Revival Rising

This episode explores the need for trust in the Lord to begin to spark those sovereign moments in the lives of others where God manifests Himself. This contributes to Revival!

Transcript

Since 2020, the world has continued to go through major shifting and changes. There isn't any denying that things are progressing, for better or for worse, into what may be uncharted territory to some degree. While we see many, many people pushing for change and a strategic realignment of our human plans with God's divine order, we also see many intent on proving that they know better than our maker what creation needs, and they are willing to sacrifice many people to make their goals happen.

This is West Ruff and you're listening to the Revival and 2020 podcast. Everybody here looking for revival in our own house and across the perspective that we sometimes have that humanity can beat God at. The game he established has been ongoing since the days of the garden of Eden. Not too much has changed. There's been a constant ebb and flow of righteousness versus evil for thousands of years.

We have come so close more than once to following the Lord The way that He should be followed, I say, should be because his light is profound. And when we are in it, man, we desire nothing else. We deserve nothing else because we were made for him and the rest of creation was made for him as well. Those who continue to act as if through technology or policy or sheer human will, that we can do better than what God has done throughout nature or civilization are continuing to live under that same lie that the Criminal of Eden once encouraged Eve to believe and follow through his deceptive line of questioning.

When revival comes, what comes with it is a powerful knowledge that we didn't get it right from the beginning, that we haven't gotten it right in the middle, and that without God's help, we won't get it right in the end. As human beings, we often forget that while we play a role in history, our destiny is to find through Jesus Christ our place in our father's kingdom.

This unusual place that we find ourselves in is thankfully not about us. History is not about which human being becomes the most noticed. Our actions here on Earth are not meant to prove to everyone around us how great or notable we might think that we are. Our lives here for the short time span that is given to us, are about coming back into alignment with God.

The Father through the one and only unique Son of God, Jesus Christ and Jesus took all judgment unto himself and in so doing, embraced the writ of sentencing being leveled at humanity by our accuser. When I look out at the Earth and consider all that's going on these days, it's clear that so much of humanity has forgotten their first calling.

In fact, there's seems to be no awareness of it at all. But knowing that the Holy Spirit moves ever so gently in our lives, when I'm talking to complete strangers about the Lord, I have found a place of trust with the Holy Spirit, wherein I can speak to the heart of the unsaved trusting that the Spirit is moving even at that moment and building upon moments unseen in their lives that I'm not even aware of.

This trust has become a powerful partnership with the Lord. When we are speaking and preaching the truth in unfamiliar areas. Years ago I was in Jerusalem in the Arab Quarter. Being Caucasian, it was pretty clear who the tourist was. I was in a shop surveying various forms of merchandise and having a conversation with the shop owner behind the counter.

As I looked around, realizing that I was only going to have a moment to speak truth to this gentleman. I decided that the best thing I could do is to bless him in the name of the Lord. I made a small purchase and as I left, I looked at this man whom I presume to hold to the Muslim faith, and I said, God bless you.

Several people in the shop turned and stared at me as I walked out the door. The shop owner behind the counter looked stunned. He just stopped and stared and then loudly called out. Thank you so much for that. God bless you too. At first glance, it might seem to be an innocuous event, at least to some extent. I mean, if some of these guys had decided that they didn't like the white dude coming in and telling them, God bless you and all.

I had to defend myself was a pocket knife. Well, I might not be here today to tell this particular story. However, my heart was moved to learn to trust even in that situation that with my limitations and the limitations of where I was, that the Holy Spirit would guide and make an impression with that gentleman. And apparently he did.

I don't know what the outcome of that is. I don't know that I need to know right now, but I'm grateful that that gentleman seemed to be reached. It did seem to mean something significant to him. Maybe it meant something to him because someone from the United States would speak a blessing to a man whose heritage as a muslim represented much of the conflict of the world in that time and still does.

How many millions of these men and women needs something as simple as a kind word or a blessing from the God who made them and who knows them by name? My thinking with the Lord is often audacious and perhaps unreasonable. But I look at that experience and I ask God to use that little moment in time to start a revival in Jerusalem in the Arab Quarter, because maybe, just maybe, that gentleman was impacted by a blessing from a stranger.

I have no idea how God uses all of our little actions, but I am convinced that he does. And that part of my participation in revival with the Holy Spirit is being willing to be used in odd ways that may not make sense to the natural mind. These little moments often seem to carry the spark of life in them, and frankly, the world needs more sparks.

Today, we are seeing truth in a battle with lies on a daily basis, and there is nothing less than the freedom of the world at stake. And with that, the lives of billions. As the ideological descendants of Marx parade around culture today, they are deceiving millions with their lives, and only the truth can effectively combat what we're seeing.

Today is the day, and this is the hour to boldly proclaim the truth of freedom found in Jesus Christ. And we should not relinquish a single inch of ground in this contest if we get surrounded, so to speak, and the liars ask for our surrender. Don't surrender. We tell them that we have them right where we want them, even if we're surrounded.

Our goal isn't to necessarily to win per se. Our goal is to speak the truth of Jesus Christ and the victory belongs to the Lord. So if we get surrounded by people who consider themselves to be our enemies, they've just brought themselves closer to us to hear the truth. Today is the day that we need to speak long, loud and clearly.

The truth of who Jesus is must be proclaimed to all nations. And we have a promise, a beautiful, a beautiful, remarkable promise written in the text of Scripture that there will come a day when all the earth will remember the Lord and will return to Him. It is with this day in mind that we preach, that we sing, that we prophesy the truth of who he is, and we do it relentlessly.

It is not in the power of our speech or in our clever thinking that we will sway others. It is through leaning upon the guiding light of the Holy Spirit and speaking when we are led to speak that the Word of the Lord will come into yet another human life and bring redemption and salvation. We are all familiar with Isaiah 5919, which states in most translations when the enemy comes in like a flood.

The spirit of the Lord will raise a standard against him. Scholars and Bible translators have looked at this verse for decades. It is a hopeful verse. Yet new studies have presented the possibility that the verse should be understood slightly differently than we currently do, and the impact of this is shown with a simple comma. Listen to this. The new version should say when the enemy comes in comma like a flood, the Spirit of God will raise up a standard against him.

Now, compare that to the prior understanding we have of that verse. This is an interesting idea and it brings hope to the human heart, really, regardless of the translation. But at this time in history, we're beginning to see a great flood of those who have turned to the ways of the Lord and are marching on their knees from their hearts.

We're beginning to see a flood of people from all over the globe who are calling on the name of the Lord is The Enemy has indeed come in to destroy freedom and bind hearts like this proverbial flood revival is rising in the hearts and minds of people all over the nation. And we are calling out to God Almighty to expose darkness, root out corruption, and extend freedom all over the world.

Let me state that God will listen to our prayers and we must be aligned with His will and direction. We can pray as he leads and we should. The spiritual conflict that we have been born into rages and God alone is able to end this conflict and restore creation. It is this truth that we must learn to see and believe.

Like a flood revival is rising and with it comes freedom from sin and a life of reconciliation with a powerfully loving heart of Father God. And we can trust him. Preach the truth daily. Don't let up. Find a way to get the word out and let us not relent. Not even for a second. May God be with you.

God bless you. And may He highly favor you. May you find your peace in your life, in Jesus Christ. He is the way. May we walk in him. Amen.