Quick or Progressive

I have earmarked a page in Blackaby/King's book, "Fresh Encounter."

Earlier in the chapter, they defined the word, "Revival."

"Revival occurs when God restores spiritual health
and vitality to His people....Revival has not taken place
unless a change of character has occurred...When your love
for the Lord compels you to obey Him, then revival has occurred."

Here are some of the words I keep rereading:

" Revival is a sovereign act of God.
We cannot force Him to do anything.
Yet, in His sovereignty God has set forth the
requirements for revival.
He has said, "Return to me, and I will return to you."
(Mal. 3:7)
The essence of revival is returning to the Lord.
This can happen quickly or it can take
place over a period of time.

For instance, Church A needs revival.
Sin and compromise have become common,
even among the members.
Even though the church hears preaching
and studies the Bible Sunday after Sunday,
people are not repenting and returning to the Lord.
They may even resist the whole idea of repenting of sin.
But then God gets the attention of His people.
(They don't say how this happens.)
They recognize how displeasing they are to the Lord.
In deep brokenness and shame
they come before the Lord
confessing sin and seeking forgiveness,
cleansing, and restoration.
When God sees that they are
returning with their hearts,
He sends genuine revival.

Church B has similar spiritual needs,
but God begins to convict the people
of Church B of sin through preaching
and Bible Study.
When God surfaces sin,
the people respond to the Lord
with repentant hearts.
God peels off a layer of sin,
like a layer of skin of an onion.
Then, He begins peeling away
another layer.
With each step along the way,
the people of Church B respond to the Lord
by repenting of their sin
and returning to God and His ways.
With no special event and with
no ability to pinpoint a day or time
that revival came,
this church eventually comes to understand
that things are different.
They say, "We are not the people
we used to be. God's presence
and power have returned.
We love each other
and are experiencing unity again!"

God sent revival to Church A and to
Church B, but it came to Church B
in a slow process over a period of time.
Either way,
when God's people return to Him
and God returns to His people,
revival has come."

And "This is God's pattern-
revival among God's people
and then spiritual awakening
among the lost...

The church began with 120 believers,
and God added 3,000 in one day.
That is spiritual awakening!

...God used the demonstration of G0d-like love
among human beings as a real
attraction to the lost people of Jerusalem,
and the spiritual awakening continued."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am enjoying this book and recommend it.

It is divided into Three Parts.

Part 1-Revival and Spiritual awakening
Part2-God's pattern for Revival and Spiritual Awakening
Part 3-Spiritual Leadership in Times of Revival
and Spiritual Awakening
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We don't have to forsake the Lord and then return to Him
in order to have life.
We can abide in Him and daily read His Word
and walk in obedience.

He is the Bread of life.
He is the Light of life.
He is the Living Water.
If we live and move and have our being in Him,
we will walk in obedience and know Him.

Revival means that we have left Him
and then returned to Him
and He has shown mercy to us
by forgiving us-
much like the Prodigal Son.
The Father 'revived' his wayward son's
relationship and position.
But the older son
never left His Father.
And the Father said to that son
that all that he had always belonged to him.

(It was a challenge for the older son
to accept the mercy and grace and 'revival'
that the Father poured out on the younger
son who had not remained in the mercy
and grace of the father as he had done.
When it comes down to it,
it is all about the mercy and grace of the Father,
whether we have left Him and returned
or whether we have never left His side.)

I think we can live like the older son
(or perhaps even more wisely)
by staying in our Father's presence,
absorbing His Word,
keeping ourselves in His love and mercy,
being sensitive to the Holy Spirit's teaching
and conviction,
loving our neighbor (and brother)
and knowing what belongs to us.

Is it possible to not wander from Him?
Is it possible to not 'leave' Him
and by so doing
not need to 'return' to Him?

Can we live in His abundant life
and not need to be revived and brought back to life
because we are already alive?
Must I be given CPR when I am living and breathing?
Is it possible to be fed to maintain continual growth
rather than be fed to stay alive?

Is it possible to daily love Him more deeply?
Is it possible to move forward
instead of doing an emotional pendulum swing
or hopping on a spiritual roller coaster ride?

Is it possible to be oaks of righteousness-
a planting of the LORD,
that He may be glorified?

I am not talking about thinking
that we don't need God's mercy
and power.
I am not saying I have need of nothing.
I am talking about knowing that I need Him
and His mercy and power so much
that I wouldn't dream of leaving Him.
I am talking about living in repentance
and humility.

Is it possible to grow and grow
from strength to strength
and glory to glory?
Is it possible to remain steadfast and mature
and not need to repent about the same
sins over and over?

Is it possible to live in spiritual health and vitality
instead of needing to be restored to it?

Is God great enough to keep us from falling away?
Is it possible to live in such a way
that we are transformed into His image
by the Spirit of the Lord?

Is it possible to live so closely in tune with
the Holy Spirit that those around us say,
"You only have to be around him/her
to know that God is real?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was not planning on writing all those questions.
They just suddenly came pouring out of me.
Do you have any response?
Any answers for my searching soul?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Isaiah 57:15-"For this is what the high and lofty One says-He who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.'"

Ps. 19:7a-"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul."

A contrite and lowly spirit revived by the law of the Lord and His abiding life.

Jesus prayed for us, saying, "...that they may be one, as You Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they may also be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me."

Barriers to Meekness

Lately, it seems that everything I read in the Bible and in devotionals
are all pointing to the theme of meekness and humility.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would take what is His
and reveal it to us.

I think the Holy Spirit is taking the humility of Jesus
and revealing it to me at this time.

It is an humbling experience. ;)

This week, I read something that a woman
by the name of Susan Annette Muto wrote.
(I'm liking her name.)
(It is from her book 'Blessings That Make Us Be'
quoted in the Bensons' book, 'Disciplines for
the Inner Life.')

It may seem long but it is worth your time
and I rewrite it here so I can reread it.
Read it when you are not distracted
for it is potentially life-changing material.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The first barrier to meekness arises whenever we claim as our own what is really a gift of God. To live in meekness, we must try to remember that all we are, have, and can do is a gift. It is an act of arrogance to place ourselves at the center of being and doing. Only God belongs there.

Arrogance is the opposite of humility. It compels us to treat our limits not as unique openings through which God can reveal his goodness but as diseases to be cured. We find it almost impossible to be self-effacing, as if we must maintain a know-it-all posture that demands a final answer to mystery. Basically, we perceive any sign of tenderness as a threat to our claim to be fully capable of caring for ourselves.

This arrogant aloofness leads to a second obstacle to lowliness, and that is the tendency to dominate others. We feel compelled to be "top dog." It would demean our proud self-image were we to walk hand in hand with others. Instead, we want to force upon them our aims and opinions. If this means becoming loud and demanding, so what? We refuse to compromise our point or to let others have the last word.

...The third obstacle to living meekly stems from the tendency to see only what is wrong in a situation and never to affirm the good. This trait breeds a joylessness that lacks beautitude. We become literally killjoys, murdering the spirit of lightheartedness that signifies union with God. Without joy, we can never experience carefree playing before the face of the Father. If we do not know how to play, we may be unable to pray. We exude displeasure and are prone to pick fights. Others perceive a hostile streak in us. We are prone to insult people. We lack patience. What flows from our mouths is not blessing but barbs of bitterness."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is always easier to recognize others when we read
something like this,
but perhaps,
we should look in the mirror,
and ask God for help.

He Whom You Love

John 11-
Mary and Martha were really worried.
Their brother Lazarus was deathly ill.
They sent a runner to Jesus with the message,
"He whom you love is sick...Come quickly!"

But He didn't come until it was too late-
Until Lazarus was in the tomb for
four disillusioning, faith-disturbing,
sorrow-overwhelming days.

But when He did come,
He resurrected Lazarus
from the dead,
for the honor and glory
of God.

What a story!

It's often the little words that jump out and grab me.

Notice Mary and Martha's description
of Jesus and Lazarus in one little phrase-
"He whom you love..."

I think I am going to start praying that way.

"Lord, she whom you love is walking through the valley of
the shadow of death. Please come and be with her
in tangible ways and walk hand in hand with her
into your glorious land."

"Lord, he whom you love is worried about making ends meet.
Please come and give wisdom and ideas and jobs
and a miracle."

"Lord, he whom you love has lost his way.
Please come and navigate him back into
truth and credibility."

And the he and she we pray for can be ourselves.

I love it.

"Lord, he whom you love is sick..."
"Lord, she whom you love needs you..."

In one little phrase,
we combine His Lordship,
His personal love for us,
and our need.

And in His own way,
in His own timing,
He will come to our aid.