“One of my neighbors,” Stan began one morning, “is part of a church body different from ours. The other day we were talking and he was complaining about his church.”
“What kind of complaining?” I asked.
“He mentioned several things,” Stan replied, “but the bottom-line was that he just thought the church was dead, without any life whatsoever.”
“Wow!” I said. “No life whatsoever. Did you encourage him to change to another church?”
“No, I didn’t,” Stan said, “but I did try to encourage him in a different way.”
“What different way?”
“I encouraged him to pray for revival,” Stan replied.
“Revival?” I said. “As in the whole church suddenly being revived?”
“Not so much that,” Stan said, “more like personal revival that will lead to greater revival.”
“You mean like one person at a time?” I asked.
“I do,” he replied. “While I believe without a doubt that God can do whatever He wants, and if He wants to instantly bring a whole body to revival, He will do so, but I also think that God is more interested in each individual being revived with the life of Christ. As each individual is changed or revived, it will impact the church body.”
“The revival will spread to make a difference in the whole body,” I commented. “Is that what you’re saying?”
“That’s it,” Stan replied. “As individuals change, the body will change. And that will result in changes in personal relationships, changes in the family, the community, the town, city, state, country, as far as you can see!”
“All because of personal revival?”
“I think that’s the only place it can begin,” Stan replied. “People can pray for revival of the church until they’re blue in the face, but unless there’s personal revival, I don’t think much is going to happen!”
“And how do you think there’s going to be personal revival?” I asked.
“How about through being disciples?” Stan replied with a smile. “Seems to me that’s the only way. If each individual is committed to getting self out of the way so personal revival can occur, and if each individual is committed to taking up the personal revival God has to be taken up, and if each individual then goes on to follow wherever, however, and whenever He leads, bingo, you’ve got personal revival. And that’s the beginning of greater revival!”
“As simple as that?” I asked.
“As simple, and as complicated, as that,” Stan responded. “Revival has to begin with the individual. No individual revival, no greater revival.”
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Bible verses to consider:
O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make it known. Habakkuk 3:2.
Wilt Thou not Thyself revive us again, that Thy people may rejoice in Thee? Psalm 85:6.
I came that they may have life, and might have it abundantly, John 10:10.
Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for providing the way to you in eternity through your Son Jesus. Thank you, too, for the eternal life of knowing you and Jesus in an ever-deepening personal relationship on this side of eternity. I confess that too often I do not continually draw as close to you as is possible and I need to have our relationship renewed, refreshed, and revived. Thank you for awakening me to that need. Please help me in following every step of your lead as you show me all that you have for my personal revival, a revival that you can and will use to help others in their own personal revival. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Have you been revived for all of eternity in that you will spent it in God’s presence? If no, why? There’s nothing more important! If you do have the assurance of salvation for when your time here is done, how are you doing with your ongoing personal relationship with God in Christ on this side of eternity.? Do you agree that church-wide revival can only start with personal revival? Why or why not? If you sense the need for personal revival that God can use for greater revival in the church, how is that going to happen?
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The book. Waiting for the Train — Biblical Food for Growing Before Going by S. Tory Teller (Foreword by Josh McDowell). Available from Amazon.com and from the publisher at www.s-toryteller.com
Waiting for the Train 