What will it take to obtain both personal victories and breakthroughs for our city and nation? God so desires to satisfy the longing of our souls and the cry of our hearts. He has a destiny He intends us to fulfill individually and corporately. Discouragements, disappointments and distractions have caused some of us to forget the Lord’s promises, dreams and visions for us. Though at times we may feel spiritually and physically barren, with great odds stacked up against us, the Lord wants to fulfill His purposes through us. God wants to turn our difficulties into victories, and our barrenness into the birthing of revival.
For this to happen, I believe our passion for Christ must be greater than our passion for anything else. A genuine passion for Christ allows no room for compromise or mediocrity. We must come to the Lord with transparency and seek Him and His heart. As the late revivalist Leonard Ravenhill said, “God doesn’t just answer prayer; He answers desperate prayer.” God sees our need but wants us to come honestly and openly before Him with all of our fears, insecurities, disappointments and sins. When we do, He will replace our facades with His healing virtue and power. That’s the beginning of personal breakthrough.
Webster’s dictionary just touches the surface of defining what revival really is. “A period of renewed religious interest.” I believe it is so much more than that. It’s a renewed relationship with the Lord and realization that only He can satisfy. From that posture, we will accomplish His purposes in and through us. It’s an awakening to the reality that many people still need to know the love of the Father. You and I are the conduits to demonstrate that love.
What will it take to get us to that place? A modern-day revivalist from Uganda spoke to a gathering of pastors in Houston in the late 1990s. He said that he had learned that revival comes from desperation and that desperation comes either one of two ways: through passion or persecution. I recall in 1987 having a strong sense that we would be shaken by church and political scandals due to the erosion of our moral and spiritual foundations. Hebrews 12:25-29 speaks of a shaking so intense that only those things that cannot be shaken – those things built solidly upon the foundations of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11-14) would be left standing. The purpose of the shaking is to purify and mold us, so that we see things from God’s eternal perspective.
We are living in some intense, yet exciting times. As we follow the unfolding of daily news and events, we are faced with world challenges and global uncertainties–causing some to despair and fear. The current economic crisis is allowing us to grasp how connected our world really is. It is as if Luke 21 is happening before our very eyes through the shakings of famines, earthquakes, pestilence, uprisings and rumors of wars.
As we read on in Luke 21 verse 13 the words leap off the page as an encouragement and prophetic promise to us: “But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.” The inference is that the challenges and shakings we experience can become an opportunity for us to testify of His faithfulness and greatness. In fact, Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (NKJ) We who have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony (see Rev 12:11) can be a reflection of the Lord to a world in need. God’s intended purpose is that even through our trials, multitudes will be pointed to Jesus.
I believe IT IS TIME to come forth in strength to give revival birth. God is ready to do His greatest work through each of us. The question is, are we ready? May our desperation be driven by a renewed passion for Christ that is greater than our passion for anything else.
Amen, I praise GOD for your sensitivety to the HOLY SPIRIT and your ability to descern the signs of the times, Mt. 16:3, and your selflessness to pursue GOD’s will.
I do believe, therefore, I pray and attempt to stir the LORD’s generals to revive the promises, visions, hopes and dreams deposited in them, that we may do all that GOD purposes for the coporate Church of Houston, then the nation.
A word that the late Pastor John Osteen said frequently resonates in my heart, “The light that shines the furthest (as in our nation and the uttermost parts of the world) is the one that is the brightest at home (as in Houston). I should clarify that although Pastor John did travel the world saving the lost etc., he never neglected the minstry that needed to be done here at home. His greatest seed planting, cultivating, and harvesting was focus here at home. A testimony of this understanding being applied correctly is the walk in doing the LORD’s work that we see today in all of his children and the hundreds of pastors that were planted from Lakewood Church.
I believe the Church of Houston, if ONE in unity, will spark a revival with passion like we have never seen before that will result in a great harvest here in the harvest field that we are responsible for. If we the church of Houston unite, the impact we will make will motivate the church of other cities in this nation to unite, then we together can make an impact nationally. On the other hand, if we the church, continue to operate divided as we have, we will continue to lose power and enfluence in spreading the gospel, most of all, in our homes. City government leaders will continue to accept our help in disasters because we unite our resources and they need us during such times, but when all is well, they neglect the church because we are back divided again.
Is the city of Houston really the #1 city in the nation in teen sex? Are some of those teen in our churches? The major thoroughfares are lined with unGODLY advertising. How can we the church of Houston not feel the shame for allowing our egos, prejudices, and selfishnes under the gize of protecting our sheep from oher churches and denominations, or for any reason for that matter, while this intended city of great GODLY destiny becomes what it has. Let us not be fooled, GOD will hold someone responsible. We, the church of Houston and our leaders, have allowed this to happen and it brings me personnaly as a member of the body of CHRIST in the church of Houston to grieving shame and tears. Surely, our LORD is disappointed in what we have allowed Houston to become. I pray that when we turn in our homework and GOD looks at what we did in our buildings and programs etc. while we were here that God doesn’t look at it and say that was pretty and nice but it was the wrong assigment! Are we missing it?
I truely love you and the rest of my brothers in CHRIST, especially the church of Houston and I pray that after we acknowledge where we are, that we pick ourselves up, grow some … boldness, encourage ourselves in the LORD and encourage each other that we can do what GOD has purposed us to do by the power of HIS HOLY SPIRIT. We may be in the eleventh hour as the church before JESUS returns to take us with HIM, but if we purpose to do what we must do as ONE, GOD is able to do what we cannot do if we only give HIM something to work with. HE has given us the keys to the kingdom of heaven for a reason. Let us join our hearts and our efforts as ONE body and marvel later at the mighty works HE has done.
May you continue to dwell in the secret place of the MOST HIGH GOD. PS: 91
Daniel Salazar
To the only HOLY ANOINTED TRINITY be all the glory, honor, power, and dominion now and forever.