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| Vital Ingredients of Spiritual Revival [Excerpt] Posted: 27 Apr 2012 07:46 AM PDT
Jim Cymbala traces some vital ingredients of spiritual revival in this excerpt from his book Spirit Rising: Tapping into the Power of the Holy Spirit.
"Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!" (Isa. 64:1).
Before Israel settled in Canaan, Moses got to the heart of the matter [of why God's presence is so vital. When] he pleaded with God for more help to lead the people... "The Lord replied, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.' Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" (Ex. 33:14–16).
How astounding is Moses' prayer! Especially when compared to our satisfaction with far less than the best God has to offer. Moses told the Lord not even to send them toward the Promised Land unless he was with them. How else would others know God's approval of Moses and Israel if there was no glorious presence?
This distinguishing mark made the Hebrews different from all other peoples on the earth — not their weapons, victory songs, or past experiences. The presence of the Lord set them apart as God's covenant nation. In the same way, the early church not only rejoiced in the fact that the Spirit was given, but they also coveted the manifestation of his presence among them. Their goal was to see unbelievers visiting their services and leaving filled with awe and declaring, "God is really among you" (1 Cor. 14:24–25).
"Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!" (Isa. 64:1).
Without the Spirit, Christianity is reduced to head knowledge about God, empty traditions, and a social club mentality. We need to ask God to give us a fresh revelation of what his church was meant to look like. Without that proper foundation, we'll end up building on sand. But with it we will see seasons of spiritual renewal from the Holy Spirit that produce amazingly fruitful evangelism and a growing atmosphere of love among believers.
How to Get There from HereWhere do we go from here, and how do we get there? We must start where miracles almost always begin: with acknowledgment and confession. If we are far from God and how he wants things to be, we can't live in denial or with pride-serving rationalizations. Whether for us personally or our congregations, we must ask Jesus for an accurate reading of our spiritual temperature. Do we have a lukewarm faith? Long ago Christ gave a temperature reading to seven churches (Rev. 2–3), and he will also be faithful in love to show us where we have failed him. No matter how far we have drifted or fallen, he will bring us back to wholeness and spiritual vitality if we permit him. But it must start with our sincere, humble acknowledgment that we need help from the Holy Spirit. We must confess that openly to the Lord.
We must also give ourselves to fellowship with God in prayer and serious study of his Word. The Bible will help us pray in faith, and prayer will help us understand the words of Scripture. As we trust God, he will help us manage our time and grant us self-discipline. Then, as new light dawns in our souls, we will be compelled to confess and forsake every sin and ungodly habit. True repentance will turn us away from selfish indulgence and toward God. We will come broken and weak before him, but the important fact is, we will come.
Will God reject our requests for his help because we're still flawed and immature in some ways? Not if we desire to live right before God and experience more of the Holy Spirit. Humility and a sincere desire to please him will always gain a hearing at the throne of grace. We must not keep on looking inward at our faults and moral failures. Let's just sincerely confess everything the Spirit shows us and then move on to better things, like always keeping our eyes on Jesus (Heb. 12:2). - Jim Cymbala (@jimcymbala)
Learn more about Spirit Rising More Posts You May LikeWill God Help Imperfect People? via Jim Cymbala
(Some styling above is a web-exclusive feature not included in the text of Spirit Rising. Image attribution: from the cover of Jim Cymbala's Spirit Rising. This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's personal opinions are shared only for information purposes. To receive new Zondervan Blog posts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)
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