What exactly is “REVIVAL”?

Well in the next post(s) I’m going to attempt to give you an answer to most if not all your questions. As God downloaded into me and showed me many scriptures this message grew despondently so I decided to break it into segments so you could meditate and pray on what God is teaching us. I pray His words fill your heart and and “revival” comes.

Let’s get started!

PART 1

GOD’S CHURCH NEEDS REVIVAL! BUT WHAT IS IT—AND HOW DO WE GET IT?

Many are familiar with the old hymn, “Revive Us Again.” But what does this mean? Revived to what? How and when are we revived? We hear much talk, often negatively, about “revival”-about “getting right” with God-but through misuse and overuse, this term has become blurred in the minds of most hearers today. To many, a “revival” means an enigmatic, highly emotional religious meeting. Often, the word “revival” conjures up visions of an old-fashioned tent meeting featuring a charismatic, white-jacketed, sweaty-faced, hoarse-throated, foam-flecked evangelist shouting such “filler-words” as “Hallelujah!” “Praise the Lord!” “We’re gonna twist the old devil’s tail tonight!” “Let me hear you say, ‘Amen!’” “Won’t you give your heart to the Lord just now?” And, oh, yes, “Let the ushers with the offering baskets please come forward. Amen and Hallelujah!”

True revival, however, is a biblical concept. “For thus says the high and exalted One
Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,
“I dwell on a high and holy place,
And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isaiah 57:15). In Psalm 85:6-7, the psalmist asks God an interesting question: “6 Will You not Yourself revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?
⁷ Show us Your loving kindness, O Lord, And grant us Your salvation.” To be revived again implies that there had been a revival previously. More about that later.

WHAT IS REVIVAL?

The word “revival” is from the Hebrew word chayah and means “to bring back to life,” to “restore to consciousness,” or to “restore to a previous condition.” We might say, “The drowning victim was miraculously revived.” As used in the Bible, it means a restoration, rejuvenation, or renewal of interest after spiritual neglect, oblivion, or obscurity.

What revival is not: Revival, as used in the Bible, is not evangelism, even though many may be revived as a result of it. It is not emotionalism, although there may be emotional manifestations connected to it. What it is: It is the personal renewal to spiritual life in an individual, or among a group of people. It is an “at-one-moment,” a heartfelt return to God and His commandments.

WHEN IS REVIVAL NEEDED?

Revival is needed whenever the love of God’s people has grown cold. We read in Revelation 3:15-17, “¹⁵ ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,”

Consider the symptoms of the need of revival: just as a sick person manifests physical symptoms, so the need for personal spiritual revival has spiritual symptoms. A few of them are…

Complacency: self-satisfaction or satisfaction with the status quo. “Seat-warmers” who have a “don’t rock the boat” attitude may well need a spiritual revival.

Lack of concern for the lost and the suffering in the world (1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.). How can we see or read the world news, considering all the suffering in the world, and not be moved by it? If we are not, we definitely need spiritual renewal or revival.

Hiding or covering secret sins (Numbers 32:23 But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.). If we find ourselves covering or excusing our sins, or rationalize, “I will have to change that…someday,” we may well need a spiritual revival.

Having an unforgiving spirit (Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.).  Some parrot, “I can forgive, but I can’t forget.” An unforgiving spirit is a strong indication that we need a spiritual revival.

We are to put on the mind, the views, and the feelings of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. ).  God forgives and forgets sins once we’ve repented of them. (Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.). We need to forgive and then forget what we have forgiven. We are like beasts when we kill. We are like men when we judge. We are like God when we forgive.

Being filled with pride (Proverbs 29:23 A man’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor.). We are reminded in Proverbs 16: 18 that “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling. ” Pride and vanity were the cause of Lucifer’s fall (Ezekiel 28:17). We must beware, lest his attitude is reflected in us. If we find ourselves feeling superior or puffed up, we need the humility of revival.

Animosity toward other Christians. It is said that we can pick our friends, but we cannot pick our brethren. One sage rightly quipped, “We must also overcome the brethren.” Read and heed Mathew 18:15 to revive that friendship.

Any condition of spiritual standing where we are less than we were before: a “backslidden condition.” We all know the way back to Babylon—it is only two half-steps back to our old ways and habits of life. If you feel yourself slipping, YOU need spiritual revival!

All of these symptoms are strong indications that we need to draw closer to God and His Word.

Let’s stop here and give us all time to chew on what we’ve learned. I sure hope you’re getting something out of this, let me know. I read all the comments we get and take them very seriously … I love your input.

Tomorrow we’ll start off with; “Hidden dangers in our need for revival”.

Be sure and come back … Wow! God is really moving.

My prayer for you: 

What an awesome God you are. When I look around and see the beauty your hands have made It breaks my heart to see what is happening to our beautiful country.

We truly need revival, we need you!

I pray the words you gave me today to write takes that short journey from head knowledge to heart knowledge, it’s only about 18 inches but sometimes it’s further away than the deepest part of the ocean.

Father, I pray eyes are opened and hearts turn to you.

Lord, bless my brothers and sisters in their needs, have mercy on us and forgive our sins and restore our land.

Jesus, I claim victory, that you said was ours if we ask in your name, victory over this virus, the lies being spread and the miss-direction we are being led in by the media.

Lord, we are all one, “all lives matter”.

I pray You open the eyes of my black brothers and sisters and let them see how they are being used to further a political agenda, in reality, it’s all about power, it has nothing to do with making lives better … on the contrary …

Only You Lord can change hearts, revive us O’ Lord is my prayer for a lost nation.

Amen

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