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Jas 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Jas 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Jas 4:9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
Jas 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Recently, the Lord spoke to our hearts about the conditions for true revival! The LORD showed us that revival starts with each one of us and revival is also corporate, which means all of us as a body of believers. Which means that revival will not happen if we are not on one accord. Today the LORD wanted me to share with you why true revival is important!

Because someone may not understand why there is a need for a revival in the Body of Christ or local communities of Christ. Someone may be saying, “Pastor, churches are growing and being established, and souls are being saved! This is the churches finest hour!” Let me ask you this? Have you read the book of Revelation chapter 2 and 3? There were seven churches and the LORD sent letters to those churches. Only two out of seven of those churches received no condemnation! These churches prophetically represent the churches past, present and future!

 First of all when we talk about Revival, we need to know that Revival is not new. All throughout the Bible there have been revivals, reformations and restorations with the people of God. You can read about them in the book of 1 and 2 Kings with Elijah and Josiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Psalms, Isaiah, Daniel and Joel.

Revival is important because it gives us a renewed sense of urgency concerning the Kingdom of God. It gives us a renewed and revived sense of urgency to be about the Fathers business, and it turns our hearts back to God, so that we may have the heart of God, the mind of Christ, and eyes to see what God sees.

The most important thing to remember is that revival is all about God. It is all about drawing near to him so that we can experience his presence, power and purpose that he predestined for us. When true revival happens, there will always be a refreshing of the people with the presence of God.

The reason why the people of God in the bible engaged in revival is because the Prophets, Priests and some Kings called them to remember who they were and the covenant promises that God purposed for them. Many times they would forget who they were and who they served. So God would raise up a prophet, priest or King who would speak the Words of God and lead people back to God. So what must we do in order to really see a true move of God and Holy Spirit revival to come into the lives of God’s people and the Church? There are certain requirements that must be met:

1. We must humble ourselves and pray.
2. There must be godly sorrow, heartfelt repentance and confession of sin.
3. We should pray for revival among churches in our community.
4. We should pray for a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
5. We should pray for those that have lost their way or backslidden.
6. There must be corresponding works.

Remember what James said to the Saints in James 4: 7-10
Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jas 4:8 Draw nigh or near to God, and he will draw nigh or near to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Jas 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Jas 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

I know this is the holiday season and it is a season of joy, but let’s set things in order first! When we humble yourselves, submit ourselves to God, and draw near to him, he will draw near to us and lift us up.

True revival is when the Holy Spirit stirs our hearts to humility, prayer, fasting, seeking the Lords face, and turning from everything in our lives that would hinder our relationship with the Lord and spiritual growth!

Pastor Quinn.

Col 1:9  For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

Col 1:10  that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Col 1:11  strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;

Col 1:12  giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

Col 1:13  He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

Col 1:14  in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

How many of us know that we must be prepared for spiritual service in the LORD? What do I mean by spiritual service? Well since we are soldiers in the army of the LORD. (No disrespect to airman and sailors)   ( :   We must be prepared for Kingdom labor and walking worthy of the calling and invocation upon our lives.  

There is a preparation process for anything that we do that is significant. I mean Doctor’s go to school for many years before they can enter the medical field. Athletes train for many years to reach the professional level. Military personnel go to boot camp and a specialty school to learn their skill, and farmers work hard for many years to produce consistent abundant crops to harvest!

As it is in the natural so it is in the spiritual. Believers in Christ should study and grow in the grace of God to be all that God called them to be.

There are three things that we need as it relates to being prepared for spiritual service and they are:

1. We must be focused – Heb 12: 1-2
2. We must be faithful – Luke 16: 10-12
3. We must be fruitful – Col 1 :10

The Apostle Paul gives us some wisdom in 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 3  as he talks about enduring hardship as a good soldier in Jesus Christ.  He then goes on to give us examples about a soldier, athlete and farmer. The question is, what do they all have in common?

Well,  in a nutshell they all understand discipline and the importance of being focused, faithful and fruitful as it relates to what they do. Now many of us may not have been a soldier, athlete or farmer, but as a believer there are many scriptures that exhort us to be disciplined. Which means we should be focused, faithful and fruitful for Jesus Christ!  Listen to the Apostle Paul:

Col 1:9  For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

Col 1:10  that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

What does this mean?

I believe that Paul is encouraging them to be all that God has called them to be for the LORD. To be focused, faithful, fruitful, to have a sense of urgency, diligence, and to be about the Fathers business.

The Lord showed me that comfortability is hurting many believers in Christ! In the age that we live in, our lives have been enhanced by automated systems, online banking, conference call lines, and social media. And guess what I love it! But we must be careful to not let the physical overtake the spiritual because comfortability could hinder your spiritual growth and calling.

Why do I say this? Because it produces a comfortability that could make us complacent in the things that matter most to God.

My prayer for you as the people of God is that you not get comfortable with your relationship with Jesus. Keep stretching yourself, keep pressing forward, keep hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and above all.  I pray that you be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, and that you walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Be Blessed,

Pastor Quinn

2 Tim 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

2 Tim 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 

Today I want to talk about Biblical obedience unto the LORD.  Notice I didn’t say obedience unto a man! The bible has a lot to say about obedience in the Old and New Testament. One thing I have found throughout the bible is that the LORD honors obedience! Listen to the what the Prophet Isaiah said:

Isa 1:19  If you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land:

Isa 1:20  But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it.

Some people want the favor of God, the blessings of God and desire to walk in the anointing of God. But they are not willing to be obedient to the Word or in things that relate to life and godliness in Christ Jesus.

Remember in the Old Testament we had the Ten Commandments which can be found in Exodus 20. They were part of the law which was given to Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ!

John 1:17  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.  

Now that we are under grace and not the law, does that mean we have a license to do whatever we want and do? No the Lord still has requirements for his people.

Remember in the Ten Commandments it said you shall not do this,  or do that but Jesus said:

Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.

Then Jesus confirms it in John 14: 15, If you love me, keep my commandments.

Matthew’s Gospel goes a step further, listen to what he says:

Mat 22:36  “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

Mat 22:37  Jesus said to him, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’

Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment.

So as it relates to Biblical obedience we are to love one another. So if Jesus said it was a commandment, that means it wasn’t a suggestion.

I will give you another example. Look at the great commission in Matt 28: 19-20:

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Mat 28:19  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Mat 28:20  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Again we see when Jesus gave a commandment which wasn’t a suggestion. So in relation to Biblical obedience how many of us have been obedient to love God and love our neighbor as we love ourselves?  Let’s go a step further, how many of us have been obedient to the great commission to go into the world?  Now God has given us his Word for divine direction in this life. Listen to what the Apostle Paul said:

2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 

Scripture is the measuring tool or the carpenters square which determines whether a corner, square or line is straight.  Scripture shows us that an action or decision in our lives is right or wrong, just or unjust.

Scripture can be used in four different ways: It is a guide, a guard, a compass, and a principle. A guide points out the route we should take. A guard warns us against decisions or paths that could harm us. A compass helps us to stay on the right track, so that we don’t go in the wrong direction. Principles are fundamental truths or propositions that serve as the foundation for a system of beliefs or behaviors.

So the Word that has been given to us as a guide, a guard, a compass and a principle. So we see that Biblical Obedience is not about control. It is about adhering to the sovereign principles of God to keep us from the snare of the enemy or from falling into a pit. Biblical obedience is not about some religious conviction. Biblical obedience is about pleasing God and living according to the Word of God.

Biblical obedience is about your willingness to be obedient to the Lord through true worship, the Word of God, and the perfect will of God.

Question: What would our society look like without law and order or obedience to the laws that have been given to us in society. What would happen if we had no traffic lights? What would happen if we had no speed limit? I tell you what would happen. We would have mayhem, disorder, confusion, lawlessness, crashes and accidents!

We have laws now and we still have mayhem, disorder, confusion, and lawlessness. Imagine if we didn’t have laws and people did what they wanted to!

So we see that the world has laws,  and God himself has laws that dictate how we as a people of God should conduct ourselves! There are principles in the Word of God that have been given to us to keep divine order.

There must be a willing obedience and not a demanding obedience. Biblical obedience  keeps us within the boundaries of scripture not bondage.

Biblical obedience is about submission not bondage.  Now if you are in bondage in any relationship, you need to be set free. God does not want us in bondage to anything or anyone!

Now we understand that there are leaders over the world in churches that dominate, intimidate, and manipulate. This is straight witchcraft! God abhors witchcraft because it is an abomination in the sight of the Lord!

Biblical obedience is not about do this or do that, it is submission and obedience to the Word and to the Lord. Now we do know there are churches that put people in bondage in giving and relationships in many churches, which is not the Lords’ will.

But I will say that if you are in any leadership position in any church, you will have to submit to someone’s authority!  In the world we submit to authority on our jobs, and obeying the laws of the land. If you don’t believe me, disobey a law in the world and see what happens!  The important thing to remember is that Biblical Obedience always starts with reverence and humility.

Do you not know that Jesus gave up his will to do the will of the Father?

Jesus said in Luke 22:42, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

The bible also says that Jesus was obedient unto death on a cross. Can you imagine what would have happened if Jesus did his own will? Jesus submitted his will to the will of the Father! Can you imagine if the church had no structure of obedience to it?  People would do any and everything they want. I haven’t been in church all my life, but I served 21 years in the military and guess what? The military structure works for those that understand it and submit to it!

I saw renegades get dishonorably discharged. I saw disobedient people get demoted or not promoted, but those that were willing and obedient got promoted and blessed!

In Phil 2: 5-11, the Bible says the following about Jesus:

Phil 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 

Phil 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 

Phil 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 

Phil 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

Phil 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 

Phil 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 

Phil 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Jesus had no reputation, He became a servant, He humbled himself, He was obedient, He died to himself, and God exalted him!

Notice the steps: No reputation, a servant, humility, obedience, death, exaltation!

You will never experience exaltation without death, obedience, humility, servitude and no reputation.

Mat 23:11  But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. Mat 23:12  And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

In the world, the way up is lift yourself up. In the Kingdom of God the way up is down. Remember that Biblical obedience is the highest form of worship because it is submission unto the LORD and his Holy Word!

This all the time we have for this segment of Wisdom for Life! Until next time, God Bless and Shalom!

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Pastor Quinn