Viv words are life related. Vivid means “full of life.” A vivacious person is someone who’s energetic and lively. Viv is at the heart of revival and it is life related. The prefix re – adds “again” to the mix. The suffix – al means “that which pertains to.” So the word revival is literally, “that which pertains to life coming back again.” Are you being revived in your walk with God?
Adam and Eve didn’t know how good they had it – the Bible says they actually walked with God in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8). Enoch walked with God for 300 years and never died because God miraculously took him home (Genesis 5:21-24). Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord and was a walking companion to the Lord (Genesis 6:8). What would it be like to walk with the Lord like those of the Old Testament? I believe we get a taste of walking with God during weeks of authentic revival. We have seen and felt the presence of the Lord this week during our revival. Look with me in Genesis when the Lord appears to Abraham. The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. 3 He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.” “Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.” 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.” 7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curd sand milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree. Genesis 18:1-8 God appears to us in many ways as we live this life He has provided for us. We encounter troubles, dry times, disappointments, and mountaintop experiences. Through it all, God is there to lead and guide us through to safe waters. It is during weeks like these that we realize that we can experience revival in the midst of the routine. All we have to do is to intentionally seek Him with all of our heart. Revival is not just something intellectual. Revival restores the feelings of love and joy we once knew when we first came into relationship with Jesus. But our revival is not based solely on feelings. It is based on God’s Word and our life intersecting to the point that we realize that God’s Word is living and breathing. It actually has breathed new life into dry bones. Not only do we experience revival on a personal level, we experience revival on a much bigger scale. The church is revived. You begin to feel closer to people you worship with on Sundays. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness. Can you get a glimpse of how God wants to move even more? May God’s Word and presence continue to be our driving force. I want to encourage everyone to come out to our last scheduled revival service tonight at 6:30pm. Better yet, plan to come and enjoy a delicious taco salad prepared by our teens and their families at 5:30pm and meet someone else who is being revived. There will be a special emphasis tonight for our children called Farm Night in the FLC. There will be real animals from the farm here for them to pet. They will also be feasting on God’s Word as we all seek God with our families. Come and experience revival and let it move out into your neighborhood. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike
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Rev. Mike McClurgSenior Pastor, Findlay First Church of the Nazarene Archives
March 2020
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