Title: Let me revive in the new year
Contents
Give me revival in the new year (2 Chronicles 7:11-18)
Among the songs we sing well, there is a song called <Revival>. This hymn was so popular that it was announced that it was composed by <Hyung-Won Ko> and took the first place in the CCM sales rankings within six months.
The content of this hymn is a hymn with tears of supplication that embraces a wounded country in its arms. It is said that it was made with the purpose of breaking the conventional wisdom that <The pain of the times and the flow of the times make a song>, and <I will make a song that changes the times>.
“Look at the desolateness of this land. God of heaven, merciful Lord! Forgive us our sins. Please heal this land> This is a praise to convey that the secret of healing this sick land is not in external growth, material abundance, or any social system, but in religious revival and internal change.
As we know, the desolation of this land has long since crossed its limits. As the economy grew and science advanced, morality, conscience, and justice became desolate.
People's recognition has dried up, and the world has become full of immoral, impersonal ideas such as individualism, omnipotence, and hedonism.
It is pervasive not only in individuals, but also in households, businesses, and politics, in all fields. The level of desolation is indeed serious. It has become a world where corruption is rampant, human rights are ignored, and peace has disappeared.
Dear saints, So what does the word “revival” mean? Revival does not mean that the number of people increases a lot, it refers to <people stand before God again>. It means that a person who has stood facing the world turns toward God. In a situation in which thoughts, values, and content of life are all filled with worldly things, and worldly things are the standard, turning to God now is called <revival>.
The English word for <revive> is “revive”. Here, “Re” means <one more time>, and “vive” means <life>.
Therefore, <revival> in English can be called <movement of new life>. Revival is to inject new life into the culture and values of this world that kill people's hearts and minds, that is, to put faith in people. But the fact is that this revival takes place through the church.
This means that we can expect a revival of faith from those who have a positive relationship with the church and live a church-centered life. We know this fact through the text of the text.
Today's text is the confession that Solomon confessed after building the temple. In the meantime, Solomon gathered all the materials his father David had prepared and built the holy temple and his palace, and then confesses in verse 11, “All this was possible because God prospered.” Confessing that I did not do it, but God did it is the one who pleases God. I hope that 2010 will be the year when all that I have become is confessed by the grace of God. Faith to believe that things are going well, bad things, sad things, or joys by God's grace is the faith that God is pleased with.
And that night God appeared to Solomon. And what he says is, “I have chosen this temple and have sanctified it, and have made my name here forever.
How amazing is this? It is said that God's eyes and God's heart will always be in this temple.
As I read these verses, I realized once again the importance of the church. The church makes us realize that its mission is important.
The first is to pray.
The book of Chronicles, like the Book of Kings, is a verse that shows the history of the Israelite monarchy. It repeats the words of the same period, with Kings centered on kings and Chronicles centered on important events.
Among them, the first part of 2 Chronicles, including the text, deals with Solomon's construction of the temple. The temple, which was David's father's wish, was finally completed by his son Solomon, and the dedication of the temple is now held in a grand way. During the dedication ceremony, Solomon offers a long prayer.
His prayers show what kind of place the temple should be for people of all generations, coming and going. When Solomon's prayer was finished, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifice, and now the glory of God filled the place. The people meet the moving moment, cheer with joy, and bow down to God with thanks. God responded to them with fire, comforted them, and gave them grace and blessings. After that process has passed, the word of God now comes to Solomon. That is the central content of the text. In the text, God proclaims a revival. That's especially in verse 14.
The word ‘heal the land’ emphasized here is a word that declares the revival that is coming to Israel. It is to bring blessings, grace, peace, and prosperity to the land they live in. The first thing we need for such revival is prayer. Right before this verse, it says, 'If you pray and seek my face'. This continues in verse 15. “I will lift up my eyes and give my ears to the prayers of this place,” he says. It is to pray for peace, prosperity, and revival.
It means that God will lift up his eyes to see that prayer and listen with his ears. This is the road to the revival proclaimed in the text. What does it mean to pray for revival? It is aimed at revival and asking God for help. The primary purpose of prayer is to seek help.
Prayer is to leave everything that I can or cannot do to God and ask for God's help to work. In a word, I think the Bible is history that shows God's help from beginning to end. So, the word that is repeated the most in the Old Testament is help, helper.
The revival that came to the early church members was accomplished with the help of God through prayer. They worked hard to get together, and when they did, they focused on prayer. I prayed earnestly, prayed earnestly, and prayed every day. The Holy Spirit came upon them through their prayers, changes came through their prayers, and they experienced revival through prayer. As the Lord said, they knew that this kind of thing could not go out except through prayer, so when they gathered, they devoted themselves to prayer, leading to revival. When we gather, we must pray. We must gather at the place of prayer.
Revival makes history right there. So that the flames of revival come here, I hope that you will pray again and do not fall into the prayer meeting and participate.