By Ronald E.
George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church
What is a revival?
A revival is a resurgence of the presence and power of God in the
life of an individual and or a church. A
revival should change the way you think and live.
Most of all, a revival can give you a better and more enjoyable
Christian life. Jesus said that
He gave to us an abundant life. But
many don’t take advantage of the joy they could have when they don’t
experience a revival.
Tomorrow is Tax day. It
was recently reported that many taxpayers over pay the government an average
of $438. Some of the reasons
given were that the forms were too complicated.
Others said that they didn’t want to fool with taking the time
necessary to make sure they got all of the deductions they could have had.
Over 2 million people overpay the government each year and half of
those go to professional tax preparers for their annual tax filing.
Don’t pay more than you should.
Enjoy your money. You have earned it and the right to enjoy it.
But you have to ask for it. Ask
for your refund!
John 16:24
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that
your joy may be full. 1John
1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
Like our opportunity to enjoy our money, our Christian
lives can be enjoyed to the heights of joy and satisfaction.
But, to continue to enjoy the abundant life in Christ we need to file
our request from the Lord. Let’s ask him to give it to us.
Don’t go through life without having all that you could have as a
Christian.
Here is a story of a king by the name of Hezekiah that
asked for a revival, and then he took the steps necessary to assure that the
Lord was listening. He filed for
all that the Lord could give. What
do we have to do have a revival like Hezekiah had?
Scripture Text:
2Chr 29:1 (KJS) Hezekiah began to reign [when he was] five and twenty
years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his
mother's name [was] Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 2 And he did [that
which was] right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his
father had done. 3 He in the first year of his reign, in the first month,
opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them. 4 And he
brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the
east street, 5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now
yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and
carry forth the filthiness out of the holy [place]. 6 For our fathers have
trespassed, and done [that which was] evil in the eyes of the LORD our God,
and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation
of the LORD, and turned [their] backs. {turned their...: Heb. given the
neck} 7 Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the
lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy
[place] unto the God of Israel. 8 Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon
Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment,
and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes. 9 For, lo, our fathers have fallen
by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives [are] in
captivity for this. 10 Now [it is] in mine heart to make a covenant with the
LORD God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us. 11 My sons,
be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to
serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.
How
to Begin a revival:
1.
You must decide to do that which is right in the sight of the
Lord according to all that our heavenly Father wants for us.
You must have a heart for the Lord.
You have been given the right to enjoy presence of the Lord.
Have you filed for all that you could have as a Christian?
Today is the second Sunday of the fourth month and it could be your
day. It could be the day you ask
for all that God can give.
2.
You must open the doors of the Lord’s house and repair them.
Take time to get together with the Lord.
How can then be a revival of the Spirit of the Lord if we don’t get
together with Him? Get together
in your homes; get together in your church (Heb. 10:25), and get together in
your life with the Lord. Come on
in and sit down with the Lord. Talk
to the Father and let Him be your friend.
3.
You must sanctify the leaders first.
Sanctify means to become set apart to the Lord.
Give yourself to God. As the leaders of the church go then so goes the
church. Those who are in positions of leadership must be the first to
take the steps that are pleasing to the Lord.
4.
You must clean up the Lord’s house.
Why clean the house? Why
do we have spring-cleaning? Not
cleaning leads to dirt, germs, and disease and all those things lead to death.
Dirt happens and it continues to happen as long as we live.
You don’t have to do anything to need to spring clean.
This sanctuary is the place where we worship the Lord, but the Lord
lives in the heart. Do you need
to clean out your heart?
5.
You must acknowledge that you have turned your back of the Lord.
Repent Jesus said because the kingdom of Heaven is near or close by.
If we neglected the desires of the Lord in our life then we have turned
away from the Lord.
6.
You must restore worship (prayer, sacrifices, and offerings).
We must begin again to pray, sacrifice, and honor the Lord by
giving of ourselves to the one who is truly worthy of all that we have and all
that we are.
7.
You must want to restore the covenant with the Lord.
We must rededicate and recommit ourselves to the Lord.
He loves you and wants to give you all that He has. Will you call on the name of the Lord and ask Him.
The Bible says that we have not because we ask not.
Will you ask?
8.
You must remember that the Lord has chosen you …the
LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should
minister unto him, and burn incense.
He wants you to be His. Do
you want Him? He wants you to
minister to Him by serving others. The
burning of incense is symbolic of the prayers of the people going up before
Him. Will you offer your prayers
before Him today?
9.
Will you choose Him again? He doesn’t give up on you, but sometimes we give up on
Him. Don’t let the blessings
that God wants to give you go by. Ask
and you shall receive.