TweetSpiritual renewals, whether personal or corporate, often come in waves. We might have a wave of the
Spirit’s activity when we put our faith in Christ. Maybe later on we surrender fully to Christ, and we have another wave of the Spirit when we are baptized or filled with the Spirit. We have another wave of the Spirit another time when we go through a particular season of hardship, and we are open to being purified deeper by the Spirit. If you study revival in history, it too, often comes in waves. Many break the Second Great Awakening down into many different revivals, but I think they were just waves of the same move of the Spirit. The key to sustaining revival, or spiritual vitality in our own lives, is that when a wave of the Spirit hits the beach of our lives we must learn to live at the new water level of the Spirit. This will involve an increase in our listening capacity. We must learn to abide with Christ in intimacy, to walk with the Spirit in purity, to listen carefully, at the new water level of the Spirit. If we experience a wave of the Spirit, and don’t increase our listening capacity, then the water level will recede to our previous listening level. This is why many movements don’t leave much of a mark on us, or in a church.
These are the two principles key principles: (1) We need more of God in our lives, and the increase often occurs in waves of the Spirit’s activity; (2) We have to learn to abide at the new water level of the Spirit, to walk in the Spirit, to listen carefully at the new level. These two key principles are like the two wings of the airplane on renewal. We can’t get the plane off the ground without both wings.
Moses illustrates these two lessons in his life. First, consider that he was relentlessly pursuing more of God’s presence in his life. He continually pursued a closer relationship with God. When God appeared to Moses in a burning bush, he gave Moses an impossible assignment. Take a group of people out of a land where the people do not want them to leave, into a land where the people do not want them to come, with a group of people who do not want to make the trip. Who would want that job? Moses questioned God, and said, “Who am I?” God gave Moses one promise: I will be with you. Only God can do the impossible. Every time God gives someone an impossible kingdom assignment in the Bible, he gives them this same promise: I will be with you. That’s enough. Moses learned this lesson well. He was constantly pursuing God’s presence in His life. He was always drawing near to God. And God delivered on His promise. He was with Moses, and did impossible things. He did miracles – turning a staff to a snake, and back again. Turning his hand leprous, and back again. Bringing plagues to the Egyptians to break the iron clad grip of oppression that Pharaoh had over the enslaved Israelites. God was with Moses. And he did miracles for Moses and the people. Sadly, the people still rebelled. They created a golden calf, and worshiped it as if it had brought them out of Egypt. They broke God’s heart, an adulterous bride. God told Moses that he would send an angel, but He Himself would no longer go with the people. But, Moses pleaded and God relented. Moses had learned that the one indispensable qualification for his life and kingdom assignment was the presence of God. He couldn’t live without it. It was then that Moses asked God to show him his glory – his very manifest presence. He was a glutton for God! He couldn’t get enough. (Exodus 33). He knew he needed more of God. But, he also knew that wasn’t enough.
Second, we must also learn to abide with Jesus at the new water level, we must walk with the Spirit. We must be careful listeners. Our current listening level will not be sufficient to sustain the new water level of the Spirit. When the new water level hits, we must increase our listening capacity to sustain the new work. Moses learned this. In general, Moses was an exceedingly careful listener. Exodus 33:11 says that “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” In Numbers 12, the Lord defends Moses when he comes under the attack of Aaron and Miriam. He says of Moses, “He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face.” One of the reasons Moses experienced so many waves of the Spirit is because he was faithful in all God’s house. When God spoke, Moses listened. He obeyed. It was His walk in step with the Spirit that enabled the increase of God’s presence in his life. He had both wings of the airplane.
The key to the second wing isn’t perfection. The issue with most Christians isn’t that they sin too much. The issue is that we confess too little. We don’t call everything sin that God calls sin. And so we quench the Spirit. If we are going to walk in step with the Spirit we must call everything sin that God calls sin. Judgmental attitudes. Unwholesome talk. We can’t ignore it. We have to confess it, and bring it to the cross. If we listen more carefully, and continue to pursue God passionately, we can increase the water level of the Spirit in our lives and sustain it!
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