"The only reason we don't have revival is because we are willing to live without it!" -Leonard Ravenhill
Lord send revival. Lord send revival. Lord send revival. Much of my prayer life consists of an ongoing asking for revival in our cities, nations and the world. After praying, and seeking and believing for it, my mind begins to wander, pondering deeper, "What does revival look like?" What would it look like at the onset? And most burning in my heart, how can we keep it sustained? (Let me first say--that above all else it will be by Gods uncomparable GRACE that He would send revival... but He wants us to be a part:) )
First- what does revival look like? In answering my own question, I began looking at the new testament and the life of Jesus. Revival looks like LOVE walking around on earth. Jesus was our greatest example of what love on legs looks like. Following Jesus, the disciples became love to people and transformed the face of the earth! Last night, a girl here at the ramp, talked about the verse, "Love covers a multitude of sins". She used the analogy that we are the shovel and love is the dirt. When someone hurts us...we shovel the dirt and cover over the hurt with love. When someone offends us...we shovel the dirt and cover over the offense with love. Wwhen someone is addicted and is contiually going backward...we shovel the dirt and cover over the addiction with love. Can you imagine the impact this "covering" of love would have on the CHURCH if we truly lived this way? And then...what impact would it have on the world?!? God is love. If we don't learn to operate in love and if the motivation of our hearts does not become love...I don't believe we will see revival. Another generation will go by without being wholly revived.
I believe when revival starts we will begin to see first love restored and unity in the bride of Christ. Then what will we NOT see!!! If we can learn to love Jesus and people, I think God is ready to pour out salvation, miracles, signs and wonders ..."I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." John 14:12 .
How do we sustain it...the same way it came!! Burning in the secret place for Jesus and allowing that love, born in the fire of His presence, spill over into the world. If we keep seeking. Keep living a life of holiness. Keep burning for Him...revival will come and will stay.
For an incredibly challenging yet prvoking read, read "Why Revival Tarries" by Leonard Ravenhill. It will transform your thinking on revival!
Love you all. Keep burning in the secret place.
"I pray that the Lord would raise up men and women in our churches, men and women who count others as greater than themselves and who don’t care about being known by other men, but that they would be known by you God. That is enough." Ravenhill
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Real Love
I sometimes find myself in a discussion with the Lord about things that I just cannot understand. Typically, the things I just cannot understand, are actions and beliefs of Christians. I keep asking myself, "What does love really look like?" And so, I thought for a little while I would let you step into my mind. This blog could be considered a bit of a soapbox...but hey, i think we all need soapbox moments sometimes.
The first thought that comes to mind was stirred up after reading a friends blog here in Alabama concerning unwanted/foster/orphaned children. Why do we have children who are unwanted and unloved in America? Did Jesus not say that TRUE religion was to care for orphans and widows? Here's a little snippit from her blog..."80% of children diagnosed with down syndrome in America are aborted. That's outrageous, yet are we willing? There are more african american babies dying in America than are being born. That is outrageous, yet are we willing? There are thousands of children trapped in the sex slave trade who will come out with disfunction and wounds. That is outrageous, yet are we willing? There are currently 130,000 children (give or take some) available for adoption in the foster care system in America today. There are 300,000 churches in America. If every other church in our nation adopted a child we would have no more orphaned children in our nation. I think we can do this. I think God, in His great mercy, wants to give us an adoption movement. He wants to answer the shedding of the blood of 50 million babies with an adoption movement IF the church will be willing. We have no grounds to contend for the ending of abortion if we aren't willing to become the answer to our own prayers. If we say yes we can shape the world, one child a time."
I don't know about you but this just stirs my spirit. What does love look like? It looks like every child loved and with a family that loves Jesus.
The next thought that I ponder is why there is so much preaching today about what God can give us and so very little preaching about what we can give God. Please don't misunderstand what I am about to say. I do believe in the blessing and provision of God. I do believe He hasn't created us to operate in lack or poverty...But...because we are americans, i believe our perception of "lack" or "poverty" is skewed.
"If one hundred people represented the worlds population, 53 of those would live on less than $2 a day. Do you realize that if you make $4000 a month you automatically make 100 times more than the average person on this planet. Which is more messed up--that we have so much compared to everyone else, or that we don't think we're rich? That on any given day we might flippantly call ourselves "broke" or "poor"? We are neither of those things. We are rich. Filthy rich." (-Crazy Love)
Last night I was talking about this with a friend, and we came to the conclusion that our salvation from Jesus is enough and that He owes us nothing else. I often think of the scripture that says that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. If its harder to enter when you're rich, why do we desire great wealth? I mean, I know all of the "great" things that can be accomplished with money...but I also know that money has a way of drawing man away from the Lord, for whatever reason. I pray that the Lord would raise up a people that know Him in such a way that He is their treasure...He is their wealth. I guess I have just seen a church so distracted and focused on money that they are missing Jesus. What does real love look like? Selling everything and giving it to the poor and then following Jesus.
Those are my thoughts for today. It is impossible to love like Jesus without Him. God is love. Jesus--let my life look like real love.
The first thought that comes to mind was stirred up after reading a friends blog here in Alabama concerning unwanted/foster/orphaned children. Why do we have children who are unwanted and unloved in America? Did Jesus not say that TRUE religion was to care for orphans and widows? Here's a little snippit from her blog..."80% of children diagnosed with down syndrome in America are aborted. That's outrageous, yet are we willing? There are more african american babies dying in America than are being born. That is outrageous, yet are we willing? There are thousands of children trapped in the sex slave trade who will come out with disfunction and wounds. That is outrageous, yet are we willing? There are currently 130,000 children (give or take some) available for adoption in the foster care system in America today. There are 300,000 churches in America. If every other church in our nation adopted a child we would have no more orphaned children in our nation. I think we can do this. I think God, in His great mercy, wants to give us an adoption movement. He wants to answer the shedding of the blood of 50 million babies with an adoption movement IF the church will be willing. We have no grounds to contend for the ending of abortion if we aren't willing to become the answer to our own prayers. If we say yes we can shape the world, one child a time."
I don't know about you but this just stirs my spirit. What does love look like? It looks like every child loved and with a family that loves Jesus.
The next thought that I ponder is why there is so much preaching today about what God can give us and so very little preaching about what we can give God. Please don't misunderstand what I am about to say. I do believe in the blessing and provision of God. I do believe He hasn't created us to operate in lack or poverty...But...because we are americans, i believe our perception of "lack" or "poverty" is skewed.
"If one hundred people represented the worlds population, 53 of those would live on less than $2 a day. Do you realize that if you make $4000 a month you automatically make 100 times more than the average person on this planet. Which is more messed up--that we have so much compared to everyone else, or that we don't think we're rich? That on any given day we might flippantly call ourselves "broke" or "poor"? We are neither of those things. We are rich. Filthy rich." (-Crazy Love)
Last night I was talking about this with a friend, and we came to the conclusion that our salvation from Jesus is enough and that He owes us nothing else. I often think of the scripture that says that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. If its harder to enter when you're rich, why do we desire great wealth? I mean, I know all of the "great" things that can be accomplished with money...but I also know that money has a way of drawing man away from the Lord, for whatever reason. I pray that the Lord would raise up a people that know Him in such a way that He is their treasure...He is their wealth. I guess I have just seen a church so distracted and focused on money that they are missing Jesus. What does real love look like? Selling everything and giving it to the poor and then following Jesus.
Those are my thoughts for today. It is impossible to love like Jesus without Him. God is love. Jesus--let my life look like real love.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)