"Revival" pt.1

"If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or I sent pestilence among My people; If My People, who are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now My Eyes shall be open, and My Ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this House, that My Name may be there forever: and My Eyes and My Heart shall be there perpetually.

2 Chr 7:13-16

"need for revival"

Over the centuries, since the fall of man, revival has been an integral part of our relationship With God. We see time and again, in the Old Testament, through His relationship with Israel, how He interacts with "His People". His Love for us is unconditional, but there are conditions to his covenant with us. As we see in this Scripture, "if....then", conditional terms that the Lord used to describe his covenant with Israel, and us, today. Sin always causes separation from the perfect will of God for our lives. But NEVER from His Love for us, "But God commend (strengthened) His Love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."( Rom 5:8). Sin takes us out of His perfect will, but His Love allows us to be in his permissive will.

His permissive will, is a place outside of the Blessing of God, a place where, our free will leads us to choices, that bring His discipline. If we continue, in rebellion, without God's instruction, it places us on a destructive path. Consider Israel throughout the Old testament, stories of how, over and over, their sin and rebellion, caused famines, disease, captivity, wandering in the wilderness for forty years, on a journey that should have taken 2 weeks. God's permissive will,allowing them to choose their path. His People need revival. God, in His time, raised up men ,with a message, a way back to the right path. Moses, Joshua, the judges, the prophets, all with the message of repentance, and restored covenant with God. Revival.

In the "fullness of time" God sent His Son, to make a new and better covenant. The new covenant, to fulfill the requirements of the law, to make atonement for our sins, to make us "His People". His unconditional Love expressed in His Finished Work on the Cross. The condition of this new covenant is faith in His Work. Faith in The Gospel Message, is the only commodity, that has any merit in the Kingdom of God. The simplicity of the Gospel. Yet, throughout the Church age, man's focus at times has turned to "another gospel", one that leads to other focuses, means, and methods. His People need revival. The Church has need for revival.

A few hundred years after the time of Jesus and the Apostles, the Church entered a period of time, regarded, as the "Dark ages", during which the"church"became official", more political than spiritual. Apostasy set in, religious practices and traditions became the way to relationship with God, faith, in the church. The church entered back under law. Sacrificial practices instead of Faith. A clergy-laity mentality reemerged with priests mediating on behalf of the people. The Church has need for revival. God once again intervened. He moved on the hearts of men,with the invention of the printing press,to put the Word of God, into print, to bring the Word to the "common" man.

The Holy Spirit moved in Martin Luther, as the Lord gave him the message of Justification by Faith alone. Truth restored, and a call to the Church to repentance. Revival. The Reformation began. The Holy Spirit moving , and raising up men with a message for the appointed time, with a Bible based restoration of Truth. The Holy Spirit moving in the hearts of His People, calling them to repentance. Throughout the history of our country, there have been "revivals", moves of God thru His people, that have impacted, not only this country,but the world. He is calling, in these last days, as in the time of this Scripture, "His People" to humble themselves, to seek His Face, and realize our "need for revival". A Great Harvest of lost souls,is waiting for the Church, to remember their Commission. The world is waiting for the Church,to demonstrate the Love of God, by the Power of the Holy Spirit, moving thru us. Heaven is waiting to hear our cry out, for our "need for revival".