THE REVIVAL – Part 3

How do we experience Revival? 

The past is an important part of today’s actions and tomorrow’s plans. When we look at the Church in the Book of Acts [the past], the Church today [action] is no where near  as far as the acts of the Holy Spirit are concerned – tomorrow’s plan. Like the world, the Church loves singlehood – life with the Word of God without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is only given limited visiting rights. When did you lastly see the intoxicating presence of the Holy Spirit at work? Wait and see, because this is the hour. 

The Revival by the Spirit of Jesus is geared to bringing today’s Church to resemble the 1st Church in the Book of Acts… as the Holy Spirit Started it – with Fire. People will be healed in masses with no one praying for them. The cripples will walk, people will seek repentance with no one preaching to them and the dead will be raised by the Spirit of Jesus. No one will be able to put a claim on the miracles that are about to hit the earth… beginning from Nairobi, Kenya before this year 2023 ends. As the Holy Spirit continues to rebuild the Church, we must continue to Preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God that will culminate the return of Christ. Revival has already begun and will continue until we see Christ on the clouds, bodily and visibly. 

Like the Church today, the people and kings of Judah had rich past, filled with God’s action, guidance and commands. But with each passing generation, they had a growing list of tragedies that occurred when the people forgot that their God, who had cared for them in the past, also cared about the present and the future and demanded for their continued obedience. The author of the second Book of Kings 18:5, 6 describes a visionary king – Hezekiah. He is often remembered for a desperate prayer He made concerning his life when he was faced by death… 2 Kings 20:3. Hezekiah was one of the few kings of Judah who was constantly aware of God’s acts in the past and his interest in the events of every day. Apart from David, the Scriptures describes him as a king who had a close relationship with God, ‘he trusted in, leaned on, and was confident in the Lord, the God of Israel; so that neither after him nor before him was any one of all the kings of Judah like him. For he clung and held fast to the Lord and ceased not to follow Him, but kept His commandments, as the Lord commanded Moses”. 

As a reformer, Hezekiah was most concerned with present obedience. Like in the Church today, Judah was filled with visual reminders of the people’s lack of trust in God and he boldly cleaned the house. Altars, idols and pagan temples were destroyed. The Spirit of Jesus desires that we destroy the idols in our lives because our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit. In Judah, even the bronze snake Moses had made in the wilderness was not spared as it had ceased to point the people to God and had also become an idol. Look in today’s Church, we have turned the gifts of the Holy Spirit to charms and continue to exchange them for money. 

The Temple in Jerusalem whose doors had been nailed shut by Hezekiah’s own father, was cleaned out and reopened. The Passover was reinstituted as a national holiday and there was a revival in Judah. Whether we recognize the Holy Spirit or not, He has already started the rebuilding of the Temple of God and as I discern, He is doing a wonderful job already. I’ve had a chance to see the building He’s coming up with. It has a reinforcement of steel, meaning that this building is going up very high. Stop and take stalk of your life, if the Church was withdrawn today, would you be in it?

Although Hezekiah had a natural inclination to respond to the present problems, his life shows little evidence of concern about the future. He took few actions to preserve the effects of his sweeping reforms. For one, his successful efforts made him proud. His unwise display of wealth to the Babylonian delegation got Judah included on Babylon’s ‘Nations to conquer’ list. When Isaiah informed him of the foolishness of his act, the king’s answer displayed his persistent lack of foresight. He was thankful that any evil consequences would be delayed until after he died. And the lives of three kings who followed him – Manasseh, Amon, and Josiah – were deeply affected by both Hezekiah’s accomplishments and his weaknesses. 

Because Hezekiah did what was pleasing and good in the sight of the LORD his God, he led the people of Judah in spiritual Revival… 2 Chronicles 31:20-21. His actions serve as a model for us: he remembered God’s compassion… 2 Chronicles 30:9; he kept going despite redicule… verse 10; he aggressively removed evil influences in his own life… 2 Chronicles 30:14; 31:1. But while Hezekiah was removing idols, Kenya is busy building idols – the obelisk at the roundabout of Haile Selassie/Moi Avenue symbolizes an erected penis as the Lord revealed, “YOU SHALL make for yourselves no idols nor shall you erect a graven image, pillar, or obelisk, nor shall you place any figured stone in your land to which or on which to bow down; for I am the Lord your God… Leviticus 26:1.  I declare that this altar shall bow to the God of the Revival. Hezekiah interceded for the people asking for the Lord’s pardon… 2 Chronicles 30:15-20… “… may the good Lord pardon everyone. And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people. Hezekiah was open to spontaneity in worship… 2 Chronicles 30:23, “And the whole assembly took counsel to prolong the feast another seven days; and they kept it another seven days with joy”. 

Hezekiah also contributed generously to God’s work… 2 Chronicles 31:3, “King Hezekiah’s personal contribution was for the burnt offerings: those of morning and evening, for the Sabbaths, for the New Moons, and for the appointed feasts, as written in the Law of the Lord”. He reinstated the practice of tithing… 2 Chronicles 31:4-8. Giving a tenth of your income to the Priests and Levites sets them free to serve God and minister to the people. Generosity makes our giving delightful to us and to God… 2 Corinthians 8-9. How different the Church would be today if all believers consistently followed this pattern. Is any of these lacking in your life? Please consider how they might apply and renew your commitment to God. Over 100-year period of Judah’s history [732-640 B.C.], Hezekiah was the only faithful king, what a difference he made? You too can make a difference even if your faith puts you in the minority. Faith and prayer can change any situation… 2 Kings 19:1-7. Our problems are God’s opportunities. Put your faith in God’s strength. 

The past affects your decisions and actions today; and these in turn affect the future. The spiritual changes you make today will affect your spiritual destiny. There are lessons to learn and errors to avoid repeating. Remember that part of the success of your past will be measured by what you do with it now and how well you use it to prepare for the near future.

Come Lord Jesus!