THE BRIDGE
RENEW, REFRESH, REBIRTH BY TINA BOYLE WHYTE Global Music Link Editorial Team
2022 is upon us. Praise God! Looking retrospectively, I never would have imagined that 2022 would be literally around the corner. In fact, in March of 2020, the year 2022 seemed like an eternity away. After going through these months, many people are saying there is a sound in the earth for revival. Many are saying that God is prompting a REVIVAL for the Body of Christ. As we look at the beginning of a revival, we must remember it must be born out of prayer. The word reminds us in Chronicles about prayer: “And if My people, who are called by My Name, become humble and pray, and look for Me, and turn away from their evil ways, then I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 ERV). At my local ministry, we just experienced a convocation with Michael Dow’s ministry, Burning Ones. It was a beautiful time as we experienced the presence of God. The theme of the convocation was READY THE BRIDE! We are the Bride. The ministry team exemplified what it meant to ‘ready the bride’. In preparation for the convocation, the team fasted and prayed as a consecration
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to God, and His presence was evident as the glory of the Lord filled the place. As I think about the season we are approaching - the Christmas season and New Year - I am reflecting on being RENEWED, REFRESHED and REBORN. The birth of Jesus was a significant time; His arrival signified a new era. Jesus came to bring light into the darkness that was over God’s people. His arrival was the onset of being renewed, refreshed and the experience of a rebirth. Jesus’ entry into the world was designed to restore God’s relationship with man and reestablish God’s Kingdom. As we are recovering from COVID, I believe this is a beautiful time to experience revival - a revival in our relationship with Christ. A revival leads you to be renewed, refreshed and a rebirth. Robert Coleman stated that revival is “the awakening or quickening of God’s people to their true nature and purpose.” This is the season of revival; there is a true awakening to our true IDENTITY. As we shift into this holiday season and New Year, I encourage you to remember your IDENTITY. Our identity in Christ! We must remember what and how God thinks of us. He made us in His image. In Genesis 1:26-27, He was very mindful of us: ‘And God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our
likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.’ We have been made in His image. When we reflect on that, it shows us how much we are loved by God. He created us to be in His image and for His glory. How do we honour God? We honour God when we operate how He created us to be. He created you to have dominion. He created you to have authority. He created you to have power in your words. How does this apply to our everyday lives? I think about how people are responding to life situations that we have been presented with in these times. People are worried about what will happen to us next. Anxiety and worry as a result of circumstances are at an all-time high, but God never intended for us to succumb to our circumstances. As we have been confronted with circumstances, I am reminded of how Jesus responded to the disciples in the boat in Mark 4.
