In consideration of what is going on today there can be little doubt that we need a revival in many areas. The world desperately needs revived or stirred up concerning some very basic Bible doctrines, which is what I would like for us to consider with this article.

WE NEED A REVIVAL FOR FEAR AND REVERANCE FOR GOD AND HIS WORD – I am afraid that man has long lost his fear of God and reverence of His Word. Man needs to fear God and keep His commandments because this is our whole duty (Ecclesiastes 12:13).  We need a revival in regard to reverence of God as Creator of this universe, rather than reverencing the created (Psalm 111:9). We need to be holding the Word of God before the world and proclaim that it is the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). We need a revival in regards to not being ashamed of the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16). We need to get those both in and out of the church revived concerning the Word of God.

WE NEED A REVIVAL WHEN IT COMES TO PRAYER – We need to revive our prayer lives. One study that I read indicated that the average “Christian” prays only four minutes a day. In view of this, we need to be praying without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We need to come to the realization that where there is no prayer or little prayer, there is no power or little power (James 5:16). We need to get the whole church on its knees in prayer (Acts 12:5). We need to pray for the work. We need to pray for each other (James 5:16). We need to pray for the elders, the deacons, and the preacher. We need to pray for the lost (Matthew 9:37, 38). Someone once said, “You cannot stumble if you are on your knees.” and there sure is a lot of truth to that! In the garden, Jesus told his disciple to “watch and pray” (Matthew 26:41). Jesus knew that he, who stands best, kneels most. There is no doubt; we need to have a revival when it comes to prayer.

WE NEED A REVIVAL WHEN IT COMES TO EVANGELISM – Whether or not we realize it, we are in the soul saving “business” (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15, 16). As already seen, the fields are white unto harvest (John 4:35). But the laborers are few (Matthew 9:37, 38). We must come to an understanding, when it comes to evangelism, that we need a revival of the fervor of the early church. Early Christians went everywhere preaching the Word (Acts 8:4). The sad reality is, the average Christian must live to be over 100 in order to replace himself in the church. The simple truth is we can never move people until we are first moved.  It would seem that since we have the truth we would want to share it with our friends and loved ones (2 Kings 7:9).

WE NEED A REVIVAL WHEN IT COMES TO STANDING AGAINST SIN – It has been said that the biggest trouble with sin is the “I” in the middle. Christians are new creatures in Christ and need to act that way (2 Corinthians 5:17). We need to be setting our affections on things above rather than things below (Colossians 3:1). We need to be taking a stand against sin. Too many are spending their time winking at sin rather than being courageous enough to stand and fight against it. To be pleasing to God we must put on the whole armor of God so as to be able to stand as He would have us to stand (Ephesians 6:10-18). It might be unpopular, just as it was when Jesus was here. Yet He fought against it, which is good enough reason for us to do the same (1 Peter 2:21, 22).

WE NEED A REVIVAL WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE – As Christians, we need to love each other with pure hearts (1 Peter 1:22). The love that unites Christians should be stronger than the differences that divide us. If it isn’t, then we do not have the unfeigned love that we should have. We have been commanded to love one another, so we have no choice if we wish to please God (John 13:34, 35). This does not mean we compromise on the truth, but it does mean that we seek to be kind and loving even as we oppose error.

THE WORLD NEEDS A REVIVAL WHEN IT COMES TO THE CHURCH – They need to come back to the one that Jesus built (Matthew 16:18). They need to come back to the one that Jesus died for (Acts 20:28).  They need to come back to the one in which salvation can be found (Acts 2:47). And they need to come back to the one of which Jesus is the head (Ephesians 1:22, 23).

THE WORLD NEEDS A REVIVAL WHEN IT COMES TO GOD’S WAY OF SALVATION – The New Testament teaches that faith (Romans 10: 17); repentance (Acts 17:30); confession (Romans 10:9, 10); and baptism (Mark 16:16) are all part of God’s plan of salvation for man today. Anything less is less than what He demands!

As we consider what is going on around us, we need to cry as did Israel, “Revive us again” (Psalm 85:6).

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