If you are anything like me, your heart is wrapped up in the church. That means I take seriously the things that happen in the church that I attend and also what happens in the name of Christ across this nation and around the world.
The first distinguishing mark of a true Christian is his message; second, his church should preach it consistently. A church that exists to make people feel good or improperly soothe their conscience is neither Biblical or pleasing to God.
Revival: the Spirit of divine life poured into a human soul
The message of the true Christian and church is one of a constant need for Christ, that is a revival. William P. Machay, the medical doctor turned church minister, said it best in 1867 with the words of the hymn Revive Us Again.
We praise thee, O God, for the Son of thy love, For Jesus who died and is now gone above.
Hallelujah, Thine the glory! Hallelujah, Amen! Hallelujah, Thine the glory! Revive us again.
We praise thee, O God, for thy Spirit of light, Who has shown us our Savior and scattered our night.
All glory and praise to the Lamb that was slain, Who has borne all our sins and has cleansed every stain.
Revive us again – fill each heart with thy love; May each soul be rekindled with fire from above.
Please give special thought to the sentiments of this wonderful song. It gives praise to a God so beneficent and self-sacrificing that He offered His only begotten Son to death, in verse one, then returned Him to His rightful place of glory. One day the Son will be exalted before all who are resurrected from the dead.
It is a Lamb that was slain so that sins could be cleansed. Sin is always the primary focus of a gospel message. Indeed, there is no gospel apart from the preaching of sin, repentance, forgiveness, and restoration. Therefore, the song ends with the words revive us again because only when a heart is filled with the love from above, can it be rekindled with fire for the same.
The choir director for King David when penning Psalm 80 repeatedly wrote, “O God, restore us and cause Your face to shine [upon us], and we will be saved.” In each case but the last, the author is calling for God to return, so that the shinning of His face may save His people. In the last verse, the word revival does not mean to return but to be given new life.
Only when the life of God is poured into a living soul is revival experienced. Such a revival rekindles the fire, fire for God, His exaltation, His will, His glory, His praise, His Son, His Spirit, and most importantly His truth, which is the only truth.
Seeker-sensitive, Health and Wealth, Liberal Mainline, Cultic Anti-Christ, Denominationally enslaved churches need revival most of all. Why? Because a day is coming when there will be a resurrection from the dead. On that Day the One true God who created all things will judge all men. Hebrews 4:13 speaks of God in this way. “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”
God will judge on the basis of what all men did with His Son. On that Day His words will be heard, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” These words will be spoken to the many who will say to the Lord, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ (Matthew 7:22,23)
Without revival, religion is empty, hypocritical, and worthless. It is detestable in the sight of God, it insights Him to wrath, it brings judgment the likes of which no man wants to even think about. (Matthew 23)
When the unrighteous, religious or not, are revived they are given the life of God, a new and improved heart, and a good and healthy relationship with the One true and living God. When God’s children have been revived again they are rekindled with a fire that makes them love God, His children, and His ways. It makes them speak out for His glory and righteousness. It makes them burn in sorrow over their sin and the sins of the world.
Since 1973 US abortions and murders that literally tear unborn babies from the safety of their mother’s womb, as of April 8, 2019, are 61, 194, 637. Since 1980 worldwide abortions are 1, 530, 824, 105, they now surpass the deaths caused by the wars throughout all human history.
REVIVE US O’ GOD; REVIVE US AGAIN!