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Revival Fires Can Come Again to America
by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.
Summary: What will it take to ignite revival fires in America? It will take more than the traditional "revival ministries" of earlier years. God offers five simple keys to turning this nation back to God and regaining His blessing upon the land.
2 Chronicles 7:13-14 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, [14] IF MY PEOPLE, who are called by MY NAME, will HUMBLE themselves and PRAY and SEEK MY FACE and TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, THEN WILL I HEAR from heaven and will FORGIVE their sin and will HEAL THEIR LAND.
•• Our country needs national revival. It needs church revival. We need Pentecostal revival, personal revival, Christian revival, genuine Holy Ghost revival fire!
• America would surely be blessed by a successful return of the great tent revival ministries — with or without the tents! But national revival is not dependent on a resurrection of those great revival ministries of an earlier era.
•• 2 Chronicles 7:14 gives us five keys to REVIVAL FIRE igniting again in AMERICA! These are keys that you and I can participate in, with or without the call of an evangelist in our lives.
1) It depends on the response of GOD’S PEOPLE, those who are called by His name — that is, revival depends on the actions of CHRISTIANS!
Psalms 85:6-9 Will you not REVIVE US again, that YOUR PEOPLE may rejoice in you? [7] Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your SALVATION. [8] I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints — but let them not return to folly. [9] Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, THAT HIS GLORY MAY DWELL IN OUR LAND.
•• Revival has to start with revived Christians — “Will you not revive US again?”
• Important — revival does not depend on the lost.
• When WE are revived, God’s “salvation is near ... [and] His glory may dwell in OUR LAND.”
• For our land to be healed, it begins with “If MY PEOPLE...called by MY NAME.”
• We need to get RE-vived before unbelievers get “vived” in the first place!
2) “If my people will HUMBLE themselves” —
1 Peter 5:5b-6 All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but GIVES GRACE to the HUMBLE.” [6] Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you UP in DUE TIME.
•• By definition, “revival” [“RE”] is intermittent.
• The Bible itself shows many instances of Israel in spiritual decline, needing revival.
• Church history shows many times of apostasy.
• We will INHIBIT revival if we look at our nation with a self-righteous, judgmental attitude.
• Daniel fasted, sought God, and repented for his nation AND for himself.
• Graciously, kindly, in sincere humility reach out to our community. “Consider others better...”
• We desperately need God’s GRACE for revival. Remember, He “gives GRACE TO the humble.”
•• Humble yourselves, & God will “HEAL our LAND.”
3) “If my people will...PRAY” —
John 17:20 My prayer is not for them alone. I PRAY also for those who WILL BELIEVE in me through their message.
Romans 10:1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and PRAYER to God for the Israelites is that they may be SAVED.
•• JESUS PRAYED for the salvation of souls.
•• PAUL PRAYED for the salvation of souls.
•• Do you pray for the salvation of souls?
•• Picture PRAYING CHRISTIANS as pins on map — first Coal Mine Road...South Stage Road...Talent. Then see the Rogue Valley fill up with pins. Then see Oregon filled ... then all 50 states.
• “O thou that hearest prayer...”
• If WE PRAY, God will HEAL our LAND.
4) “If my people will...SEEK MY FACE” —
1 Chronicles 16:11-12 Look to the LORD and HIS strength; SEEK HIS face always. [12] Remember the WONDERS he has done, his MIRACLES, and the JUDGMENTS he pronounced.
•• This is a reminder that: We must humble ourselves and we must pray, but GOD is the one with the strength and power to BRING revival.
• Remember His wonders and miracles — how He revived entire pagan cities in the Book of Acts.
• Remember His glory shown on Mt. Carmel thru Elijah & how Israel returned to the Lord.
• Remember His miracles and healings in Reinhard Bohnke’s crusades in Africa and how hundreds of thousands turned to the Lord.
•• America desperately needs God.
• If WE SEEK God’s face, God’s strength, God’s Person, He will HEAL our land.
5) “If my people...will TURN from their WICKED ways” —
Acts 3:19 REPENT, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that TIMES OF REFRESHING may come from the Lord.
•• That’s what America needs — “times of refreshing ... from the Lord.”
• It will NOT HAPPEN unless GOD’s PEOPLE will turn from their wicked ways.
• WE need to repent, to show others how.
• WE need to stop watching rotten movies & TV.
• WE need to return to modesty in clothing.
• WE need to stop divorcing at a rate greater than the non-Christians.
• WE Christians need to forsake the bars and taverns.
•• If God’s people will turn from their wicked ways, God will HEAL our nation.
Summary of Five Keys to Reigniting Revival Fires in America
1) “If MY PEOPLE ... called by MY NAME”
2) “...will HUMBLE themselves”
3) “...will PRAY”
4) “...will SEEK MY FACE”
5) “...will TURN from their WICKED ways”
“...THEN will I HEAR from heaven and WILL FORGIVE their sin and will HEAL THEIR LAND.”
With or without specialized revival ministries, America can once again experience full gospel revival ministry — personal revival, individual Christian revival, whole church revival, national revival, Pentecostal, Holy Ghost revival! These five keys can open the door.
Preached at South Valley Church, Sunday, August 8, 2004
A related sermon outline of interest to soulwinners is Catching Plenty of Fish.
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© 2004, James H. Feeney, All rights reserved.
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