Today we see the world is in chaos, with Corona virus, with riots happening. with racial divides, partisan politics at its peak. World, and especially America is in Chaos.
Every physical problem that is manifested outside ,the root is a spiritual.
If we see the Riots happening, there is spiritual issue that is going on.
The founders of some of the movements , they actually do black magic.
In 1800s when Civil war happened, Abraham Lincon prayed, He saw what many others could not see.
Lincon prayed and said Lord Have mercy, but if the blood of all the slaves has to be compensated, let it be so.
The answer for these situations is not a medical vaccine, not a political solution, but every problem has the answer in Revival.
Famous Revivals
https://www.sharefaith.com/blog/2016/06/5-great-american-revivals/
First Great Awakening - Jonathan Edwards is well-known for his “Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God”
John Weasley, Charles Wesley, preached to millions.
Second Great Awakening - Charles Finney ( America and England)
Third Great Awakening - DL Moody - Street preaching
Azusa Street Revival - Pentecostal movement ( William Seymour)
Twentieth Century Revival - Billy Sunday and Billy Graham
For all of these Revivals. there is some problem at its base.
In 1700s, People spirituality died down. Because Colonies of England are flourishing with wealth.
Then Jonathan Edwards started preaching his message Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God.
1820 -1850wSecond , moral fabric of society started going down. there is no morals. misplaced affections, sin are ruining society.
Third 1875-1865 - Civil war, Great Chicago Fire . DL Moody was not educated.
Fourth 1906-1915 - Pentecostal movement, there was no holiness.
Fifth - twentieth century - Billy Sunday and Billy Graham.
If everything is going good, why do we need a revival.
When we see these situations around are dead, we should know it is the time for a spiritual awakening.
Riots to Revival.
Revival - When the situations are dead , there is need of revival.
Revival - This is a time of Revival.
I believe This is the most important fasting prayer we have ever done in our Church History.
I believe every prayer that we are going to pray in these 21 days has a great spiritual impact.
Remember , every time we pray in these 21days , we are sowing a seed for revival, and who knows the revival might break through from the Fords, NJ.
During the Pentecostal movement, which started on Holiness movement. William Seymour was praying 7 hours a day for many moths n the exepctation that God would act on the right time.
Revival starts with a prayer. and we are here for that prayer.
On a Labor day, you can rest and get ready the coming work week and school week, but the fact that you chose to be part of this makes a big impact.
In the New Testament: If there is a big revival that hapenned, it was through John the Baptist is one man who had big revival.
Since the time of Malachi 400 years, there was
A Revival man is a witness.
A Revival man speaks Truth even when it hurts others, or even when it hurts him.
Look at the ministry or revival meeting of this man - John the Baptist
Matthew 3: 4-6
4 Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
John was different.
Today many preachers are driven by the audience.
if the audience are hiphop, now you see worship bands looks like hiphop to impress.
If the audience are mostly young people who wear torn jeans, then preachers and worship bands starts wearing the torn jeans, and follow their styles.
But John the Baptist was different, he moved in Power of Spirit of God. He style was based on what he was motivated by Spirit of God.
he didnot dance to the tune of audience.
Revival comes because you follow God, not you follow the todays style.
A Revival Starts with Truth of God.
Luke 3: 7-14
7 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 9 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”10 So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”11 He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”12 Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?”So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”15 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, 16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”
When you are organizing a revival meeting and a baptism meeting, what kind of words you speak.
We are so glad that , that this decision you took will change your life. But Revival has another way of talk.
A true man of God is not a man pleaser, but God pleaser. Whetever is the truth of God, he says it.
If we want a revival, we should stop sugarcoating the truth, and rather start speaking the truth of God.
Say as it is. What Gods Word says, declare it. what Gods Word speaks , speak to the people.
We talk about weather, politics, entertainment, sports, but when it comes to the Salvation ,we dont speak.
Sports it doesnot hurt others, entertainment does not hurt others.
but when we talk about salvation, people are convicted, but still speak.
Even John was arrested and beheaded for telling the Truth. But he did not care for his life, but said the Truth,
Truth has Power.
Johns Revival has multitudes.
Because John Started speaking truth, do you think crowds were less.
Mark 1:4
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
Johns meetings were in wilderness, preaching baptism of repentance.
Whole Judea came, Jerusalem came, they were all baptized.
Multitudes coming to Johns meetings.
Revivals best part is witnessing.
Johns Witness.
John 1
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
And he answered, “No.”
22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
23 He said: “I am
‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’
as the prophet Isaiah said.”
In Witness, you make empty of yourself.
John the Baptist said, Iam not a Christ, not Elijah, not a prophet, but a voice of once crying in wilderness,
John says I am not worthy - John points everything to Christ.
JOhn3:30 says "He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Spirit of a revival man says He must increase , bu t I must decrease.
32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
John does not know who that Light is.
Remember John was the cousin of Jesus.
They might have grown together, may be they have visited their homes, but they knew very well. But never John testified about Jesus.
But when The Spirit descended and remained on Him, He recognized Jesus, as One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. Then John says I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.
When John knew Jesus in an earthly way as a cousin, a man of good wisdom, he never testified, but when Spirit revealed, he testified.
many times we wonder why we are not able to testify about Jesus to people around us.
because we too often have head knowledge about Christ, coming to Church year after year, we know so much, we can pick up the scriptures, we can talk so much, but only when the work of the Spirit is revealed, our lives are shallow.
Your witness for Christ is not by Theology you have, not the head knowledge you have.
But your witness for Christ by the revelation of Spirit of God.,
We should go on our knees and pray , Lord I was not able to witness.
We might be wondering how to testify.
God gives every person a dominion:
When i Say a dominion,
If we see police stations, and courts - for each county, they count has courts, for each city the city has its courts. that is its jurisdiction.
In the same manner, every man - has his jurisdiction and God has put certain people in your boundaries- Say Colleagues, friends, neighbors, relatives, your frequently contacted people.
How do we testify.
John 15:16 - GO
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you
A tree might bear the fruit by just staying in its place, but a man bears the fruit by GO and bear fruit.
1 John : 1- 4
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
John the Baptist was one of the great man of God who sparked a revival and that too before the ministry of Jesus started.
He emptied himself. He did not boast of his degrees of his qualifications.but rather spoke the truth of God.
Not only He spoke the Truth of God, He became a witness.
His witness is not by mere knowledge, but his witness is by the revelation of Spirit of God.
There is no one greater than John the Baptist.
Luke 7:28 says
28 For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
Today we are living in desperate times, people are looking for answers.
country is divided among racial lines, everyone might be thinking what is going on.
The answer is in a revival.
Can we have heart of prayer.
When many Churches are still online, we as a Church are gathering every Sunday and have fasting prayer.
When many Churches could not gather because they dont have a space to worship, do you know that God has provided a Church building of our own where we can worship freely, set up everything that we need .
When many Churches could not gather, we have 21 days of Fasting prayer, every day we are meeting. Thats a Gods provision, many might be wondering how Christ Assembly of God is having every day prayer meeting in the house of God.
God has bigger things in store for us.
We are up for a revival.
Can we pray, Lord make me part of this revival. Use me.
