May 2021
ReVIVE
Praying For Revival
May 16, 6:00 to 7:00 P.M.
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." Acts 1:8
THE "WHY REVIVE?" PRAYER EVENT
The purpose of the ReVIVE prayer event is to pray for renewal in our lives as we shift our focus from survival to revival.
Even though you may have begun to feel that you are able to worry less about the pandemic, you may still be stuck in a spiritual survival mode. This year, “Pentecost Sunday” falls on May 23. Let us, therefore, come together on Sunday, May 16th, to pray that the Holy Spirit will fall afresh upon us, as He did at the original Pentecost.
AN UNPRECEDENTED TURN OF EVENTS
Pentecost – the coming of the Holy Spirit – reminds us of that ancient, unprecedented event, when the Disciples and early Christians were dramatically transformed from survival mode to revival mode.
THE PANDEMIC AND REVIVAL
COVID-19 has caused us to reflect on both our mortality and our quest for immortality.
Life’s fragility can move people to turn away from materialism and to instead focus on our family and friends, as we encourage one another to refocus on eternity and things that are spiritual.
Unexpectedly, the rugged challenges of survival can sometimes become a positive force, causing us to swallow our pride, humble ourselves before the Lord, and accept the reality that we cannot live and thrive without the Holy Spirit.
We as a church may have grieved the Holy Spirit. Let us then be kind to one another, becoming more tenderhearted and forgiving, even as God in Christ has forgiven us. (Ephesians 4:25-32)
CONVICTION
In order to move beyond mere survival to a lasting revival, we must first become aware of the sin of our pride, of our futile attempts at self-sufficiency, and of the many other sins that can easily find a place to dwell in us.
CONFESSION
Cry out to God and confess your sins. Without the confession of sins, we will remain trapped in a survival mode and will never experience true revival.
REPENTANCE
Revival can come only after the confession of sins. Rather than merely survive, we will feel revived and thrive only when we confess and repent of our sins.
GOOD NEWS! The Gospel, the Good News of the Kingdom of God, has the power to change lives. When Peter preached the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit, people were cut to the heart, and smitten in conscience:
"Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.'” (Acts 2:37-39)
IT TAKES ONE
Revival begins within one person. The Holy Spirit moves in one individual and that one person spreads the revival to the next person, and they to the next, and so on, until the entire Church has been revived. Our Lord Jesus has commanded us in Luke 10:37 to “Go and do likewise.” And when we obey Him and act upon His word (as the Good Samaritan did), revival becomes contagious and the Spirit begins to burn brightly in everyone. Please join me at the ReVIVE Prayer Event as we pray for revival here at Santa Clara First Baptist Church.