Our entire family (including my mom and sister’s family) is enjoying the holidays in sunny Florida for the first time ever. While all of our friends back in Indiana are experiencing snow and cold, we’ve been enjoying warm, sunny days by the heated pool. Like any other Florida vacation, what would the trip be without at least a day at Disney? So, today is the day.
As we’re driving down I-4 from Tampa to Orlando, I am reminded of our trip down here to Lakeland during the summer of 2008. I know that a lot of people have a lot of unanswered questions about that move of God. I choose not to go there in my thinking because I don’t have the answers either. But here is what I am thinking about. I am thinking about that local church, if like ours, prayed and prayed for revival for what was most likely many years. I have many emotions and feelings for them. I am sure that no matter what the outcome, numerous were changed by God’s powerful presence.
Here’s what I am sitting here pondering. Revival is something that is very difficult to “bring.” As a matter of fact, it’s impossible to bring without the Father’s sovereign move. But as difficult as that is, sustaining such a move is even more difficult. I believe this is why God in many places is holding back His sovereign hand from unleashing revival. Right now, He is still withholding His move because He is in the process of preparing those who will carry His next move.
I think, perhaps, we may be better served by not asking God continually for what He already is agreeing with us that He wants (revival). We would much better be served by presenting ourselves to the man Jesus, who Himself is Revival, and ask him to do whatsoever He wills that we might be those proven, marked, and prepared to carry this man Jesus. It is then that we will see Revival as we are carriers of Him, AND we will be those who can sustain it.
Pastor Jon,
Awesome thoughts. I have also been thinking about this a lot! As well, friendships are easy to make but hard to keep. Marriages are easy to make but life long committment is hard to sustain. Calling is easy to recieve and hard to walk out. Salvation is easy (since we have nothing to do with it) and Sanctification is hard (since we have much to do with it. Fun to laugh and dance hard to dig, and give, and die. Truth is easy to agree on but hard to apply. Even Jesus asked for the cup to be removed in his perfect obediance. This is awesome to me and ecourages me greatly. Will the world get worse before Jesus comes back or will it get better? I think both! It all depends on what side of the fence we’re on. But mostly don’t you think it just comes down to true revival in us personally and daily?
Love you,
Amy
Bingo, Pastor Jon!
Revival is the personal realization that we are “un-done” and completely without hope because of the condition of our hearts sans the Lord and the working power of His Holy Spirit. True revival starts and is ongoing (maintained) as we continually are renewed by this hope, revealed supernaturally by God.
We cannot bring revival to the land, we must “be” the revival in the land! True revival is sustained in the hearts of the people to whom the revelation of the Lord and the need for Him is clearly revelated (if that’s a word?). The intensity of a revival movement I believe, exists and is heightened in the individual heart and sole to which He is revealed, and to the extent that that individual has given him(her)self over to the amount of change the Lord wishes to do in their personal life.
Therefore, I believe that the Lord wants everyone to be just like His Son! Sold out, on fire, energized, constantly moving forward and upward in their faith, never backsliding, filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and totally in love with Him. That, is real revival! If that were the way of the land in this USA, we would all be in revival mode, and there would be no need to ask for it, as it would already exist, so yes, let’s stop asking for revival and start being it!