Spiritually Alive

 

What is revival? Why are people always praying for revival? How does revival occur? Revival is a movement of holiness in the church brought on by the Spirit of God. The Spirit will inspire an individual to call out to God in prayer, or to attend a church service or to respond to the gospel message shared by one individual to another. The Spirit moves in the hearts of the people to desire more of God. It is up to us to respond to His gentle nudging.

Only those devoid of their own agenda and living in submission to the Spirit will experience revival. Only people who are spiritually alive can comprehend the truth of Spiritual concepts. Spirit-filled preachers and teachers explain God’s Word in such a way that everyone can understand it and receive it with open and repentant hearts. Then, when these new Believers read the Word, the Spirit quickens it to them as well.

Preaching opens up the Word of God by using Biblical references to explain each point. Those under conviction by the Holy Spirit may feel remorse for their ungodly behavior; however, they also feel the joy of God’s healing deep within their soul. Resentment and anger fall away. An abiding peace envelops them. We come to appreciate the conviction of our sin, because it proves that God loves us and is working to perfect us.

Jesus’ work on the cross is bigger than any sin we could ever commit. He is waiting with open arms to absolve us of the penalty of our sin, and to fill us with His Spirit; so we will have our own personal, daily revival. We obey God’s Word rather than the traditions and dictates of men. He becomes our stronghold in times of trouble. Even in our affliction, we take refuge in Him, because He delivers us out of them all (Psalm 34:18-19; 37:39-40).

Prayer:

Father God, we wait patiently for You, because we know You will always turn and hear our cries. You lifted us out the pit of despair, from the mud and the mire of life in this world. You set our feet on the Rock of Christ. Many in today’s environment will see the conditions of this world and put their trust in You for their salvation (Psalm 40:1-3). You will never disappoint them.

Thought for the Day:

Jesus Christ puts a new song in our heart. – Psalm 40:3

 

Light in the Darkness

Read: Matthew 5:13-16

“The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” – John 1:5

As I watch our grandchildren develop, the fact that every one of them is born with a sinful nature is so evident. No one taught them how to throw a temper tantrum, or how to be picky with food, or to unroll all the toilet paper or how to get grouchy when they are tired. It all comes naturally. I am happy to say that they eventually learn social skills as they mature. They also learn self-discipline, so eventually their parents do not have to discipline them.

We are hopelessly lost in darkness without Christ in our life, until the Holy Spirit comes to our rescue (John 1:5). As baby Christians we also have some bad habits and we retain some carnality that needs discipline (Romans 1:29). Actually, it is God who gives us both the desire and the will to live for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). He conforms us a little more each day, through His sanctifying process, until we start to reflect the character of Christ in our lives (Romans 8:29).

The problem baby Christians often encounter is that some of those who profess to be Christians are actually more sinful than people who live in the world. These pretenders have a false hope of going to heaven because of a prayer they prayed, and they are oblivious to their real need for Christ in their life (Jude 4). They drink, use foul language, live immorally and fail to serve God with full devotion. They are poor examples to new Believers, and they often encourage these babes in Christ to live in habitual sin as well.

However, as true Believers come to know the Truth we walk away from sin. We follow Christ’s example in life and share it with others just like Jesus did when He came to destroy the works of the devil. Therefore, it is impossible for us to continue sinning when we are truly born of God (1 John 3: 6-9). Instead we live for God’s glory and we submit to the Holy Spirit as He transforms our behavior from carnal to Christ-like. God calls us to live as light in the world of darkness and to spread the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ to anyone who will listen (Matthew 5:13-16). 

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, as we draw closer to You each day, we walk away from any behavior that leads to personal gain or unholy activities. As we study the Word, we learn more about You and what You expect from our lives. We also learn more about Your character and how You want us to act and think. Help us to choose to live lives without compromise, so that we can be salt and light in the dying world around us.

Thought for the Day:

No one who lives in Christ Jesus keeps on sinning, and no one who continues to sin has any concept of who Jesus really is.