So many in the church are praying for Revival. Where does it begin? It begins in the heart of man…..with me. 2 Chronicles 7:14 “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 will forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
My body is “the land,” God’s holy habitation where His kingdom has to come.
The book of Nehemiah records the event of the re-building of the broken down walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah chapter 1 records his deep mourning and grief on hearing the news of the remnant of Jews that had escaped captivity and were living among the broken ruins of Jerusalem. The people and the physical city needed reviving and rebuilding.
Nehemiah 9:1-3 “…..the children of Israel were assembled with fasting and sackclothes…..and the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers……and they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God.” The remainder of the book of Nehemiah records the progress of the walls being re-built in spite of opposition and the people being restored.
One of the hallmarks of revival is confession. You cannot enter in to it without confession, you can only observe it from the outside. Confession in repentance attracts the Holy Ghost who then leads us to worship. The Pentecostal movement received the revelation that we can do nothing without the Holy Ghost, our divine Guide.
A revival with no ebb will be when Jesus Christ is lifted up and all men will get out of the picture. Only God will be glorified. When God releases His power in this world, God will have a people that are only interested in God receiving the glory, and they are being prepared for that day when they will have a genuine abhorrence for self glory, pride and celebrity. Our preparation is a means to an end in divine purpose.
It was said of the children of Israel, “They turned back and limited the Holy One…” Will I limit the Unlimited One in my life by turning back? Do I want to be part of that company? We choose our divine destiny, or not.
Let us be encouraged by the move of the Holy Ghost in other parts of the world that are in revival. The communist government of China attempted to stamp out Christianity, but all they succeeded in doing was driving the Church underground which flourished under persecution and emerged with no denominationalism. Today there is a move of God where 25,000 people per day are coming to Christ!
Revival started in Jerusalem when an angel rolled the stone away from a tomb and the resurrected Christ came forth. May the stones of limitation be removed from our hearts, that the mighty risen Christ may come forth in the resurrection power of revival, that God alone may be glorified.
