Tag:

Revival

A New …

by TerryLema

It is a new month. Meteorologists recognize March 1 as the first day of meteorological spring, which is based on annual temperature cycles and the Gregorian calendar. Astronomical spring (the official one) occurs around the 20th of March. I’ll take this as the first day of spring, a transition between the cold winter months and the hot summer ones. Most people look forward to the trees budding and the flowers blooming again.

I do not know if you have been following what is happening on many of our college campuses. It can be summed up in one word, “Revival.” There has been a spiritual awakening flowing through some of the colleges in our nation. And now it appears to be exiting those confines and lighting up other places. (Could it be that the long spiritual winter is behind us, and the spring of spiritual newness is just ahead?)

Revival has frequently occurred among the young. That is as it should be! They have the energy and the vitality needed to spread a spiritual awakening in our world. But that does not leave out those of us who perhaps do not have that energy and vitality anymore.  We also have a duty. We are to surround this spiritual awakening with much prayer.

I have been praying for revival for our church, our city, our state, our nation, our world for many years. I so yearn to see the Holy Spirit move in power among us. I will continue to pray!

As Romans 5 reminded me this morning, “where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more.” [vs 4 HCSB]

For too long, sin has multiplied in our midst, it is time now that grace (and the glory of God) multiplies even more!

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No Longer Waiting for Revival!

by TerryLema

For years I have been praying for revival – revival for our churches, communities, nations, our world. I spent a few of those years simply waiting … waiting to see something different, to see something amazing happen. I looked to the revivals of times past and yearned for what they had.  I have heard promises and read prophecies that revival is just around the corner!

During the waiting time, I came to realize something different about revival.  Yes, there are amazing, miraculous works of God which spontaneously strike regions and nations. But revival, true Holy Spirit revival, is available to each one of us whenever we want.

Last Sunday the message at The Way was on “A Lifestyle of Repentance.”  Revival is found in a lifestyle of repentance.

We are all familiar with 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

In a lifestyle of repentance, there are two things vitally important that link to personal revival. First, when we walk in truthfulness about the condition of our hearts, we walk in the light, and the blood of Jesus continually cleanses us from sin. When that happens, we walk in daily revival.

Maybe we should read 1 John 1:9 this way, “Daily, as we confess our sins (both outward and inward ones), He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Second, true repentance, one that takes in a change of attitude and action toward our sin results in a radical and daily pursuit of holy living, walking with God in obedience to His commands. (Daily revival in true repentance is always linked to obedience to God’s Word and submission to the Holy Spirit.)

As we live a lifestyle of repentance, we will have this amazing, joy filled, daily living relationship with Christ Jesus our LORD. In other words, we will experience DAILY REVIVAL!

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Give Me Children

by TerryLema

I am tired this morning. Physically and emotionally tired certainly, any auto-immune disease will do that. I think that I am also a little tired spiritually.

My spiritual tiredness is not from any problems in my relationship with my LORD and Savior. He and I are on good terms. I love Him with all my heart. I try to worship and praise Him with abandon every opportunity presented. I sense His presence with me and His love for me. They flood my soul often.

I’ve tried to find the source of my spiritual “tiredness” by both praying about it and thinking a great deal about it. (Faith and prayer do not eliminate critical thought; they encompass it and conform it to God’s Word.)

I think I am feeling a bit like Rachel. Rachel was the love of Jacob’s life. He worked seven years for her hand in marriage, only to be deceived by her father, Laban, who gave Rachel’s older sister Leah to Jacob instead. Agreeing to another seven years with Laban, Jacob and Rachel were finally wed. The only problem, Leah was the one bearing children and Rachel was barren. Lamenting her barrenness, Rachel cried out, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” [Gen 30:1 NIV]

I love The Way Church and the people there are like family…closer than family. I love serving them. They are growing and seem to love being there. But … but … I wonder where the “children” are. Most of my church family have been Christians for years, they are well-grounded in Christ.

I keep asking God to open the floodgates and bring the unsaved. I keep asking for more “children” and I keep praying for salvations. And I seem to be growing a bit spiritually tired in what is proving to be a long wait.

Oh Father, “Give me children!” Amen.

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