Ruined

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” Isaiah 6:5....."A true revival will bring about a manifestation of the God of the Bible which most are not prepared for.....When true revival comes, we, like Ananias and Sapphira, will be found out." Chris Tiegreen

Many churches have, I believe, a deep and sincere desire for a great move of His Holy Spirit to come upon them. I know the fellowship that I'm a part of does. This is a desire that the Father wishes to fulfill. However, the question we must ask ourselves is, are we prepared for such a move? Someone said that He has prepared works for a prepared people. No one can control a move of His Spirit, but we can be prepared for it. I think it begins on our knees, with our hearts reaching up to Him as His reaches down to us. It's been said that every great move of God began with a broken heart, many broken hearts, kneeling before Him, crying out for Him. John Bevere said that "He's looking for a people to inhabit, not visit." I believe the people and fellowships that seek this will be the ones to experience Him in His fullness.

Part of our preparation must come in our realizing the truth of what Tiegreen says in the above quotes. We may want revival, but too many of us are unprepared for what a real manifestation of His Spirit will mean for us. All that has been kept in the darkness, be it in our lives, families, and churches, will be exposed in a true revival. In the early church, His Spirit was moving mightily. Miracles were happening in the midst of the people continually. Hundreds, even thousands were being converted and added into the church. People were coming together, and Scripture says that "they had all things in common." Annanias and Sapphira were two such. They had sold a piece of property and made a show of giving all the proceeds of the sale to the church to be shared among all believers in need. Except that they didn't, having held back a portion for themselves. Peter, filled with the discernment of the Spirit, called them out. Their sin was exposed. All that is in our life and that we may have sought to keep covered in darkness will be brought out into the Light when He manifests in the midst of His people. We will be like Isaiah was in the presence of a holy God. We will be undone, ruined, as concerns our old life. Whatever deceptions, lies we have held about ourselves, others, the church, and God Himself will be exposed. We must understand that this is what happens when He comes. I don't think anyone or any church can really be prepared for what happens when a holy God comes to His people, but I think we can be prepared to expect the unexpected.

This can only begin to happen on our knees, broken, yielded, totally surrendered to Him. We seek Him as He is. We welcome Him as He is.....and all the transformation, and yes, upheaval that will bring to our lives, our families, our marriages, and our fellowships.

I guess what I'm saying is that if we are truly seeking Him, seeking His heart, the fullness of His life and Spirit, The real Father, the real Son, and the real Spirit, we must be prepared to be ruined, undone, and remade. I'm not fully sure that I am, but I want to be. What we pray for when we pray for revival is terrifying to our flesh, but it is the yearning of the Spirit of Christ living inside us. Terrifying because the things of the flesh must die so that the things of the Spirit may live. Ruined but remade. May it be so Lord, may it be so.

Blessings,
Pastor O