REVIVAL IS FOR SAINTS NOT SINNERS –

The Korahites not only wanted to return to being ministers in the house of the LORD, but they also wanted to see the Spirit of the LORD active among His people, and demonstrated in the Holy Place when worship was going on. They were tired of dealing with stories of what use to be and how great things were, they wanted to feel His presence and experience His power now, with the same intensity that often caused His people to spontaneously break out in praise and worship. This caused the desire for revival to burn within their souls. This is something sinners cannot feel until they are born again, because the spirit within them must first be alive before it can be revived.

“O LORD Eternal, there were times You blessed our land; times when You gave us prosperity; times You forgave our immoral conduct, and times You overlooked our mistakes. You didn’t get mad or vengeful; You didn’t let Your anger get out of control. The time has come for us to be reconciled with You, O One True God our Helper; please cancel any punishment You had planned. It’s not like You to hold this against us forever, or against our children, or their children. I believe You will send a revival O LORD Eternal; let Your power set us free to rejoice once more. Now I’m interested in how the Sovereign LORD Eternal will respond to my prayer. I’m sure He will calm the fears of His people, the ones He loves, so they won’t go back to living foolishly like they did before. Salvation is available to all those who respect and revere Him so they can return to where they used to be. That’s when steadfast love and truth will embrace; justice and honesty will kiss. Yes, love and loyalty will sprout and mushroom throughout the land, as we are led from above to make honesty a part of everything we do. For the LORD Eternal will see to it that our good works will be rewarded with a great harvest. Yes, I’m sure that being honest will make it possible for Him to move in a mighty way.” Psalm 85:1-13

Reflection: In Chapter XXI of his autobiography, Charles Finney tells of the fantastic results of an 1830 evangelistic crusade in Rochester, New York. Many members of high society were born again; taverns closed because people stopped drinking; one lawyer reported that visitors increased the city’s population threefold during that time while prosecution for crime went down two thirds. One well-known citizen, who boasted of being an infidel, fell under conviction while shopping, fell to his knees and gave his heart to God. Later this same infidel became a trustee of a local Bible College. In effect it turned the city upside down. Some may read this and say, “That was back then, things are different now.” The Psalmist must have heard the same negative comments. He knew that any hope of restoration; any dream of getting back to the level of high morality in society; any hope for peace and security; and any hope of returning to spirit-filled worship of the One True God depended on how God would answer his plea. It was his prayer that God would send revival throughout the land; that He would spark the fire of repentance and restoration of what was righteous and holy. But he also knew that there must first be a hunger for such a move of God’s Spirit in the hearts of His children.

If that was true then it’s true today. O how wonderful if the Psalmist’s prayer would become the prayer of every believer today, and their willingness to wait for the Lord to respond. If Christians want to change society, they must first be changed themselves, and this will take an old fashion revival.