Day 5: Time to Revive

Day 5: Time to Revive

Thought of the Day: God, who specializes in reviving those who are either spiritually dead or asleep, desires to revive you spiritually today. There is no person alive today who is beyond the reach of God's reviving Holy Spirit.


Bible texts: Revelation 3:14-22; Acts 2:14-21; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Ephesians 2:1-10; Romans 8:5-13; Acts 16:31; John 16:8; Matthew 7:7


Goal for the day: To experience a spiritual revival in your life today.

Here we go again! How has your experience been so far? Invigorating? Thrilling? Lackluster? Mundane? Have you felt closer to Jesus so far in this spiritual journey, or have you felt like His Presence is absent from your times of worship? Whether you have felt God’s presence near or far up to this point, today God wants to remind you that He has a spiritual breakthrough in store for you. However, it is only available for those who come to the Giver of Life, and ask freely. Are you ready to ask?

Revivals

Recently, I was jarred and awakened by the Bible’s clear teachings about how all people who are alive today on planet earth are either dead or alive spiritually (Revelation 3:19-21). In God’s sight, without a faith relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are dead spiritually. Because of sin, a dangerous poison that is more to be feared than cancer or AIDS, mankind is separated from a faith relationship with God. According to the Bible, only faith in Jesus Christ can resurrect us from our spiritual death and make us alive in alive spiritually (Romans 8:5). Until we enter into a saving faith relationship with Jesus Christ, we are spiritually dead and interested in the things the world offers, instead of being spiritually alive and interested in the things Heaven offers(Romans 8:12). As long as a person in spiritually dead, that person is also spiritually lost (Romans 8:13). The antidote and cure is to be revived in Jesus! (John 14:6)

There is a second type of revival of which the Bible talks about. This revival has to do with God’s promise of a mighty outpouring of spiritual power that will come upon every earnest believer in God, through the presence of the Holy Spirit (Revelation 18:1; Joel 2:28). According to the parable of the ten virgins of Matthew 25, we learned that at one point in the waiting and tarrying time for the Second Coming of Christ, the Church of God is completely asleep. All church members and Christians are asleep. Therefore, God must send the promised Holy Spirit to bring power and revival to God’s sleeping saints and church. That time is now. You see, when we enjoy the things of this of this world more than the things of God, we need a revival. When we enjoy the commodities of this world and the luxuries of this life, more than the personal sacrifices that lead to unexpected blessings, we need a revival. When we enjoy spending our time on entertainment and temporal things, instead of heavenly and spiritual things, we need a revival. Today, we need a revival! Hands down!

Which type of revival do you need today?

So which revival do you need today? Do you need to be resurrected from spiritual death by entering into a faith relationship with Jesus Christ? Or do you need to be revived with spiritual power, because like the ten virgins in the parable, who have fallen asleep and lost the passion and enthusiasm of waiting for the Second Coming of Christ? Whichever one you need, the Good News is that Jesus Christ is ready to revive you today. In Revelation 3:20 Jesus says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Jesus wants to revive you today. He wants to revive you to a new spiritual life. He wants to revive you to experience new spiritual power. He wants to revive you to grow more each day to be more like Jesus. It’s your for the asking. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you”(Matthew 7:7).

Practical Steps

The first step today is to make sure you have entered into a faith relationship with Jesus. You can’t be revived with spiritual power if you are spiritually dead. You first need to be revived by the Holy Spirit to salvation and eternal life. (Ephesians 2:1-10). Have faith in Jesus today as your Savior and Lord. (Acts 16:31).

The second step is to read and meditate on those texts that talk about revival. Some of those texts are Revelation 3:14-22, Acts 2:14-21, and 2 Chronicles 7:14. Pray and meditate on those texts asking the Holy Spirit to help you experience spiritual revival in your life.

The third step is to become more aware of those areas in your life where the Holy Spirit is leading you to surrender and give up any secret sins in your life. “ When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). Repent of any known sins in you life today!

Conclusion

It’s time for a Revival today! A Revival from being spiritually dead! A revival of spiritual power for those who love Jesus! It’s yours for the asking. Won’t you ask God for it today?

~ Pastor Salvador Garcia