DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT WEDNESDAY – REVIVAL MEANS HUMILIATION!

"What we need now is A revival of holiness. A revival of character. A revival of people who are utterly selfless and prepared to lay their lives on the altar for God." - Leonard Ravenhill.

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. - Act 3:19-21.

In light of my post yesterday about Fire, my good friend Dan Edelen at, Cerulean Sanctum, has posted a great article about Reformation, and poses the Question, “Can there be another Reformation?”

I believe there will be, but before that happens, there has to be revival. I also believe, that before anything like that can happen in our Churches, there must be a hunger, and thirsting after Jesus, and His word…

But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. - Rom 10:16-17.

But how should any call on the Lord Jesus, the Divine Saviour, who had not heard of him? And what is the life of a Christian but a life of prayer? It shows that we feel our dependence on him, and are ready to give up ourselves to him, and have a believing expectation of our all from him. It was necessary that the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles.

Somebody must show them what they are to believe. How welcome the gospel ought to be to those to whom it was preached! The gospel is given, not only to be known and believed, but to be obeyed. It is not a system of notions, but a rule of practice. The beginning, progress, and strength of faith is by hearing. But it is only hearing the word, as the word of God that will strengthen faith. – Matthew Henry.

There is no one that I know of, including myself, who would welcome any kind of humiliation, but if it is necessary for the gospel of the Lord Jesus, bring it on…

To the church a revival means humiliation, a bitter knowledge of failure, and an open and humiliating confession of sin on the part of her ministers and people. It is not the easy and glowing thing many think it to be, who imagine that it fills the empty pews, and reinstates the Church in power and authority.

It Comes To Scorch Before It Heals; it comes to rebuke ministers and people for their unfaithful witness, for their selfish living, for their neglect of the Cross, and to call them to daily renunciation, to an evangelical poverty, and to a deep and daily consecration.

This is why a revival has never been popular with large numbers within the Church. Because it says nothing to them of power such as they have learned to love, or of ease, or of success; it accuses them of sin, it tells them that they are dead, it calls them to awake, to renounce the world, and to follow Christ.

Is the church today ready to hear that voice? Is she bowed down before God in prostration of need, in conscious dejection of unworthiness, in passionate self-abasement and desire for that renewal which comes through renunciation? It may well be doubted. It is upon the hearts of the few that the agony falls.

Revival are not usually preceded by the awakening of the Church to a sense of need, but by the awakening of devout souls here and there, who feeling the need, begin to entreat God in prayer for a revival. Gradually this deepens and spreads until the sense of need becomes a burden, until the cry, "How long, Oh God! How long! Becomes an agony. This is the cry which God cannot deny. It is for that cry that we must intently listen.

Is there, then today a disposition to pray for a revival? Are devout men everywhere becoming alarmed, not for the success of the Church, but for the glory of Christ, lest it be lost altogether? Is there a sense of a burden lying upon men's hearts which will not give them rest, but which makes them agonize in prayer?

If not, then the night is not far spent, a deeper darkness still awaits us. Of what use would a revival be if we are not prepared for it? It would pass over us without doing its work. - James Burns.

LET’S PRAY FOR A REVIVAL, KEEPING IN MIND THAT REVIVAL STARTS WITH US!

Loving Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit, help me to revive myself, and to pray the same for my brothers and sisters in Christ, help me to hunger and thirst after Jesus and His word. In the wonderful Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen

Be encouraged!
GBYAY