Revival assumes a couple things. It assumes first of all that you understand that you need to be revived --the assumption is you are dead or dried up and that needs to change. Secondly it assumes you understand what is required for revival:
1. Return to being humble -- understand who your authority is and walk in the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
2. Prayer -- Revival cannot begin without the power of prayer and people who are praying for it.
3. Seeking God's Face -- trying to be more like Christ requires that you seek him more to know him better.
4. Turn from Sin -- stop disobeying God when he tells you what to do -- no matter how small it may seem. Follow the Word and His Spirit.
Lord send revival and let it start with me!
Showing posts with label Revival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Revival. Show all posts
Monday, November 23, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Religious Pefection vs. Passion for God
Revelation 2:1-7
The church at Ephesus had a problem. They didn't know they had a problem but they had one anyway. Jesus himself pointed out that they were truly the masters of the truth. The knew the truth, they practiced the truth and they even discovered those who presented falsehood and showed them false. But one thing cause Christ to tell them that if they didn't repent they would lose their place before him -- they had left their first love.
Ephesus was a church that had it all right -- they were religiously perfect. Their failure was the simple fact that the passion for Christ had over time wained. Jesus exhorted them to return to what they did at first. To have the same passion they did at the beginning.
There is a point we sometimes cross -- it is the point when we are doing things out of religious habit and not out of love for Christ. The change is subtle and slow to come upon us. We often do not notice it coming upon us and then all of a sudden we know there is something wrong.
It is like the married couple that does everything right but somewhere they lose their way. The communicate, they are in agreement on their direction in life, they even spend regular time together. But one night, they are sitting alone together and realize the painful distance that has developed between them. That is what Jesus is talking about -- that feeling of distance brought upon by the pursuit of religious perfection instead passion for God.
May we all learn a lesson from this -- passion for God is primary -- it is the love of God with all our strength, with all our mind, with all our soul, with all of our heart that is more important than all else.
The church at Ephesus had a problem. They didn't know they had a problem but they had one anyway. Jesus himself pointed out that they were truly the masters of the truth. The knew the truth, they practiced the truth and they even discovered those who presented falsehood and showed them false. But one thing cause Christ to tell them that if they didn't repent they would lose their place before him -- they had left their first love.
Ephesus was a church that had it all right -- they were religiously perfect. Their failure was the simple fact that the passion for Christ had over time wained. Jesus exhorted them to return to what they did at first. To have the same passion they did at the beginning.
There is a point we sometimes cross -- it is the point when we are doing things out of religious habit and not out of love for Christ. The change is subtle and slow to come upon us. We often do not notice it coming upon us and then all of a sudden we know there is something wrong.
It is like the married couple that does everything right but somewhere they lose their way. The communicate, they are in agreement on their direction in life, they even spend regular time together. But one night, they are sitting alone together and realize the painful distance that has developed between them. That is what Jesus is talking about -- that feeling of distance brought upon by the pursuit of religious perfection instead passion for God.
May we all learn a lesson from this -- passion for God is primary -- it is the love of God with all our strength, with all our mind, with all our soul, with all of our heart that is more important than all else.
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