Matthew 4:17 New King James Version (NKJV)
17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Many Christians around the globe have been crying out for revival for many years. Unfortunately the main issue is that without true repentance we will not be able to see lasting revival and that starts with the church leadership. We need to see church leaders who humble themselves before the Lord by repenting for their sins and pursuing righteousness in their hearts, and living a life of holiness.
When people grow up they get wounded in their souls by their mothers, fathers, step parents, siblings and others. They get sexually violated, emotionally and even physically hurt. Every time we get hurt by other people our soul gets wounded and then demons are able to legally attach to us by tormenting our thoughts. Then when we get married and relationships we tend to get into arguments and strife with the person we initially used to love. Then we become married and miserable and often go through a divorce and then get remarried and unless we get our soul wounds healed and delivered from the demons tormenting our thoughts, then we will have more strife and arguments and pain.
You will know a person has been healed and delivered because they will exhibit the fruit of the spirit consistently in their lives. The same thing goes for how you will know when a person is not yet healed and delivered is because they will still have fruit of the flesh evident in their lives.
Galatians 5:16-26 New King James Version (NKJV)
Walking in the Spirit
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
So how many church leaders do you know who consistently walk in the fruit of the spirit vs the flesh? When a church leadership is healthy then they can help others who are coming into the church to also get their past soul wounds healed and delivered so they can be truly revived. Revival must always first start with leadership who are healthy so that they can help those who are hurting also be healthy. It is extremely challenging for people in the church to rise above the standards of their pastor.
If church leadership shy away from talking about the value of true repentance and only focus on the hyper grace messages without repentance then they will tolerate sin and the spirit of Jezebel will flourish causing sexual sins and other evil to operate in the lives of their people and thus revival will be squelched. Why should we choose to live a righteous life?
1 Corinthians 1:30-31 New King James Version (NKJV)
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
When we choose to live a life aligned with Christ we are then able to walk in His blessings protection and favor. When we choose to live a life full of sin, pride and evil then it is not possible to see revival birthed.
Proverbs 6:16-19 New King James Version (NKJV)
16 These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
17 A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
19 A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.
The above verses describe people who have aligned themselves with Satan and the spirit of Jezebel. Many of those people attend church and unfortunately many are in leadership. So when new people give their lives to Christ and come into an unhealthy body of Christ in the church what happens to the new converts? They get hurt even more deeply then they were as they see the hypocrisy within the church and want nothing to do with them.
I remember a revival movement that came into Indiana in 2015. People came from various denominations together for several weeks and then it spread to other cities around Indiana. Unfortunately they never talked about healing and deliverance nor allowed the Holy Spirit to flow and people didn’t get filled with the Holy Spirit. So it died. I remember watching several of the pastors who came together and noticed most were operating out of their flesh and not listening to the Holy Spirit. Few, if any, believed in getting people’s soul wounds healed and delivered from the demons tormenting their minds.
It takes men (and women) who will stand up for Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to flow through them mightily and not to squelch the Spirit with their own agenda, 4 songs and a message. To not listen to men or women who want to control how the Holy Spirit wants to flow. There are few bold men and women leaders in the church and many who are more afraid of the political leaders of their towns, cities and states. Therefore until people in leadership in the church pursue the Holy Spirit, soul wound healing, deliverance, are honest, forgive others, repent for their own pride and sin, the revivals that people would like to see will simply be put on hold. It’s time for all of us to fear and revere God more than we do man.
