The Desire For Revival

Revival doesn't come as a result of the wisdom and plans of man, but it is through the power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit.  Even though we may have the best of everything in our church that doesn't mean we will have revival.  It is only the Holy Spirit and the power of God that will bring revival.  In this post, I want to cover "five necessities" in order for revival to take hold in our lives and subsequently in the church.

1.  Become Unified In Christ

First of all, unity with each other will not happen until we have unity with Christ.  Paul admonished the Ephesians to "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." (Ephesians 3:3)  To be in unity with God, we must have the mind of Christ.  We have to think like Christ thought.  Unity among believers is not everyone thinking the same, but everyone seeking the mind of Christ.  We can never be in unity with each other until we are in unity with Christ and that requires relationship.

2.  Get In Real Relationship With God

To get in a real relationship with God requires you to spend quality time with Him.  Just as with any relationship you have, your relationship with God can be measured by how much you are willing to give of yourself in spending time with Him.  Relationships don't just happen, we have to work at them.  Most Christians are only concerned about developing a relationship with God when they need something, but God want's a continual relationship with His children.

3.  Get Rid Of Selfishness

Selfishness is at the root of most sin and will keep revival from ever happening.  God's heart is to bring revival to every church in America and across the world, but it won't happen until we get in relationship with Him, get rid or selfishness, find out how He wants it done, and do it.  One of the reasons there is so much strife in the Body of Christ is that everyone wants things done their way.  Selfishness always blames, never takes responsibility, never gives, and always takes.  We need to repent of our selfishness if revival is to happen.

4.  Move In Compassion

Without relationship you cannot move in compassion.  If you check your compassion, you will know where you are in relationship with God.  Compassion will always gravitate towards the needs of others.  When we loose our vision for souls, the hurting and sick, we have lost our relationship with God and our compassion for people. 

5.  Start Listening To God

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."  It's time we start listening to God.  God has the answers we need in order for revival to happen.

There is a great need for revival in the land.  It's time the church repent and come back to God.  If we want revival, we must become unified in Christ, get in real relationship with God, get rid of selfishness, move in compassion, and start listening to what God wants us to do.

How To Increase The Anointing

There are several reasons why it is important for us to "have the anointing" in our lives.  The anointing empowers us to live righteous lives and to do the work of the ministry.  It's the anointing of the Holy Spirit that flows through us so we can touch the hearts of others.  The anointing is given to us to demonstrate God's love and power and it is the tangible presence of God upon the believers life.  In this post I want to share with you several ways that you can increase the anointing in your life.

1.  Have a heart for God.  An increase in our heart for God will naturally lead to an increase of the anointing.  This increase of the anointing will bring an increase in the supernatural.  Jesus admonished us to "seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness..."  (Matthew 6:33).  He also declared that "Blessed is he who hungers and thirsts after righteousness, for they shall be filled."  (Matthew 5:6).  If you desire an increase of the anointing in your life, then you must have a heart that seeks after God!

2.  Develop a love for the Word of God.  The Word of God is life to you and as you grow in the Word, the Word will grow in you. The Word of God nurtures the anointing and the anointing will perform the Word.

3.  Learn respect for leadership.   We will always have people over our lives.  There is a natural blessing that comes with developing a respect for leadership.  The anointing can't flow where there is strife and division.  That's why it is so important to respect and follow the leadership God has placed in your life.

4.  Develop a personally pure lifestyle.  The anointing in your life will not increase if your are living a life that is contrary to the Word of God.  You have to follow the things of God, not the things of the world.  The world will drain the anointing from you.  If  you want the anointing in your life, you must be willing to pay the price by living a pure life.

5.  Learn how to worship.  We are to have "no other God" before Him and our worship of the One True God, must come from our heart.  Be careful what you worship.  God only wants you to worship Him, not your stuff!  The anointing will never be effective in your life without the true worship of God.

6.  Activate your faith.  An active faith lifestyle is another way to increase your faith.  The reason is, faith is the language of the supernatural!  When you speak in faith you speak the language understood in the supernatural.  Don't let people speak doubt and unbelief around you.  If you do, it will diminish rather than increase your faith.

7.  Walk the love walk.  Don't hold on to things that will destroy your love walk.  You have to learn to let go of the past.  As you walk in love the anointing will grow in your life.  When we walk in love, what we are doing is showing God's love to the world.  Allow the anointing to increase in your life, by walking in love.

The Work Of The Holy Spirit (Part 6)

This is my final post on the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.  In this post I want to answer some of the common questions people have with respect to the Holy Spirit and how He operates in the believers life.

1.  What is the "anointing" of the Holy Spirit?
When someone refers to the "anointing" of the Holy Spirit, what they are referring to is the "presence and power" of the Holy Spirit.  Just prior to Jesus' ascension back to the Father, He told His disciples in Acts 1:8 that "ye shall receive 'power' after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you..." When the Holy Spirit "indwells" the believer, they receive power and can begin to operate in the "anointing."

2.  Do you have to have the anointing to have the power?
When Jesus emptied Himself of all His Godly attributes and took upon Himself the form of humanity, He had to have the Holy Spirit anointing in order to accomplish what He did.  Prior to the Holy Spirit descending upon him at His baptism in Luke 3:22, Jesus hadn't performed any miracles.  Everything He did after that point was with the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.  The answer to the question is "Yes," we have to have the anointing if we are going to have the power of the Holy Spirit operating in our life.

3.  How does the power of the Holy Spirit demonstrate itself?
First of all, He demonstrates His power by being the inner Witness, Comforter, Teacher, Counselor, Leader, and Guide in the life of the believer.  His Spirit, bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.  He also demonstrates Himself through the anointing.  Acts 10:38 says "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him."  It's God's desire for all believers to have this anointing in their lives for the purpose of doing good and operating in the power of God.

4.  Is the power of the Holy Spirit to be demonstrated today?
Absolutely!  There is not one scripture in God's Word that would indicate otherwise.  If we are to accomplish what God has called us to do, we must have the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.  This is not the time to be "powerless."  It is time to rise up in the power of the Holy Spirit and do what God has called us to do.

The question is not "Is the power and the anointing of the Holy Spirit to be demonstrated today?" but the question is "Are we willing to allow Him to demonstrate His power and anointing through us?"