Tips for Tuesday
One of the books I read while at the cottage this summer was "Ablaze with His Glory," by Del Fehsenfeld Jr. Written just prior to his death in 1989 at age 42, his plea for revival is embodied in this book. Listen to these words penned almost twenty-five years ago:
"The escalation of social and moral ills in our society is alarming; pornography, adultery, divorce, abortion, alcoholism, and homosexuality have all become accepted elements of our social landscape. Ours is a shattered society, strewn with the wreckage of broken hearts, lives and relationships...These problems of our society are symptomatic of moral and spiritual decay so pervasive that it threatens our very existence. We can no longer afford the luxury of living for today, blindly disregarding the consequences of what we will certainly face tomorrow. Spiritual darkness in encroaching on our land, threatening to plunge us into a new Dark Age."
Just think of how much our society has degraded since this was written! "Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction." ~ Proverbs 29:18
Our nation is in desperate need of revival, but corporate revival will not come without being ushered in by personal revival. "God knows how many of us know right and do right, while covering up hearts that aren't right. True spirituality is measured no so much by what we know and what we do (as important as these are), but by what we really are in our inner hearts before God. We may impress each other by our knowledge of the Bible, but God isn't impressed if we fail to be transformed by what we know."
Do you spend time reading God's word every day? Is it something you just check off your to-do list, or do you enter into God's presence to hear what He has to say to you? Do you then go about your life as usual, or are you begining to look more and more like Jesus? These are all questions we should each stop and ask ourselves.
"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." ~ 2 Corinthians 3:18
"Revival, no matter how great or how small in its ultimate scope, always begins with individual believers whose hearts are desperate for God, and who are willing to pay the price to meet Him." Revival is not for those who don't know Jesus. "The word revival means to bring back to life. Lost people cannot be revived. They need to be born again to receive spiritual life."
"The escalation of social and moral ills in our society is alarming; pornography, adultery, divorce, abortion, alcoholism, and homosexuality have all become accepted elements of our social landscape. Ours is a shattered society, strewn with the wreckage of broken hearts, lives and relationships...These problems of our society are symptomatic of moral and spiritual decay so pervasive that it threatens our very existence. We can no longer afford the luxury of living for today, blindly disregarding the consequences of what we will certainly face tomorrow. Spiritual darkness in encroaching on our land, threatening to plunge us into a new Dark Age."
Just think of how much our society has degraded since this was written! "Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction." ~ Proverbs 29:18
Our nation is in desperate need of revival, but corporate revival will not come without being ushered in by personal revival. "God knows how many of us know right and do right, while covering up hearts that aren't right. True spirituality is measured no so much by what we know and what we do (as important as these are), but by what we really are in our inner hearts before God. We may impress each other by our knowledge of the Bible, but God isn't impressed if we fail to be transformed by what we know."
Do you spend time reading God's word every day? Is it something you just check off your to-do list, or do you enter into God's presence to hear what He has to say to you? Do you then go about your life as usual, or are you begining to look more and more like Jesus? These are all questions we should each stop and ask ourselves.
"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." ~ 2 Corinthians 3:18
"Revival, no matter how great or how small in its ultimate scope, always begins with individual believers whose hearts are desperate for God, and who are willing to pay the price to meet Him." Revival is not for those who don't know Jesus. "The word revival means to bring back to life. Lost people cannot be revived. They need to be born again to receive spiritual life."
Revival will not come into our land without it first happening in the hearts of believers. If we ask God to revive our hearts, I strongly believe this is a prayer God will answer. If you'd like to experience revival in your life, in addition to reading this book I can highly recommend a Bible study written by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Tim Grissom called "Seeking Him: Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival."
Father, I thank you that you love us as we are, and yet you love us so much that You refuse to leave us that way! I pray that each person reading this would hear from You and be willing to open their lives up for Your inspection. Reveal those sins we've blinded ourselves to and empower us to live a life pleasing to You and reflecting that of Your Son Jesus.
Lisa
I've been known to link up with: Living Proverbs 31, Soli Deo Gloria, Inspire Me Monday, Titus 2sdays, Tell Me a Story, Teach Me Tuesdays, Courtship Connection, Into the Beautiful, God Bumps & God Incidences, Word-Filled Wednesday, Winsome Wednesday, Simply Helping Him, Weekend Whatever, Spiritual Sundays, True Vine Challenge, Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday, The Beauty in His Grip, Playdates With God, Inspire, Thrive at Home, Knick of Time, Hope in Every Season, Funky Junk Interiors, Frugal Friday, Inspire Me Please, Feathered Nest Friday, What Have You Redone, Home Sweet Home, Thrifty Things Friday, DIY Sunday Showcase , Think Pink Sundays,
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As we look into the face of Jesus, we must be willing to allow him to change us into His image. Yes, revival must first begin in us at a personal leval. Thank you for your thought provoking words and for sharing them here at "Tell Me a Story."
YEP!! I'm often so frustrated now. When I was a child... raised in an abusive, abortionist, sexually sinful, porn, terrible filthy jokes, terrible foul language, parents fighting and beating each other, filled with alcohol and a variety of drugs, a 1/2 bro who became gay and a cousin who became a lesbian, and on and on ... and it was thoroughly unacceptable in our culture [that was the '50s and '60s] ... now nearly all of it is acceptable or allowable. I've often used examples to try to get my kids and grandkids [and others] to understand how our culture has changed so seriously and is headed for trouble, a LOT of trouble. It's very heartaching, heartbreaking for me when I know so much, see so much, and understand the consequences on a social and spiritual level. I'm sill hoping my book [not published yet] will open doors so the understanding will reach out to the right hearts.
Sure appreciate this. Again, as I've said before, I think we have a lot in common in our hearts, our love for Africans, our desire to see our world turn to the Lord.