Continuous Revival

Several weeks ago I began a preaching series on personal revival. Revival is defined as "the extraordinary movement of the Spirit of God in the hearts of God’s people, producing extraordinary results.”

Do we long for that in our lives and in our families? Do we want it to be a continual thing? It should be!

In his book "Continuous Revival", Norman Grubb makes a simple statement describing revival. He says that it is "the roof off and the walls down". In other words, there is nothing between you and God, and nothing between you and anyone else.

We will never know the freedom and refreshing renewal that comes from God unless the roof is off and the walls are down!

Where do you need to begin today?

Obedience

Our obedience to God is an opportunity for His glory to be displayed in our lives.

Has God asked you to do something that is difficult or doesn't seem to make sense? Then consider this statement: God's glory is best seen against the backdrop of impossibilities that only God can resolve.

One thing is sure, God is always clear with His Children. Any lack of clarity is related to our unwillingness or inability to hear, not His inability to communicate.

So what is it that God is asking you to do today? If He is calling for a step of obedience, it is a sure indication that He is about to display His glory in your life. What an opportunity!

Success

While I was driving the other day, I saw a license plate that read "$ucce$$". That got me thinking, how do we measure success?

The owner of that car seemed to measure success by how much money he had. Others measure success by how many possessions they have or how far they have climbed the "corporate ladder". Still others measure success by how many friends they have or the kind of relationships they have with friends and family.

But how does God want us to measure success?  I believe success can be measured in three ways: 1) FAITH in God, 2) FAITHFULNESS to God, 3) FOCUSED on God's plan for your life.

Joshua 1:8 says,  This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. (NASB)

So the question is, Does God consider you to be successful?

Friend of God

I was thinking about a Phillips, Craig, and Dean song called, "Friend of God". Read the Lyrics below:

Who am I that You are mindful of me?

That you hear me When I call

Is it true that You are thinking of me?

How You love me

It's amazing

I am a friend of God

I am a friend of God

I am a friend of God

He calls me friend

In John 15:14-15 Jesus says, "You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you."

How amazing it is that God considers me His friend!

Ambassadors for Christ

2 Corinthians 5:20 says, "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us..." (NASB)

Did you know that as a believer you are an ambassador of Christ? Just what is an ambassador? The dictionary defines an ambassador as an authorized representative or messenger. As a believer I am God's authorized representative and messenger. So do I give an accurate picture of who God is and what He is like?

Consider teh following Challenge: Live in such a way that those who know you but don't know God, will come to know God because they know you.

You are God's Masterpiece

Did you know that you are God's masterpiece? Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (NASB)

That word "workmanship" means masterpiece. I don't know about you, but I don't always feel like a masterpiece. But I do know that God is always working on me making me what He wants me to be.

Are we willing for God to chip away everything from our lives that doesn't fit with His plan?

You ARE God's MASTERPIECE!

Click on the link below to see the video  God's Masterpiece

Joy is a person, not a place

How often do we think, "If I could just have more, if I could just get to a certain place in my life, then I will have joy." David says in Psalm 16 that the Lord is the portion of his inheritance, the Lord is his satisfaction. He says that he has set the Lord continually before him and that as a result his heart is glad.

At the end of the Psalm, in verse 11 David says, "In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore."

How about you? Where is your joy found? True, satisfying joy is found in the person of Jesus Christ!