While I was working on my last blog, I took a ride in the community I live in. ALONG THE WAY, I came across a country revival.
At first I was tempted to stop to listen in, and then I remembered that it was the middle of the summer. I found this odd, because I live in the South, deep in the Bible belt.
Typically, Southerners and Baptists only hold revivals one of two times per year, either in the springtime or in the fall. It’s like clockwork; churches know at the first sign of spring or fall that the HOLY SPIRIT will come DOWN and MOVE in local congregations. Really?
Do they really believe there’s a DISCONNECT between God and the church the rest of the year? Worse yet, the clergy actually plan how these “revivals” will play out. Right down to who will sit in what pew on which night!
To be fair it’s not just the Baptists who think that they can control the Holy Spirit, Who is God. There are many dominations who believe they can flip God on and off like some type of invisible FORCEFIELD.
I’ve heard many church leaders who have the audacity to “invite” the Holy Spirit into their presence. Others arrogantly predict on-the-spot healings or instant blessings.
Clearly we have control issues when we invite the ALMIGHTY God to join us. So we can be closer to God. These teachings are simply dangerous.
We’ve forgotten the fundamental teachings of Christ. One of the greatest PROMISES of the gospel is that God never leaves us, we are always in His presence, whether we FEEL IT or not (Deuteronomy 31:6). We are fully known by Him.
God doesn’t sleep nor slumber (Psalm 121:4); He is the only one Who brings life. Nothing can SEPARATE us from Him, not even death (Romans 8:36–39). And that is what this final blog in this series will be about. How God revives the land, His people and the lost.
REVIVE?
We get our word revival from the medical term “revive”: to restore to consciousness or life, to restore from a depressed or inactive state. Before anything can be revived, it must be dead or inactive.
The prophet Moses described the earth in the beginning as “empty and formless” —except for the spirit of God (Genesis 1:2-3). Then God spoke and the earth listened, creation beamed with life.
Next God formed man and breathed life into them. Then the animals and God breathed His life into them. Later after the flood, God sent a wind over the earth again to restore life to the barren land. After a hundred fifty days the earth was revived.
THE THEORY that revival can be sparked or planned is preposterous. Charles Spurgeon said of revival, “To live again, to receive again a life which has almost expired; to rekindle into a flame the vital spark which was nearly extinguished.” This is why we must die to ourselves when we come to the cross—it is only then that we can receive true life.
The term revival was first used to describe the Great Awakening of the eighteenth century. Both moral and spiritual decay ruled the nation. Religion was dying as the melting pot of the world stewed together different cultures and beliefs; social disorder and public drunkenness ran wild. Everyone wanted to LIVE IT UP.
The Christian principles our forefathers founded the country on had long since died. THE AWAKENING was an act of God, not man—HE DID IT!
It was never planned, coordinated or prayed for; it was a simple overflow of powerful preaching by four New England preachers, most notably church reformer Jonathan Edwards.
True revival is an act of God, for only He gives life. It doesn’t matter how spiritual a person is or how long they’ve been a Christian or how much church talk they can repeat, no one can control God or know His thoughts (Psalm 40:5, Isaiah 55:8).
Jesus once compared the Holy Spirit to the wind while teaching a Pharisee (John 3:8). Jesus’ analogy is both brilliant and simple. Most of Jesus’ followers were Jews and would recognize this imagery that the other “son of David”, Solomon, frequently used (Ecclesiastes 1:6, 5:16, 11:4).
Before Jesus went to the cross, He instructed His disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the comforter (Holy Spirit) (Luke 24:49). This would fulfill God’s promise to never leave His people.
Later, when Luke describes the events of Pentecost, THE ROAR of the wind signaled the arrival of the comforter, it was He Whom distributed the gifts (Acts 2:1–4), not man or the church.
The Holy Spirit fell like a PARATROOPER from the sky and nothing can stop Him! He doesn’t just float around from time to time like the sugarplum fairy.
Common sense?
It is both humbling and freeing knowing that we are not in control of anything. There is peace in knowing we can JUST BE HELD by an all-powerful God Who never leaves us.
When the trials of life come, I know He is RIGHT BY MY SIDE, through all of it. Because He is in control, I know I can MAKE IT. When we let go and let God drive, THINGS WILL CHANGE.
Yet, He loves us enough to let us choose between His ways and our desires. He is so crazy in love with us He gives us the choice. Freewill enables us to love what matters most to us.
It makes me UNCOMFORTABLE to admit that I watch the show The Bachelorette. Hey, I’m a hopeless romantic. This year’s final episode revealed truth anyone can see.
When confronted by the man she rejected, she professed that she loved him in the time she was with him. He replied, “Real love is more than just a momentary feeling.”
Real love isn’t just an emotional feeling we feel while were with someone. Its common sense, real love never fades, it only grows stronger.
Even when you’re not together, it doesn’t die. Despite a person’s flaws, love never leaves. Love breathes life into heartache, it can’t be manipulated.
At this point in my life I’ve learned that I can’t control my feelings, I can’t do ALL I WANNA DO. Sometimes love comes when we least expect it, especially when you just LET IT GO and LET DOWN YOUR GUARD.
It used to be common sense that love brings people together, not tear them apart. THESE DAYZ when I look at America, I can’t help but see that we need more love, not just revival.
At first I was tempted to stop to listen in, and then I remembered that it was the middle of the summer. I found this odd, because I live in the South, deep in the Bible belt.
Typically, Southerners and Baptists only hold revivals one of two times per year, either in the springtime or in the fall. It’s like clockwork; churches know at the first sign of spring or fall that the HOLY SPIRIT will come DOWN and MOVE in local congregations. Really?
Do they really believe there’s a DISCONNECT between God and the church the rest of the year? Worse yet, the clergy actually plan how these “revivals” will play out. Right down to who will sit in what pew on which night!
To be fair it’s not just the Baptists who think that they can control the Holy Spirit, Who is God. There are many dominations who believe they can flip God on and off like some type of invisible FORCEFIELD.
I’ve heard many church leaders who have the audacity to “invite” the Holy Spirit into their presence. Others arrogantly predict on-the-spot healings or instant blessings.
Clearly we have control issues when we invite the ALMIGHTY God to join us. So we can be closer to God. These teachings are simply dangerous.
We’ve forgotten the fundamental teachings of Christ. One of the greatest PROMISES of the gospel is that God never leaves us, we are always in His presence, whether we FEEL IT or not (Deuteronomy 31:6). We are fully known by Him.
God doesn’t sleep nor slumber (Psalm 121:4); He is the only one Who brings life. Nothing can SEPARATE us from Him, not even death (Romans 8:36–39). And that is what this final blog in this series will be about. How God revives the land, His people and the lost.
REVIVE?
We get our word revival from the medical term “revive”: to restore to consciousness or life, to restore from a depressed or inactive state. Before anything can be revived, it must be dead or inactive.
The prophet Moses described the earth in the beginning as “empty and formless” —except for the spirit of God (Genesis 1:2-3). Then God spoke and the earth listened, creation beamed with life.
Next God formed man and breathed life into them. Then the animals and God breathed His life into them. Later after the flood, God sent a wind over the earth again to restore life to the barren land. After a hundred fifty days the earth was revived.
THE THEORY that revival can be sparked or planned is preposterous. Charles Spurgeon said of revival, “To live again, to receive again a life which has almost expired; to rekindle into a flame the vital spark which was nearly extinguished.” This is why we must die to ourselves when we come to the cross—it is only then that we can receive true life.
The term revival was first used to describe the Great Awakening of the eighteenth century. Both moral and spiritual decay ruled the nation. Religion was dying as the melting pot of the world stewed together different cultures and beliefs; social disorder and public drunkenness ran wild. Everyone wanted to LIVE IT UP.
The Christian principles our forefathers founded the country on had long since died. THE AWAKENING was an act of God, not man—HE DID IT!
It was never planned, coordinated or prayed for; it was a simple overflow of powerful preaching by four New England preachers, most notably church reformer Jonathan Edwards.
True revival is an act of God, for only He gives life. It doesn’t matter how spiritual a person is or how long they’ve been a Christian or how much church talk they can repeat, no one can control God or know His thoughts (Psalm 40:5, Isaiah 55:8).
Jesus once compared the Holy Spirit to the wind while teaching a Pharisee (John 3:8). Jesus’ analogy is both brilliant and simple. Most of Jesus’ followers were Jews and would recognize this imagery that the other “son of David”, Solomon, frequently used (Ecclesiastes 1:6, 5:16, 11:4).
Before Jesus went to the cross, He instructed His disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the comforter (Holy Spirit) (Luke 24:49). This would fulfill God’s promise to never leave His people.
Later, when Luke describes the events of Pentecost, THE ROAR of the wind signaled the arrival of the comforter, it was He Whom distributed the gifts (Acts 2:1–4), not man or the church.
The Holy Spirit fell like a PARATROOPER from the sky and nothing can stop Him! He doesn’t just float around from time to time like the sugarplum fairy.
Common sense?
It is both humbling and freeing knowing that we are not in control of anything. There is peace in knowing we can JUST BE HELD by an all-powerful God Who never leaves us.
When the trials of life come, I know He is RIGHT BY MY SIDE, through all of it. Because He is in control, I know I can MAKE IT. When we let go and let God drive, THINGS WILL CHANGE.
Yet, He loves us enough to let us choose between His ways and our desires. He is so crazy in love with us He gives us the choice. Freewill enables us to love what matters most to us.
It makes me UNCOMFORTABLE to admit that I watch the show The Bachelorette. Hey, I’m a hopeless romantic. This year’s final episode revealed truth anyone can see.
When confronted by the man she rejected, she professed that she loved him in the time she was with him. He replied, “Real love is more than just a momentary feeling.”
Real love isn’t just an emotional feeling we feel while were with someone. Its common sense, real love never fades, it only grows stronger.
Even when you’re not together, it doesn’t die. Despite a person’s flaws, love never leaves. Love breathes life into heartache, it can’t be manipulated.
At this point in my life I’ve learned that I can’t control my feelings, I can’t do ALL I WANNA DO. Sometimes love comes when we least expect it, especially when you just LET IT GO and LET DOWN YOUR GUARD.
It used to be common sense that love brings people together, not tear them apart. THESE DAYZ when I look at America, I can’t help but see that we need more love, not just revival.
