REVIVAL
The Church today, God’s people who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, need to experience deep revival, an awakening not known in the past 100 years.
The world seems in total chaos today – most things seem out of control. Wars abound, violence is rampant, disrespect toward anyone and everyone is widespread, self-centeredness is “the rule” of life, and the Christian faith is under attack around the world. How has this happened?
The Church, the true Church, over the past generation has been silent. It has lost it’s voice. The Church has become fearful instead of fearless. The Church has become compromised instead of standing strong and bold in the face of cultural evil and sin. The Church has traded God’s unchanging truth for cultural acceptance.
What will it take for the Church to experience revival? What will it take for the Church to grasp a new awakening? Perhaps some insight and instruction from Scripture, the book of Nehemiah, would be a good place to start.
In Nehemiah 1:3, Nehemiah received word while in captivity that “……the remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach; the walls of Jerusalem also is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire”. This is a dismal picture of a once glorious city. Could an analogy be drawn to the Church today? Could the situation found in Jerusalem be a picture of the Church in this day? The “walls” of truth have been neglected and allowed to be “torn down” through the Church’s silence and lack of commitment to the mission given to it by the Lord Jesus Christ himself to impact the world, the culture, and society for Christ. Ministers of the Word of God have allowed the Christian faith to be presented as only an ethical system of behavior instead of proclaiming the person of Jesus Christ and the infinite, eternal relationship Jesus wants with every individual. The Gospel is about believing this truth that Jesus paid each individual’s penalty for sin on the cross of Calvary. Salvation is available to those who will believe this according to Scripture. Salvation has nothing to do with an individual’s behavior; it has everything to do with believing. I refer you to the Gospel of John 3:18.
So receiving this news, what did Nehemiah do? Is there a “model” for Christians to consider?
In Nehemiah 1:4, we are told Nehemiah did this……”when I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven”.
There’s the “model”: Before the Lord, he wept, mourned, fasted and prayed. For the Church, this is called confession and repentance.
As a Christian, are you convicted of sin in your life? Then weep, mourn, fast and pray. Are you convicted of complacency in your life to the things of God? Then weep, mourn, fast and pray. Are you convicted of your own silence in standing for Jesus Christ? Then weep, mourn, fast and pray. Are you convicted of self-centeredness in most aspects of life? Then weep, mourn, fast and pray. Are you convicted of a lack of boldness in proclaiming Christ to the world, your friends and your family? Then weep, mourn, fast and pray.
True confession before the Lord of heaven as you weep, mourn, fast and pray will bring a cleansing, a renewal, a revival, and an awakening in your life and the collective life of the Church. If all God’s people would perhaps follow Nehemiah’s example, the Church would become, will become, vibrant again, truth would be proclaimed, lives would be eternally saved and changed, revival and a great awakening for the glory of God would be seen and experienced throughout our cities, states and nation.
Now is the time for revival. No more fear; no more complacency; no more self-centeredness; no more cowardice. It’s time for confession and repentance for the people of God, his Church – weep, mourn, fast and pray.
To God be the glory – great things He will do as we, His people, humble ourselves before His throne. We will find grace to help in our time of need. The Church will then fulfill it’s mission to the world to proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. Time is running short – are you “all in”??