Prayer x Intimacy with God = Revival

Photo credit: Gainesville First United Methodist Church

Now when they saw the boldness and unfettered eloquence of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and untrained in the schools [common men with no educational advantages], they marveled; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13, Amplified

Boldness and unfettered eloquence. It was obvious to the audience that Peter and John were just common men. They did not bear any of the outward signs associated with success or position in society, and yet they spoke with boldness and unfettered eloquence. This unusual characteristic was a reflection of their relationship with the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

I was raised in churches were people in the pew were powerless. Powerless to withstand personal temptation, Powerless to change the world around them. Powerless to give witness to our Great Savior. These churches were targets of public scorn and the leadership called it suffering for Christ.

I can't point a finger at these people, for after all, they did introduce me to the basic principles of our faith, enough to make me hungry for what I see in God's Word. As I grow older and dig into the Word of God with questions on why the church of this age...why do I lack the demonstration of the mighty power of the Almighty God? In all that I am reading and studying is that the church of this age is guilty...I am guilty of a small, self-centered prayer life and ignorance of the God we serve, the God I serve.

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Revival - A restoration to use, acceptance, activity, or vigor after a period of obscurity or quiescence.

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It's time for revival in our churches. It's time for revival in modern day Christianity.

I'm not calling for tent meetings, or week long events with special speakers and guest singers.

I am calling for daily prayer that leads to intimacy with our Heavenly Father. I am calling for a knowledge of God that comes through the study and application of God's Word - acting by faith on the truth of scripture.

It starts with one.

When our family, our neighbors, our communities perceive that we have been with Jesus, the church, one by one, will become world changers.

Monday is for Memorizing The Word - The Living and Active Word

Statement of Faith from The Faith Project - The Word of God is Alive and Active in Me.

The Bible is very clear that scripture, which is God's Word, written and recorded by anointed men, and preserved through time and history, is the very essence of power.

Hebrews 4:12-13 - For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the [a]breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart. And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.

In this verse we are told that God's Word is

• alive
• full of power
• active
• operative 
• energizing
• effective

I have to stop and think on this a while. Meditate on what it means when something is alive and full of power. One of the first thoughts that come to mind is that there is movement. Something, or someone that is alive has movement. 

When I think of something full of power I think of an electrical cord plugged in to the power source. The cord may look lifeless and unimpressive laying there on the floor but when it's attached to a power tool on one end and plugged into the power source on the other end - the energy flowing through the bundle of wires and plastic cord create movement that creates an impact.

Think about a blender or a drill - when the limp and lifeless power cord is plugged into the energy sources the blender comes to life and pulverizes ingredients from peanuts, to peanut butter. Or the drill takes on movement when connected to the power source and is used to create to push back barriers of wood, metal, and concrete to make holes of various sizes.

The Word of God is alive and full of power. We are the limp and lifeless power cord. Created to carry the current of God's energy that comes through the study and application of God's Word.

Memorizing God's Word creates a "power pack" effect. The power of God's Word can be drawn from memory as we speak God's Word into every situation of our lives.

God has been speaking to me as I seek to understand what it takes to live an attractive, powerful life as a follower of Christ. This is the very foundation of walking by faith, because faith comes by hearing the Word of God. There is no other way to have the power filled life in Christ that I seek except to spend time studying and memorizing God's powerful Word. Very simple. Very profound.

I hope that as you read this that somehow it creates a hunger to experience more of God's life changing power in your own walk with him. Read, study and be trained by the powerful Word of God.

For additional resources on studying the Power of God's Word:

1. Precept Austin - Inductive Bible Study tools for unlocking the divine power of Scripture.
2. The Power of God's Word - Robert Preus - This article speaks to "What is the Word of God" an important discovery if we are to thrive as followers of Christ. "...that nebulous and distant word of which modern theology speaks, that word which cannot be found or objectified or even repeated, cannot be kept and treasured in our hearts; we cannot even get hold of it to cling to it."

Training in Godliness

I Timothy 4: 7-8 Amplified - But refuse and avoid irreverent legends (profane and impure and godless fictions, mere grandmothers' tales) and silly myths, and express your disapproval of them. Train yourself toward godliness (piety), [keeping yourself spiritually fit]. For physical training is of some value (useful for a little), but godliness (spiritual training) is useful and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is to come.

As I sit here at my computer with fingers poised over the key board, a rush of thoughts and images rush through my mind. Where do I begin? I refuse to live another day in powerlessness. I cannot go on stuck in mediocre. It's time to make the commitment to live like I believe the Word of God to be Alive and Active.

A truth that we cannot escape that that we are shaped by our thoughts. Our thoughts are fed by the focus of our attention. We become what we feed our attention. I live in the United States of America where my friends, family, neighbors and I all spend countless hours absorbing information. Advertising, music, movies, news & commentaries on the news, we are exposed to a daily tidal wave of information and opinion all day long. For myself and most of the people I know, seeking to know the will of God is a minuscule fraction of my day. There is something definitely wrong with that picture.

It is time to walk away from a life of distraction and commit to a life of devotion. I expect things to change.

I ask myself this question, can I qualify as "godly" by the amount of time I spend in training and developing in godliness? Is the activity of a student of the Word only for pastors & preachers, or is that the characteristic of a mere follower of Christ?

I Peter 1:2-4

May grace (God's favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal,  precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).
By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature.

Reading these verses in the Amplified Version really helps me to see what I might miss. God's favor, perfect well being, freedom from fears, agitating passions and moral conflicts - doesn't that sound like the solution we're all searching for? This state of being is multiplied to me in the full, personal, precise and correct knowledge of God and of Jesus my Lord. And did you catch that we've been offered the opportunity to become sharers or partakers of the divine nature?!! All of this  is mine, is yours in the knowledge of God and of Jesus, his son. 

He (God) has bestowed (to present as a gift or an honor) His precious and exceedingly great promises - so that we might escape the moral decay - rottenness and corruption that is in this world. 

What are the disciplines of the godly?  

2 Peter 1:5-9

For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence),
And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety),
And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love.
For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
For whoever lacks these qualities is blind, [spiritually] shortsighted, seeing only what is near to him, and has become oblivious [to the fact] that he was cleansed from his old sins.

In the context godliness begins with the knowledge of God and diligence to the divine promises. We are to employ every effort - most of us exert very little effort with regard to any godly discipline described in this list. I don't see "going to church " anywhere on this list. Don't get me wrong - I do believe we are to come together as believers for worship and the sharing of the Word. For many "believers" going to church is the only effort they put forth towards developing "godliness".

I am called to 

• exercise my faith to develop virtue.
• develop knowledge
• develop self control
• develop steadfastness
• and in steadfastness comes godliness
• the fruit of godliness is brotherly affection and Christian love.

These are the qualities that will keep me from being unfruitful. But if I lack these qualities I am blind and shortsighted. 

I repent, Lord, I have been blind and shortsighted.

I woke up this morning with this yearning in my heart, "Lord, do not let me be unfruitful!" 

John 15:2-5 

Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.
You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you].
Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.
I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

Other excellent blog posts on Training in Godliness:

• The Profit of Godly Discipline - P.G. Matthew - I liked Matthew's sermon from I Corinthians 9:24-27. "Run in such a way as to get the prize." 
• "The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards" - a book review - Lisa G. Burgess - Thank you Lisa for sharing this book review. I like the quote Lisa shared from the author of this biography on Edward's spiritual life. "These diverse disciplines—Bible study, theological reading, meditation, prayer, and singing—worked hand in hand, the one supporting the other, in Edwards’ pursuit of holiness. These religious duties helped Edwards maintain a vibrant communion with God. His theology led to doxology. " ~ STEPHEN J. LAWSON
• Saw this quote -  "Men, time is the chrysalis of eternity - there is no other time but the present. We all go through times in our lives when we have little time for our families - it is part of the natural rhythm of life. But excessive 'busyness' must not be by choice - as it so often is. We must be aware of packing our schedules by saying 'yes' to things which mean saying 'no' to our families. Now is the time to take time..."  R. Kent Hughes, The Disciplines of a Godly Man

2011 - Books I Read This Year

I have over 50 book titles on my Kindle Fire right now but I start a book and then move on to another one before I finish it - gleaning what I need to and then moving on to another provocative title. I've really tried to change my ways and finish ever book that I start but...I just keep reading 50 books at once. My Kindle makes that such an easy habit to cultivate. {sigh} I created the list below first and now I am adding this introduction because actually I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make a very long list because of my habit of reading so many books at once. I'm happy with this short list and it has inspired me to reach new goals in 2012. I'd love to hear about the books that inspired you this year and what you'll be reading next year. On some of the descriptions below I borrowed the words from the publisher because it described the details of the book better than I wanted to take the time to do on my own. However, where I talk about how the the message of book made me feel or how I grew because of the content...that's all me baby.

1. The Healing Code: 6 Minutes to Heal the Source of Your Health, Success, or Relationship Issue
   By Alex Loyd, Phd, ND, Ben Johnson, MD, NO, NMD / Grand Central, Life & Style
   
   This book really changed my thinking about a lot of things related to the health of my soul - mind, will and emotions - and how my thoughts, emotions and imaginations are blocking the health and wholeness of my body and success in life. I would buy this book for everyone I know if I think they might read it.
   


2. Rite of Passage Parenting: Four Essential Experiences to Equip Your Kids for Life
   By Walker Moore / Thomas Nelson
   
   I was really amazed at this authors claim that our society invented the term "adolescence" to delay the time when our children took on adult responsibilities. There is no clear cut "rite of passage" in our American culture that transfers our children to responsible adults. The author, Walker Moore, gave insight on how this affects our children now and in generations to come. He shares practical ideas on how to bring your own children through a rite of passage that prepares them to move into responsible  adulthood as caring and productive individuals in our homes, communities and culture. I read this book because of a college class I was in this last year on child development. I wanted a Christian perspective on the transition from childhood to adulthood. I was very pleased when I found this book. Read it in an afternoon. I have 3 teenagers...very relevant information for my life right now.


3. The Bondage Breaker, New Edition
   By Neil T. Anderson / Harvest House Publishers
   I've read through this book once before but went through it again with a wonderful young woman in my churches youth group. The refresher was really good. Sometimes I just loose track of the things that once had me in such bondage and the enemy tries to slip those chains on again. That is why the scripture says in Hebrews 2:1 (Amp), " Since all this is true, we ought to pay much closer attention than ever to the truths that we have heard, lest in any way we drift past [them] and slip away."


4. Becoming a Man of Unwavering Faith
   By John Osteen / FaithWords
   
   A powerful guidebook from a man who spent a lifetime testing the limits of faith! Drawn from Osteen's sermons, this collection offers practical advice for the moments of struggle and temptation every man faces.This book was rich with principles of faith that can be put in practice by anyone that desires to "walk by faith". It's a very easy read but also very powerful as a faith builder.
   
   I love the Osteen family. When I was 14 years old we were traveling the country and my step-dad was preaching in various churches. We stopped at John Osteen's church and stayed on his property with our travel trailer. I even had lunch with Joel, who was home from college. We were having lunch in the churches cafeteria and my friend, Linda, got us a seat with Joel. We talked about the book of Isaiah.
   


5. So Long, Insecurity: You've Been a Bad Friend to Us, Hardcover
   By Beth Moore / Tyndale House
   
   Beth' s passion to see God free women from their insecurities and fears evolved into an online survey of more than 950 women and 150 men that ultimately resulted in the publication of this book, So Long, Insecurity. Partly autobiographical in nature, Beth Moore uses stories, prayers, and practical ideas to nudge women out of insecurity and into knowledge of their God-given dignity. No matter your age or status, you can learn to battle insecurity with God's truth.
   
   I really loved this book. Beth Moore is so authentic that the message of this book feel like she's been reading my mind. I am still reaping fruit in growth from the reading of this book. In fact, my dearest, bestest friend bought it for me on cd so that I could listen to it.
   
   
6. Bought with Blood: The Divine Exchange at the Cross
   By Derek Prince / Chosen
   
   This book was powerful for me. Derek Prince brought greater insight on what Jesus Christ paid to be mine by born again inheritance. Our Christian culture lives like we're orphans when we have access to the greatest inheritance - it's like making the sacrifice of God's son of no effect in our lives. What a waste when it cost him so much. In gratitude I want to experience all that Christ paid for on Calvary.
   
   At the cross Christ endured all the evil due you and in turn made available to you all the good due Him. In this provocative, Scripture-rich book, acclaimed author Prince explores the nine "divine exchanges" of the atonement. In place of punishment, wounding, death, poverty, shame and rejection, Christ freely offers forgiveness, healing, life, abundance, glory and acceptance. In addition, Prince gives biblical grounding for five areas of deliverance that Jesus makes available through the cross: deliverance from this present evil age, from the law, from self, from the flesh and from the world.
   
   Because it is not enough simply to know about the atonement, Prince presents the means by which you can make it true in your personal experience: repentance, faith and a relationship with the Holy Spirit. This new edition of a life-changing book includes a mini-study course at the end of each chapter, perfect for individual or small group study.
   

I started many other but for whatever reason haven't finished them. I am committed to getting through more books in 2012. My life was enriched and I reclaimed more territory that was once tied up in bondage.

"I will keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on me"
Isaiah 26:3

My other love is listening to some audio version of ministry while I multi-task. I'll create another list of the ministry that I listen to this last year. There are some speakers that I can listen to their messages over and over hundreds of times. I know that sounds crazy but I catch something new every time I listen. Managing my  thoughts and re-engineering my life through what I watch, and listen to has become a way of life that suits me well - very well. God has done much to preserve me and heal me through some painful times.

For many of the struggles I am "on the other side" experiencing victory that I never would have thought possible. In fact I can see that my careful management of my thoughts and thought habits were the key to my victory. I am so glad I chose the thoughts that God gave me rather than those natural to the pain that I was in  at the time.

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Here's a great suggestion for next years reading...

Life, in Spite of Me: Extraordinary Hope After a Fatal Choice By Kristen Jane Anderson / Multnomah Kristen Anderson wanted to die---but God had other plans. Recounting her miraculous survival of a suicide attempt in which a train severed her legs, Kristen shares how her newfound faith in God helped her overcome severe depression and shame, as well as the challenges of permanent physical disability. Discover how she found fulfillment serving God!