1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is about revival. 3 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: We'll return with the devotional after a brief message from 4 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: our sponsors. We don't need a resolution, we need revival. 5 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: Written and read by Hanta Benson. If my people who 6 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: are called by my name humble themselves and pray and 7 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:48,519 Speaker 1: seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then 8 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 1: I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin 9 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:57,319 Speaker 1: and heal their land. Seven Chronicles seven fourteen ESV. As 10 00:00:57,360 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: we approach the new year and begin thinking about New 11 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: Year's I want to challenge you with an alternative option. 12 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: Instead of simply making New Year's resolutions, what if we 13 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 1: prayed for revival. Now, don't get me wrong, there is 14 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: nothing wrong with making New Year's resolutions. There's nothing wrong 15 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: with saying I want to do more of this or 16 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 1: I want to do less of that. But more than 17 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: making New Year's resolutions, what if we prayed for revival. 18 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: We all need revival. We pray for it. We've seen 19 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: it sweep across college campuses. We've studied the great awakenings 20 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: in our history books, and now we're praying for it 21 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: to happen again. We have always needed God and we'll 22 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: never stop needing him. But if we look around the 23 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: shattered state of our country and our world, I think 24 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: we could all agree we need Him now more than ever. 25 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: Revival isn't based on feelings. We recognize our nation needs revival, yes, 26 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: our world needs it, yes, But revival doesn't happen because 27 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: we have an amazing pastor or taught notch worship leader. 28 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: I think a lot of people hear stories of revival 29 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: and what the feel good emotions they think will come 30 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: with it. But honestly, revival is messy. Revival starts with us, 31 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: and it starts with repentance. So many people desire the revival, 32 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 1: but they would prefer to ignore the call to repentance 33 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: that precedes the revival. Without repentance, there is no revival. 34 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: Sometimes we may look at the people around us and think, 35 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: this person needs God, they need revival and they need 36 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: to change, which is true. They absolutely need God and 37 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: maybe they do need to change. We all do. But 38 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,239 Speaker 1: look at what Jesus says in Matthew seven, verses three 39 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 1: through five ESV. Why do you see the speck that 40 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: is in your brother's eye, But do not notice the 41 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 1: log that is in your own eye. Or how can 42 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: you say to your brother, let me take the speck 43 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: out of your eye when there is the log in 44 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 1: your own eye. You hip a critch. First take the 45 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: log out of your own eye, and then you will 46 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 1: see clearly to take the spec out of your brother's eye. 47 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: This is a call to conviction. We are so quick 48 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: to look at other people at the rest of the world. 49 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:03,640 Speaker 1: And I'm not saying this the world is not messy. 50 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: It absolutely is. But we all need Jesus. Your kids, 51 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: nemesis at school that just won't seem to leave them alone, 52 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:14,800 Speaker 1: a politician that makes you so angry when he steps 53 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: up to the podium. The list could go on me 54 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: and you. For revival starts with each one of us individually. 55 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: If we want revival, we must repent. What is the 56 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: one thing God commands his children to do in Second 57 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: Chronicle seven fourteen Humble themselves, not their neighbor, not the 58 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: boy at school, not the politician in the opposing party, themselves. Next, 59 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: they need to pray and seek the Lord's face and 60 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: turn from their wicked ways. This is part of the 61 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: repentance and is the decision to surrender the sin we 62 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: cling to the conscious, turning away from darkness that is 63 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 1: crept into our hearts, intersecting faith and life. If we 64 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: do these things, then God promises I will hear from 65 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 1: heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land 66 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: Second Chronicles seven point fourteen ESV. Don't get me wrong. 67 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: Revival is not dependent on our good works, but we 68 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: do need to be obedient to God's call. If we 69 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: keep pointing fingers and saying they need to repent while 70 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: ignoring the log in our own eye, then we are 71 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 1: no better than the hypocrites Jesus called out in the Bible. 72 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: That humble individual act of turning away from sin and 73 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,920 Speaker 1: seeking the Lord that is what is going to fan 74 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: the flame and spread genuine revival throughout the entire world. 75 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: Do we believe it? More importantly, do we live like it? 76 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: Pray with me, dear Father. We confess that we often 77 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: desire the blessings of revival without repentance. We confess we 78 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 1: are too quick to see the sins of others while 79 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: ignoring the log in our own eye. Lord, make us humble, 80 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:03,479 Speaker 1: we lay down ourselves righteousness today. Please help us to 81 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: sincerely pray, seek your face and turn from our wicked ways. 82 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,160 Speaker 1: We ask you to forgive our sin and, starting with us, 83 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 1: heal our land in Jesus' name. Amen. The Crosswalk Devotional 84 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 1: is a production of Life Audio and Salem Media. 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