In the Name of Jesus! Healing and miracles can happen today. By God’s power, we can have revival, too!
Jesus came to this world to revive and renew His people. So of course God wants for the believers today to come alive in Him and feel His refreshing. Many people have not yet experienced revival but are hungry. They want to know: What is it? What does it look like?
In March 1996, Steve’s whole life changed and revival exploded in his church, so the Smithton Outpouring began. Steve remembers, “The power of God struck of me like lightning. I lit up. I was a different person.” But revival doesn’t happen out of nowhere. Signs of revival will crop up around you or even elsewhere in the world. There are “rumblings” or indicators that God is on the move. Also, we can prepare the way for God and ready our hearts and lives.
Am I holy enough for revival?
Many people ask this question. It’s easy to push away God or push away revival because you feel unworthy. You may feel not Godly or spiritual enough. But revival is not all about you.
God looks for people who want to be part of revival, who are already in pursuit of Him. You have already used your own strength and self-effort. Now you just need God to step in and put you over the top with His power and Spirit.
In Acts 3, Peter and John encounter a lame man who is begging. In the name of Jesus and by their faith in the name of Jesus, the lame man was healed and made able to walk. It was not by Peter and John’s own godliness, holiness, or power that this miracle happened. Put your faith in the name of Jesus! Faith in yourself won’t bring revival. Give all you can give. Pray all you can pray. Live all you can live for God.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
Questions:
Do you use all your strength and effort to pursue God?
Have you (ever) let your feelings of inadequacy or unworthiness prevent you from getting closer to God?
In what ways will you let God take over?
How can you support your church, community, and city in preparing for revival?
05:35‘We’re not holy enough. We’re not spiritual enough. We’re not godly enough.’ That’s true. But a real move of God takes those people that are not enough in their own strength.
08:52‘It’s not by our own godliness, our own holiness, or our own power that we did this … It’s the name of Jesus and faith in the name of Jesus that got this lame man walking.’
11:18We can’t make revival happen, but we give all that we can. When you get right down to it, it’s going to have to be the power of God—faith in the name of Jesus!
