Hell Is A Real Place!

Over my many years of being a born-again Christian I have heard many people preaching and teaching about Heaven but not very many preaching and teaching on Hell. In fact, I can’t even remember when I last heard anybody preach on Hell! I wonder why that is?

I suspect it’s probably because most congregants only want to hear about nice things and Hell is certainly not a nice place to be! When Christians talk about God’s love its always about his loving kindness and the fact that Jesus died for our sins because of his great love for us. And this is all good and very true!

But there is another side to God’s love that is also not much talked and preached about, and that is God’s discipline. I believe that when we talk about God’s love it is imperative that we talk about every aspect of God’s love equally and discipline is a characteristic of His love that we all need to heed as well as embrace. We all like sheep have gone astray and even in my walk as a born-again Christian I still need to tow the line and walk in integrity and in the truth of his Word! Amen?

Hebrews 12:6 (NIV)

because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son."

Proverbs 3:12 (NIV)

because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

So, in the two verses above we are told that God disciplines his children, those he loves. Now something many of us seem to forget is that only those of us who are born-again, those who have confessed their sins, have repented of them, and have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, can be called God’s children.

John 1:12 (NIV)

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

From this we see that once we are saved (born-again) we become God’s children and he disciplines us in his great love, grace and mercy. Those who are not saved he does not discipline as they are not called his children and they carry on sinning without any advocacy (anyone to defend them) through Jesus as we who are born-again do! Because of their rebellion against God, they dig their own grave, so to speak!

1 John 2:1 (NIV)

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

The Greek word for advocate in the above verse is ‘parakletos’ and this is how Strong’s concordance describes it: “3875 paráklētos (from 3844 /pará, "from close-beside" and 2564 /kaléō, "make a call") – properly, a legal advocate who makes the right judgment-call because they are close enough to the situation. Paráklētos ("advocate, advisor-helper") is the regular term in New Testament times of an attorney (lawyer) – i.e. someone that stands up in court to defend another. 

After reading the above explanation of the word ‘advocate’ you should have guessed by now that we are talking about the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of Jesus! Jesus – the Righteous One.

Romans 8:9 (NIV)

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.

Those who are yet unsaved do not belong to Christ and anyone who does not belong to Christ belongs to the Devil! The sins of the children of God, past, present and future sins, are covered by the blood of the lamb. So, although God so loves the World, only those that are fully repentant from the heart and accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour will enter the Kingdom of God. 

Everybody else consigns themselves to Hell as, even though their sin has been covered by the blood of Jesus and no matter how ‘good’ they perceive themselves to be, they have not accepted the gift of salvation by rejecting Jesus as their Lord and Saviour! No sin can enter heaven, heaven is a place reserved for the righteous in Christ Jesus!

God wants everyone to be saved but the freewill choice to accept salvation in Christ Jesus lies solely with man! We chose Heaven or Hell!

Having cleared that up, let’s get back to our topic of ‘Hell is a real place.’

Revelation 20:10 (NIV)

And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

What does Jesus tell us about Hell?

In the parable of the sheep and goats – Matthew 25:31-46 - Jesus tells us that we will all face judgement but those of us who have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour (the sheep – repentant sinners) will go to Heaven and those that do not know Jesus (the goats – unrepentant sinner) will go to Hell.

Matthew 25:41 (NIV – brackets are mine)

“Then he will say to those on his left (the goats), ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Matthew 25:46 (NIV – brackets are mine)

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment (the goats), but the righteous to eternal life (the sheep).”

Jesus speaks of Hell, so we had better believe that it is a real place just as Heaven is, as everything that was created was created through Jesus and for Jesus. Jesus is our everything!

Colossians 1:15-18 (NIV)

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Hell is a place of eternal suffering and separation from God (spiritual death) and was created by God through Jesus for the devil and all his followers both human and angelic. It is a place of weeping and sorrow!

Matthew 13:40-43 (AMP)

40 So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend [those things by which people are led into sin], and all who practice evil [leading others into sin], 42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger]. 43 Then the righteous [those who seek the will of God] will shine forth [radiating the new life] like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words.

Hell, or the lake of fire, will also be the destination for those who reject Christ – Satan and all who follow him.

2 Peter 2:4-10b (AMP)

4 For if God did not [even] spare angels that sinned, but threw them into hell and sent them to pits of gloom to be kept [there] for judgment; 5 and if He did not spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought [the judgment of] a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; 7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, who was tormented by the immoral conduct of unprincipled and ungodly men 8 (for that just man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by what he saw and heard of their lawless acts), 9 then [in light of the fact that all this is true, be sure that] the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and how to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge in the corrupt passions of the sin nature, and despise authority.

Those who are disobedient to the teachings and commands in the Bible and reject Jesus will go to Hell! This is a fact, for if you are not for God then you are against him just as Satan is, there is no grey areas in Christianity. 

Many people today perceive themselves to be ‘good people’ and they probably are good people and do good things, but unless they are born-again, have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, they will not go to heaven. Their good works are like filthy rags in God’s eyes because they have rejected Jesus! It is only by accepting Jesus that we receive our righteousness - our right standing and reconciliation with God!

Matthew 12:30 (NIV)

"Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Isaiah 64:6 (NIV)

All of us have become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;

we all shrivel up like a leaf,

and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

All of us have sinned that is why we need a Saviour. God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to be our saviour He is the only one through whom we have salvation and can be thus reconciled with God! 

If we don’t accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, our sin remains upon us and we thus consign ourselves to Hell, everlasting separation from God our creator.

Romans 3:23-26

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

The Bible tells us that we will all stand before God and face judgement for the things we have done, good and bad. Judgement day is not a trial it is a day of sentencing!

2 Cor 5:10 (AMP)

For we [believers will be called to account and] must all appear before the] judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid for what has been done in the body, whether good or bad [that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purposes, goals, motives—the use or misuse of his time, opportunities and abilities].

Those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour from the heart and are not just paying lip service (the lukewarm), spend eternity in Heaven and those that reject Jesus will spend eternity in Hell.

Rev 20:11-15

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

God has shown His love for man by sending His Son to die for their sins -- to take our punishment -- so that we can go to heaven. The judgment of hell is for those who refuse to accept God's love and forgiveness through Christ Jesus.

God is a God of holiness and justice as well as a God of love. These moral attributes are complementary, not contradictory. When the laws of God are disobeyed there must be a judgement. God's laws demand that sin must be paid for. God can still love someone, but He cannot allow sin to go unpunished. This is the reason that Jesus Christ came to earth, to die for the sins of the world - without the shedding of blood their can be no forgiveness - Jesus shed His blood for us so that we can be forgiven for our sins!

Prayer: 

Dear Heavenly Father

I thank you that you sent your son to die for my sins and that his blood covers me with salvation - Jesus is my Saviour! Thank you Jesus that through your sacrifice for me on the Cross at Calvary, I receive eternal life and reconciliation with God. Thank you Lord that you have saved me from eternal damnation in Hell! Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus – the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no excuse for not reading and studying the Bible for yourself! My words are flawed - the Word of God is not!

Last updated: 4 December 2023.

The Holy Spirit Teaches Us All Things

Without the Holy Spirit we would not be overcomers in Christ Jesus!

In John chapter 14 we find Jesus talking to his disciples and telling them that he would soon be leaving them. Now reading between the lines of this chapter I sort of detect that the news of Jesus leaving them has made them more than a little bit nervous and has scared them somewhat, as he says to them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

The Lord tells the disciples that he is going back to the Father but that he would come back to fetch them. And he goes on to tell them not to worry about his departure from the world because he is going to ask the Father to send them the Comforter, the Helper, the Holy Spirit who will teach them all things and lead them in all truth.

Now the Greek word for comforter used in verse 16 is ‘parakletos’ (pronounced paraklaytos) and its full meaning besides comforter is: advocate, helper, the one who draws alongside us, consoler and intercessor. So here we see that the Holy Spirit is everything one could ask for and more. He is our advocate and advisor, he helps us to complete our God-given purpose, he is there to console us and see us through difficult times, and he is our intercessor and continually prays to the Father for us just as Jesus does.

From verses 15 to 31 in the table below I will attempt to explain, verse by verse, just how much we need the Holy Spirit as believers and just how, like Jesus, it is absolutely necessary for us to allow the Holy Spirit to permeate every aspect of our beings and in all that we do in our daily lives. But please remember that my words are fallible – the Word of God is not!

John 14:15-31 (NIV)

15. “If you love me, keep my commands.

In this verse love here is the agape love of God that expects nothing in return. We can only appropriate this kind of love in its full measure through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. We have a direct connection to God through the Holy Spirit alive within us. It is the Holy Spirit who regenerates our spirit and as such we are to follow the commands of Jesus. This means living according to His Word – the Bible. Every born-again Christian’s life-manual. Know the Word = know Jesus = know the Holy Spirit = know God = a changed me, a good and faithful servant of the Lord!

16. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—

Here Jesus is saying to his disciples (and to us today) that when he is gone, he will ask the Father to give them/us another Comforter and He shall give them/us the Holy Spirit who will live within them/us for ever. It is also interesting to note here that Jesus says that the Father will send another Comforter – Jesus being the first, somebody just like him with all His characteristics who will live within them/us for ever. The Holy Spirit in us is how Jesus lives in each one of us.

17. the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

Here Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of truth. The Greek word here for truth is ‘aletheia’ (a-lay-thi-a) and its full definition is: truth, but not merely truth as spoken; truth of idea, reality, sincerity, truth in the moral sphere, divine truth revealed to man, straightforwardness (ref: Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance 225). This is the truth that is God’s and that He wants us to have and we will only have if we have the Holy Spirit living and working in us and through us. Jesus says that the world does not know the Holy Spirit only those that belong to him will know the Holy Spirit.

18. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Here Jesus again reassures us that he will not leave us alone, but he will be with us always through his Holy Spirit until he comes again! The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus.

19. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

Jesus assures all believers that even though he is no longer with us in the flesh we can still see him in the spirit. Our spirits are alive and connected to him by the Holy Spirit.

20. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

Here the Lord gives us a word picture of how it is the Holy Spirit that connects him to the Father and us to him and through him we are connected to the Father. And through the Holy Spirit all believers are connected to each other, the same spirit is in all of us – God’s Holy Spirit!

21. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Jesus states here that those that keep his commands (the teachings of the Bible) are the ones who truly love him and as a result of this we will be loved by the Father. It is through this cycle of God’s agape love that the Holy Spirit reveals Christ to the believers. Those that love Jesus truly from the heart are those that keep his commands – the Bible – Jesus is the Word! The Word is the sword of the Spirit!

22. Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

23. Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

The answer to Judas’ question is of course through the Holy Spirit being alive within us. Through the Father’s agape love emanating from the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) to us and us loving Jesus in the same way, provides a channel by which the Holy Trinity will live within our hearts. The conduit and connection is through the Holy Spirit – spirit speaks to spirit.

24. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

If we do not love Jesus, we will not obey his teachings in the Bible. Our disobedience is sin!

25. “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

In these two verses the Lord tells us that when he has gone and the Holy Spirit comes upon us, he will come in the name of Jesus and will teach us all things and he will also remind us of what Jesus has already said, that is he will remind us of what is in the Word – remembering of course that Jesus is the Word in flesh.

27. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Jesus is saying here that because he has sent the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to us we will have peace of mind and we need not be afraid of anything.

28. “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

Here I believe that Jesus is telling us as modern-day believers that although he is not with us in the flesh we can still rejoice because he is with us in spirit once we are born-again and have the infilling of the Holy Spirit – we should be joyful that he is with the Father because the Father is greater than Jesus in the flesh.

29. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.

Jesus is telling the disciples what is about to happen, his betrayal and crucifixion, so that when it does happen, they will believe it!

30. I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31. but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.

Jesus is telling us that the Devil, the prince of the world, is coming in the guise of Judas’ kiss of betrayal. Jesus is also telling us that the Devil has no hold over him and He loves the Father completely and is completely obedient to the Father. It was the Father’s command that Jesus should suffer and die for our sins, and because of His great love (agape) he is going to the cross willingly so that we might live! Amen! Thank you, Jesus!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name, I pray that you would fill me with your Holy Spirit and keep on filling me. Lead me in all truth, Holy Spirit, and teach me all things, that my lifestyle would be such that in all I do, I will bring glory to the name of Jesus my Saviour. Lead me on the path of righteousness and let me not go astray. Lead me on the path that the Father has willed for my life. Lead me on the path of obedience to your Word, Father. Bless me, Lord, so that I may be a blessing to others. Protect me from the evil one, Lord Jesus. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus, the Name above all names!

 

There Is No Fence Sitting In Christianity!

The term or phrase ‘Fence Sitter’ is something that most of us have heard over the years, but, if you are like me, have never really sat and considered what it means in our personal Christian walk, until now!

When I think of the term ‘fence sitter’ my mind is drawn to the verse Revelation 3:16 which doesn’t actually refer to ‘fence sitting’ but speaks of the Church in Laodicea as being ‘lukewarm’.

Now, from a non-Biblical perspective, let’s have a look at what many of our renowned dictionaries say about a ‘fence sitter’ or ‘fence sitting’. The term is described as something like this:

• a person who remains neutral or uncommitted on an issue

• someone who can’t make up their mind on an issue of importance

• someone who supports both sides in a disagreement because they cannot make a decision or do not want to annoy or offend either side

• a person who wishes to stay neutral, to not pick a side, to avoid confrontation.

The Collins Dictionary defines a lukewarm person as this:

“If you describe a person or their attitude as lukewarm, you mean that they are not showing much enthusiasm or interest.”

And gives these synonyms: half-hearted, cold, cool, indifferent

James 1:6-8 (NIV)

6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

This draws me to conclude that the term ‘fence sitter’ and the word ‘lukewarm’ have very much the same meaning in today’s setting.

Being a lukewarm Christian or a lukewarm Church is something about which our Lord issues a very strong warning about when we examine his feelings as shown in the book of Revelation. In the below verses he tells us exactly how he feels.

Rev 3:15-18 (NIV)

15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

Let me try and paraphrase these four verses:

“I know what you have been doing and that your lives and lifestyles are not fully committed to me and that you are still self-serving in many ways. Because you are like this and because you live so far away from my teachings you leave a bad taste in my mouth and your ways turn my stomach. If you don’t change your ways and serve me fully, I will cut you off. You are focused on wordly things and not on Spiritual things. You think that you have gained these things by your own efforts and do not realise that apart from me you can do nothing and are nothing. You have become blinded by the things of the flesh and have ignored the things of the Spirit. I urge you to repent and turn back to me and submit to my teachings. You have moved out of my covering and your eyes have become seared by the lure of world and its temptations and you are no longer able to see and discern the things of the Spirit. Clothe yourselves in me and my Holy Spirit so that you will be able to see clearly again”

The Church in Laodicea had lost it’s way by the lure and temptation of things like money, possessions and position in a worldly society. The had become worshippers of ‘gold’ and only had a half-hearted approach to the things of God. If you are not for God then you are against him! You cannot be camped on both sides of the fence - one foot in the world and one foot in God's Kingdom.

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight.

When we look at the Church today it is easy to see that many Churches today are building their ‘ministries’ around prosperity and other such false teachings. New age teachings are rife and are being allowed to permeate, water down and corrupt the teachings of the Bible in the name of being politically correct. The Church today is allowing itself to be moulded by ungodly laws and lawmakers instead of standing its ground with feet firmly rooted in the infallible Word of God and to the glory of Jesus. These Churches, if they remain unrepentant, are soon to be spewed out!

Isaiah 29:13 (NIV)

The Lord says:

“These people come near to me with their mouth

and honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

Their worship of me

is based on merely human rules they have been taught.

God will not tolerate lip service! He will not be mocked! Those that do not worship Him in Spirit and in truth will be removed from the vine and cast into Hell where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth! We, the Church, need to be producing good fruit in line with the Holy Spirit and to the glory of Jesus!

Matthew 13:41-42 (NIV)

41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

John 15:4-6

4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

Matt 7:20-23 (NIV)

Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

In today’s Church many have been corrupted and led astray by false prophets and teachers who preach the messages of man and not the truth of the Bible. Many have been led astray by teachers who tickle peoples ears with what they want to hear as they have never humbled themselves under the mighty hand of God, or who once did believe but have turned their backs on God! The Church in general have become worshippers of the things of the world that man has wrapped in a pretty and corrupted gospel of lies and misrepresentation and have labelled it ‘Church’. Many people attend Church to be entertained rather than to worship God.

Titus 1:15-16 (NIV)

15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

2 Tim 4:3-4 (NIV)

3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Matt 7:15-20

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

You are saved by faith and faith alone, faith in Christ Jesus, but a false convert shows no works because they are not a new creation.

James 2:26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

James 2:17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

James 2:20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?

1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

Eph 2:8-10 (NIV)

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The only works we should be doing as Christians are the works that God prepared for us to do even before we were born. Works done in the Spirit and not in the flesh! The woks we do apart from Christ Jesus, our self-righteous acts or works of the flesh, are like filthy rags in God’s sight!

Isaiah 64:6 (NIV)

All of us have become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;

we all shrivel up like a leaf,

and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

In the Kingdom of God there can be no fence sitters or lukewarm Christians. We must wholeheartedly give ourselves to God in Christ Jesus and not look back. If we remain lukewarm, we will be spewed out. God has said it and it will be so!

Matt 6:31-34 (NIV)

31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven

I repent of being a lukewarm Christian and of not giving myself to you with wholehearted love and devotion. Forgive me Lord, I pray. Thank you for forgiving me of this sin and from this time forth, Lord, please help me to be on fire for you, Lord Jesus, always. Lord, I ask that you fan into flame the gifts you have placed within me to do the works that you have predestined me to do and to keep your fire ever burning within me by the power of your Holy Spirit and to the glory of your Name. Help me Lord to live my life in the Spirit and not in the flesh. Help me Lord to be discern what is the true gospel from that which is false. Help me Lord to help others, to encourage them and to build them up to reach their full potential in Christ Jesus. I ask this, Lord, in your precious Name. Amen.

Hebrews 10:24-25

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus, the Name above all names!

The Holy Spirit Brings Revival

Let’s have a look at the Holy Spirit and Revival!

Throughout the centuries, since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, there have been numerous recordings of Holy Spirit inspired ‘revivals’ or ‘awakenings’ in the world and probably many more that were not recorded, big and small.

When I look at my own life since my spiritual rebirth in May 1988 in the little South Coast town of Mosel Bay in South Africa, I can distinctly see times of ‘revival’ in my own spiritual walk. These personal times of revival may not have had the worldwide impact of a ‘Wesleyan Welsh Revival’ in the 18th Century or a more modern revival like the ‘Toronto Blessing’ or the Brownsville Revival’ both in the 1990’s, but on a personal level they have certainly had a tremendous life-changing impact on me and my personal walk with Jesus and have drawn me back to and closer to him.

The Holy Spirit is the primary mover and shaker of all types of revival, whether it is on a personal level of restoration and growth or on a corporate level such as the ‘Toronto Blessing’ and they are all done to increase the Kingdom of God to the glory of Jesus.

What is revival and what is its purpose?

Most modern dictionaries today will describe the word revival as something like this:

an improvement in the condition of someone or something, a strengthening of someone or something. The strengthening of the fortunes of someone or something.

Or

an instance of something becoming popular, active, or important again.

And some synonyms for revival would go like this: a comeback, bringing back, re-establishment, reintroduction, restoration, reappearance, resurrection, resuscitation, re-launch, regeneration, revitalization, reinvigoration, awakening, rejuvenation, stimulation, rebirth.

My instances of personal revival in restoration and growth are not uncommon amongst Christians and some of you will probably have experienced similar things in your own walk. My spiritual condition and my physical condition were improved, restored, delivered and revitalised, and all the other synonyms applied to revival, by a sovereign move of God through the power of the Holy Spirit and to the glory of Jesus. He defeated Satan’s plan to destroy me!

Now what God did for me and what he has done for others in a similar fashion is not new. God has been doing this from the time of creation! He is and wants to be continually and intimately involved in a personal relationship with each and every one of us and He actively pursues this relationship through the power of the Holy Spirit to glorify Jesus. This is why Jesus sent the Comforter to us when he ascended into heaven.

John 14:15-18 (NIV)

15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

The corporate revival is what took place at Pentecost (Acts 2) where God poured out his Holy Spirit and many unbelievers came to salvation and the disciples and others began their ministries in the power of the Holy Spirit and the Lord added to the numbers of those being saved daily!

Acts 2:2-4 (NIV)

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Acts 2:47 (NIV)

praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

And a good example of a personal revival s in the case of the Apostle Peter after he had denied the Lord three times, ran off weeping bitterly and then decided to go back to fishing!

John 15:15-17 (NIV)

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

Peter is fully restored and experiences tremendous personal growth and greater understanding of God and his purpose here on earth!

God revives us when we go cold or are in a ‘bad’ place and when we seek his face with all our heart! Revival begins with the Church with each and every born-born again Christian praying in the unity of the Spirit.

Now let’s get something straight here, revival is not a new phenomenon and when I say new, I mean it is not just a New Testament or a ‘today’ thing, as the writer of Ecclesiastes says, there is nothing new under the sun!

Ecc 1:9 (NIV)

What has been will be again,

what has been done will be done again;

there is nothing new under the sun.

There is no knew thing under the sun, God is the same yesterday, today and always, He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. God knows those who are his. God knows those who will heed His salvation call. He gives us so many chances to respond to His call through the power of the Holy Spirit and to the glory of Jesus!

One of the ways the God has used and still uses and will continue to use to reach mankind is through revival by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the lives of ‘men’ It is the Holy Spirit that draws us to Jesus for our salvation. God will continue to bring revival to us, His Church, both corporately and individually. God has done this from the beginning of man’s days, and He will continue to do so until Jesus comes again. It’s all about Jesus, all glory to the Son! But the Church needs to be proactively praying for revival in ourselves as individuals and corporately our different congregations in order for His will to be done in our lives.

In the Old Testament we see how God sent his Holy Spirit to restore and revive Israel, His chosen people, on numerous occasions through the prophets and through the judges. The book of Judges is a prime example of this, God brought revival by the power of the Holy Spirit and through those individuals (the Judges), He brought revival to the nation of Israel. He also did this through some of the Kings and other individuals like Mordecai and Esther. This was done by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s take a look at Othniel, one of Israel’s first Judges as an example.

Judges 3:9-11

9 But when they (Israel) cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. 10 The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. 11 So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

This type of revival happened on many occasions in the Old Testament over many years. Unfortunately man has developed a bad habit of forgetting what God has done and often grows cold or just falls into complacency.

In the New Testament we read how God brought revival to individuals and to the Church of the time through the ministry of Jesus. Jesus moved in the power of the Holy Spirit, his very birth was through the power of the Holy Spirit. The miracles, signs and wonders he performed were all done in the power of the Holy Spirit. All these things brought revival to his chosen people. At the betrayal of Jesus by Judas and when he was arrested, the disciples fled in fear and panic and Peter denied him three times soon thereafter. I guess you could say that they became ‘unrevived’ – this is probably not even a proper word, but I hope you get my meaning in this context. This same type of thing often happens in today’s Church and we are often deceived by false prophets and teachers!

Now these situations doesn’t take God by surprise in any way, remember he is the beginning and the end; nothing is a surprise to Him! He wrote the script for us and he doesn’t change His mind, what He has ordained will come to pass!

OK so here we have a bunch of freaked out and ‘unrevived’ disciples who watch the crucifixion of Jesus and without their leader they decide to give up and go back to their old jobs; let’s go fishing is the general consensus; forgetting everything they’ve been taught and all the miracles they have witnessed. Yes, I’ve been there and done that! I expect some of you have too? But God brings revival to the disciples through the power of the Holy Spirit! Look what happens next.

Jesus is resurrected after three days by the power of the Holy Spirit and he appears to the disciples and many others and just before his ascension into heaven, he tells the disciples that he is going to the Father and that he will send them the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) and tells them to go and wait in Jerusalem. He then ascends into heaven.

Now the disciples are still a bit unsure of themselves and are still in a state of ‘unrevival’, but they obey the Lord’s instructions and return to Jerusalem to wait for power from on high. I don’t think they fully understood what that meant. When the disciples went back to Jerusalem, they gathered together to pray in one accord in an upper room, together with some other close followers of Jesus.

Acts 1:12-14 (NIV)

12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Ok. So now remember this bit because I’m going to say it big and bold so that you won’t forget:

It is the prayers of the saints, praying in unity and in one accord that ushers in revival in the power of the Holy Spirit. When we cry out to God – revival comes both individually and corporately!

Now why do I say this? Well turn with me in your bible to Acts 2. Excuse me! You haven’t got your bible with you? Naughty, naughty! Go and fetch it quickly or switch on your electronic version.

After the upper room prayer meeting, we move on to the day of Pentecost and look what happens now!

Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Here we have it then, REVIVAL, in a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit, a mighty wind and tongues of fire! The very first Pentecostal revival meeting energising, empowering and equipping the saints to step out and minister in the power of the Holy Spirit, performing miracles and signs and wonders and drawing the lost to salvation in Christ Jesus – to his glory!

This was an explosion of new life within the Church both individually and corporately which resulted in a blessing to the sick, the possessed, and the lost and to mankind in general, this is what revival is all about.

Look around you child of God, look at the news, walk in the streets, society is breaking down fast and getting worse by the day. Rally around my brothers and sisters, gather the saints, sound the trumpet and call out to God, Church. Pray for revival in one accord – the world needs the saints to be revived, the world needs revival, the world needs JESUS and we need a mighty outpouring of his Holy Spirit upon the Church – a mighty wind and a mighty flame! The Church should be praying for revival in unity and in one accord.

Let’s take a quick look at the amazing things that happened in this Holy Spirit inspired revival at Pentecost in bullet form and fired from the gun of the Holy Spirit!

• The disciples and the Church are revived and filled with the Holy Spirit.

• The disciples’ measure of faith is increased and they begin to minister in power and boldness.

• Miracles, signs and wonders accompany their ministry.

• Thousands of unbelievers get saved.

• The sick are healed and demons are cast out, setting people free.

• Paul is converted on the Damascus Road.

• The gospel of salvation is spread to both Jew and Gentile across the known world of the time.

• The infilling of the Holy Spirit is spread to others by the laying on of hands

• And much, much more!

Right then, I think we have now established what revival is and what its purpose is:

1. It is a sovereign move of God in the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit
2. It restores an individual – a returning prodigal son like me and of course the prodigal son as in Luke 15:11-32.
3. It empowers the Church to move in the power of the Holy Spirit performing miracles, signs and wonders.
4. It draws the lost to salvation.
5. It inspires prophecy and the other gifts of the Spirit thus enabling God’s children to hear His voice and to know His will so that the Fruit of the Spirit can be manifest in us and through us!

Summary
So now we’ve had a look at the Holy Spirit’s involvement in revival and what really stands out to me is that God is always calling us to him and desiring to be intimately involved in our daily lives and in this day and age God does this through His Holy Spirit, who is also the Spirit of Jesus – remember the Holy Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit; is one God!

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is a promise from God that the Church needs to fully appropriate in order to walk in faith upon God’s path and in God’s will for us both as a corporate body and as individuals. In others words the Church needs to be walking and living life in the Spirit – this is why Jesus sent the Comforter to us!

But most notably the key to these revivals and probably every other revival as well, is the Church, men and women of God coming together in unity and praying for a sovereign move of the Holy Spirit to draw the lost to salvation in Christ Jesus. A Church that lifts the name of Jesus higher and higher so that He will draw all men unto himself!

Let’s just remind ourselves of the main points that we need to embrace when God touches our lives with revival. This will also serve as a keen reminder of how the Church needs to pray, the Church needs to always be in a state of Holy Spirit empowered revival:

• Revival comes through God’s sovereign outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

• Revival comes when the Church comes together in prayer and in unity and in one accord.

• Revival comes to individuals and corporately to the body.

• Revival is contagious, it can be spread by man filled with the Holy Spirit and stepping out in faith and reaching out to the lost to fulfil the great commission. It will spread from man to man, church to church, town to town and from country to country – Joel 2:28-32 and repeated by Peter in Acts 2:17-21 at the Pentecost revival.

• The Church in this day and age should be praying and preparing for revival in order to be ready and raring to go when God pours out His Holy Spirit in the last days.

• It is God’s desire to work with men filled with the Holy Spirit to spread revival – the Church needs to be bold and brave and step out in faith.

Remember that everything God does is to the glory of the Son, Jesus! It’s not about the miracles, signs and wonders, these are just a part of God’s blessings, it’s all about Jesus. Everything we do should be to the glory of the Son, our Saviour and Lord – Jesus!

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father
In Jesus’ name and in the power of the Holy Spirit I pray that you would bring revival to my heart. I pray that you would rejuvenate my Spirit and fan into flame the gifts that you have placed within me and that you would, by your Spirit, help me to encourage others to seek your face and to pray for revival within your Church and to my own congregation where I fellowship. I pray for an outpouring of your Holy Spirit that would energise and empower the Church to be bold in preaching the Word and to step out in faith and minister in the gifts of the Spirit. I pray that people will be drawn to you, Lord, for salvation. I pray for miracles, signs and wonders, healings and deliverance to follow us wherever we go to the glory of Jesus. I pray for a revival that will never end until your return. I pray that I would not grow cold and that you would keep your fire burning within me and within your Church. Amen!