Revival

''...Revive us again...''

Psalm 85:6

Let's talk about the revival we need in the church today. First, a revival of life. True revival begins with an honest recognition that we have become spiritually dull, dry, and even dead. Ezekiel describes it this way: 'The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones...and indeed they were very dry...He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!' "...And as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together...and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army' (Ezekiel 37:1-10 NKJV).

Ezekiel's vision teaches us the following truths: a) Revival begins with acknowledging we are not a healthy, connected, functioning body. b) Our church services have become too formal and dry. c) We must hunger for God's Word. Otherwise we live in denial, excusing and rationalising our spiritual condition. God said to Israel, an agricultural people, 'Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you' (Hosea 10:12). Notice the elements in a true revival: An emphasis on righteous living; showing mercy to one another; recognising our careless and cavalier attitude toward sin; crying out to God in sustained, heartfelt prayer, 'Revive us again, that your people may rejoice in You.'

Used with permission from UCB Word for Today. Free issues are available here for the UK and Republic of Ireland.