Revive us Again

A.W. Tozer defined revival as "that which changes the moral climate of a community."

Richard Owen Roberts said, "Revival is an extraordinary movement of the Holy Spirit producing extraordinary results." And A.W. Tozer defined revival as "that which changes the moral climate of a community."

Listen, revival is nothing more or less than a new beginning of obedience to God.

It's a church word, revival. It is not for the nonbeliever. Revival starts with the church and then affects the world. The world does not need revival; the church does. The world needs evangelism.

Evangelism does not bring revival, but revival always brings evangelism.

That is why we are doing Harvest America! We have our marching orders from Jesus to "go into all the world." Let's do that together on March 6. Will you participate?

C.H. Spurgeon said, "To be revived is a blessing which can only be enjoyed by those who have some degree of life. Those who have no spiritual life are not, and cannot be, in the strictest sense of the term, subjects of revival."

So revival should be looked for among the church, and more specifically, it starts with you and me as individuals.

Psalm 85 NKJV

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm Of the Sons of Korah. 1 Lord, You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. 2 You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah 3 You have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger. 4 Restore us, O God of our salvation, And cause Your anger toward us to cease. 5 Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? 6 Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You? 7 Show us Your mercy, Lord, And grant us Your salvation. 8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly. 9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land. 10 Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed. 11 Truth shall spring out of the earth, And righteousness shall look down from heaven. 12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good; And our land will yield its increase. 13 Righteousness will go before Him, And shall make His footsteps our pathway.

God’s Past Mercy

Psalm 85:1–3 NKJV

1 Lord, You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. 2 You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah 3 You have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.

vs. 2 covered sin is forgiven sin.

Selah

Scholars have not been able to give a definite definition of this term. One though is to pause and reflect on what was just spoken or read.

I’m know here to say if that is correct or not but I will say that if your sins have been covered and forgiven…you better pause and reflect and take that all in and praise God!

God’s Present Wrath

Psalm 85:4–7 NKJV

4 Restore us, O God of our salvation, And cause Your anger toward us to cease. 5 Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? 6 Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You? 7 Show us Your mercy, Lord, And grant us Your salvation.

vs. 4 “God of our salvation may be rephrased as our Saving God.

In vs. 3 the psalmist said that God had taken away His wrath and anger. But in vs. 4 request that God’s anger would cease. The renewal of God’s wrath is a reality.

I believe God’s people share responsibility for the welfare and moral condition of our nation.

What is going on in our country is in part due that men and women of God have let it happen.

You ready to have some fun?

Psalm 85:6 NKJV

6 Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?

Do you want revival? I mean do you really want revival?

When I was in middle school Nike had a commercial using the song “Revolution” by the Beatles

“You say you want a revolution, we all want to change the world.”

Just do it - it takes work. You must experience pain to experience gain.

Revive in the original Hebrew is hi-ya.

If you and I want our lives and our churches to be revived God will hi-ya us.

God’s Peace

Psalm 85:8–9 NKJV

8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly. 9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land.

Psalm 85:8-9

If we are revived and alive in God, He will speak peace to His people.

But we must not return to our folly or our sin!

You will get hi-ya’d again.

vs. 9 “His salvation is near to those who fear Him”

Proverbs 9:10 NKJV

10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs

Confidence in God’s Righteousness

Psalm 85:10–13 NKJV

10 Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed. 11 Truth shall spring out of the earth, And righteousness shall look down from heaven. 12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good; And our land will yield its increase. 13 Righteousness will go before Him, And shall make His footsteps our pathway.

Thru the Bible Vol. 18: Poetry (Psalms 42–89) Psalm 85

“Mercy and truth” haven’t met each other in our day. “Righteousness and peace have kissed each other”—they aren’t even on speaking terms today. One of the reasons we cannot have peace in this world is because we do not have righteousness in the world. Things have to be right, my friend, before there can be peace in the world. Things are not “right” today—they are not right in my neighborhood, or anywhere, and maybe things are not right in our lives. Until things are right, there will be no peace on earth. This is a great verse!