TIME FOR REVIVAL: Part 2

Time for revival as talked about in our last series is a time when someone who is down, stagnant, running in circles, Confused with his/her identity, betrayed by a a dear loved one, depressed, sick with a chronic disease, financially down or bankrupt etc needs restoration and restoration comes after revival.

Also, i mentioned that individuals are not the only ones who needs revival; Nations or a group of people going through war and hardship will need revival in order to get back on their feet and without revival they'll die out or go into extinction. I also mentioned that SIN is the reason we lose precious things we already have. And i listed three steps to take in order to get your God's given revival.

Finally, i used SAMSON as an example of one in the bible who got his revival from God.

However, let's look at the Israelites as a Nation. God loved them as He gave them everything to prove His love for them. He also gave them couple of instructions or principles to guide them as a Nation. These principles comes with a blessing and a curse. And if they adhere to the principles in obedience, the blessing will be activated. Also, if they disobey or refused to abide by those principles the curse will be activated.

The Israelites from Generation to Generation kept on breaking these principles as God kept showing them mercy and warning then to stop. They will repent for awhile and later fall back into Sin.

So, one day, during the era of Solomon, who happens to be the wise king of Israel at that time, sinned so badly against God as God got so upset and divided the kingdom of Israel into two during the reign of King Rehoboam, Solomon's son. Israel was divided into Judah and Israel, Rehoboam took one part, Judah, after a terrible fight while Jeroboam took the bigger part which is Israel. These two kings respectively sinned against God and also caused the people of Israel and Judah to sin respectively against God as well. God could no longer show mercy to the Israelites because of their constant neglect and disrespect. They outrightly broke the principles He layed down for them as a nation continuously. They refused to listen to the prophets He sents to warn them, prophets like: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Ezekiel etc. Since they refused to repent like they used to, God unleashed His havoc on them as He activated the curse He warned them about from the beginning.

As a result of this curse, Israel and Judah were defeated in battle and captured as slaves by the Chaldeans and Assyrians. They remained slaves for seventy years until God sent revival through Daniel who stood in the gap for his country in prayer, he prayed to God for their revival as He heard in His infinite Mercy, answered and delivered them by restoring them back to their country. Today, Israel is still standing as one of the ancient country in the world. To God be the glory.

Read: Genesis 20, Deuteronomy 28,

Daniel 9.

Lets also look at the story of David. God made him a king, to fulfill the purpose of taking care and protecting His people (Israel). But rather than take care and protect God's people; David used his position as king to manipulate and sleep with a married woman (Bathseba) when he as king has lots of women as wives and concubines. He chose to take away another man's only wife and everything- that's wickedness. He didn't stop at that, he also connived with Joab the captain of his army to get ride of the woman's husband (Uriah) in battle just to conceal his sin because Bathseba was already pregnant from the one night stand they had. Ofcourse, nobody saw him but God did. For that, David paid dearly for his sin, God rained havoc upon him and his household. First, after marrying Bathseba, their child died after David prayed to God to heal and have mercy on the child. Secondly, Ammon his first son raped his half sister Tamar. Thirdly, Absalom, Tamar's brother heard of what Ammon did to his sister. He waited for their father- the king's judgement but none came forth as he took the laws in his hands and retailated by killing Ammon in cold blood for what he did to his only sister. Finally, after that, he came for his father's throne. Absalom felt his father was not fit anymore to be king of Israel because of how he handled the rape situation between Ammon and Tamar. He felt he can do better. David ran away in tears from the throne, from Israel, leaving everything for Absalom his son.

David's cry of repentance turned everything around. While all these were happening David never retailated to stop or intervened with God's punishment. He was even mocked, shamed and laughed at by Shimei but he still held his peace because he knew that God was dealing with him because of his sin. He felt that he deserved whatever was happening to him; that is repentance. In his predicament he asked God for mercy. Did God answer his prayer? Yes, He did. God showed him mercy as He revived him and restored the throne of Israel back to him and God destroyed Absalom and his cohorts.

Read: 2 Samuel chapter 11 to chapter 19.

I know we are not perfect, we always fall short of the glory of God but that doesn't mean we should continue in sin. The blood of Jesus has been given to deliver us from the law of sin and death-

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death; (Romans 8:1-2 NKJV).

Take hold of it, stop standing and looking like a spectator; giving excuses for your short comings. The blood has been given, the Holy Spirit is available, use these tools as often as you can and you'll be fine.

In Summary, if you're going through a dark time, maybe things used to be good and smooth, all of a sudden, you're in a deep pit; and you're wondering: "my end has come". Your end hasn't come, all you need is a revival and today, i declare that your time of revival is here, receive it now in Jesus name, Amen!

I indulge you to look back into your life or past and answer these questions correctly:

*What have you been rightly doing but stopped doing?

*Who did you hurt?

*Are you fulfilling your purpose or mandate?

*Did you stop fulfilling your purpose or mandate?

*Who is your new friend?

*What happened to your old friends?

*Do you still obey your parents or the authority over your life?

*Do you have a relationship with God?

There are more questions but i believe this ones should juggle your memory. Whatever is your answer, present them to God and repent from them, restitute if need be and start living right. When you have done your part, the God of revival will do His part, trust me.

Our God is a merciful God, He will show you mercy, just ask.

May God help us to make adjustment where necessary in our lives, and repent of our sins so that God can grant us the revival that we need in Jesus name, Amen!

Shalom belove...