Necessity of REVIVAL Dr. Michael Brown•
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the Gospel right out of the water. It reminds us in no othing settles a debate quite like the presence of uncertain terms who is Creator and who is mere creGod. For some time now, the church in America, ation. It reminds us that we are here to please God, indeed in much of the West, has slowly adopted the not the other way around. falsehood that God is here to please us. The The good news is that a life lived to modern church argues that humans are WHEN GOD please God is the most thrilling life poswho we are, and that God and His Word SHOWS UP, THERE sible. The presence of God is to the should change to suit our needs, satisfy IS NO QUESTION human soul as water is to a fish. It is our desires, and placate our requests. TO WHOM ALL the atmosphere in which we thrive. And The Scriptures, on the other hand, AUTHORITY when we live according to God’s Word, makes a different case. In the Bible, we BELONGS. our lives are full of his presence. see that the early church was so focused This is the necessity of revival – an on the life of Jesus and so infused with the extended, unadulterated, community encounter reality of his death and resurrection that no with the presence of God. In His presence, our argupersonal sacrifice was considered too great and not ments are silenced, our questions are answered, and act of service too extreme. the clarity of His Word gives us purpose and direction. The Church of the Bible lived in prayer and comOur nation can’t change unless our churches change. munion, sharing all they had and eagerly awaiting Our churches can’t change unless they meet with God. Christ’s return. By contrast, many in today’s Church That is the purpose of the Light Fire Again Concan’t decide if it is worth getting out of bed to worference this September in Pensacola, FL: for the ship God in community. Perhaps, it asks itself, we people of God to call out to Him with one voice to could just livestream the highlights over brunch? request a flood of His Glory across our land. When But, when we come face to face with the magwe encounter Him, we want to be like Him. And nitude of His holiness and the power of His love, when the Church begins to look like Him again, the we quickly realize who got it right. When God world will be irresistibly drawn to His Kingdom. shows up, there is no question to whom all authority belongs. His presence blasts our pop-psychology, *Article is an excerpt of the message delivered at the Light the Fire Conference in control group-driven, comfort-oriented version of Toronto, Canada.
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