When Revival Comes

,serPastor Daniel Ho, 16/10/2010
This is the 2nd installment of The Revival Series.
Psa 85:1-13  To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. LORD, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.  (2)  You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah  (3)  You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.  (4)  Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us!  (5)  Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations?  (6)  Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?  (7)  Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.  (8)  Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.  (9)  Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.  (10)  Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.  (11)  Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky.  (12)  Yes, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.  (13)  Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps a way.

God is breaking forth in increasing manner towards a full blown revival. We ain’t seen nothing yet. Revival is a season in the life of the church. God wants to break forth not just within the church but also outside the church. Pastor Daniel defines revival as God showing his presence in an unusual manner. God wants to bless Malaysia but it has to comes through the church. The hope of the nation is found in the Church of Jesus Christ.
Coming to church is not a duty or an obligation. It is something we look forward to.
Psalms 85 gives us a glimpse of the prayer of one who desires a re invigoration and restorations.

Revival means

1. Favour (v1a) – Favour for all.
2. Restoration (v1b) – God wants us to inherit what we have lost and more than that, He wants us to claim our unclaimed inheritance. God wants to restore our lost years / ministries / opportunities / relationships / finances / etc. That is the reason we want to be in the place where God is at work.
3. Putting away of God’s displeasure (v2-4) Our foolishness has caused us to say / do things that are unnecessary. God chooses to forgive us our sins and iniquities even though we don’t deserve it. God will turn aside what judgement and punishment we deserve. Some of us have done something very shameful that we don’t share. It is a dark and deep secret in us. God wants to restore us to a life that is meaningful and purposeful. God does not want us to live under condemnation. God knows our fears and anxieties. God wants to walk into our lives, to convert our confusion into clarity, our fear into faith. God will remove his displeasure and replace it with his mercy.

In revival there is

1. Rejoicing (v6) We don’t come just for a service. We come for celebrations. Happy people gather to sing to God. God is real to all of us. Some Christians look like they have been baptised in lime juice – so sour! Are we tasting good? We ought to be good citizens in wherever God put us.
2. Revelation  (v7) God wants to show us His great love. He is not just a God of love, He IS love. We may be overwhelmed by the gifts of our loved ones. Wait until God shows His love. It will blow everything away.
3. Tuning in to listen (v8) We want to hear what God is saying. We will hear new sounds / songs from heaven. In revivals, we always have new songs / hymns composed. This is a God who is in us, with us and around us. He wants to speak to us. When we make time and make room, we will begin to hear His voice. We will find more open doors.
4. Salvation (v9a) God wants to show his mercy and grace and draw many to Him.
5. Glory (v9b) At the end of it all, revival is about God’s glory. Revival is nothing but about God. Revival is God revealing himself in its fullness. When God reveals himself in his power, majesty and glory, we will not dare to move, we will not want to move. We will be in awe when his glory is manifested.

Fruits of revival

1. Love (v10)  When revival comes, we will experience more love for one another.
2. Faithfulness (v10) Not only people see the love we show but also the faithfulness we display – faithfulness to one another.
3. Righteousness (v10) – Everybody will seek to do right. When revival breaks out, we don’t need to keep checking on one another. (Dog for sales, free for good home. Excellent guard dog, Owner cannot afford to feed him anymore, as tehre are no more drug pushers, thieves … Jethro.)
4. Peace (v10) There will be such peace when we see faithfulness from the earth and righteousness from heaven, when heaven and earth work in unity in perfect partnership, the Kingdom of God has finally arrived. Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will on earth will be done as in heaven, i.e. perfectly done. We will then find God’s mercy and grace flow in abundance. Revival is a glimpse of what can happen when heaven and earth work in perfect partnership.
5. Goodness (v12) – God is amazing. He is a good God.
6. Fruitfulness (v12) There is going to be great harvests! God is going to prosper us in our work, relationship, ministry, etc.