CHRIST IS PERSONAL REVIVAL II

Morning Meditation 12/25/15

I have mentioned previously that Christ is personal revival. If I have Christ I have all I need and that means I have all the revival I need and that God's offers. But if this is true why is it that much of the time I am not experiencing personal revival? I think it is because I am looking for it some other place. It is like introducing someone to your wife by using a picture of her when she is sitting beside you. You tell the person you are talking to what a wonderful person she is and show him different pictures of her during the conversation when all the time you ignore her real presence. She is not allowed to get in on the conversation.

The experience of Christ in our lives can be hindered by seeking the experiences we had while in fellowship with Him rather than to reenter the fellowship lost.

I quote a paragraph from Roy Hessions book on "We would see Jesus" on pages 14-15: "To concentrate on service and activity for God may often actively thwart our attaining of the true goal, God Himself. At first sight it seems heroic to fling our lives away in the service of God and of our fellows. We feel it is bound to mean more to Him than our experience of Him. Service seems so unselfish, whereas concentrating on our walk with God seems selfish and self-centered. But it is the very reverse. The things that God is most concerned about are our coldness of heart towards Himself and our proud, unbroken natures. Christian service of itself can, and so often does, leave our self-centered nature untouched. That is why there is scarcely a church, a mission station, or a committee undertaking a special piece of service, that is without an unresolved problem of personal relationships eating out it heart and thwarting its progress. This is because Christian service often gives us opportunities of leadership and position that we could not attain in the secular world, and we quickly fall into pride, self-seeking, and ambition. With those things hidden in our hearts, we have only to work alongside others, and we find resentment, hardness, criticism, jealousy, and frustration issuing from our hearts. We think we are working for God, but the test of how little of our service is for Him is revealed by our resentment or self-pity, when the actions of others, or circumstances, or ill-health take it from us!

In this condition we are trying to give to others an answer which we have not truly and deeply found for ourselves. The tragedy is that much of the vast network of Christian activity and service is bent on propagating an answer for people's needs and the problems which few of those propagating it are finding adequate in their own lives. We need to leave our lusting for ever-larger spheres of Christian service and concentrate on seeing God for ourselves and finding the deep answer for life in Him. Then, even if we are located in the most obscure corner of the globe, the world will make a road to our door to get that answer. Our service of help to our fellows then becomes incidental to our vision of God, and the direct consequence of it."

Well, I'll tell you one thing. Bro. Roy got me on that one. It has been easy for me to preach beyond my experience of God. It is easy study books on revival and seek the good results rather than allowing the things I read motivate me to fellowship with Him. Faith in His revealed word is what makes His invisible presence real to me. It is not a feeling we need or even a miracle. These things can be sought as a proof of His presence. That will not work. Lets don't show people pictures of Him when He is standing right there! Lets fellowship with Him. How do I know He is there? By faith. How do I know He is all I need? Because Colossians 2:10 says, "And we are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power."

God bless you.

In Christ

Earl White