Journey to Revival Week 8

REVIVAL WITNESS

1 Thessalonians 1:5 “because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.”

We are on week 8 of a 12 week time of prayer and study for revival and awakening.

This week, our topic focuses on having the Holy Spirit as a witness to all God is doing in us, through us, and around the world. We are looking for a witness for God’s power displayed and experienced.

Below the video link is a historical example of revival.

You are invited to go through this time of study and prayer either individually (i.e. journal), or gather a group together to pray and discuss each week’s topic. Our guide for this time will be the scriptures, prayer, and the book “Revival Rising.” You can get this book at http://www.seedbed.com

Feel free to share this video study with your friends.

Revival Experience from the book Revival Rising:

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Journey to Revival Week 7

REVIVAL HUMILITY

2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

We are on week 7 of a 12 week time of prayer and study for revival and awakening.

This week, we’re talking about making sure we are humble and truly working in God’s power instead of relying on human effort alone.

Below the video link is a historical example of revival.

You are invited to go through this time of study and prayer either individually (i.e. journal), or gather a group together to pray and discuss each week’s topic. Our guide for this time will be the scriptures, prayer, and the book “Revival Rising.” You can get this book at http://www.seedbed.com

Feel free to share this video study with your friends.

From the book Revival Rising:

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Journey to Revival Week 6

REVIVAL LOVE

Romans 5:5 “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

We are on week 6 of a 12 week time of prayer and study for revival and awakening.

This week, we’re talking about allowing God’s love for Jesus Christ to shine though our lives.

Below the video link is a historical example of revival.

You are invited to go through this time of study and prayer either individually (i.e. journal), or gather a group together to pray and discuss each week’s topic. Our guide for this time will be the scriptures, prayer, and the book “Revival Rising.” You can get this book at http://www.seedbed.com

Feel free to share this video study with your friends.

From the book Revival Rising:

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Journey to Revival Week 5

REVIVAL GLORY

2 Corinthians 3:11-12: “And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.”

We are on week 5 of a 12 week time of prayer and study for revival and awakening.

 

This week, we’re talking about allowing God’s glory to shine though our lives. Below the video link is a historical example of revival.

You are invited to go through this time of study and prayer either individually (i.e. journal), or gather a group together to pray and discuss each week’s topic. Our guide for this time will be the scriptures, prayer, and the book “Revival Rising.” You can get this book at www.seedbed.com

 

Feel free to share this video study with your friends.

 

From the book Revival Rising:

EXTRAORDINARY EFFECTS

Revival love pours out on Jonathan Edwards’ church in 1742. This revival under the ministry of Mr. Buell exceeds the one eight years before. A visit by George Whitfield some months earlier triggers events leading to the revival.

In the month of May, 1741, a sermon was preached to a company, at a private house. Near the conclusion of the discourse, one or two persons that were professors, were so greatly affected with a sense of the greatness and glory of divine thing they were not able to conceal it—the affections of their minds overcoming their strength, and having visible effect upon their bodies. . . .

About the beginning of February, 1742, Mr. Buell came to this town. . . . There were very extraordinary effects of Mr. Buell’s labors; the people were exceedingly moved, crying out in great numbers in the meeting-house, and a great part of the congregation commonly staying in the house of God for hours after the public service. . . .

Mr. Buell continued here a fortnight or three weeks after I returned: there being still great appearances attending his labors; many in their religious affections being raised far beyond what they had ever been before: and there were some instances of persons lying in a sort of trance, remaining perhaps for a whole twenty-four hours motionless. . . .

Journey to Revival Week 4

REVIVAL EXPERIENCE

We are on week 4 of a 12 week time of prayer and study for revival and awakening.

We, have talked about the power of revival comes from God. We’ve also begun to ask the Holy Spirit to be released in us, to fill us, to open our hearts more.

Last week, we looked at the culture around us to see if a spirit of revival is present.

This week, we’re talking about making sure we are ready to experience all revival and spiritual awakenings bring.

You are invited to go through this time of study and prayer either individually (i.e. journal), or gather a group together to pray and discuss each week’s topic. Our guide for this time will be the scriptures, prayer, and the book “Revival Rising.” You can get this book at www.seedbed.com

This week, we’re looking at REVIVAL EXPERIENCE.

This week’s scripture is from Ephesians 3:19
“and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Feel free to share this video study with your friends.

 

HOLY ATMOSPHERE

Revival life sparks the 1970 Asbury Revival. In chapel a student shares how God is awakening and cleansing his heart. Revival takes over the Kentucky campus, causing all classes to be suspended. Below are selected entries from one student’s journal of the one hundred and eighty-five hours in chapel.

I sit in the middle of a contemporary Pentecost. A few moments ago there came a spontaneous movement of the Holy Spirit. . . . The scene is unbelievable. The altar has been flooding with needy souls time and time again. Two and one-half hours have passed. A joyous religion. Hands in the air. Pointed toward God—He never fails. . . . Seven hours have passed. . . . A seminary student yearns for God to move in the seminary. There is a quiet, yet beautiful Spirit here right now. . . . People are kneeling in front of seats. . . . Exactly twenty-six hours have passed. The altar has just been flooded with souls. Deep repentance. Unusual Spirit of holiness at this moment . . . Forty-eight hours have passed. Almost fifteen hundred people here in Hughes. The altar is filled. . . . Seventy-two hours have passed. Revival has spread to other Christian campuses. This revival is taking a national form. . . . 106 hours have passed . . . 11: 15 p.m. 700 to 800 people in Hughes . . . There is a very holy atmosphere here.

~From “Revival Rising”

Journey to Revival: Week 3

REVIVAL CULTURE

We are on week 3 of a 12 week time of prayer and study for revival and awakening.

We, have talked about the power of revival comes from God. We’ve also begun to ask the Holy Spirit to be released in us, to fill us, to open our hearts more.

This week, we’re looking at the culture around us to see if a spirit of revival is present.

You are invited to go through this time of study and prayer either individually (i.e. journal), or gather a group together to pray and discuss each week’s topic. Our guide for this time will be the scriptures, prayer, and the book “Revival Rising.” You can get this book at www.seedbed.com

This week, we’re looking at REVIVAL CULTURE.

This week’s scripture is from Galatians 3:3
“Are you so irrational? After you started with the Spirit, are you now finishing up with your own human effort?”

Feel free to share this video study with your friends.

Journey to Revival: Week 2

REVIVAL LIFE

We are on week 2 of a 12 week time of prayer and study for revival and awakening.

Last week, remember we talked about the power of revival comes from God. This week, we’re asking the Holy Spirit to be released in us, to fill us, to open our hearts more.

You are invited to go through this time of study and prayer either individually (i.e. journal), or gather a group together to pray and discuss each week’s topic. Our guide for this time will be the scriptures, prayer, and the book “Revival Rising.” You can get this book at www.seedbed.com

This week, we’re looking at REVIVAL LIFE.

This week’s scripture is from Ephesians 3:16-17:
“I ask that he will strengthen you in your inner selves from the riches of his glory through the Spirit. I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith.”

Feel free to share this video study with your friends.

If you need to get caught up, here is last week’s video:

 

Journey for Revival: Week 1

We are beginning a 12 week time of prayer and study for revival and awakening.
You are invited to be part of this journey for the next 12 weeks, either individually, or gather a group together to pray and discuss each week’s topic. Our guide for this time will be the scriptures, prayer, and the book “Revival Rising.” You can get a copy of the book at Seedbed.

This week, we’re looking at REVIVAL POWER.

This week’s scripture is from 1 Thessalonians 1:11-12:
“To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his call, and may fulfill every good resolve and work of faith by his power…”

Feel free to share this video study with your friends.

The Journey Continues

Click here to read Acts 28.

Paul makes it to Rome.

His journey to Rome was full of turmoil, danger, unrest, and more. Yet through all of this, Paul kept his faith. That’s remarkable!

Paul believed God when He said Paul would make it to Rome. I wonder how many times Paul had to remind himself of that? After all, the shipwreck would have been enough for many to give up and lose hope. But Paul does not lose his faith. He keeps encouraging the soldiers to keep going. He keeps sharing about God every chance he gets. Paul is the one person who seems to be holding it all together.

Think about your life journey. How many hardships have you lived through? How many times did you consider giving up? It would be easy when things just got too hard for us; but we should keep pressing forward, especially if God has truly called us to do what we’re doing.

It would be so nice to be able to say that our life is going to be easy. But that would not be accurate. Our life will be filled with more hope, more peace, more joy, more love all because of Jesus Christ. Oh, we will falter at times; but He is always with us. Jesus guides us and we get to bring people to Him in every circumstance.

What I love about the book of Acts is the movement of the Holy Spirit in the lives of ordinary people. Ordinary people who have answered the call of God on their lives and went out to do incredible things because of the power of the Holy Spirit within them.

Paul’s life is remarkable, to me, because he seems to keep his faith (most of the time) in all situations. His is a story that inspires me, not to be just like Paul but to be able to continue proclaiming Jesus Christ wherever I am and through whatever I’m doing.

This may be the end of the book of Acts, but the story is not complete. We get to carry on what the Holy Spirit began in us and continue to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to the ends of the world. How will you live out the calling God has placed on your life?

Acts 1:8

Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Matthew 28:19-20

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”

Peace Beyond Understanding

Click here to read Acts 27.

You know the feeling. You have had days where nothing seems to go right. Weeks. Months. Year(s). It is hard to see anything past what is going on right before us. We’ll hear people say things like, just change your mindset and be more positive. But the truth is that is not what changes our minds so we experience peace.

Paul, the prisoner who is part of the shipwreck, writes in Philippians 4:6-7 to be anxious about nothing, present your requests to God, you will experience a peace beyond understanding (paraphrase). This same person wrote this when he was imprisoned earlier.

Imagine that. Peace in the midst of chaos. A peace beyond understanding. Have you ever felt this before? This is more than a simple feeling. This peace is something that seems to overtake you and helps you be able to function in the midst of the chaos around you.

This is what I believe is happening to Paul. He is imprisoned; but he is on a voyage to Rome and the ship he is on gets destroyed. He has to be the voice of reason and help the soldiers do the right thing because of faith not because of fear. We see what happens when people react from fear (soldiers) and also from faith (Paul).

So now the question remains, how do we get this kind of faith, this kind of peace? Paul did not do anything. Well, he did do one thing, he prayed and stayed connected to Jesus Christ. This kind of peace and discernment only came from God. God is the one who encouraged Paul and gave him the wisdom about what needed to be done to help protect and save the people he traveled with.

Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of Christ. As you go about your day, your week, remember the only source of true peace comes straight from Jesus Christ. Keeping Jesus Christ at the forefront of your mind, of your heart, gives you the ability to remain outwardly and inwardly calm when everything else around you seems to be falling apart.

This is a great way to think about the Christian life of faith. It is through faith we believe God’s presence is here and is real. It is through faith we believe the promises of God will stand firm and last eternally. It is though faith we believe we can do all that Christ calls us to. This faith is also a gift from God (Romans 12).

I invite you to take some time today and thank God for His presence. Seek him throughout your day because he is guiding you and is forming you to be a vessel to share his love and his grace. Everything around us does not have to be perfect; but we should remember we have a perfect God that is all around us and within us.