Broken and Contrite.

     For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.  
                                                    Isaiah 57:15 KJV

     We read in this verse that the eternal, holy, God desires to dwell with the humble and contrite. His desire is to revive the spirit of those who are lowly and broken in spirit. Indeed, we see that God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
     This is where the problem lies; our pride. It is our pride, our exalting ourselves above the reign of God within our hearts, that shuts out the flow of His presence and grace within our lives. Pride is the exact opposite of humility. God resists the proud. The picture is that of an army standing in battle formation against the proud individual. This is not where you or I want to be.
     In David's prayer of repentance, we see that the sacrifices acceptable to God are a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). You see, we must be humbled if we are to receive grace. Jesus said we must receive the kingdom of God as a little child if we are to enter it (Mark 10:15). He is speaking of humility, becoming as nothing in our own eyes, and in the eyes of the world.   
     To be contrite is to be crushed, broken, and ground into dust. It means that we are sorrowful, and grieved in our hearts because our sin has grieved and offended God. Contrition is not feeling sorry for ourselves, feeling sorrow because we did something bad, feeling sorrow over being caught in our sin, or sorrow at the thought of sins consequences. No, godly sorrow is the sorrow that comes from a heart that is crushed because we have sinned against God (2 Cor 7:9-11). David said "Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight" (Psalm 51:4 KJV). 
     Only when one has been broken in this way, can one truly repent. An individual who has felt the deep sorrow over sin, how odious it is to God, how it has pained the heart of God, will leave it. Such a one is done with sin, not because sin has consequences, but because God hates sin. This individual will live his or her life careful to please God in all things. They fear sin most of all because they do not wish to grieve God.
     Oh that We would experience a mighty move of God in this day! That we would feel the deep conviction of sin that would break us and grind us to powder as wheat is ground into flour. The mighty convicting power of the Holy Spirit, that would bring us to our knees in humility and repentance. We so desperately need a move of God in our generation, a move that would revive and refresh us; a move that would bring us back to the heart of God; a move that would bring His presence back into our lives and assemblies once again. Oh that we could be humble and contrite of spirit, so that God would dwell with us once again. 

Conviction of Sin.

     How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!
     How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!
     When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.
     for day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.     Selah.
     I aknowledged my sin to you, and my iniquity I did not hide. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"; and You forgave the guilt of my sin.
     Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
                                     Psalm 32:1-6 NASB

     The bible records this event in the life of David, to show us the great folly of concealing our sin from God. We may think we can get away with sin, we may think that no one sees, or knows about what we have done, but God sees and knows.
     God desires that we would confess our sin and forsake it. He desires to forgive us, and for us to be reconciled to Him. However, we must be brought to a place of brokeness so that we will truly, and humbly repent, and cast ourselves on His mercy (Psalm 51:17).
     This is what the conviction of sin does in the life of one who has sinned against God. This conviction is initiated by God, as the means of getting our attention, to the fact of our great guilt in His sight. The bible tells us that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:7-11).
     There is no peace to one who is experiencing the heavy hand of God. Your heart is filled with turmoil and dread. You agonize over your guilt. Carrying the guilt of sin over time will affect your body. Your very bones will ache. You will be consumed by guilt, you will waste away.
     As David found however, if one freely confesses his sin to the Lord, God will forgive. There is no need to carry our load of sin. It is impossible to conceal. God uses conviction to drive us to Him. As this Psalm states, it is a blessing to have one's sin forgiven, to be free from the load of guilt. It is a blessed person who now has peace with God through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1, 8:1). 
     Sadly, a great number of professed Christians fall into sin that they try to conceal. They go on as if nothing was wrong in their lives, but they are carrying a load of sin that is consuming them. their experience is similar to that of David as recorded in this Psalm.
     If this is you, why not confess it to God? Why not run to Him in godly sorrow, and forsake it? He will abundantly pardon the one who comes to Him in truth (1 John 1:9; Psalm 51:1-19; Rev 3:19-20).

10 Indictments Against the Modern Church in America - Paul Washer

    
     A convicting word for the modern professing church. We need the real power and presence of God in our midst.
      It is time to seek the Lord and pray that He would send a spirit empowered revival to our land.

Full of the Spirit

     Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God
                    1 Peter 4:11a NASB

     As Christ's ambassadors we must be empty of self, and full of Him. Just like John the Baptist, we must decrease so that He can increase (John 3:30).
     Our message must be God's message delivered by God the Holy Spirit, through individuals empty of self, and yielded to His impulse.

     For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit, and with full conviction.
                 1 Thessalonians 1:5a NASB

     For this reason we constantly thank God that when you received the word which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which performs its work in you who believe.
                 1 Thessalonians 2:13 NASB

     If we would see true results it must be all of God through empty vessels. We must give up all reliance on self, our natural strengths and talents, our persuasiveness, our programs, and lean completely on Christ, relying on the Spirit to give us the message in power and conviction.
     It is hard to completely die out to the flesh, and this is where we see so little accomplished for the kingdom. The cost is great, but the one dead to self and yielded to God will shake souls, and see God move.

The Revival On The Isle Of Lewis - Awesome account of what happens in a ...

Prepare To Meet Thy God!!! Evangelist Steve Hill Brownsville Revival

     The convicting power of the Holy Spirit!
     "God, raise up evangelists to speak with a voice of thunder...."

Appalled At Sin.

     Then everyone who trembled at the words of the  God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering.
                                                                 Ezra 9:4 NASB


     The Lord said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are being commited in its midst."
                                              Ezekiel 9:4 NASB

     Throughout the history of the people of God, there have been times of sin and backsliding. In the days of Ezra, the people who returned from the Babylonian exile were quick to intermarry with the foreign people inhabiting the land. The danger was great. This was a step that would lead to idolatry, as the religious practices of these foreigners would be adopted by God's chosen people. These exiles had spent seventy years in captivity due to God's judgement against the idolatry and sin that they allowed to exist in their midst. Now they were playing with fire once again.
     The priests and religious leaders in the day of Ezekiel were a corrupt and idolatrous people. They worshipped God as a pretense, but in reality the worshipped the false gods of the nations around them. They were even so bold as to set up idols in the temple itself, believing that what they did was done in secret. Judgement begins in the house of God, and judgement was coming.
     It seems that God always has a few individuals who know what it is to walk in the fear of the Lord. there are always those who grieve over the sin that they see in the house of God, those who mourn over the lukewarmness of God's chosen people, those who sit appalled at the sin and compromise found in the church in all generations.
     Ezra mourned over the intermarriages occuring among the Israelites. He was appalled at their blatant disregard for God's command to remain separated from the people of the land. As he sat in silence, others who feared God, and trembled at his word, gathered to him. Ezra offered a heartfelt prayer of confession, weeping before God. As he prayed, God began to move. The people broke down and wept. You could say a revival occured. The people repented of their sin to the point of putting their foreign wives away, thus avoiding God's judgement.
     There are those today as well who mourn over the sin and compromise among God's people. They understand that God is a holy God, and will judge sin among His people first. They, like Ezra, cry out to God for a fresh move of the Holy Spirit. A move bringing conviction and a heartfelt repentance. They desire to see God glorified in His people once again. They cry out for revival.
     Are you one of those who tremble at the words of God? Are you appalled at sin among the people of God, or do you give hearty approval to those who sin (Romans 1:32)? Will God use you to bring revival?
    

The Illumination of the Holy Spirit.

     It is the Holy Spirit who takes the word of God and illuminates it for us. It is the Spirit who quickens it giving it life. The Spirit uses it like a surgical tool to probe the inner depths of our hearts, laying all bare before us. The Spirit gives it the power to change lives.
     What will you do with the Holy Spirit? Will you allow Him to transform you into the image of Christ?

Refiners Fire.

     "Behold I send my messenger and he will prepeare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and siver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
     Malachi 3:1-4 ESV

     The Israelites, God's chosen people longed for the appearing of the Messiah. They were warned by the Prophet Malachi however, that when He appeared, it would not be what they expected. They held many misconceptions about the Messiah. They desired His appearing, but in reality their hearts were far from God.
     Many in the Church today long to see the return of Christ. They are sick of this world and want to get out of it. Many, like the people in Malchi's day, have hearts that in reality, are far from Christ! For many, the day of His return will be a shock.
     We long for revival, but if Christ came to our churches in power and glory, it would be a shocking surprise for many. As the text says, He will come as a refining fire and fuller's soap. Before we can share in the glory of God, we must be refined, and cleansed! God is looking for a Holy people, a Church without spot and wrinkle, and He will purify His Bride!
     Revival brings with it the presence of God. Conviction, awful conviction, soul searching, and deep repentance must come before we can experience the times of refreshing that come from the presence of the Lord! Sadly, like Malachi said, "But who can endure the day of his coming?". The line is drawn in the sand so to speak. Many leave, they can not endure the presence of God. Those who yield to the working of the Holy Spirit find refreshing. They experience God in a new fresh way. Their lives are clean and pleasing to God once again. They walk in power and victory. They have an intimate fellowship with Jesus that they never knew before.
     It takes a refining fire...

The tongue of fire.

    
Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God.
     1 Peter 4:11a esv.

    What we need today, are individuals who will boldly proclaim the whole council of God. We need individuals today who will proclaim God's word under the annointing of the Holy Spirit. We need pastors and teachers who will speak as God directs them. We need pastors and teachers with clean hands and pure hearts, we need them to be prayed up, full of the Holy Ghost and fire. The Church does not need to hear sermons and teachings, the Church needs to hear God.
     The old time holiness people spoke of the tongue of fire. This was the word delivered with power. Pastors and evangelists spoke with conviction. The fire fell, and people came under conviction. It was as if God himself was speaking. Their words cut like a sword and stuck into hearts. The Church was brought back to their first love, backsliders repented, sinners were saved, the presence of God was ushered in in a very real sense.
     Peter spoke with the tongue of fire on the day of pentecost, and three thousand souls were brought into the kingdom. Men were cut to the heart, and said "What must we do?". Stephen spoke with a passion and power that few speak with today. Those who opposed him, could not contend with the Holy Spirit who was enabling him to teach the word of God. It cost him his life, he was completely consumed for God. He would not back down. This was how the gospel was spread in the days of the apostles. Paul lived in the annointing of the Holy Spirit, he preached with power, and saw results. This was how the early Church worked. they preached and taught, and evangelized in the power of the Holy Spirit. It was not the words of man, but of God that were proclaimed, and heard.
     This same power was experienced by evangelists, and oastors and revivalists of more recent history. Edwards, and Brainard, Wesley, Whitfield, Finney, and a host of many others all spoke with an authority that few speak with today.  Leonard Ravenhill, Smith Wigglesworth, David Wilkerson, all spoke with conviction. They delivered a message to the Church in a very prophetic sense.
     We need the fire today, we need to hear God today. We need the Holy Spirit to come and convict. We need Him to edify and strengthen the Church, to build it up for the work He has called us to.
     Pastors, sunday school teachers, evangelists, leaders, let God speak today.