AWAKENING (Part 2)

I Was Just Thinking About – AWAKENING (Part 2).

In a moment of uncertainty, confusion and fear, a Psalmist penned these words, Psalm 44:23-26 (NIV), “Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever. Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression? We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground. Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love.” Do you ever identify with the words of this Psalmist? You believe you have done everything that is right and proper before the Lord, but yet you feel rejected, forgotten and left alone in the midst of your personal apprehensions? You think God is sleeping and ignoring you? You have allowed yourself to think of God in human terms rather than in supernatural realities?  One of the primary errors is in thinking that God would ever be asleep and ignorant of the individual’s plight. The reminder is firmly stated in Psalm 121:4-8 (ESV), “Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” What causes one to be living in Psalm 44 rather than in Psalm 121? What does one need to have as a perspective from the Lord? 

Dr. Harry Reeder has summarized regarding Embers To A Flame revitalization concerns: “The Scripture presents a paradigm of moving from spiritual decline and functional malaise to Spirit-engendered vitality: the Church at Ephesus. God's instructions to that church serve as a curriculum outline for Church Revitalization: Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first (Revelation 2:5). That is the three-fold paradigm: Remember. Repent. Recover (return to) the first things. Church revitalization or renewal is nothing more than following God's prescription for church health. It is a process by which we work at reformation, lead for revitalization and pray for revival. Church Revitalization is the sovereign work of God's Spirit whereby He restores His people to spiritual and functional vitality that inevitably leads to statistical growth in conversions and scriptural discipleship for His own glory and our own good.”

Where does Awakening need to begin? With God? He neither slumbers nor sleeps! With you? Ephesians 5:14 states who will benefit from and who are among those whom The Light must awaken! Could it be that a malaise has inflicted those who are called God’s People? Are we more oriented to the status quo than we are to God’s Revitalization?

Prayerfully – consider these things with me.

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