KEYS TO REVIVAL

InSpired

THE PATHWAY TO REVIVAL

IT STARTS FROM YOU & THE CHURCH ( Series)

Some few years back, some  Believers gathered and started praying for Revival in their territory. 

They were asking for God to pour out the Holy Spirit upon every flesh in their Cities. They were praying that multitudes would be saved; that the over poplualtrd bars and parlours will be empty; that the night clubs and brothel will close down. 

They strongly desired that through their fervent prayers  sinners would become believers in Jesus Christ; be filled with The Holy Spirit and come to the knowledge of The Father and The Son and reign as kings in the stead of Christ.

Then while praying, the Holy Spirit asked one of them the following question.

" when these sinners are saved and come to Church, will  Jesus Christ, your Master be happy when they became a Believer like you?

There is a principle of discipleship revealed in Genesis 1:11-13 and our LORD Jesus Christ also spoke along this line when he was speaking about servants/master relationships. John (13:15-16; Matt.10:24-25).

Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds. ” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. Genesis 1:11-13

The  above Bible verses contextually refer to plants.  It means an orange seed will not produce a mango tree excerpt  either Science tempered with its genetic component or a  miracle happens.

But the statement  'PRODUCE AFTER ITS KIND' is worth considering especially as it relates to the dynamics of human relationships. 

Adam was created as a spirit with a physical body and  Adam must reproduce after its kind; his seed  must have a spirit housed in a body like Adam, their father. Gen. 5:3

This is why Adam could find no help meet in the animals and trees in the Garden..God had to made a woman that was born of His bone and flesh: Someone after his kind. 

Let's bring this principle to Revival and Soul winning. Our definition of Sou winningl is  the act and art of equipping a sinner with The Truth of the Gospel so that the sinner turned saint become a disciple of Jesus Christ, therein he can attain the full stature of Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit asked that young person  again:

"when these sinners are saved, will  Jesus Christ, your Master be happy when they became a Believer like you?

Our LORD Jesus Christ said it is suffice for a servant to be as his Master. The normal order of flow is " No servant  should be greater than his master". John 13:15-16, Matt. 10:24-25.

THE PROCESS OF DICPLESHIP FOR A NEW CONVERT.

 When a sinner gives his ( genders inclusive pronoun) life  to Jesus Christ. They are planted in the Church; a particular denomination or fellowship. The new convert does not meet empty pews in this Church: He will either meet the Pastor or the members.

Then a worker in the Church startes the discipleship of this Believer. It starts with the membership teaching for the New member. Some membership  class takes 1 day,  1 week, 1 month, 3 month, 1 year  ( I have attended a church whereby you are not allowed to join the work force until after one year of teachings in the doctrine of the denomination)

Ultimately, the New convert will became what he/she sees and hear in the Church. Excerpt this New member is consciously and deliberately introduce to the Holy Spirit who will *TEACH THIS NEW CONVERT ALL THINGS' apart from the teaching he receives from the Church worship hall. 

The Convert will overtime begin to think, act like the other members of the Church. Because the convert may be 10 years, 50 years old in the system of the World and it's ways,   but the convert is a NEW BORN BABY in the things of Christ and the Kingdom of God.

Therefore, he must  carefully receive nourishment from the WORD of God (which is the food for his regenerated soul and spirit). 

First; the Convert is fed with spiritual milk as a spiritual baby,  (Hebrews 6) then must be  fed with solid food and then he begin to break down spiritual bones as he approaches the corridor of spiritual maturity.

This is where we may have some challenge. If the member of the Church especially the trainer is not a  mature believer, then the New convert will end up where his trainer ends. If the members of the church are spiritual babes, then the convert may also remain a spiritual babe all his life unless God's Light shines on individual through his hunger and thirst.

So the question the Holy Spirit presented to the young person praying for Revival is potent. If Revival comes, can the present state of your Church and believers handle the revival.

Therefore for any Revival to pass the Test of time and persecutions that may arise as a result of the Revival,: The Holy Spirit will have to work on this Young person and His Church to attain a greater measure of the  stature of Christ in holiness, purity of motives and conduct, prosperity, good health, the fruit of The Spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit.

 This should be the first step of the Revival. If the Church attains a higher measure of God, then the World that will troupe to the Church will see a perfect example to follow.

This is the basis of Apostle Paul saying " Follow me as l follow Christ. And this is also the basis for Apostle Paul in rebuking Apostle Peter the leader of the Church openly when he wanted to start a movement of hypocrisy in the Gentile Church.

He was eating with the Gentiles; but when some Jewish believers arrived from Jerusalem, he pretended and separated himself from.the Gentiles. The Bible noted an important pattern that emeeged from Peter's action

"When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 

THE OTHER JEWS JOINED HIM IN HIS HYPOCRISY, SO THAT BY THEIR HYPOCRISY EVEN BARNABAS WAS LED ASTRAY.

When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, Galatians 2:11-14

And we conclude with the example of our LORD Jesus Christ in His statement in John 17:19

"AND FOR THEIR SAKE I SANCTIFY MYSELF, THAT THEY also might be SANCTIFIED THROUGH THE TRUTH."

The Revival must  start with me. 

Usually when God wants to use a man mightily in the Kingdom, God will want to keep the ministry and influence of such mute/silent/obscure for a while until such has attained a substantial level of spiritual, emotional, mental  maturity in the faith especially in their understanding of The Truth which is the instrument God uses to build up His Church. ( so that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail)

But some Believers are always impatient ; we want to be revealed to our world.as soon we got saved.  The Bible warned that you should not anoint a novice ( one not equipped with the Truth) for leadership position in the Church.

 If God had granted my prayers that my ministry should spread  with the level of Truth, l knew some few.years ago, l am sure l will be ashamed of those truth now and l will feel real bad about the disciples that level of inaccurate truth has raised.

I will be free because God showed me mercy and reveal more of Himself to me but what about the tens, thousands or even millions that have ran off with my inaccurate truths and also raise disciples after that inaccurate Gospel they received from me.

The Reveival must start with ME: l must have accurate knowledge about God, l must have greater measure of The Holy Spirit and then l can adequately taech His Truth and bring disciples to Jesus Christ, my Master.

A.L. Hephzibah.