Newsletter for 10/26/06- Revival
Revival. Everybody's talking about. You won't find yourself sitting in any church for very long until you'll hear someone
preach on it, pray for it or prophesy about it. It seems everyone one wants "it". But do they really know
what "it" is?
For years my vision of Revival was big tents, folding chairs, and preachers screaming from the pulpit accompanied by
erie organ music. Countless people being led to salvation and many more being healed and
helped out of wheel chairs. These are actual memories of events from my childhood. And this is where my mind goes
first when I hear the word "Revival".
Revival. We want it and it is coming. Not only is it coming but it is my opinion that like a dam that's been breached,
revival's being sent from Heaven and you couldn't stop it even if you wanted to.
Revival. What does it really look like? There seems to be as many differing opinions on Revival as there are church
denominations. But it is not my goal today to give you my opinion. I will say this though, that the
root word of Revival is "revive" and that the very word revive insists that something had to be alive in the first place, in
order to be revived.
One point that I believe that we can all be on one accord, though, is this. Revival is a greater out-pouring of the Holy
Spirit. If you can't jump onboard with me on this, will you at least agree with me on the fact
that at the very least Revival is a greater presence of our Lord?
It's this greater Presence that I want to discuss today. It's okay to want Revival but let me tell you what it is not. It's not
a return to the "good ole days" nor is it the "circus coming to town". It's not something that you
can try and change your mind in the middle of if "it aint working out for you".
Let this be a warning to us. When that last great outpouring (and I'm claiming it as our Revival) occurs, God's
presence is going to be so great that we will need to be prepared. Let me use some scripture to show you what
I mean.
-- In the book of I Samuel Israel's high priest Eli's sons stood were corrupt. For years, it appeared that they were
getting away with their corruption but there was little presence of the Lord at this time. In fact I Samuel 3:1 says this
"And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation."
The quality of Israel's relationship with the Lord had severely diminished since they'd come into the Promised Land.
Sounds like they need a little Revival doesn't it? Though it does come back with King David, let me show you the cost
along the way.
-- I Samuel 6:19 "Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark (Presence) of the
Lord. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the Lord had struck
the people with a great slaughter."
So what does this mean you ask. Before, when Revival was just a thought of good things to come, people (even high
positioned church people) could live their lives like the world without any apparent earthly consequences
but when they called out for Revival and it came, nothing un-Godly could stand in its way.
Do any of us need to reminded of a couple listed in the New Testament in Acts 5:1-14 named Ananias and Sapphira?
Friends, we're getting "away" with a lot more in church today than this couple did two thousand years ago. My warning
to us is that this "getting away" with things is about to come to an end!
Sincerely,
Rocky Sandberg and the Kingdom Power Now Team
preach on it, pray for it or prophesy about it. It seems everyone one wants "it". But do they really know
what "it" is?
For years my vision of Revival was big tents, folding chairs, and preachers screaming from the pulpit accompanied by
erie organ music. Countless people being led to salvation and many more being healed and
helped out of wheel chairs. These are actual memories of events from my childhood. And this is where my mind goes
first when I hear the word "Revival".
Revival. We want it and it is coming. Not only is it coming but it is my opinion that like a dam that's been breached,
revival's being sent from Heaven and you couldn't stop it even if you wanted to.
Revival. What does it really look like? There seems to be as many differing opinions on Revival as there are church
denominations. But it is not my goal today to give you my opinion. I will say this though, that the
root word of Revival is "revive" and that the very word revive insists that something had to be alive in the first place, in
order to be revived.
One point that I believe that we can all be on one accord, though, is this. Revival is a greater out-pouring of the Holy
Spirit. If you can't jump onboard with me on this, will you at least agree with me on the fact
that at the very least Revival is a greater presence of our Lord?
It's this greater Presence that I want to discuss today. It's okay to want Revival but let me tell you what it is not. It's not
a return to the "good ole days" nor is it the "circus coming to town". It's not something that you
can try and change your mind in the middle of if "it aint working out for you".
Let this be a warning to us. When that last great outpouring (and I'm claiming it as our Revival) occurs, God's
presence is going to be so great that we will need to be prepared. Let me use some scripture to show you what
I mean.
-- In the book of I Samuel Israel's high priest Eli's sons stood were corrupt. For years, it appeared that they were
getting away with their corruption but there was little presence of the Lord at this time. In fact I Samuel 3:1 says this
"And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation."
The quality of Israel's relationship with the Lord had severely diminished since they'd come into the Promised Land.
Sounds like they need a little Revival doesn't it? Though it does come back with King David, let me show you the cost
along the way.
-- I Samuel 6:19 "Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark (Presence) of the
Lord. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the Lord had struck
the people with a great slaughter."
So what does this mean you ask. Before, when Revival was just a thought of good things to come, people (even high
positioned church people) could live their lives like the world without any apparent earthly consequences
but when they called out for Revival and it came, nothing un-Godly could stand in its way.
Do any of us need to reminded of a couple listed in the New Testament in Acts 5:1-14 named Ananias and Sapphira?
Friends, we're getting "away" with a lot more in church today than this couple did two thousand years ago. My warning
to us is that this "getting away" with things is about to come to an end!
Sincerely,
Rocky Sandberg and the Kingdom Power Now Team
