Day 19 of 30: Revival Within

    Some believers, I find, often talk about wanting to experience revival, wanting to see the Holy Spirit move in ways they have only heard about, wanting to see more manifestation of the Spirit moving, etc. etc...  And, of course they are looking to the local Pastor, the Conference Speaker/Preacher, and other Spiritual leaders to provide them with a 'revival' experience.

     They are looking in the wrong direction. Each believer and their own expectation, is responsible for the direction of the church services and the spiritual nourishment they receive from a message.  But most are still looking to their spiritual leader to provide them with a life changing, revival experience.  Even a few are off on their own thinking that they can do it alone.  They do not understand what “revival” (and I use that term loosely) really is, or what it takes to get to that point.

     Revival begins in our own individual lives, at home where no one else can see what you do or do not do.  We take that fully yielded individual and add it to many more fully yielded individuals to create strength where the Holy Spirit can move.  He can move individually, but there is something about bringing fully, yielded people together for the purpose of spending time with God and listening to Him that compares to no other.  We all know that one stick, or branch, can be broken easily, but several together have strength. 

Photo Credit:  
http://www.theafricanamericanlectionary.org/PopupWorshipAid.asp?LRID=228

     Revival is the state we allow the Holy Spirit to be in when we fully, completely surrender to Him – when we yield all we are to Him.  We can only do this when we know Him and trust Him.  It comes back to Word and Prayer – it is funny because that is exactly what Ephesians 6 also says about standing and the armor of God.  When we are completely given to Him, we can experience the Holy Spirit moving in our lives.  Then we can take that to the church (the body), and
watch Him move corporately.

     Finney said, “Any body of Christian people, provided they wholeheartedly and unreservedly carried out God’s will, could have revival”.   Moody took the stand, that Pentecost was just an example for us- I believe he called it a “specimen day”.  Go forth put it this way, “If God the Holy Spirit is not glorifying Jesus Christ in the world today, as at Pentecost, it is we who are to blame.”  If we do not see the Holy Spirit moving and operating in our lives, how can we expect Him to operate corporately?  We must examine our foundation – the Word.  And, then adjust ourselves accordingly.

     It is the individual members of the body who must make the decision to yield.  But, they prefer to look at you as pastors and leaders, because they do not desire to pay the price it takes to get there.  Take for example, prayer.  Prayer and time spent with our Heavenly Father is required to get to ourselves in a state where we can yield, in which He can move.  Every great move of the Spirit in history began with prayer.  Prayer leads to action. This time spent in communication and communing with God is not to convince God to move (He already wants the Holy Spirit to move daily in our lives and services), but to get us in the place so that He can move.  The Holy Spirit is the manifested evidence and power of God in our lives.  God is not partial to just a few great Christians of the past.  He is willing and ready to move when we are ready.  But we will have to be willing to pay the price; to stay in the Word and in believing prayer (the Mk 11:23 &24 kind of prayer), so that we can know Him and know who we are.  It is in that state we can fully yield and be ready to receive Him. 

Photo Credit:
http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/

   Spiritual Truths that I know to be true and will not except any other option.  We as a body must be stubborn enough to pursue Him with such fervor that plows down anything in our way, just like a boulder rolling down a mountain. The boulder starts rolling slowly, and can be stopped at first, if you catch it quickly enough.  But, wait even a few short seconds, and that boulder begins to pick up speed as it rolls downward—faster and faster.  It pummels everything in its path, and will only stop once reaching its final destination.  We must be similarly determined in our study of the Word and in our prayer lives.  Only then we are in a position, or state, of being yielded unto Him completely.  Once we get rolling, and pick up speed, nothing can stop us from receiving Him.  That is when we possess “revival” freely flowing from within us, and overflowing all around us.  It is in this state that our prayer, teamed with His Word, clears a path, enabling our Father to work through us.

In the past I have been accused of being stubborn in certain areas, but this stubbornness was displayed only when dealing with

     It is not our Pastor’s job, or the Conference speaker's job to bring us the Holy Spirit.  We already have Him.  We must position ourselves to receive Him and watch Him go.   

Today's passage for prayer and study is 2 Timothy 1:6-14. 

2Ti 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.


2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.


2Ti 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;


2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,


2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:


2Ti 1:11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.


2Ti 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.


2Ti 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.          2Ti 1:14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.