REVIVAL! Fanning into Flame the Gift of God That is In You!
As many pray for REVIVAL, few seem to understand that true revival is the work of the Holy Spirit in those who know Christ! It’s somewhat easy to get people “fired up” for a brief emotional “high,” but if that’s all that happens there will be no lasting personal change and thus no true revival. Is this all that God has to offer? Does Christ want His Body, the Church, riding an endless roller coaster of religious zeal, devotion and commitment? Or is there something more?? There seems to be something missing in revivals of the past and the present … something that has the power to transform a brief spiritual experience into a lasting spiritual revival that can change lives and advance the kingdom of Jesus Christ in the world today. That “something” is REPENTANCE!! True repentance is the fuel for Spirit-produced revival! The repentance Jesus talked about deals with more than a verbal confession, a brief twinge of guilt and sorrow and a temporary change in behavior. True biblical, Holy Spirit-produced repentance involves the mind and the heart, as well as the will. Lasting transformation requires going beneath the surface to the core of the problem. This morning we will discover the true meaning of repentance and continue to draw near to God, asking Him to continue His work in us: “Will you not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in YOU?!!” (Psalm 85:6).