Thursday, September 3, 2015

The Fire Will Fall, When The Wood Is Wet

You hear a lot of talk amongst believers about the "Body of Christ," and rightly so. Still, I want to remind you today that the "Body of Christ" consists of many parts, which must function properly for the body to work the way it was created. Just like the human body has many bones, muscles, limbs, and organs to cause it to function correctly, if disease overtakes one part of the body, the rest of the body is weakened.  


Just like a wall has stones to support it, if all of the stones are not properly maintained, a few begin to fall apart, which weakens the wall.


An army has many soldiers that give it strength to overcome its enemies. Still, if some of the soldiers decide to stop resisting, the rest of the army is put at risk of defeat.


The point I'm trying to make is this: The Church, the "Body of Christ," can only be revived as its members are revived.


A wall can only be built by setting and fitting many stones. The word of God says that we are "living stones" that are alive; we are supposed to be stones with life in them. Revival can only come as the individual stones are set on fire.


In the 37th chapter of Ezekiel, there is no doubt that God is asking the prophet if revival is possible. 'Can life be restored to a bunch of dry bones? Can dead hearts come alive? And the answer is clear: Yes, but only if the blowing of God's breath, the power of the Holy Ghost, is reintroduced into their body. And when this happens a great and mighty army arises from the ashes of despair to once again lay hold of victory.


There is a spirit of revival on the horizon for many in the 'Body of Christ.' I believe the wind of God, the breath of God, the Holy Ghost, is getting ready to move again, just like he did on the day of Pentecost. Revival is coming to the Church of Jesus Christ; I believe it and prophesy it to you now. I can already see it in my home church as we are experiencing great moves of God's Spirit and I believe it will spread.


I believe God is raising up an army of blood-bought, Holy Spirit-filled, fire-baptized, Bible-thumping, pew jumping, Isle running, tongue-talking, sin-hating, Jesus-loving members of His body that are going to invade and overthrow Satan's strongholds.


But just as an army is many soldiers and a wall is many stones, the body comprises many members and many bones. Revival must be personal. Before there was an army in Ezekiel 37, there was just a valley of many dry bones, some leg bones, some arm bones, some neck bones, and some toes and fingers; all it was at the beginning of the prophet's vision was a boneyard. It was a cemetery where shattered dreams and hope had been buried.


I'm making the point that every bone needed a personal revival. The breath of God, the fire of God, and the power of God had to get inside every one of those bones, and as it did, every one of those bones began to shake and move.


We have come together with the desire to experience a divine visitation, a revival, but the only way to have revival in the "Body of Christ" is for each member to experience God's power and begin to move under the direction of the Holy Ghost. Each of us must become a revival.


Every bone must commit to the process and the product of personal revival. The wall is only as alive as the living stones that make up the wall are alive. The church is only as alive as the individual members that make up the body are alive. We must commit ourselves personally to the process of revival.


"It's not my brothers, nor my sisters but it's me O Lord standing in the need of Prayer"


We can all come together, we can shout and praise God, and we can experience the fire of God. Still, when each bone begins to catch fire, we will take it beyond the four walls of the church house and carry it with us everywhere we go.


True biblical revival is more than the Holy Spirit coming into service here and there and giving you a spiritual jump-start; revival is not a "five-hour Holy Ghost energy shot," true revival is getting back to the foundation of our faith, beginning with repentance. Let me say this boldly, you can measure the success of a revival by the genuineness and the depth of the repentance of the individual.

A.W. Tozor said: "The blessings follow the plow."

In other words, God's blessings come where the word of God is allowed to penetrate the heart, plow up the soil, and root out that which is offensive to the Holy Spirit.

Break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord until He come and rains righteousness upon you.

John the Baptist's message was, "Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

Jesus' message was, "Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

The Apostles' message was, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19-21).


Revival follows repentance.


"If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).


The first step to personal revival is to humble ourselves and pray. One of the greatest sins of the church today is the sin of prayerlessness. We have all seen on the evening news that much of America has been in a severe drought for several years. Still, the worst drought in America, one you, unfortunately, won't be hearing about on the news, is the drought in the church for tears; it is the drought of dry eyes.


I am not surprised at the lack of power in the church in America, because a prayerless church is a powerless church.


The internal combustion engine is powered by fuel. The steam engine is powered by steam. An electric motor is powered by electricity. And the church is powered by prayer.


In many churches today the only prayer you hear is a short opening prayer and a quick dismissal prayer. Still, God said, "My house shall be called of all nations, a house of prayer" Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17).


It seems like they do everything in many churches today except pray. They have eating meetings, dramas, plays, seminars, and hold 'singspirations,' it seems the church has time for everything but prayer.


And then they wonder why they don't see revival: Why don't they have any power over sickness? Why don't they have power over the devil? Why aren't people getting saved and delivered? Why aren't people getting filled with the Holy Ghost?


If we want God to send the fire, like Elijah on Mt Carmel, we must build the altar and pour water (tears) on the sacrifice. Because it's still true: The fire will fall when the wood is wet. The Power of God only comes on those who pray. Prayerless saints are Powerless saints.

As 120 waited and prayed in the upper room, heaven opened, and fire fell upon every head. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and power and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Every head got a Flame, every dry bone was made alive, and personal power accompanied personal revival.

It's time for a personal revival, and when we have a personal revival we will have personal power.



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