Want Revival? Read The Word
We want revival. We have heard about past revivals in the church and pray for a new one. It is already here. I am not referring to a set of meetings, usually with a guest speaker; but there is nothing wrong with that.
Some say that the church doesn't just need revival, but needs awakening. Our nation has had great awakenings in the past and I agree that we need another one. But that is not my message today.
We each need reviving daily. We get that by reading God's word. To not read the Bible is a grave mistake for the believer. It does not matter what stream you are a part of in Christ's church. You need personal revival daily, which you can get through reading, studying, and chewing on the Bible.
God's word satisfies your soul. The more you partake of it, the hungrier for it you get, until your appetite is voracious. You might treat yourself to servings from various parts of God's word and have a buffet, or you might savor one chapter or one verse. You might read large portions fast or memorize single verses slowly. You might read different translations side by side. It's all good. The important thing is to do it. Just eat the food of the word.
The Christian who does not look at, read, or listen to the Bible, the Word; is going to be emaciated spiritually. Getting into the word revives you and restores you. It brings you back to life. It centers you back on God. The Christian who has not learned to do this is like a person who is malnourished. That person is like a person who is susceptible to and contracts diseases that the rest of us never worry about.
People who are "Spirit-filled" believers, charismatics, or Pentecostal Christians; who believe in personal and corporate revival through moves of the Holy Spirit in their meetings are deceived if they do not read their Bibles at home. According to the Bible, they are fools. Don't be a fool. Read your Bible and get revived daily, whatever your style of worship gatherings.
"Revival meetings" where the Bible is not spoken, are suspicious because the Bible is the Holy Spirit's favorite book. The, "this is that", word(1.) is naturally spoken when there are movements of the Holy Spirit. I am not saying that scripture should be quoted throughout ministry time, but there is nothing wrong with it. If the Spirit is authentically moving, "this is that", inspiration would naturally flow.
Young and old Christians who are learning to move in the power of God in ministry with the Holy Spirit ought to learn the Biblical basis for it and see and read about what they are doing, in the NT. Not a problem that they might learn to minister before they learn the Word. That is called discipleship and the first movers in power learned that way and didn't even have the completed NT that we have.
We all need daily revival of our very beings, our souls, and we can get it through the Word. Enjoy your life. You might enjoy your programs on the tube or your other reading material. You might enjoy the radio. You might play games or be social. But it is the word of God that gives us life to live by which you take with you into all your relationships and living. You and I need that restoring of our souls into our relationship with God before we go out into all the other things we live in, and then life works and we make better choices and might come back to the Word for seconds and thirds, rather than eating "empty calories" or toxic things.
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1. Acts 2:16
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