The greatest reason for seeking a revival flood involves a primary purpose of our existence. And what is that primary purpose? Put simply, it is to know, love and glorify God through seeking His kingdom and exalting His name. And without question, loving one another is a vital part of loving God and seeking His kingdom.
When we learn to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, we find life itself. “But seek you first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you” (Matthew 6:33). “Whoever loses his life for Me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35). Indeed life is all about knowing Him, surrendering to Jesus and walking humbly with our God (John 17:3). Jesus pulled it all together in His two Great Commandments. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it—Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).
The Bible leaves no doubt that loving God means loving each other (Matthew 22:37-38; John 13:34-35; 17:21). Today believers must re-discover a vital fact—the two Great Commandments are inseparably linked! In other words, no one can truly love God yet be unkind or bitter toward fellow Christians. In Matthew 5:23 and Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus made clear that anger and disunity among believers seriously blocks our relationships with Him. In fact, the entire chapter of John 17 closely ties God’s glory and our witness to dynamic oneness among saints.
In terms of love and fellowship, today’s Church is in a major crisis. Never has our nation seen such devastating disintegration of church and family relationships. In fact, what we have witnessed in family structure is no longer a decline, it is an unmitigated collapse. As much or more than any other factors, relational anger and unforgiveness are huge barriers to a modern day revival flood.
Excerpted from Releasing the Revival Flood: A churchwide Journey to Miraculous Unity and God-Glorifying Fellowship
When we learn to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, we find life itself. “But seek you first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you” (Matthew 6:33). “Whoever loses his life for Me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35). Indeed life is all about knowing Him, surrendering to Jesus and walking humbly with our God (John 17:3). Jesus pulled it all together in His two Great Commandments. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it—Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).
The Bible leaves no doubt that loving God means loving each other (Matthew 22:37-38; John 13:34-35; 17:21). Today believers must re-discover a vital fact—the two Great Commandments are inseparably linked! In other words, no one can truly love God yet be unkind or bitter toward fellow Christians. In Matthew 5:23 and Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus made clear that anger and disunity among believers seriously blocks our relationships with Him. In fact, the entire chapter of John 17 closely ties God’s glory and our witness to dynamic oneness among saints.
In terms of love and fellowship, today’s Church is in a major crisis. Never has our nation seen such devastating disintegration of church and family relationships. In fact, what we have witnessed in family structure is no longer a decline, it is an unmitigated collapse. As much or more than any other factors, relational anger and unforgiveness are huge barriers to a modern day revival flood.
Excerpted from Releasing the Revival Flood: A churchwide Journey to Miraculous Unity and God-Glorifying Fellowship
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