Monthly Archives: October 2018

One of the greatest hindrances to revival is pride.

Pride suggests we don’t need revival and, outside of extraordinary circumstances, don’t much need God. We can run our own lives, thank you, and we will contact God if, and when, we need him.

But humility has a very different view- one that much more clearly sees the truth. We are weak in our own strength and need the Lord desperately. The bible tells us, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that he may exalt you at the proper time.” (1 Peter 5:5-6)

One of the results of a humble heart is an ability to experience a deepened connection with God through revival. And, conversely, revival always results in a deepened humility. Humility and revival are intricately connected.

Here are five reasons why we need humility if we are to see revival.

1. Humility knows man’s need. Revival comes to those who Continue reading →

Revival only comes in conjunction with deep, open and honest confession of sin.

All the great revivals of scripture and history involve God’s people acknowledging the truth of their wrongdoing. It is both the catalyst and the result of a genuine spiritual awakening.

Recognition of sin leads us to see our need for God. Seeing God’s holiness causes us to recognize our own sinfulness. Confession and repentance are indispensable ingredients to any close connection to the Lord.

But therein lies the problem. It is hard to be honest– gut-level, soul-searching, truth-telling honest. We struggle to be honest with God and even with ourselves. Here are some hard truths that can help you see your need to confess, repent and draw closer to God.

1. Sin is your own fault. Your sin is not the fault of Continue reading →

There is a modern trend to learn only from ones peers. It is not uncommon, for example, that ministry conferences are designed for younger ministers and taught by younger ministers. And I get that.

There is much to be learned from your peers. After all, they are often in the same sort of setting, have similar issues they deal with and understand your cultural challenges. They speak your language and understand your thinking. They have watched the same movies and listened to the same music.

But please don’t forget to learn from those who are older than you are. (Unless you are over 100, in which case, the options are limited!) Our culture has often devalued older people, but that is not a healthy trend for society or ministry.

Here are three reasons to learn from some people older than you. Continue reading →