Revival and reformation P4-Positioning yourself for Revival

In the last few weeks, we have learned about the steps to take to start a true revival in your heart. To recap, they are as follows:

1.        The Church is ALWAYS to be in a state of revival.

2.        Be thirsty for revival. Revival will only come to hearts that are open to the Spirit of God.  Confess your sins so that your prayers are heard. Then, ask God for His Holy Spirit to revive your walk with Him. Fast and pray earnestly.

3.        Be ready to move! Revival comes to those who are ready to work for God for that is the purpose of revival. God doesn’t give you His Spirit and power to selfishly sit within the walls of your local church and do nothing. He told the Apostles to wait for His Spirit, for without Him they would not be able to boldly witness and proclaim the Gospel like they did. (Acts 1:1-8, Matt 28:18-20, John 15:5)

You have confessed your sins and prayed. You are ready to do God’s Will and work for Him. What next? It is important to position yourself for revival. You have asked God in faith. Now, you must position yourself in faith, ready to receive what you have asked for. As mentioned in last week’s message, God will never withhold revival from those who ask Him for He does not withhold any good thing from His children that they ask according to His Will. If you are ready to receive and work for Him, He is ready to pour out revival like you’ve never experienced before! So, believe it and get ready and excited to receive it! (Ps 84:11, Lk 11:9-13)

Many people’s expectations of revival are different to what revival actually is and that’s why when God is pouring out revival upon the hearts of His people, they fail to recognize it and position themselves to receive it. Revival is not always accompanied by loud bangs, speaking in tongues or a mighty rushing wind. Mostly it’s just a change of heart, an attraction to God’s ways and His precepts, a revitalizing of the earnest desire to serve Him, obey Him and love Him. Revival is God calling you back home when you have strayed far from the path He has chosen you to walk. It’s as simple as that! Revival is experiencing what it means to be a true Christian, revitalizing that first love for God you had at your conversion when you wanted to climb the highest mountain you could find and let the whole world know that you had found God, or rather that He had found you a long time ago!

When the rain comes in a desert place, people position containers to capture it. If they’re positioned in the wrong place, no water is captured. God is waiting to pour out His latter rain. Get ready. Position yourself strategically to receive it. The concept of revival is so simple. Jesus said that to enter into His Kingdom, you must be like a little child. Why do we complicate things so much? The steps I share, I have followed myself and it has led to a reformation in my life. Revival is the tree that produces the fruit of reformation. Without revival, there can be no reformation. Next week, we will focus on what it means to be reformed. (Mk 10:15, Ps 1:1-3)

Scriptures on the purpose of revival: To proclaim God's message to the world, to be a witness

"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."- Acts 1: 4-8

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."- Matt 28:18-20

Scriptures refs are within the text of the message. Please read them.

The Finished Work of the Cross

Just before his death on the cross, Jesus uttered three significant words. These are recorded for us in John’s gospel (Jn 19:30) as: “It is finished.” The work of redemption had been completed, and the penalty had been paid. Salvation was freely available from that moment to anyone who would believe in the righteous Son of God.

However, the process was not an easy one. Jesus did not HAVE to leave the glories of Heaven to come to earth to be rejected and reviled by humankind, who He sought only to save. He could have left us to perish in paying the due penalty for our sins, through eternal death. However, He had made up His mind voluntarily that He would save us. He had the power to lay down His life and to take it up again; He chose of His accord to assert this power for our benefit (Jn 10:17-18).

 He could have decided to leave the work of atonement undone at any point in time prior to His crucifixion. At his arrest, He could have summoned ten thousand angels to rescue Him (Matt 26:63). However, our Saviour decided to go all the way for us. Even when His physical strength was all but exhausted, He hung on because He knew that it meant the difference between life and death for us.

In the same manner, we are called to be soldiers of the cross. Our mission is to spread the gospel to all nations preparatory to the return of our Lord in the clouds of glory. Sometimes, we feel that no one notices the work we do and conversions are few. However, we are not to give up in well-doing though we may be weary, for in due time we will receive the reward of a good and faithful servant if we do not lose heart (Gal 6:9).

Those who are involved in the work of teaching and church leadership are called to a higher responsibility and standard

(Jer 23:1-2). They must answer for leading astray those under their care, or for leaving the work concerning them unfinished. We should endeavour to leave no stone unturned in seeking the salvation of the lost, and in helping those privileged to be in His presence to remain there. We should work even harder, considering that there are many false teachers, who like ravenous wolves, disguise themselves as shepherds of the flock of God (Matt 7:15, Acts 20:29). Let not the blood of the uninformed be on our heads, but rather let us be faithful watchmen in warning others of the soon return of our Lord (Ezek 33:6, Ezek 3:20).

Let us finish the work we have been called to do, just as the Saviour’s meat and drink was to do His Father’s will and to finish His work (Jn 4:34). He finished the work He was called to accomplish on our behalf. Let us with like passion, finish the work that we have started! He has promised to be faithful to us in bringing the good work He has started in our lives to a grand completion. It is time for the great church of God to awake from our slumber and to work the works of Him who has commissioned us, for night will soon fall when no man may work (Jn 9:4).

For such a time as this?

The day predicted as “Judgment day” passed like any other day. It was fairly unremarkable except for the erupting of a volcano which had been dormant for over 100 years. For some who had chosen to put their trust in man rather than in the Holy Scriptures, it was a day of bitter disappointment as many lost their livelihood as they gambled on a date for the end of the world and a secret rapture of the faithful.

It is clear that we are living in the time of the end. Crazy and doomed to failure though it may have been, the prediction of the end of the world revealed the state of our present world and its attitude to God. The jokes and hollow mockery on social networking sites revealed that God is least important in the minds of most people today. The words of 2 Pet 3:3-10 seem like a fitting description of the religious climate of our day. “Where is the promise of His Coming?” they taunt.  “If He were really coming back, don’t you think He should have returned by now? Perhaps He is not coming back and your belief is an empty fable.”

We are left to do damage control as many are swept into lies and delusions, choosing to silence the voice of the Spirit of God calling them to repentance. In a climate like this, it is extremely difficult to continue an active witness for Christ without facing discouragement. In these times, remember that the state of the world was predicted in the Holy Scriptures long before our world had reached its current “Postmodern” era.

The Bible tells the story of a young girl, Esther, who became queen. Her people faced the threat of genocide and she was spurred into action by her cousin who said: “If you hold your peace thinking you’re safe in the palace, God will still arise to deliver His people but maybe you were brought into the kingdom for such a time as this.” God saw it fit to give you the privilege of living and ministering to His people in the time of the end. Though it may be discouraging when the response to the message you deliver is negative, continue and persevere in the work of telling others about God’s love and the plan of salvation. Your job is to scatter the seed and leave the increase to God.

Evangelism is not an event; it is a lifestyle. Think about practical ways of ministering to others. Take it one day at a time. Resolve each day to do at least one thing in the service of the Master. Both the young and old have a place in His service. Blessed is the disciple who will be found working when His Master returns. Don’t worry about the date of His return for you have much work to do! His return is sure. (2 Tim 4:1-8, Heb 6:10-12, John 9:4, 1 Cor 3:5-15)

Scripture refs: Esther 4, 2 Pet 3:3-14, Mk 13:34-37