Within a couple of years after graduating high-school I found myself living in Pensacola, FL, experiencing the amazing opportunity that allowed me to take part in one of the largest revivals in the 20th century.
For one glorious year I attended the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry.
I recently found my journals used to take notes at every church service attended. I read and re-read words spoken by mighty giants of the faith: Dr. Michael Brown, Steve Hill, John Kilpatrick, Tommy Tenney, Francis Frangipane, David Ravenhill, Reinhard Bonnke, the list goes on.
I’m already excited about the stories I will have to tell my children and grandchildren, of God’s amazing goodness, displayed holiness and unfailing mercy.
Those years seem far behind me now, but I’m still learning lessons from way-back-when.
One lesson is resounding loudly with me right now.
Revival is a condition of the heart, rather than a product of environment.
And in a world where so many of our environments lead to broken hearts with a dose of questions and confusion, we often stand paralyzed, wondering what to do next.
Why did he cheat?
When will he become the man I thought he was?
Why can’t he turn to God rather than drugs/alcohol?
When will we get out of this financial pit?
Where does God want us to go?
How much longer can I hold on?
Are you currently experiencing in your life and/or marriage a situation that is seemingly dead? So dead in fact, that unless the Lord performs a miracle, all hope is gone?
If being revived is a condition of the heart and not our environments, what are we to do?
We learn to speak to dry bones.
We do what?
We have to bury the truth in our hearts that ” . . . the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. ” Romans 4:17
We learn to speak to dry bones.
God grabbed me. God’s Spirit took me up and set me down in the middle of an open plain strewn with bones. He led me around and among them—a lot of bones! There were bones all over the plain—dry bones, bleached by the sun. He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Master God, only you know that.”He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones: ‘Dry bones, listen to the Message of God!'” God, the Master, told the dry bones, “Watch this: I’m bringing the breath of life to you and you’ll come to life. I’ll attach sinews to you, put meat on your bones, cover you with skin, and breathe life into you. You’ll come alive and you’ll realize that I am God!” I prophesied just as I’d been commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound and, oh, rustling! The bones moved and came together, bone to bone. I kept watching. Sinews formed, then muscles on the bones, then skin stretched over them. But they had no breath in them. He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, ‘God, the Master, says, Come from the four winds. Come, breath. Breathe on these slain bodies. Breathe life!'” So I prophesied, just as he commanded me. The breath entered them and they came alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army. Ezekiel 37:1-10
We must decide that we are ready for revival despite our circumstances.
Our hearts are ready to be revived.
Being revived is knowing, remembering and living “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
We hope. We remember. We watch dry bones, slowly being knit together. We are revived.
Preparing my heart,
Barb
Photo courtesy of Pinterest
Oh so good, Barbara. Reminding myself of what God has done in the past, that He never changes, and His Word never fails. Speaking those things into existence that are not. Stirring up that faith and seeing past the natural into God’s Supernatural.
Our family had the privilege to return to Brownsville over Spring Break, and it has the same sweet freedom and worship. So good to remind my spirit of what God has done in my life, and that He is still working. He is so good!
Kristi, thank you so much for taking the time to reply! Stirring up the faith, speaking to dry bones, while it can be hard the thought sure does excite me! I am so glad to hear that is the atmosphere remaining around Brownsville. We were there were Pastor Kilpatrick left, as we had returned when Charlie was in flight school & I had wondered how things were. Thanks Kristi!