What is revival?

¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God!
    I will be honored by every nation.
    I will be honored throughout the world.”

¹¹ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
    the God of Israel is our fortress. Interlude

Psalm 46:10-11 (NLT)

To understand what a revival is, we need to understand who God is.

When we know God we can lower our own weapons and be still.

We can honor Him and trust that He is our fortress.

Who God is then?

God awaits the opportunity to pour us His love and blessings, so that we would understand that not with our power but with His. 

⁸ But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 4:8 (NLT)

So that we could understand that we are sinners and Jesus is true, holy and full of love and mercy for me.

Even for me even though I am such a failure.

We have the grace to reach the point in our life where we truly lower our own arms, where we see how useless the weapons we have been using are.

The point where we leave behind our own achievements and accomplishments.

The point where we see how small they have been, how inadequate, and how that does not matter. 

¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

1 John 4:10 (NLT)

The point where we can meet our Master, Jesus Christ, the point where the Holy Spirit clarifies the sacrifice that Jesus did for me.

Where we can pray at the feet of Jesus and receive His love and acceptance.

Where our hearts are broken and our wounds are cleaned and healed.

That is when we can truly understand who God is.

When we are able to experience how good God is, it changes us and it changes our attitudes so that we become more like Jesus.

We won’t do good deeds out of fear of the punishment or because we want to have the retributions and prizes.

⁴ Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

Romans 2:4 (NLT)

We do the will of God because of the love that God gives us, even when we don’t deserve it.

The goodness of God draws us towards Him.

When we have the experienced the mercy to live in the radiance of God, it starts to change us and seep from us.

The people around us began to sense that God accepts them, even though they have sinned.

They are not punished, because the Christ has suffered the punishment.

Jesus gives them the power to change, and that is a revival.