The Revival We Need (1)

'...Revive us again...' Psalm 85:6 NKJV

Hi everyone,
Just a reminder that tomorrow night April 11th 6:45pm here @CFW is our April Family Connection Night with Jeffery Portman speaking. Jeffery is form the NW Ministry Network and heads up the youth department. I hope you will make it a priority and be a part of what's doing here @CFW. I also wanted to give a praise report on how God moved mightily Sunday. We had over 130 in attendance, 22 visitors, 6 salvations, and 3 recommitments. Many lives touched through the youth skit and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Please be in prayer with me for those who chose to visit us and received Christ into their hearts. PTL!

I've been praying lately about revival. What does that look like in our culture today. For the older generations it will look different than to the younger generations. For the next few days let's talk about the revival we need in the church today. "a revival of life." True revival begins with an honest recognition that we have become spiritually dull, dry and even dead. Ezekiel describes it this way: 'The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones...and indeed they were very dry...He said to me, Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!'...And as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together...and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.' (Ezekiel 37:1-10 NKJV)
Ezekiel's vision teaches us the following truths:
(a) Revival begins with acknowledging we that we need more of God in our lives which translates in the church body.
(b) In many cases our church services have become too formal and dry.
(c) We must hunger for God's Word. Otherwise we live in denial, excusing and rationalizing our spiritual condition. God said to Israel, an agricultural people, 'Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness upon you.' (Hosea 10:12 NKJV)
Notice the elements in a true revival: An emphasis on righteous living; showing mercy to one another; recognizing our careless and cavalier attitude toward sin; crying out to God in sustained, heartfelt prayer, 'Revive us again, that your people may rejoice in You.'
You are loved!