Then You also Will Appear with Him

Paul says, “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4). Is Christ your life? Is He your all in all? The word “life” (ζωή zōē, dzo-ay´ ) refers to existence itself; animate as opposed to inanimate. It also refers to one’s means of existence or livelihood, or how one supports oneself in life. And lastly it refers to lifestyle or how one lives. God is the source of life for all living things (Acts 17:25). There is a quality of life however (Luke 16:25; 1 John 5:16; 1 Tim. 4:8; 1 Pet. 3:10). The quality of this life is determined by whether or not we receive the words of life (Acts 5:20). Those words point us to a relationship with Jesus and to His resurrection (1 Cor. 15:19).

We receive eternal life through faith in Christ. Christ has life and is the source of life as is the Father (John 5:26). Jesus came to manifest life to the world (1 John 1:2). He is the “Prince of life” (Acts 3:15). Jesus came to offer us an abundant life (John 10:10). Keep in mind that He offered this abundant life to those who were physically alive. Jesus was offering therefore, a new existence as well as a higher quality of life. He came to manifest Himself as the Source of life, eternal life as well as to show a way of living in which we know God in Christ (John 17:3).

Humanity, because of sin, is alienated from the life of God (Eph. 4:18). Humanity needs to be redeemed from the penalty of sin and regenerated to new life in Christ. This is offered by God as a gift of His grace through faith in Jesus (John 3:15; 5:24). Once this life is received it leads to an ongoing eternal relationship with Jesus (John 6:35, 63). This new life evidences itself in a new found love (1 John 3:14-15). One day we will be given resurrection bodies to live eternally with God in heaven (2 Cor. 5:4; 2 Tim. 1:10).

Is Jesus your life? Is Jesus really your top priority in life? Does your life reflect that? Does your thinking reflect that? In your thoughts do you love God supremely? Supremely? Are you available on His demand? Are you attentive to His call, to His direction? Are you obedient to Him and what He reveals to you? Is Jesus your Lord, truly your Lord? Is your life centered on Christ? Or is Christ on the outskirts of your life? Is He your all in all or just one other item or activity amongst all you have and do? Does Jesus and His eternal priorities and purposes govern the way you live? Or do you live the way you want to live? These are questions we need to ask and answer in all prayerful soberness.

The word “appears” (φανερόω - phanĕrŏō, fan-er-ŏ´-o) means render apparent, manifestly declare, manifest, reveal or show. This word occurs twice in this sentence. There are two appearances referred to here, Christ’s and ours. When we die and appear before Jesus, Jesus’ appearance to us will reveal who we are and what we are worth in terms of how we lived (Heb. 9:27). When Jesus appears at the Rapture then we will stand before Him and it will appear who we are in terms of how we lived (Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10). When at His Second Coming Jesus manifests Himself to the world for all to see (Rev. 1:3), and it is clearly revealed to all that all He is and all He has said is true, then it will be manifested, shown and declared who has believed in Him and who has not believed in Him, who belongs to Him and who does not belong to Him, who has lived for Him and how has not lived for Him (e.g. Matthew 25:31-46).

This is the Last Days church. When we look at the church today, the spirit of it in many cases is lukewarm as described by Jesus in Revelation (Rev. 3:14ff.). Are we living in the Last Days? Only God truly knows. But when we observe the world in light of God’s prophetic word, we see a greater percentage of these prophetic puzzle pieces coming together than ever before. I personally believe we are living in the Last Days just prior to the return of Christ.

In light of the seriousness of these Days we should be praying for and seeking revival. In the book How to Experience Revival (which is a compilation of excerpts from Charles Finney’s sermons on revival), Finney states revival is needed when:

When there is a lack of brotherly love and Christian confidence among believers, then revival is needed. . . . when there are dissensions, jealousies, and evil rumors among believers. . . .Revival is needed when there is a worldly spirit in the Church. . . . When the Church finds its members falling into gross and scandalous sins, then it is time to wake up and cry to God for a revival of religion. . . . When sinners are careless and stupid, it is time for Christians to get to work. . . . If a minister finds he has lost, in any degree, the confidence of his people, he should work for a revival knowing it is the only means of regaining their confidence. . . . If an elder or private member of the church finds his brethren cold toward him, there is only one way to restore their faith. It is by being revived himself and pouring out the splendor of Jesus from his life. The fact is Christians are more to blame for not being revived than sinners are for not being converted.

We need a revival. Charles Finney defined revival as, “Revival is renewed conviction of sin and repentance, followed by an intense desire to live in obedience to God. It is giving up one’s will to God in deep humility.” Greg Laurie, a popular and Spirit filled pastor and evangelist comments on revival stating:

"The word 'revival' means 'to restore to one's original condition, to get back to the way that you used to be.' And so when God speaks of revival He's speaking to His own people and He's saying that we should get back to that walk with Him that we may have had at an earlier time in our lives. . . . Revival is not something that just happens across the board, it's something that happens in an individual's life. We can pray, 'Oh Lord send an awakening, send a revival!' But it starts with me. It starts with you. . . . We need to get back to the time-honored, God-tested, tried and true message of the Bible. . . . God has told us how to live." If you have less hunger and thirst for God's righteousness now than at an earlier time in your walk with the Lord, you are in a backslidden state, you need revival!

We should find it normal to love God supremely and others sacrificially by faith in the power of the Spirit. If we aren’t loving God supremely and others sacrificially we need to be revived. For some, such a life is something they have never fully experienced. By faith in prayer then they should seek it with all their heart. This is God’s will for you! This is the abundant life Jesus spoke of (John 10:10). We need to be stirred.

Hosea said it well when he was used by God to call the people to break up their hardness:

Hosea 10:12 - Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.

It is time to seek the LORD until refreshing rains of righteousness are poured out on us from above. But the ground of our hearts is often heard and the refreshing rains of God’s Spirit cannot penetrate us. Our hardness needs to be broken. We need to be broken and awakened before the Lord. Charles Finney was an instrument of God used to break up fallow hard hearted people which led to great revival. He suggested we take a personal inventory and prayerfully look at a number of areas where confession and repentance in the Spirit of prayer would lead to breaking up and softening any hardness in us. These areas are:

Sins of omission:

o Ingratitude – Unthankfulness toward God
o Lack of love toward God – lessening of affection to God or divided affections leading to not loving God supremely
o Neglect of Bible Reading
o Unbelief – instances when you charged God with lying or not living up to His word
o Neglect of prayer
o Poor spiritual attitude
o Lack of love for lost souls
o Lack of concern for unbelievers plight
o Hypocrisy
o Neglect family duties – devotions
o Neglect of personal devotions
o Neglect of self denial

Sins of Commission

o Worldly mindedness
o Pride – vanity: e.g. decorating your body physically rather than preparing your heart spiritually when going to church.
o Envy – e.g. you can’t stand to hear others praised
o Critical spirit – e.g. speaking of others in less than a loving way
o Slander – e.g. speaking unnecessarily about faults of others.
o Lack of seriousness – e.g. excessive light-heartedness and superficiality before Holy God
o Lying
o Cheating
o Hypocrisy – “How many times have you confessed sins that you did not mean to stop committing?”
o Robbing God – e.g. misspending money and time; misapplied talents
o Bad temper – e.g. abuse to loved ones
o Hindering others from being useful – e.g. weakening other Christian’s influence by insinuations against them

Finney then comments:

“If, as you proceed with this project, you find that your spirit is still not rejoicing, search yourself. You will see there is still sin blocking your full awareness of the Spirit of God within you. This lack of joy is your signal that you have not been faithful and thorough. Your self-examination requires a full attack – it is not a gentle pastime. It is tearing sin away from yourself revealing what can be painful.


You must honestly look at yourself, using your Bible as your checkpoint. Do not expect God to miraculously break up your fallow ground for you. You must actively participate, and you must submit your will. If you look at yourself accurately, taking note of your sins, you will definitely feel something. You cannot see your sins for what they are without deeply feeling something.


Experience proves the benefit of going over our history in this way. Start your work now. Resolve that you will never stop until you find you can pray. You will never have access to the full power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within you unless you completely confess your sins. Let there be this deep work of repentance and full confession, this breaking down before God. . . .

This is a good strategy to experience revival now. It will help you prepare for the appearing of Jesus and your appearing before Him.

Christian Palestinianism -

The following teaching is something every Bible believing lover of Israel needs to view and be aware of. Christian Palestinianism is false, unbiblical, bigoted, and a blasphemous movement that is creeping into the church, the evangelical chuch. There is a perspective and teaching being endorsed and promoted in the church that is anti-Jewish and anti-Israel and in reality anti-Bible.

One consequence of this teaching is to usher in Chrislam which is a warped and perverse melding together of Christianity and Islam. The Land of Israel therefore becomes The Land of Palestine.Jesus is no longer Jewish, He is Palestinian. Jesus is the first martyred Palestinaian! Israel is seen not as a small minority nation defending itself against nearly 300 million enemies, but as practicing apartheid against Palestinians. What was once exposed as Replacement Theology is now promoted as Fulfillment Theology.

Don't be deceived. Some of the purveyors of such religious pornography are merely trying to hide their cowardice in shrinking from standing for Christ and His gospel. They fear Islam. They hide behind a veil of tolerance and unity. Others are simply antisemitic. Still others are caught up in an imbalanced view of the Church rooted in the Replacement Theology of Reformed Theology.

Make no mistake about it, this is a latter day deception (1 Timothy 4:1). There are Jewish people who themselves are caught up in this deception and committing national suicide in supporting their enemies. Israel and her supporters are being smeared with every kind of negative and repulsive word labels and propaganda. Go to the word. Don't be deceived. Take a stand for the Lord and His word. Watch this video and be prepared and equipped. Pray and be empowered by the Spirit. Then, put His armor on and take a stand for Israel and the word of God (Eph. 6:10-18).

What Does God See When He Looks at You?

What Does God See When He Looks at You? In Psalm 33 it states, “The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works” (Psalm 33:13-15). When God looks at you, what does He see? When it says that God “fashions” (יָצַר - yâtsar, yaw-tsar’) it means that God molds or squeezes into shape like a potter does to a piece of pottery he is making. God uses the circumstances and the stuff of life to mold you. How is His work in you coming along? Have you considered His work in you? Scripture tells us that God has a plan for each of us (e.g. Jer. 29:11-14; Eph. 2:10).

In his book Measure Your Life – 17 Ways to Evaluate Your Life from God’s Perspective Wesley L. Duewel points out that the Lamb’s Book of Life contains the names of every believer (cf. Exodus 32:32-33; Psalm 69:28; Daniel 12:1; Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 20:12; 21:27). He also points out that there are other books that keep a detailed record of our lives (Psalm 87:6; Daniel 7:10; Revelation 20:12). He mentions that a “scroll of remembrance” is written and kept concerning those who fear the Lord and honor His name. He quotes Malachi which states:

Malachi 3:16, 18- 16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name. . . . 18 Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.

Do you fear and honor God? Do you meditate on His name? What is in your section of God’s book of remembrance? Duewel goes on to list ten areas of information that, based on scripture, will be sources of information in each of our records. These areas are worth taking note of and are as follows:

1. Your whole life – Romans 14:10-12; I Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Peter 4:5.
2. Your words – Psalm 19:14; Malachi 3:16; Matthew 12:36-37
3. Your thoughts – Proverbs 15:26; 19:14; 94:11; 139:2, 23; Isaiah 55:7; Matthew 9:4; 15:19; Romans 2:15-16; Hebrews 4:12.
4. Your secrets – Ecclesiastes 12:14; Romans 2:16
5. Your motives – Proverbs 16:2; 1 Corinthians 4:5
6. Your tears – Psalm 56:8
7. Your prayers – Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4
8. Your gifts to God – Philippians 4:17-18; Hebrews 13:16
9. Your helping others – Matthew 24:34-40
10. Your visiting those who need you – Matthew 24:34-40

This is only a very brief summary of some of the areas upon which our heavenly records are being assembled. We are not saved on the basis of any work we do, but rewards will be given out in heaven. They will be based on how we live once we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord. Looking at those ten areas of assessment, how do you think you would fare? What do you think is written in your book? Be honest. In some parts maybe there would be less written than you would have liked, such as in your tears and prayers for the lost, your gifts to God or dealing with others sacrificially. In other areas there may be more written than you would have liked such as in your thoughts, secrets and motives. When Jesus appears it will be very revealing to us and for us.

In Hebrews it states: “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things re naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account” (Hebrews 4:13). There is a day of accounting on the horizon. Are you mindful of that? Are you concerned with that? Have you been living and investing your life in a way that will pay dividends on judgment day? Are you fearful of the impending day of accounting or do you look forward to it? Remember what has already been said, this one life will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.
If the Lord appeared right now, would you have regrets about how you lived your life in Christ? Would you be excited to present to Him all you have done for His glory? Or would you hang your head in regret and shame because you stand naked before Him with nothing to show your loving appreciation for all He has done for you? Which group are you in?

Chuck Smith - A Memoir of Grace

Pastor Chuck Smith was used by God to reach a lost generation of hippies. The Lord used him to start a contemporary revival that has blossomed and continues to spread throughout the world today. Below are some timeless quotes of what Pastor Chuck refers to in his biography as "important lessons the Lord has drilled into me." These truths are born from a life used mightily by God and worth a prayerful look and Spirit-enabled application to our lives.

Here are the lessons to glean from the life of this man of God used mightily by the Lord. If we take them in, pray for God's guidance, and follow in the Spirit, God may just use these lessons to spark another of His generation saving revivals. Pray it through! God Your will be done!

• Do not despise ‘the day of small things’ (Zechariah 4:10). Our own hearts are capable of concocting some grandiose visions of how we can serve God or how He should use us. But in His school, God begins with the alphabet. He patiently lays a foundation in our lives before raising the walls and towers. I have found that it is important to be willing to do no more than plant seeds, even if we will not live to see the harvest.” (p, 202)

• ‘It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth’ (Lamentations 3:27). One of the worst things that can happen to a young minister is to experience early success. It is all too easy for us to believe that, ‘By the strength of my hand I have done it’ (Isaiah 10:13). Until we have sat for a while in failure and come to the end of ourselves, we will neither know nor credit God’s grace for whatever good we may do. Nor will we be able to minister grace to others in their time of need and failure. . . . God rarely wastes His time trying to explain to us what He is doing and what it means. . . . Preoccupation with the troubles of the moment is what makes our hearts and minds vulnerable to panic and anxiety. We need to back away and get the eternal perspective from which it is more clear that ‘our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory’ (2 Corinthians 4:17).” (p. 202-203)

• Whatever you do, ‘grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’ (2 Peter 3:18). I cannot overemphasize the important of the role that grace plays in every aspect of our lives. When it becomes obvious that I have not made as much progress in holiness as God desires, grace fills the distance between where I am and where I should be, and draws me forward. Grace makes what is impossible for me by my own strength, not only possible but also much easier than I could have imagined.” (p. 203)

• “Remember the two greatest commandments: “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all they mind, and wit all thy strength’ and ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself’ (Mark 12:30-31). . . . love the outsider, the sinner, and the enemy. . . . (1 John 3:18).” (p. 204).

• Prepare yourself – as much as it is humanly possible – to obey Jesus to do something even if it is ridiculous like ‘Stretch forth thine hand’ when your hand is paralyzed (Mark 3:1-5). Even when you have ‘toiled all night’ fishing and caught nothing – let down the net if Jesus tells you to do so (Luke 5:4-7). We sometimes balk at Jesus’ strange commands thinking, But if nothing happens I will look so stupid. Here is the heart of the matter: It is not about you. It is about the work of Jesus and the glory of God. His thoughts are always higher than ours and His work is always greater than what we ask or think. I may not always get it right the first time, but I have become more consistent in just doing what He says when He tells me, ‘Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it’ (Psalm 81:10).” (p. 204).

• Exercise your best wisdom and always be cautious when dealing with money. I cannot stress strongly enough the importance of handling your finances with integrity. . . . (1 Timothy 6:9) . . . . (Proverbs 27:23-27) . . . . When a moneymaking opportunity looks too good to be true, it is.” (p. 205).

• Beware the praise of the crowd (Luke 6:26). . . . When we put our effort into pleasing people, it disables our service to Christ (Galatians 1:10).” (p. 205)
• “I would especially direct this lesson to pastors: ‘Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine’ (2 Timothy 4:2). In other words, simply teach the word simply. The greatest service you can provide to the people in your care is to make the Bible accessible to them. Give them the ‘sincere milk of the Word’ in a way that is easily digested. . . . (1 Peter 2:2; Hebrews 5:12-14). The best Bible teaching is not that which dazzles people with the profound intellect of their teacher, but that which puts its truth squarely in their hands.” (p. 206).

• “For many years I have enjoyed a life of extraordinary blessing and I am convinced that is God’s will for every Christian. But before getting to that place in life, I learned many difficult lessons – and I am still learning – for God never allows us to fully make ourselves at home in this world.” (p. 206).

• “In the preparation, discouragements and defeats are necessary. Had I been successful early on, I would have taken credit for all that God did. I would not have been able to handle the recognition that God gave me but would have taken credit for the success. God wants to receive the glory for the work He does, so He first prepares the person to be the instrument He desires to use. That preparation includes a lot of failure in order to learn the difference between God’s work and your own. God leads you through failure so that when He works you will know for certain you are not responsible for the success. Then God alone receives the credit. God wants to work, bout the glory need to go to God.” (p. 206-207)

• “I have not been able to tell my story apart from God.” (p. 207).

• “I am no different in God’s sight from anyone else. The blessings He’s given me are available to all, and I am convinced that any person can live a life as full and as joyous as mine has been.” (p. 207)

• “Just keep your eyes on the Lord and follow Him as closely as possible. Be patient, for in His time when He finally connects all the dots, you will realize that truly all things work together for good. Even as Paul encouraged us in Galatians 6:9, ‘Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.’ May the Lord grant you the grace and patience to wait on Him until His full purpose is completed I and through your life, and you have the joy of hearing Him say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’” (p. 207).

Will the Flag of Islam Fly Over the White House?

The Muslim cleric in this short video clip states one day the flag of Islam will fly over the white house. An alternative female representative of Islam states Islam is pluralistic. I would contend that the view that Islam is pluralistic is in the very small minority. History would confirm that is true as well. Islam, wherever it has spread, has been a religion that subjugates and oppresses all other religions. Muslims are being encouraged to infiltrate every area of American society in order to influence it toward sympathy with Islam. This is accomplished by financial investment, political involvement, establishing a presence in our educational institutions and throughout society. Christian, we are called to be salt and light in every aspect of society. If we do not get involved, others will fill the vacuum. We need revival and the outpouring of the Spirit to help us answer Christ's call. Pray my brothers and sisters, pray.

Restore Us O God - Part 2

How can we experience restoration, revival? What are the steps we take to be restored and revived in our relationship with the Lord? Psalm 80 goes on to state:

5 You have fed them with the bread of tears, And given them tears to drink in great measure.

The first step to restoration is conviction for the sin that hinders. This involves repentance and that repentance involves a deep teary sense of regret and a desire for restoration with the Lord. It is not mere shedding of tears. It is a deep conviction for sin that results in a change of mind and heart toward that sin (2 Cor. 7:10). Repentance means we regret our sin, desire restoration and do not plan to repeat that sin. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts the sinner of their sin (John 16:8-11).

6 You have made us a strife to our neighbors, And our enemies laugh among themselves.

Without God’s presence, we are impotent and helpless, a laughingstock before our enemies. When we stray from the Lord and His word our relationships with those around us often become adversarial and aggravated.

7 Restore us, O God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!

Repentance then leads to a cry for God to shine forth; for His glory and power to come down again on His people.

8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it. 9 You prepared room for it, And caused it to take deep root, And it filled the land.

Israel is the vine God rescued from the world of Egypt and planted in a fruitful place where it could take root. The LORD is the Vinedresser who digs, plants, cares for and cultivates the vine of His people (Luke 13:6-9).

10 The hills were covered with its shadow, And the mighty cedars with its boughs. 11 She sent out her boughs to the Sea, And her branches to the River. 12 Why have You broken down her hedges, So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit? 13 The boar out of the woods uproots it, And the wild beast of the field devours it.

Israel was growing and spreading until she lost God’s protective covering. She was lunging ahead of the Lord. Without God’s covering she was vulnerable to robbery and loss. She was in danger of being uprooted and devoured. Without God we are at the mercy of others. We need to guard against lunging ahead or lagging behind the Lord. We need to walk in step with Him; going where He wants us to go and staying where He wants us to stay. That is true of individuals. That is true also of nations.

In the book of Jeremiah we read:

Jeremiah 18:7-12 - 7 The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, 8 if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. 9 And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, 10 if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it. 11 “Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you. Return now everyone from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.” ’ ” 12 And they said, “That is hopeless! So we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every one obey the dictates of his evil heart.”

God always gives ample warning before He passes judgment. He is merciful in that if a nation repents He will relent of the disaster they deserve because of their sin. It that nation continues in sin, God will relent of doing good to that nation. God warned Judah about their sin and the consequences. They disregarded God’s call to repentance as “hopeless!” They saw no future in following God. That’s sad. They went into captivity and suffered greatly.

When we look at the United States today and view it through the lens of Jeremiah’s prophetic word I shouldn’t surprise us to see the many troubles our nation is experiencing. Our nation has been indoctrinated from within through education and the media to forsake God. We as a nation seem to see no future in following God. We too cry, “hopeless!” And if we as a nation persist in our rejection and resistance to God, that hopeless cry will apply to us in some very grave ways. What is the answer? What is the solution? Revival!

14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; Look down from heaven and see, And visit this vine

We need to call out to God for His return, “Lord visit us again! We miss You! We need You!” It is only when we come to God as the only solitary and preeminent need for our lives, the indispensible and supreme Person in our lives, the King of kings and Lord of lords, only when we are willing and eager to have Him take His rightful position in our lives, then and only then will He bring revival to us.

The poem Revival – God’s Way by Estelle Gifford Jackson expresses what is needed for revival to come:

Revival – God’s Way

Where is the hope for Revival –
God’s Holy Spirit outpoured
Convicting of sin, and of judgment,
And righteousness of the Lord?

When nothing else is important –
Only God’s presence Divine,
When Christians quit worldly pleasures,
Then God, His ear will incline.

Desperate prayer for Revival
Will cleanse the Church by the Word.
Then clothed in spotless, white linen,
The Bride clears the way for her Lord.

Prayer is the key to Revival,
Prayer that is true Spirit-born,
Nights of compassionate weeping – Intercession for all the forlorn.

Then will the burdens be lifted,
Then all the sinners will cry,
Then all the chains will be loosened
And worldly passions will die.

The lost ones will yield to God’s Spirit
When Christians, cleanses, weep and pray;
God’s Living Water flows outward;
This is “Revival – God’s Way”!

15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, And the branch that You made strong for Yourself.

We need to return to the root truth that we are what we are because of God and without Him we are lost! America has a godly Christian heritage. When need to get back to our roots.

16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.

Without God we are lost! Ready to be burned in the fire! Perishing at His rebuke! Like Israel, God brought them into the world and God can and did take them out as a nation. He would eventually restore them, but only when they had paid their just due and been thoroughly disciplined by Him.

17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. 18 Then we will not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!

We need the touch of the Lord. We need His strength. We need revival! We need God’s reviving power! Restore us O LORD and shine Your glory down on us! Without Your touch we are weak and wasted. We need revival. Then and only then, when revival comes, can we call upon God and experience the shine of His glorious presence in our lives. Then and only then will we experience His salvation life. Then and only then will we find restoration.

Restore Us O God - Part 1

Psalm 80 speaks of a time of hardship in which the restoration of God is needed for His people. The difficulty apparently had led to depression and discouragement. They were beginning to realize they needed God’s restoration. They needed to be revived. They had lost their passion for God. Perhaps this loss of passion was the cause of their difficulties.

There is a lesson for all of us to learn from this psalm. Do you have a passion for God? Are you only so-so or lukewarm? Jesus finds such a state in His followers repulsive. He said as much to the church of Laodicea (cf. Rev. 3:14-22). And unfortunately the contemporary Church is much like the Laodiceans. Leonard Ravenhillin his book Revival God's Way (page 57)states:

The New Testament Church did not depend on a moral majority, but rather on the holy minority. The Church right now has more fashion than passion, is more pathetic than prophetic, is more superficial than supernatural. The church the Apostles ministered in was a suffering church; today we have a sufficient church. Events in the Spirit-controlled Church were amazing; in this day the Church is often just amusing. The New Testament Church was identified with persecutions, prisons, and poverty; today many of us are identified with prosperity, popularity, and personalities.

Jesus rebuked the Laodicean church for being lukewarm, thinking they had need of nothing while in reality they were spiritually “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” Jesus counsel to them was to “buy from Me gold refined in the fire.” The key is “from Me.” Jesus said to these people, “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.” The gold, the most valuable possession of Jesus, is our intimate relationship with Him; coming into His presence. “He who has an ear, let him her what the Spirit says to the churches.” Hear what Psalm 80 says about restoration and revival.

Psalm 80:1 - Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!

God is prayerfully appealed to as the Shepherd of Israel His flock. And this is no small thing. Ravenhill comments:

The self-satisfied do not want to pray.
The self-sufficient do not need to pray.
The self-righteous cannot pray.

God has been working on these people. Their circumstances and loses are percolating within them and has finally brought them back to their God.

As Shepherd, God directs us to green pastures of His word to graze in, protects us from predators, and keeps us close to His presence. This presence is alluded to in the words, “You who dwell between the cherubim.” This brings to mind the ark of the covenant whose lid had two gold cherubs with wings outstretched toward each other. This lid was “the mercy seat” (Exodus 25:17ff.). It was here where God’s glory, His presence manifested itself to His people (Exodus 40).

Here is a call for the glory of the Lord to “shine forth!” God’s glory or shinning forth is closely connected with the manifestation of His presence (e.g. Exodus 32 and 33). When we look at the Old Testament God led His people with a pillar of fire by night. The fire of the LORD provided warmth, light to see the way in the dark, and protection from enemies. As the Shepherd of Israel, God oversees Israel like a flock. The psalm starts off with a pronounced recognition of God’s Shepherding oversight and then cries out for it to be renewed in the lives of the people.

2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, Stir up Your strength, And come and save us! 3 Restore us, O God; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!

Here is a call for revival. A revival is an extraordinary manifestation of the glory of God. The word “restore” can also be translated “Turn us again” and means to return or go back, bring back. The people had lost something and were crying out to God to restore what had been lost. That they cry out for God to shine forth implies they were missing the presence of the LORD in their lives. They rightly associated this with salvation and sought to be restored.

4 O LORD God of hosts, How long will You be angry Against the prayer of Your people?

The people of Israel sensed the displeasure of God. What might have incurred the anger of God toward His people? Sin causes God to turn a deaf ear to the sinner (cf. Psalm 66:18). God is holy and pure and finds sin and wicked practices repulsive (Hab. 1:13). Sin separates us from God who is Holy (Isaiah 59:2).

Now God’s people were coming around. They were coming to recognize their wrongs before God and wanting restoration were crying out to God for restoration. God waits to assure that the sinner recognizes the seriousness of their sin.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones in his book Revival states:

“If you do not see your hopelessness, and your utter despair, before this holy, righteous God, who hates sin with the whole of his being, you have no right to talk about revival, or to pray for it. What revival reveals above everything else is the sovereignty of God, and the iniquity, the helplessness, the hopelessness, of man in sin.” – p. 42

Without a humbling recognition of our sin and guilt, revival will not come.

It is time for us to humble ourselves before God. Look around you. The state of our nation and this world has happened on our watch. The apostle Peter said judgment begins in the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). It is time for us to do some self- assessment, some self-judgment. We need to humbly come before God and ask Him to search us to identify sin (Psalm 139:23-24). Then we need to humbly confess our sin and seek God’s cleansing of it by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7, 9). In Part 2 of this study we will look at the steps to restoration with God. Keep it all in prayer. Pray for a heaven sent revival. God bless you all.