The Problem with Revival

 

Ever since Adam's failure to walk according to God's precepts in the garden, God's whole creation longs for the freedom, which God's presence brings to our life (Romans 5:12, 8:19-23).

We all desire revival to bring us closer to God. Revival is a time of intense concentration on God's truth and His Spirit. We sit still for several days cloistered with Christ's Body.

God immerses us in His presence, because we take the time to rest at His feet. The music and the preaching of God's Word brings life to the spirit and the soul - our mind, will and emotions.

The problem with revivals is that as the memories of the revival fade, the soul no longer feels the euphoria, which was present during the revival; therefore, our soul will look to the world for new feelings of elation, rather than to the Lord.

Israel is a perfect example of this issue. In their entire history as a nation, they always fell back into the world after every revival (Hosea 14:1; Psalm 78:10-11, 40-42, 56-57). The casual church member is no different in their behavior.

Only a remnant of Believers respond to revival in their spirit, as well as their soul. Our spirit experiences a deep immersion into the presence of God. His peace influences our attitude and outlook.

Authentic Believers gradually realize that our soul is even more satisfied as we spend more time with God than with the world. We find the joy of the Lord as our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

We wake every morning and luxuriate in the presence of God all through the day. Even at night, our spirit rejoices as we sleep; and when we wake, there is a song of praise flowing through our mind.

In times of trial, we maintain the peace and joy of the Lord, realizing that there is a seed for a miracle in every negative experience we encounter. We enjoy fellowship with our brother, Jesus Christ, by His Spirit who dwells within us.

Prayer:
Father God, thank You for keeping us as the apple of Your eye, and sheltering us under the shadow of Your wings (Psalm 17:8). When we encounter trouble, we are always safe in Your dwelling place, as You hide us in the shelter of Your sacred tent and put us high upon a rock (Psalm 27:5, 32:7).

Teach us that revival is an attitude of our heart, not a week of meetings or a group experience. We can dwell in a time of revival each day of our life, as You renew a right spirit in us and make us ever mindful of Your presence our life (Psalm 51:10).

Thought for the Day:
We have an advantage in our life over the Saints who lived prior to Christ, because we actually have the presence of God's Holy Spirit dwelling within us; and He is continually reviving, comforting, correcting and drawing us closer to a deeper relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Surviving Human Relationships

Human relationships are usually based on feelings, which draw us together. However, feelings may also sever the association, because of a lack of communication and personal issues of inadequacy. We mentally interject words and thoughts into a conversation, which are not there, and act accordingly. We feel unloved, rejected and misunderstood. Then, we just give up.

God wants to reprogram our thoughts, which are currently based on lies from the devil ( www.theophostic.com ), with His own words, which tell us the truth about our worth and our victory in Christ. God chose us before the foundation of the world, so we have no need to feel inadequate (Isaiah 43:10). There is not one issue in life, which can separate us from God's love (Romans 8:31-39).

God builds us up (Acts 20:32), when people put us down. His right hand supports us (Psalm 63:8), when others reject us. He provides for us (Philippians 4:19), when Satan tries to steal from us, and kill and destroy us (John 10:10). When we are afraid, He redeems us and calls us by our name, because we are His (Isaiah 43:1). He loves us and considers us as precious in His sight (Isaiah 43:4).

God engraves us on the palm of His hands (Isaiah 49:16). He gives us sure footing regardless of the situation we are living through (Habakkuk 3:19). God chose us as a holy, royal priesthood. We are His special possession. We praise Him, because He called us out of darkness and brought us into the world of His wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).

Authentic Christian relationships survive the plagues of the world, and the flesh and the devil, which attempt to drive a wedge between two people. There are no issues in a marriage, which justify divorce. A time of separation can free us from the circumstances of the moment and give God time to work out reconciliation between both parties.

Prayer:

Father God, we love you. You are our strength, our rock, our fortress and our deliverer. You are our source of salvation and our stronghold in times of trouble. We take refuge in You. We call on You, who are worthy of praise, and You save us from those who would bring us harm (Psalm 18:1-3). We give You all the praise that is worthy of Your name. Thank You for keeping us as the apple of Your eye (Psalm 17:8).

Thought for the Day:

We can rest secure in God, because He shields us all day long and carries us on His shoulders. - Deuteronomy 33:12

Accepted in the Beloved

Once we surrender our pride and rebellion to God, and trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are accepted as His beloved Saints (Ephesians 4:12). We are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), united in Spirit as one Body with Christ (1 Corinthians 6:17, 12:27). Complete in Christ, we have need of nothing (Colossians 2:9-10; Philippians 4:13). God adopted us into His family, and accepts us as His dearly loved children (Ephesians 1:3-8; John 1:12).

Jesus bought us with His blood and our life now belongs to God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Redeemed from the law of sin and death, we are forgiven all of our sins (Colossians 1:13-14). We are hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3), having direct access to God’s throne in any time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). God welcomes us in His beloved family (Ephesians 1:6). Jesus is both our brother and our friend (John 15:15; Proverbs 18:24).

God anoints us to work in His service during our lifetime, seals us with His Spirit and establishes our place in heaven (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 2:20). We no longer live a lifestyle of willful sin and deprivation because Jesus lives within us (1 John 3:9). Jesus justified us by His death and renewed us by His resurrection (Romans 5:1; Titus 3:5). We are the apple of God’s eye (Zechariah 2:8).

God gives us power, love and a sound mind to dispel any fear, which Satan tried to inflict on us (2 Timothy 1:7). Now, as we walk in the Spirit, we no longer fulfill the lusts of our dead, carnal flesh (Galatians 5:16,25). God’s Spirit replaces our former unregenerate nature with God’s divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). We are secure in Christ’s love for us, and seated with Jesus in the Heavenly realm, even now (Ephesians 2:6).

Prayer:

Father God, You chose us as branches on the true vine of Christ. We bear the fruit given to us by our connection to You (John 15:5,16). We are also your temple, and You abide in the spirit of each authentic Believer (1 Corinthians 3:16). You raised us up to minister Your reconciliation to the lost and dying world around us (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). We can confidently approach Your throne day or night for any need we may have (Ephesians 3:12). Thank You for Your timeless love and grace.

Thought for the Day:

We are God’s Workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do the works He preordained for us to accomplish. – Ephesians 2:10

 

Spring of Living Water

Jesus promises that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be filled (Matthew 5:6). He used the concept of water to express the free flowing ministry of the Holy Spirit in us and through us. He told us that when we drink the water He gives us, we would never thirst again. Christ is our spring of living water, which provides us with His divine life now on this earth as well as in eternity (John 4:13-15).

His water wells up in the midst of our soul and flows freely out of us to all those around us (Matthew 12:40). This living water comes not just from one, but many rivers (John 7:38-39). It supplies us with light, love and liberation. His holiness within us flows out of us and blesses others. It is like a continual fountain centered in a beautiful lush garden of life within us. The abundant supply of spiritual water brings liberal blessings to us and to everyone in our life (Exodus 17:6).

All we need to do to receive this thirst-quenching water is to believe in Jesus Christ and come and drink from the well of His salvation (Isaiah 12:3). As we drink freely from the fountain of the water of life, which surges from the throne of God, we will thirst no more (Revelation 7:16-17, 21:6, 22:1, 17). His wisdom and comfort pour plentifully and constantly in us and through us. It is a strong stream, which overcomes the conflict of our doubts and fears. We find Christ’s fullness in our body, soul and spirit.

The indwelling Spirit of Christ in us infuses us with the abundant water of His grace. We are instruments of the Holy Spirit and we draw from the water of life, which comes from His deep spring. He uses us to impart His mercy and grace to our family, friends, neighbors and associates who are poor and needy in soul and spirit (Isaiah 44:3). They are all searching for this living water to quench their soul, which is scorched from life on this earth (Isaiah 41:17).

God’s water cleanses and purifies us and allows us to bloom as fruitful trees of righteousness, which grow and bring forth the fruit of His Spirit. As fruitful trees, we also provide a cool refuge to those wounded by their trials in life. They are revived, comforted and encouraged to grow in their spiritual life as well. We bring reconciliation to the world through the abundance of living water flowing through our attitude, words and actions.

Prayer:

Father God, Your unfailing love is priceless to us. Thank You for enabling us to live a self-controlled and Godly life in Christ Jesus (Titus 2:12). We feast on the abundance in Your household and we drink from Your river of delights. You are the fountain of life; in Your light we live and move and have our being (Psalm 36:7). You make known to us the path we should take in life and You fill us with joy in Your presence within us. You give us eternal pleasures now and for eternity (Psalm 16:11). Keep us as the apple of Your eye and hide us always under the shadow of Your wings (Psalm 17:8; Psalm 36:7).

Thought for the Day:

If we truly desire to live joyfully forever, we will allow Christ to rule and reign in our life.