Draw Near

Sat, Aug 27, 2011

God has given us a remarkable invitation: Draw near to Me, and I will draw near to you (see James 4:8). That means personal revival is possible right now! This issue of Revive outlines the timeless pathways that lead to revival, and shows you how to experience something more from God. Learn how to pursue God for transformation in your life, church, and community.

Articles In This Issue

Article

Wed, Aug 24, 2011

Byron Paulus

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Hold On for Revival

I gasped in disbelief as I watched a fan stretching over the railing of the upper deck trying to catch a fly ball at a baseball game. At the last second, a fellow fan grabbed his legs and held on with all his might, pulling him to safety.

I couldn't help but think of our nation. Because of misplaced priorities, America is also falling headlong into the devastating consequences of greed, selfishness, and pride like never before ... and only one Person can save us!

In our culture, never before has immorality been more rampant, marriage more discarded, and leaders ...

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Article

Wed, Aug 24, 2011

Del Fehsenfeld III

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Revival Is Resurrection

I'll never forget the day I found out my dad had a deadly brain tumor. I was seventeen. My dad, the founder of Life Action Ministries, was only forty-two. We buried him nine months later on a bitterly cold November morning.

For me, the air went out of life. In one piercing moment, the pain of the world became overwhelmingly, crushingly visible. I now had eyes to see ... and life was more broken than I could ever imagine.

That was almost 25 years ago. I wish I could say my young faith held. But for the next seven years ...

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Article

Wed, Aug 24, 2011

Life Action

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Draw a Circle

It's a challenge Life Action has issued repeatedly to men, women, teens, and even children. It's a simple expression of a heart prepared for God's work—and no matter how many times it's done, it keeps illustrating something critical about the revival we are praying and pleading for God to send. It involves a simple piece of chalk.

This piece of chalk represents a turning point, a moment of surrender, a change of heart. It marks the difference between those who would pray, "Lord, change them" and those with the humility to plead, "Lord, change me ...

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Article

Wed, Aug 24, 2011

Stephen Olford

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Thirsty for Jesus?

I was born and raised with my beloved missionary parents in the heart of Central Africa. During dry seasons, we often ran out of water.

On one occasion, my father was making contact with a new tribe. There was no road, not even a trail. On and on our family went, with only a few native people accompanying us.

What we didn't realize was that we were moving away from any river. When we ran out of water, my father asked our African guides to find and bring us some. One day went by. A second day went by ...

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Article

Wed, Aug 24, 2011

Dave Warn

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The Forgotten Factor

During the spring of 1995, thousands of students on several college campuses were deeply impacted by an extraordinary move of God. Lives were changed, the lost came to faith in Christ, believers were revived, and ministries grew during this intense season of spiritual renewal. [1] God had done something wonderful. In short, He had poured out His Spirit.

As a campus minister at the University of Wisconsin at that time, what amazed me was that I had rarely heard evangelical Christians talk about this aspect of the Holy Spirit's work. Sadly, sixteen years later, I don't believe the ...

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Article

Wed, Aug 24, 2011

Life Action

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Unsustainable

Unsustainable (adjective): not able to be supported, maintained, upheld, or corroborated; not able to be maintained at the current rate or level

"See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse—the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods" (Deuteronomy 11:26-28).

God gives His people a clear choice: Obey and be blessed, or disobey and suffer His judgment.

Yet some ...

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Article

Wed, Aug 24, 2011

Life Action

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The Life Action Story

In 1971 a young youth pastor named Del Fehsenfeld Jr. took his first church out of college, passionate to see an army of Christlike teens change the culture. What he found when he arrived at the church appalled him: almost total accommodation by his teens to the pagan conditions around them. He began to network with other area youth pastors to find out if he was alone in his discovery. Tragically, he wasn't.

Then came the "eureka" moment—he realized that most of his teens had parents in the church! Could it be that the root of the problem ...

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Article

Wed, Aug 24, 2011

Byron Paulus

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Join the Movement:

I recently visited the Grand Canyon for the first time. I was awed. And curious! I had heard claims that this was the place to experience the biggest echo on earth.

I listened carefully at multiple locations around the rim, peering down into the sprawling crevices. But despite the activity and conversations of tourists all around me, there were no echoes. I left disappointed.

But later that night, I watched on YouTube as a man blew a trumpet from the depths of the canyon, followed by almost indescribable reverberations! Somewhere, a hiker had risked the arduous journey to the canyon ...

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Flashes of Glory: The Power of God on Display

Article

Wed, Aug 24, 2011

Life Action

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Flashes of Glory: The Power of God on Display

Revival is more than an isolated experience ... more than a week of extra services ... more than hype and manifestations. It is a "flash" of God's glory, which will one day cover the earth, being displayed before our eyes today. It's a divine foretaste of His kingdom come.

Such divine flashes illuminate American history. On several occasions, God has poured out His Spirit, and entire cities have turned to Him. Prayer meetings have swelled into the streets, and millions around the world have ultimately felt the impact. But could a reviving "flash" of this magnitude occur again?

The First ...

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Article

Wed, Aug 24, 2011

Nancy Leigh DeMoss

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The Blessing of Brokenness

Why would anyone choose to be broken?

Well, why would a man check into a hospital and allow the surgeon to start cutting? Because he knows that surgery is the only way to experience healing and to be physically restored. What makes a woman willing to endure long hours of intense labor? She knows that beyond the labor there will be the joy of a new life.

So why would anyone choose the pathway of brokenness? Because brokenness brings blessedness.

Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3 NKJV). Contrary to what we would expect, brokenness is ...

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Article

Wed, Aug 24, 2011

Dr. Richard Fisher

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How Do We Draw Near?

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:8-10 NKJV). James 4:8-10 is often called the New Testament "2 Chronicles 7:14 promise for the church," because it echoes the Old Testament promise that God revives believers who come to Him in humility, prayer, and repentance.

James precedes this promise by describing ...

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Article

Wed, Aug 24, 2011

Life Action

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Real World: I'm Just One Person

I'm just one person. What can I do for revival?

The Scenario

What if thousands were united in prayer for revival on an ongoing basis? What if in every city and every region, there were bold voices proclaiming revival truths? What if courageous spiritual leaders were gathering congregations to repent—even calling whole cities to turn toward God? And what if this movement included you? Life Action has formulated a simple blueprint to unite Christians from all walks of life around the urgent belief that revival is our only hope! We call it OneCry: A Nationwide Call for Spiritual ...

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Seven Things to Expect When Revival Comes

Article

Wed, Aug 24, 2011

Life Action

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Seven Things to Expect When Revival Comes

1. God's Word will be exalted and authoritative over human experience. To elevate (or even equate) personal experiences with the authority of God's Word is to become vulnerable to confusion and grave spiritual error. This is not to say that revival will bypass human experience and emotion, but that our experience must always be subordinate and subject to the absolute truth of God's Word.

2. There will be an intense conviction of sin, leading to repentance. Confronted by the holiness of God, conviction of sin intensifies and breeds in us an urgency for repentance (Isaiah 6:1-5 ...

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Article

Wed, Aug 24, 2011

Life Action

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Making It Personal: Begin in Me

Revival begins when our focus changes from “Lord, revive them” to “Lord, change me.” We cultivate God’s reviving presence in our lives through humility, repentance, and seeking God’s face. As we draw near to God, He promises to draw near to us (James 4:7-10). This exercise will help you develop a “seeking God” lifestyle that leads to personal revival. Download the Making It Personal worksheet.

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Additional Online Resources

Podcast Episode

What Happens When God Visits a Church

On April 10, 2011, a Life Action team, along with Revalist Laine Johnson, began an eleven-day summit at Candies Creek Baptist Church in Charleston, TN. The team finally left after the summit had continued for three and a half weeks. The church is still meeting nightly, with no end date in sight. Join Del Fehsenfeld as he talks to Laine about this extended summit.

Click here to listen to additional recording as Laine continues sharing about the recent summit.

OneCry

To find out more about the OneCry initiative, visit www.OneCry.com.

Brokenness, Surrender, Holiness: A Revive Our Hearts Trilogy

This trilogy explores 3 key themes: Brokenness: experiencing the deep repentance that comes before every movement of God. Surrender: submitting to God in order to have victory over stubborn habits and secret sins. Holiness: living a life of purity and having a heart set on fire for God.