Revival of a remnant – those who hear God’s voice

by David Leach
(Temecula,Ca USA)

Revival of a remnant – those who hear God’s voice

Revelation 3:14-22- to those in a lukewarm & deceived Church who can still hear God

14 The Lukewarm Church (Jesus speaking) And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:

15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.

16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

17 Because you say,'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked —

18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Let’s now read the commentary of A B Simpson (founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Group of Churches) on the above passage and how it pertains to the present day Church – from Simpson’s “The Christ in the Bible Commentary”– vol.6.

Revival of just a remnant of God’s people who have been taken (spiritually) captive

Ezra 9:8 And now for a little while grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage.
Ezra 9:9 For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to repair the house of our God, to rebuild its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

A revival call to believers by D L Moody– need for the Holy Spirit to give life to the word

“Grateful as all Christians should be, for the revival of interest in the study of God’s word – there yet remains a profound sense of a still deeper need among us, namely, a fresh enduement of power from on high.

Without the presence of the Holy Spirit – whose mission is to convince, convict and convert men, by giving power to the preached word and sanctifying and making potent personal effort for the salvation of men – the gospel of the blessed God itself may become in a measure a dead letter and all Christian effort nothing more than the energy of the flesh.

It is Christ’s presence in the Gospel, by the Spirit, that makes it a living seed, and energizes it in the hearts and consciences of those who read and hear it. We may preach and teach the word, but – He only can make the word “quick and powerful” living and full of energy; and it is His presence only in and upon believers that can enable them to do those mighty works which He promised that they would do…”

Revival – promised in the book of Psalms - exclusively through God’s (living) words

Psalms 119:25 My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word.

37 Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.

40 Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness.

88 Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.

107 I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word.

149 Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; O LORD, revive me according to Your justice.

154 Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me according to Your word.

156 Great are Your tender mercies, O LORD; Revive me according to Your judgments.
159 Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.

Psalms 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.

Psalms 143:11 Revive me, O LORD, for Your name's sake! For Your righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.

Revive me (meaning please re-life me God, with more of your very own life) – How? - according to your word (meaning, through, by means of and in proportion to your word entering my heart), in your way (in your word), in your righteousness (in your word), according to your lovingkindness (by your word), according to your justice (by your word), according to your judgments (by your words), by your right hand (by your word) and for your name’s sake (for your word’s sake, that is, Jesus Christ’s sake), and so deliver us from our spiritual enemies and grant us a full salvation to the uttermost:

John 6: 63 (Jesus) The words I speak to you (from the Book of My words, by My Spirit) they are .. (my) life (and they will re-life you, if you hear them with your heart and open the door, of your heart, to them).

The main cause of the Church’s failure, according to Andrew Murray – Human wisdom

Taken from Chapter 3 “Cause of failure” of the book “Revival” by Andrew Murray.

“When we ask how is it, with scripture so constantly read and preached, and its commands and principles so plain, that the truth is not apprehended – we are led to one of the deepest sources of all the evil and failure in the Churches. The truth is held, preached and received in man’s wisdom and not in demonstration of the Spirit and power. There is a twofold preaching of Christ and His cross. The one is what Christ forbade – and Paul therefore so emphatically rejected (1 Cor. 2:1-5) the preaching in wisdom of words, in excellency of speech, in the persuasive words of man’s wisdom. The other is in demonstration of the Spirit and of power – the proof of a direct supernatural and divine working.

Corresponding to these there is a twofold faith. The one stands in the wisdom of man. It is feeble, changeable and ever dependent on human support. The other stands in the power of God, which has its root and its strength, on the part of the convert, in the personal communion with God and the experience of His almighty operation. When scriptural truth is studied or heard, is received and held as true, but does not work in power, the chief reason is that it is held in man’s wisdom, in the power of the mind, and not of the Spirit of God. There is nothing that so effectually makes void the cross of Christ and robs it of all its power…”

Rev 3:22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches