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Discussion Forum : Articles and Sermons : Revival: When You Lay Hold of God Never Let Go! by Shane Idleman

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 Revival: When You Lay Hold of God Never Let Go! by Shane Idleman

For my commentary on the revivals breaking out (Asbury for example), and what genuine revival looks like, see the links at the end.


Many years ago, a very old man who experienced a revival when he was younger, was asked why the revival ended. His eyes were filled with holy fire when he cried, “When you lay hold of God, never, never, never, never let go!” Let this be a warning as well as a reminder to never let go.


Break Up the Fallow Ground


Are we welcoming this type of downpour in our churches and positioning ourselves for a downpour of God's Spirit, or are we extinguishing it because of pride, sin, doubt, and unbelief? It's time to break up our fallow ground and seek the Lord while He still may be found (Hosea 10:12). We provide the sacrifice; He provides the fire.


Waiting and Expecting


Do we really believe that all of this evil will simply reverse itself? No, it’s only going to get worse unless God’s people pull down heaven. It's time to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. We must cry out, “Oh God, would you rip heaven open and come down?” We must wait on God and seek Him like never before, because “He acts for the one who waits for Him” (Is. 64:4).


This type of waiting expects something to happen and waits patiently for it. When we wait, anger doesn’t influence us, impatience doesn’t drive us, impulse doesn’t derail us, and fear doesn’t stop us. The disciples tarried in the upper room until heaven opened and the Spirit came down. That experience forever changed them. They were always hungry for more of God. He was their all-consuming passion. They held on and never let go!


Thus Says the High and Lofty One


“For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones'" (Is. 57:15-16).


In this amazing passage, it’s clear that if we prepare the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart, that God will bring the fires of revival. It's a great reminder that His Word always comes to pass. As the lyrics in a popular contemporary worship song attest, “When all hope is gone and Your Word is all I've got, I have to believe You still bring water from the rock” (Spirit Lead Me).


No Holiness, No Revival


From Isaiah 57, we also see that holiness plays a role in being revived. Holiness is desiring what God desires. God is love, but His name is holy. He is referred to as the Holy One of Israel over thirty times in the Bible. There were times when the church trembled at His Word and walked in holiness. Those were, and still can be, glorious times. God abides with those who have a humble spirit and holiness is often a mark of humility.


To be clear, holiness involves salvation as well as sanctification. The only way to be declared holy before God is to repent of your sin and confess Christ as your Savior: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).


From there, we are called to live holy lives that honor God. Our decisions either fuel the fires of revival, or quench the Spirit—we either rejoice in God and walk in His Word or grieve the Spirit by disobeying. The choice is ours.


Answer the Call


Second Chronicles 16:9 says, “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” Will He find you seeking after Him, or running in the other direction? There is nothing more painful than seeing a believer running from God. Return to Him today and experience the flames of revival.


His call is to the prodigal—“Return to Me, and I will return to you” (Malachi 3:7).


His call is to the exhausted—“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).


His call is to the fearful—“The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).


His call is to the barren—“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).


Even if you’re not where you’d like to be, God’s love and mercy is continually calling you back to Him. I hope this article sparks a holy desire within you. Don't extinguish the flames of revival; let them burn deeply in your soul. We must be desperate for more of God. When you lay hold of Him never let go!


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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2023/2/15 16:50Profile
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 Re: Revival: When You Lay Hold of God Never Let Go! by Shane Idleman

Quote: Are we welcoming this type of downpour in our churches and positioning ourselves for a downpour of God's Spirit.

I am at work at the moment, if not I would be on the plane and spend some time in this outpouring.

I am encouraged to see written in the hall at Asbury "Holiness unto the Lord"

Quote: No Holiness, No Revival

Reminds me what Andrew Murray says - What Kind of Revival Do We Need?

How is the church to be lifted up to the abundant life in Christ, which will fit her for the work that God is putting before Her? Nothing will help but a revival, nothing less than a tremendous spiritual revival. Great tides of spiritual energy must be put into motion if this work is to be accomplished.

Now there may be great differences in what we understand by revival. Many will think of the work of evangelists like Moody and Torrey. We need a different and mightier revival than those were. In them the chief object was the conversion of sinners, and incidentally, the quickening of believers.

The great defect of those revivals was that the converts were received into a Church that was not living on the high level of consecration and holiness, and speedily sank down to the average standard of ordinary religious life. Even the believers who had been roused by it, also gradually returned to their former life of clouded fellowship and lack of power to testify for Christ.

The revival we need is a revival of holiness, in which the consecration of the whole being is to the service of Christ, and that for the whole life shall be counted possible. And for this there will be needed a new style of preaching in which the promises of God to dwell in His people, and to sanctify them for Himself, will take a place which they do not now have.

When our Lord Jesus gave the promise of the Holy Spirit, He spoke of the New Covenant blessing that would be experienced - God dwelling in His people. "If a man love Me, he will keep my words; and My Father will love him." So Paul also writes: "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith . . . that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.

With the Reformation, the great truth of justification by faith was restored to its place. But the other great truth of sanctification has never yet taken its place in the preaching and practice of the Church which God's Word claims for it.

It is for this that we need a revival, that the Holy Spirit may so take possession of us that the Father and the Son can live in us, and that the fellowship with Them, and devotion to Their will and service shall be our chief joy. This will be in very deed a holiness revival.

http://www.evanwiggs.com/revival/manifest/whatkind.html

Lord make me as holy as a pardoned sinner can be


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Colin Murray

 2023/2/15 20:14Profile





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