"Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You. Psalm 51: 12, 13
Do you consider the word REVIVAL a noun or a verb? It is both in the grammatical sense but for the collective church, is the thing we look for the revival of the church body--a noun, or are we, individually, willing to be revived--a verb.
I can ask for a revival in my church And my country. In this, I am thinking it is a thing to watch, to see, in which to participate. That is a noun as in "Lord, send revival. We need a revival!"
But in speaking the word revival am I also asking for new life for myself? Am I admitting I'm dead and desiring to be alive? An example as in, "Lord, revive me. Give me new breath of life. Resurrect my spirit with Your Spirit!"
Then revival is a verb, something to be done, something changing, something moving, an exciting action.
Complacency is quicksand. Week after week we can go through the actions of church attendance and we settle in our faith. It no longer lifts us to higher heights, but fills the Sundays of our week.
When we see this form of death, like David, we need to cry out for the joy of our first encounter with Jesus. The joy we had when we asked Jesus to save us and the immediate response when He did.
Psalm 51: 12,13, is about personal revival, newness of life. When I am returned to the wonder and awesomeness of my salvation, I can be glad and rejoice, and shout and sing as a child again. It is then when those around me without Christ Jesus will see my new life and desire it. They will want to know my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
From a human standpoint, to be revived is like resurrection, we neither can provide ourselves life in either situation. The dead cannot do anything. God is the Life Giver.
Do you consider the word REVIVAL a noun or a verb? It is both in the grammatical sense but for the collective church, is the thing we look for the revival of the church body--a noun, or are we, individually, willing to be revived--a verb.
I can ask for a revival in my church And my country. In this, I am thinking it is a thing to watch, to see, in which to participate. That is a noun as in "Lord, send revival. We need a revival!"
But in speaking the word revival am I also asking for new life for myself? Am I admitting I'm dead and desiring to be alive? An example as in, "Lord, revive me. Give me new breath of life. Resurrect my spirit with Your Spirit!"
Then revival is a verb, something to be done, something changing, something moving, an exciting action.
Complacency is quicksand. Week after week we can go through the actions of church attendance and we settle in our faith. It no longer lifts us to higher heights, but fills the Sundays of our week.
When we see this form of death, like David, we need to cry out for the joy of our first encounter with Jesus. The joy we had when we asked Jesus to save us and the immediate response when He did.
Psalm 51: 12,13, is about personal revival, newness of life. When I am returned to the wonder and awesomeness of my salvation, I can be glad and rejoice, and shout and sing as a child again. It is then when those around me without Christ Jesus will see my new life and desire it. They will want to know my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
From a human standpoint, to be revived is like resurrection, we neither can provide ourselves life in either situation. The dead cannot do anything. God is the Life Giver.
Restore to me the joy of Your Salvation so people can be saved!
"Revive Me!"
AMEN!!!
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