We are living in a very exciting time for the Church and the world. We are living in the last days, the days Haggai the prophet wrote about:
For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace.
(Hag. 2:6-9)
God is shaking the heavens and the earth with His mighty Spirit. Revival is truly in the land. When this scripture says that after the shaking, "the desire of all nations shall come," it is referring to Jesus coming again.
I believe God wants to accomplish many things in the earth through His people before He sends Jesus to catch the Church away. I feel the Lord has already started to bring a mighty revival to the earth that is changing the hearts of many people around the world.
Changed Hearts
One of the first things God wants to accomplish through revival is giving each person a changed and repentant heart. Ezekiel 36:26-27 says,
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.When a person has been touched by the power of God, his heart is changed. There is something about having an encounter with the Lord God Almighty that brings an everlasting change. God said that He would take out the old stony heart and put in a new one. That's powerful! The Lord has the ability to recreate a person on the inside and make him new again.
A song we sing in church says, "I have something on the inside working on the outside. Oh, what a change in my life."
God is in the business of making things new. Second Corinthians 5:17 tells us, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Revival is needed today in the Body of Christ. Revival removes the chains of tradition and dead religion, which have kept God's people in bondage way to long. God is re-firing His Church, and it is wonderful!
Experiencing Revival For Yourself
People often ask me, "How can I experience revival in my own life?" That is a good question, isn't it? The answer is "Get spiritually hungry" because spiritual hunger triggers revival.
The best illustration I can give of spiritual hunger is a man who has been stranded in the desert for three days. With great difficulty, he finally makes his way back to civilization. At the edge of town, someone comes up to him and says, "I would like to give you a brand new car, a big house on the hill, and a half a million dollars."
But the man who has survived the desert cries, "Give me water! Please, just give me water!" The man doesn't care about cars, houses, or money. He wants nothing but water. He has been in the desert for three days—his lips are parched and bleeding, his tongue is swollen. He knows he has to have water or he will die.
That is how we are to be with God. So thirsty for Him, because we know that if we can't get a touch from Him, we will die.
Lives Set on Fire
Not only does revival bring a changed and repentant heart, but revival also sets people on fire for more of God. Hebrews 1:7 says, "And of the angels he saith, who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire." This is not just referring to pastors, teachers, and evangelists. We are all ministers of reconciliation and the Lord wants all of us to be on fire for Him.
John Wesley was a mighty man of God who began the Methodist movement in the late nineteenth century. A circuit rider, Wesley traveled on horseback from church to church, making his rounds each week. A young minister once asked him, "How is it that you have such large crowds in your meetings?"
Wesley replied, "Get on fire for God—and people will come watch you burn."
People are drawn to those who have passion and purpose. When you are on fire for God, the desire to win the lost is ever burning within you. The compassion of God for other people is great. The world is searching for the truth, and you have the answer.
You may be saying to yourself, "I want to be on fire for God." Friend, you can! Just position yourself where the glory of God is being poured out. God will put His treasure in you. You will be filled full and overflow to others.
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