Matthew 9:37-38 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
The second great awakening took place around 1790 until the 1840s. This movement saw ‘circuit riders’, traveling preachers who spread the Gospel to the edges of the frontier, affecting the growing American populace. Camp meetings in rural areas outside the traditional church with the primary focus of soul winning, were like “brushfires” of the Holy Spirit, attracting people for miles.
Charles Finney, known by many as the ‘Father of Modern Revivalism”, began writing and teaching on the ‘baptism’ of the Holy Spirit. Through a series of articles later compiled into a book, “Power from on High” Finney renewed the church’s understanding of the spirit-filled life. Biblical revelation on the spiritual equality of women and slaves began to initiate major societal reforms such as abolitionism, and equal education for women and African-Americans. This paved the way for national suffrage and the abolition of slavery that took place in the late 1860s.
The first great awakening led to a personal relationship with the living God. The second great awakening continued the message of personal relationship and also “salted” the surrounding culture of society, as personal holiness and Biblical values influenced the mores of the day.
Your own personal revival will deeply affect your own personal relationship with God. This should inevitably influence your “society”; first, your family and friends, then your neighborhood, town, or community, and if God’s calling and anointing touch you, much wider influence may flow through your life in Him. Your fragrance and influence will depend on the depth and commitment of your personal relationship. But be careful not to seek influence for your own sake or reputation. Allow the Lord to expand it through the development of beautiful character, humility, and trust. Then, if God uses you for revival, it will be His divine will and empowering… and the glory will be His.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Set my mind on things above where my life is hidden with Christ…
…every problem, every issue, every fear, every practical matter concerning nature and flesh, to be reckoned in the light of a spiritual identity, a reality which I cannot see, a Heaven which is somewhere outside my universe. And Paul says, “Seek that!” How do I do that? How do I stretch my attention into the Heavenly realm…set my mind on things above?
The Sabbath is a weekly experiential reminder of the FREEDOM we experience from bondage to sin. In the above passage, Moses explicitly connects the celebration of Shabbat with deliverance from slavery. Isaiah 61:1 beautifully expresses Yeshua’s saving work bringing good news to the poor, binding up the brokenhearted, proclaiming liberty to the captives, and opening the prison to those who are bound, a wonderful message of deliverance and freedom.
The apostle Paul’s epistle to the Thessalonians contains clear and powerful exhortations concerning the will of God for believers. These exhortations express the specific will of God in relationships with others, with ourselves, and with the Lord. Packed into these short verses are patterns of life and behavior which receive His blessing in all these relationships.
In this day and age, I’m convinced that it’s more imperative than ever to learn to rest! The famed preacher, C.S. Spurgeon, once wrote, “Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength… It is wisdom to take occasional furlough. In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less.”
When I was growing up, we used to have fire drills in school at least once a year. The fire alarm went off, causing you to shake from the sudden loud bell momentarily, but it was only seconds before you knew.... it was only a drill; you really didn't expect a fire. Nevertheless, everyone present was expected to rush out the door (in an orderly fashion) to the parking lot. It was a nice break from class, that yearly fire drill.
Our true value was expressed at the cross of Messiah, where God valued us according to the redemptive work of His only Son. In the light of our identity in Christ our value is inestimable. We are worthy in Him. Much of our spiritual battle, however, is about maintaining and expressing our true identity and worth, day by day.
Recently, Israel announced it was expanding the Pool of Siloam, which they estimated was about an acre and a half in size. The Pool of Siloam is where Jesus sent the blind man to wash [John 9:6-7] and where he regained his sight. Some scholars believe this was where the first 3,000 souls were baptized upon hearing the gospel in Acts 2. [Acts 2:41]