Monday, March 31, 2008

Revive Us Again!

“Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?” (Psalm 85:6)

Has it ever seemed as if you were out there all alone as a Christian?  Sometimes it feels like you are the only one who is serving the Lord or speaking up for Him at your workplace or school.  You know others who are Christians, but they are afraid to stand up and be counted as such.

As dark as things are, remember this.  Isaiah 59:19 says, “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against him.”  So here is the good news: when things are really wicked, when things are really dark, you can anticipate that God will do something.

That is why, as I look at the way things are going, I am praying and hoping for a work of God in our generation.  When you look back at the great revivals in history, biblical and otherwise, you find five traits that are true of every revival:

  1. All revivals began during a time of national depression and deep moral distress. 
  2. Revivals usually began with an individual, someone whom God would work on or work through.  It may have been someone who would pray or someone who would preach. 
  3. Every revival was built on the Word of God being preached, taught boldly, and obeyed. 
  4. Every revival brought about an awareness of sin and the need to repent of it. 
  5. Every revival brought about a change in the moral climate; something happened in the culture as a result.

When God is forgotten, a moral breakdown soon will follow.  But when we are really doing what God wants us to do, it will have an impact on our culture.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries.  All rights reserved.  Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New King James Version, copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. 

For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to  www.harvest.org.