364. Revival

We live for a very short time before we have to leave our bodies. How good it is during this time on earth to live our life in faith in Jesus Christ and have Him as our guide and leader in everything. Jesus said, “For without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5. All of this striving for outward results destroys the desire to seek after the Kingdom of God. “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

“When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’

“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad. Bring back our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the South.” Psalm 126.

To come back to God is a tremendous liberation for a person. He has created us; He formed us out of the dust of the earth. He has blown the breath of life into our nostrils. We must come back to this Spirit of life, and then we will be glad, even like those who dream. We are brought back like the streams in the South, and then the people will say, “The Lord has done great things for them.”

We pray for revival, and God sends revival. But how many people remain standing before the face of God after revival? Backsliding and apostasy follow on the heels of revival. Why is that? It is because people love their lusts more than they love God. Everyone who loves God continues in His commandments. They continue just like the streams in the South. “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.” Psalm 125:1. All revival is supposed to lead people to Mount Zion.

The reason so many people fall away after revival is because the newly converted fall into the arms of lax, indifferent, and backsliding older Christians—Christians who live a life that is far from the laws and the will of the Lord. Their unbelief stifles revival. In order for revival to continue, Christians must repent and wake up. They must train themselves to practice righteousness and be examples for the newly converted. The way things are now, it is necessary to warn new converts against all of those who have a name that they live, yet are dead. The Word of God must be practiced in order to come to a rock-solid Christianity. “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” Psalm 127:1.

In the same way, the Lord must build up new converts, and He must watch over them and guard them. For this work He needs co-workers, shepherds, and teachers who can say, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” If you cannot say that, you should stay far, far away from new converts.