more gracefully than ever! So it is with us. The “safety net” of God’s Grace is not meant to be spurned or taken lightly. We should not spend most of our time there, but rather we should live in greater consecration and sanctification because we have experienced what it is like to fall and be caught by God’s Grace. Sin should never abound because Grace abounds! We should never give up the battle against sin because we have misinterpreted Grace to be a “comfort zone.”

God’s grace is meant to lead to greater obedience to His Law, because we love Him and desire to please Him. Love springs to obedience, which then springs to greater love! We can do nothing in and of ourselves; it’s faith in the righteousness of Christ that saves us, but on the same token this does not give us license to be indifferent and complacent regarding asking God for victory over our weaknesses and sins and living out our lives as a testimony of His Grace which enables us to soar!

You have not yet “resisted unto blood.” Christ did that for you; don’t take that lightly!

Scripture refs: Romans ch6-ch7, Jude 1:4, Heb 12:4, 1 Cor 2:16