Lions of Revival
"The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are as bold as lions..."
In an hour of political unrest and international upheaval God is calling for lions. Bold in their approach, radical in their devotion, prepared for war. Jesus was born for war. 1st John 3:8 states in no uncertain terms, "For this PURPOSE the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." That is war. To usurp the strongholds of the devil and establish righteousness in the hearts of men. Spiritual warfare is to see the hearts of battered bruised humanity bound up in His love. Spiritual warfare is not just limited in long hours of prayer, or longer days of fasting, it is piercing the darkness that holds captive the masses and invading the boundaries of hell and crying, "GIVE BACK!" It is to set the captives free, it is to bind up the broken hearted, to open the prison to them that are bound, to leave footprints leading to the mount of transfiguration, impacting a city, a generation, a nation, This is war... (Luke 4:17&18)
This act of, or the ability to war is delivered to the spirit of every born again believer without exception. He has transferred the keys of the kingdom to His church "to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known BY THE CHURCH the manifold wisdom of God..." (Ephesians 3:10) He has given this charge to each of His servants, "Occupy till I come." (Luke 19:13) The word occupy is a military term, it is aggressive, it is violent. It means to take territory and not only overcome the resistance, but to OCCUPY AND KEEP IT! This is war! We are His warriors. YOU, are His warrior. In you revival is wrapped up waiting to be exposed. In you is an effectual power waiting to explode. It is time for the substance of revival that lies dormant in most of us to be loosed and ignited. Revival is only a step, a breath away. It is waiting inside of you like a volcano, turbulent, tumultuous, fervent. Only to be released as you step from the safe confines of religion and thrust out into the deep of your city streets and speak to the tomb of despair, "LAZARUS COME FORTH!"
God is forming in the hearts of His people the heart of the Lion of Judah. One that pursues rather than being pursued. One that is aggressive instead of passive. Terrible in battle, mighty in war. 'Terrible as an army with banners...' (Song of Solomon 6:4) The hunter not the hunted, Lions. In the early church they prayed the prayer of the Lion, "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant to thy servants, that with all BOLDNESS they may speak Thy word." ( Acts 4:29) We dare not do any less in this present hour, "BOLDNESS LORD! BOLDNESS TO DO YOUR WILL NO MATTER WHAT THE COST! TO FOLLOW YOU NO MATTER THE LOSS! TO GO INTO ALL THE WORLD TO SAVE THAT WHICH IS LOST! LORD, GIVE US BOLDNESS! Is that your prayer? From this day forth make it what you breath. Boldness. Lord, give me boldness. Paul could do nothing less in the face of the wild beasts of Ephesus, the danger of highway men, hurdling stones of the religious, chanting mobs of the pagans! He prayed, "And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth BOLDLY, to make know the mystery of the gospel..." (Ephesians 6:19) We can do no less. You can do no less.
God forbid that are streets remain silent of the witness of Christ. God forbid that the gangs and drug pushers occupy our neighborhoods instead of vigilant Christians. God forbid that we remain on this road of apathy and indifference as the children in every city are ravaged and wrecked by sin. God forbid that church remains just a place to drink espresso and read a good book. God forbid that the prayer meeting stands dormant and cold in the average church, believers more content to play than to pray. God forbid that we do not begin to train our people to evangelize and be a personal impact in every public place, releasing revival wherever they walk. God forbid that we as leaders are not more concerned with the state of our streets and school houses than we are of our building projects and church growth programs. I will tell you the key to church growth! REVIVAL! Building a church of revivalists, that spark flames of revival and power wherever the soles of their feet tread! We must begin to teach every man woman and child that revival, the substance of it, is in them. That they are 'living epistles', spreading the passion of Christ in every place they go to, every building they step into, they are revival...
Why are you here? To what purpose were you born? Do you have a reason for existing? Listen to the words of Christ to His servant Paul, "For I have appeared to you for this PURPOSE, to make you a minister and a witness both of these things which you have seen, and of those things which I will appear unto thee... To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of their sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me..." (Acts 26:16-18) The very purpose we were created is to hold Him in human hearts and unleash this Power and Grace to a world dying and crippled. This is the purpose God has given to each one of us that claim His name as Lord. Soldiers on a mission of Salvation to set the captives free. "Because as He is, so are we in this world." (1st John 4:17)
You have a purpose! You have an eternal destiny to be His voice! His heart! His hands! His feet! To profoundly impact the world around you. You are an 'ambassador of Christ', a 'minister of reconciliation', 'a peacemaker'. Bringing peace to the storm of life that rages in the heart of the lost. You are the one He's called to pour out the oil and the wine into the wounds of the welfare recipient beaten and wasted. You are the one! To you has He commanded, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel!" You have a purpose! You have a reason for living and breathing, for in Him you move and have your being, in Him you thrust out into the darkness and cry, "Let there be light!" You has He entrusted such responsibility! Our claim must be as Pauls, "Woe is me if I preach not the gospel!" We are the ones that must carry the blazing torch of His love into the uttermost parts of the earth. We are the ones that must make disciples of all men, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We are the ones that must break the walls of bondage that manipulate and molest the children that wander to and fro in the city streets. You are the one.
How you ask? How can I accomplish such a thing? Who am I to presume such feats? What could I possibly do in such a dark world? But you must first understand that it is not YOU who does it! It is the Spirit of your Father that is IN you that will demonstrate such acts! It is the LION that lives inside of you! He is the One that will supernaturally express His power in you to the world! "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, but not I, Christ lives in me!" (Galatians 2:20) Christ longs to manifest Himself in the power of revival. He is only waiting for you to cry out, "Here am I, send me!" Peter replied to the Lord in his day 'Lo, we have left all and followed you!' Paul confessed 'For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain...' He is only waiting for us 'to present our bodies as a living sacrifice...' And to live the same.
He is the One that makes fruit pickers prophets! (Amos 7:14) A shepherd boy king! (1st Samuel 16:11-13) Fisherman apostles! (Matthew 4:19) Prostitutes princesses! (John 8:11) He is the One that is calling you in this hour to be His voice 'crying in the wilderness, make straight paths for the Lord.' "Now when they saw the BOLDNESS of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled, and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus..." (Acts 4:13) That is the foremost qualification of revival, have you been with the Master?
Fear is the fatal enemy of the soldier of the cross. By fear the enemy can disable what once was powerful and lethal in the Father's hands. By fear the devil can shut up the saints in the upper room,ever waiting and never doing. It is his most formidable weapon against the church. It paralyzes and cripples the limbs of the Body. Causing them to be stunted and twisted. The only antidote for this disease is the all consuming love of Jesus Christ. His love will drive out the dark tendrils of fear from the believers heart. Making a coward into a warrior. Peter was a coward on the day of Christ's arrest, a few weeks later he was a powerful preacher! Only the love of Jesus could do such a thing! Only the explosive love of Jesus in this day can transform a passive church into an aggressive army. One that will not only co-exist with the world, but rather one who will possess it... Not just praying against the psychics and pimps, but boldly stepping into their domain and declaring His ownership, His dominion. This is the command from our Heavenly Headquarters, "As the Father has sent Me, so send I you!" Fear still has torment, His love still casts it out. We must again be, "Men that have hazarded their lives for Jesus Christ." (Acts 15:26)
With love comes compassion, and this my friend is the key to miracles, signs, and wonders! We long for miracles and the working of the Holy Spirit, then in all of our getting, let us get compassion! Read the following and let it be the revelation that propels your ministry from mere words into mighty power!
"But when He saw the multitudes, HE WAS MOVED WITH COMPASSION ON THEM, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd..." (Matthew 9:35&36) See what healed the blind men! "So Jesus had COMPASSION on them, and touched their eyes, and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him..." (Matthew 20:34) Look now at the widow in a city called Nain, her only son lay dead! No hope! All is gone! But wait! Here is the man they call Jesus coming down the road! "And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her, and said to her, "Weep not..." " (Luke 7:11-13) Christ moved by compassion healed the boy, and healed the widows grieving heart! If we could only get a hold of the heart of Jesus we would see miracles every day! Every moment! Because He would still be moved by compassion and heal them through us. When our heart is broken and filled with His love for a lost and perishing world, then, and only then, will we see the signs that follow. Let the lions of love come forth!
"But though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercy..."
(Lamentations 3:32)
Chad Taylor (9/5/99) destiny@televar.com
website: http://www.televar.com/~destiny