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HELEN SANDERS
8-22-2021
TRUE REVIVAL
Years ago, my late husband and I got a call from his parents, and they told us there was a revival going on in a local church where they lived. We were thrilled to hear this until we moved there and found out what they called a revival. It was simply a gathering of believers together to have a fifteen-minute sermon and then a carry-in dinner. There was nothing preached about repentance, and no altar call to get their lives and houses in order. This was not a true revival.
We were very disappointed, but this is what many think revival is. They invite someone in to speak at their church for a couple of days. The messages make them feel good about their lives, and the speaker leaves. This is not true revival. There has to be something to revive if there is a revival.
When we have the fire of God in our lives, which is the light of God, then we are to burn or shine for Jesus. Without salvation this is impossible. When that fire grows dim, someone must add fuel to our fire to get us “revived.” In order to do that, there has to be an acknowledgement of sin that brings repentance. It isn’t just a meeting where there is musical entertainment. It is much more than that. It is meant to stir the fires in believers lives up, so they get back to their first love.
What is our first love? It is the passion for Jesus that we had when we were born again. It is that passion that compels us to witness to others and bring them to Christ. It is that time when the fire burns so bright that it ignites other lives with the living flame of God.
Are you looking for true revival? Then you must be willing to go into the fire and be refined and come out ablaze for Jesus. Then and only then is it a true revival. All other things are just a show.
A few years ago, I was asked to be part of two different revivals. Both amassed a considerable amount of money to put these revivals on. In one they brought in singers and praise dancers and other entertainment. I chose not to go to it. I decided that it wasn’t a move of God. From what I understand no one got saved. The other one brought a few people into it, and no one left different. There was no fire! There was nothing different.
The saints in the New Testament gave their lives to bring the gospel to the lost. Then they taught them and equipped them and prepared them for life. They knew it might mean they would lose their lives, but they were willing to do this for Jesus. We see this going on in countries like Iran and in Afghanistan. Christians are being slaughtered for their stand. They went through the fire and were ablaze for Jesus.
Are you ablaze for Jesus? When is the last time that the fire of God burned in you so brightly that it passed on to someone else? I would like to know about it and share it here in our newsletter if it has happened. Click here to email me. I want to see the fire of God burn so brightly that no one can resist it. Do you?!
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