Dear Friend,
Today, let’s look at a topic called: ” How Revival Comes”
Text: Acts 3
The book of Acts is a book of action. Here we see the disciples acting and the Holy Ghost acting![i]
Two ordinary men (Peter and John) are on their way to pray in the temple. They were walking the same route they had taken many times before. They were going to seek God, pray and believe for revival.
I like this. God is about to make a statement to the entire church. Not just a statement to the early church but a statement to the church yet to be born.
God interrupts the plans of his disciples. He arrests them with a slight prompting. He gets their attention and causes them to really notice the pain another person is experiencing. He asks them to reach out, lend a hand, help this lame man, pray for him, and do something, anything for him. So Peter and John look at the lame beggar, the man that they passed many times before as they were on their way to be close with God. But this time they reach out, they say these simple words, “Silver and gold have we not but what we have we give unto thee, rise up and walk in the name of Jesus.”[ii]
Wow! An extraordinary miracle happens because two ordinary believers move into action. We are praying, asking God for revival but I must believe God is prompting us to move out into action.
Peter stands up and begins to preach. Following his sermon, five thousand souls are swept into the kingdom of God instantly and revival fires have begun.[iii]
I have often thought if God would show up today. If God would appear in human flesh and talk to us, I am convinced He would say something similar to what He told these men centuries ago. “Go, look around you. Notice the pain around you. Reach out, do something. Help someone and expect miracles to follow.” [iv]
Remember today it is Christ in you. A person is alive in you, and He talks to you, prompts you, moves you and guides you. It is not Christ in the church first, or Christ in the preacher first but rather Christ is in you, the ordinary believer.[v] Live His life, quit living your own life. This is what Christianity is all about. You get to live another person’s life! He lives in you and through you. He will gently interrupt your day. He will step in while you shop, while you hunt and impose Himself upon you a thousand different ways so He can bring revival to help others and to help you.
Someone once asked me, “How does revival come?” I thought, “How did it come in Bible days?” God prompted, His followers listened, obeyed, and the Holy Ghost moved with their action and revival (something bigger than a good message) took over and the world was turned upside down.
Listen to God.
Listen to the God who is alive in you.
Listen to the promptings and the still small voice of the beautiful Person living in you!
Act upon the promptings of the Holy Ghost!
Action, action, action. It’s time for action.
Get ready for revival!
His,
Scott C. Stanek