I love Jesus more than I did when I gave Him my life in
1969. I remember the Charismatic movement when fruit was
“jumping off the trees.” The Jesus-people movement was
birthed and bringing life; people were being saved and
baptized in the Holy Spirit continually; it seemed like we
were living under an “open Heaven.” I was a part of revival
in my high school in the north end of Seattle and the days
of revival continued on when I went to WSU. We were
constantly in fellowship, prayer, praising and worshiping,
reading the Word of God, and sharing the Good News with
others. The Spirit of joy and the sincere sense of His love
and presence were palpable.
Please understand, I don’t long for the past; I long
for His presence in fresh ways. I long to see fresh
winds of the Holy Spirit blow—fresh waves of His Spirit roll
over His people. I long to see hungry and needy people come
rushing to the alter for salvation, deliverance, healing,
and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I long for worshiping
people to experience hot tears streaming down their faces
and hands upraised in joyful loving surrender as people are
genuinely moved upon by Jesus. I long to see multitudes
yield and fully surrender their lives to Jesus and His
calling.
I don’t simply mean feelings but the tangible substance and
reality of Jesus, the Living Word of God. I long to see the
demonstrable fruit of lives changed because the recipient
has met and fallen in love with Jesus over and over again.
In the book of Acts we see the disciples filled with the
Spirit on the day of Pentecost, but then they are re-filled
with the Holy Spirit later after a time of suffering and
seeking God. We see that the “place was shaken” where they
met. Again, I don’t just want the past—I long for a
fresh move of His presence upon His people.
Repentance from hearts having grown comfortable and sodden
with worldly pursuits can begin our revival; repentance
leads to the times of refreshing which come from the
presence of God. (Acts 3:19)
Repentance, forgiveness, restoration, and rejoicing—all are
key components of fresh revival. Falling in love with Jesus
again—Jesus our first love—that’s the key ingredient of
fresh Revival.
O Jesus bathe each of us and our land with Your blood and
presence again. Revive us O Lord; revive Your people we
pray. I surrender to You in fresh ways Jesus; let revival
begin with me!
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