Ride the Wave of Revival - Through Repentance

This topic has been burning me up for weeks. I don't know how to write about it except just to pour it out as it has been LIT UP in my heart by Jesus.

Consider the meaning of repentance - a turning around and a changing of the mind to a new opinion. With regard to God and sin it is saying "You are right and I was wrong - teach me to understand that in every aspect of my existence".

What is this I hear? A voice saying revival and salvation without explaining the meaning of the cross of Christ and true repentance. Proclamations of deliverance that neglect to proclaim the fullness of Him in whom we have salvation by grace through faith. These voices speak “peace, peace when there is no peace.” They seemingly heal the hurt of God’s people a little, even as the scriptures say they will do in these days. THERE IS NO REVIVAL WITHOUT TRUE REPENTANCE.

Consider the meaning of salvation by grace through faith - Trusting that Jesus' death on the Cross was sufficient to pay for my sins. Jesus says we who believe in Him, though we die, we shall live forever with Him. If we have faith and trust in this, we can participate in the rest of the promise. The bible says "It is of God that we are in Christ Jesus." The Father placed us in Christ – we were a part of Him when He died on the cross. We were IN Him when He was crucified and our old man was crucified with Him. When the Father raised Jesus from the dead, we were raised with him with a new life of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, living within us. Now we can learn to let Christ live His awesome life through us.

A prayer asking Jesus into my heart will not save me. I must know what salvation is before I am able to have faith in what Christ has done. Yes, it is possible signs and wonders will startle me into understanding that God is real, but what must I do to be saved? God wants to soften hearts to receive His truth, not JUST to be "wowed". True faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. If the word is not proclaimed, in what is the prayer of faith at the altar call trusting? THERE IS NO TRUE REPENTANCE WITHOUT THE UNDERSTANDING OF SALVATION. But understanding comes by grace from the Spirit of God who uses men to deliver the gospel of peace - what a privilege!

Romans 10:14-15
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “ How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

And for those who have already been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, how are we to be revived again except “according to your word” OH GOD !?

When it all comes down to it, there is only ONE THING we must know – Christ crucified.

Do we, as God’s children, desire to walk in supernatural power working the signs and wonders of God? There is so much enthusiasm for this now and I love to see God’s people excited about Him. But if I am not in a position of humility, what power am I operating in? What does humility really mean? It is a position of complete and total dependence on God. We may often say we can do nothing without God but in truth, we do many things without Him. Every day we (often subconsciously) assume our natural talents, understanding, or skills will get us through situation after situation. In work done for God, it is often the same. We apply techniques or prayers we have been taught to create the desired effect and God in His mercy often does move simply because He loves us and we are His children! But good intentions to work for God are not enough if we REALLY want to see the power of God manifested.

We must apply the death of the cross to our entire soulish life, including our desires and plans for God. It is of God that we are in Christ Jesus. The Father placed us in Christ – we were a part of Him when He died on the cross. We were IN Him when He was crucified and our old man was crucified with Him.

I pray we will receive a deeper revelation of what this means. This is the key to humility. We cannot simply be humble by determining in ourselves that we desire to be humble. We cannot be fully submitted to the will of God by desire alone. It is only through apprehending BY FAITH that our old man (and our soulish self-reliance) was put to death with Christ that we may become progressively more humble, more submitted to God, and more able to receive the resurrection life and power of God. Vessels of honor are formed and cleansed for honorable work only as the potter remakes them through revelation of the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 4:7, 10-11
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us .... always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

as always - with love IN HIM,
Karen.