Genesis 33-35

Day 26

Genesis 33-35

Genesis 35:2-3
² So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. ³ Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.”

What is a revival?  Have you ever experienced true revival?  What causes a revival?  Can a revival be planned?  These are some of the many questions that come to mind when you hear of a revival… 

Dictionary.com defines revival as a spiritual awakening in a church or community.  History is always the best teacher so I looked at recent revivals to see what they had in common…  Here is what I found out…

·         Revivals always start with an act of obedience. (Genesis 35:1) ¹ God spoke to Jacob: "Go back to Bethel. Stay there and build an altar to the God who revealed himself to you when you were running for your life from your brother Esau."  Think about the revival that took place at Nineveh.  Jonah’s obedience to go to Nineveh that led to that outpouring of God’s mercy.

·         Revivals always lead to purification (Genesis 35:2) Jacob told his family and all those who lived with him, "Throw out all the alien gods which you have, take a good bath and put on clean clothes, we're going to Bethel.  Martin Luther basted the Roman Catholic Church concerning the authority of the church and the Pope…  His thesis helped purify the church, even though it cost him everything!  The same thing happened with Jacob…  He immediately told his family to – get rid of the foreign gods and purify yourselves and change your clothes.  Revivals always led to purity…  When Jacob told his family to change their clothes – This was an outward symbol of an inward cleansing.

You can schedule a revival on a church calendar, but if you really want a revival start with yourself.  Do what God’s is calling you to do… Pray for God to show you what your “Foreign gods” are and get rid of them.  Then look for God to begin a revival in you!