DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT – WEDNESDAY WARRIOR! #10… WE NEED A PENTECOSTAL REVIVAL! The conclusion.

When Scottish theologian John Baillie taught at Edinburgh University, he made it a practice to open his course on the doctrine of God with these words: "We must remember, in discussing God, that we cannot talk about Him without His hearing every word we say. We may be able to talk about others behind their backs, but God is everywhere, yes, even in this classroom. Therefore, in all our discussions we must be aware of His infinite presence, and talk about Him, as it were, before His face." - SourceUnknown.

No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' – Acts 2:16-21. TNIV

In the past two weeks in, Part 1, and, Part 2, I shared how we desperately need a Holy Spirit driven Pentecostal revival, here on the Gold Coast of Queensland. I said that I didn’t mean an Assembly of God revival, a Baptist revival, a Charismatic revival, a Reformed revival, a Roman Catholic revival, a Presbyterian revival, or any other denominational revival; but that we need a true Holy Spirit Pentecostal revival!

What is a true "Pentecostal" revival?” The picture of Acts is often a far cry from what we see in many Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. First let's look at what it is not.

A Pentecostal revival is not:
A revival of programs
A revival of human personalities
A revival of pomp and circumstance.

A true Pentecostal revival is a revival of His PASSION, a revival of His POWER, and…

A REVIVAL OF HIS PRESENCE
The early believers lived in His presence; they continuously walked in the Spirit... And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. - John 14:16-17.

The Holy Spirit, will live with those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour, until the end of time. His Spiritual Gifts and Grace would daily encourage their lives. The gift of the Holy Spirit is imparted upon the followers of Christ, and not on the world. This is the Grace that God grants to His chosen. As the source of holiness and happiness, the Holy Spirit will live and operate in every believer for ever.

The Holy Spirit just doesn't want to visit us on Sundays, or when we have a revival. The Holy Spirit was sent to “abide” with us. He wants to take up residence within our heart and soul, continually bearing witness with our spirit, that we are the Children of God. We cannot be satisfied with going through the motion, we must long for the presence of the Lord; He is the only genuine source of revival.

Finney wrote how God gave him mighty infillings of the Holy Spirit "that went through me, as it seemed, body and soul. I immediately found myself endued with such power from on high that a few words dropped here and there to individuals were the means of their immediate conversion. My words seemed to fasten like barbed arrows in the souls of men. They cut like a sword. They broke the heart like a hammer. Multitudes can attest to this...

Sometimes I would find myself in a great measure empty of this power. I would go and visit, and find that I made no saving impression. I would exhort and pray with the same results. I would they set apart a day for private fasting and prayer...after humbling myself and crying out for help, the power would return upon me with all its freshness. This has been the experience of my life." - W. Duewel.

The Psalmist said in Ps 27:4 One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

A Pastor tells of visiting a church in California and finding a stirring red and orange banner on the wall. "Come Holy Spirit. Hallelujah!" it declared in words printed under a picture of a fire burning. The Pastor was also interested in the sign directly underneath the banner which said: "Fire extinguisher." So much for that Church's commitment to spiritual renewal.

Are all these attributes of a Pentecostal revival part of our lives? If not, then we need revival. Let us pray to experience the Passion, the Power, and the Presence of God, for a true Pentecostal Revival in our lives.

Oh, that the Holy Spirit would blow across this sinner’s paradise, and fan the flame within the followers of Jesus, that they would walk the walk, and talk the talk! A true Pentecostal Revival is for righteous living, and for winning the lost to Christ! Hallelujah! Praise the wonderful name of Jesus!

Loving Father, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit to be a mighty warrior for you, and for the extension of your Kingdom, help me to realise that revival begins in me, fuelled by the teachings of Jesus, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. I ask this in the wonderful Name of Jesus. Amen.

Be encouraged!
GBYAY