Times of Refreshing
The Times of Refreshing
Acts 3:19: Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.
· Repenting, is “changing your perspective” or how you see things, and turning from that which does not please the Lord.
· It is not a one-time event; it should be our lifestyle. Our repentance pleases the Lord.
· The Lord says we will be refreshed by His Presence if we repent.
· Refreshed means to be “fresh again,” instead of stale!
· Nobody likes stale… like stale bread or donuts; it’s past it usefulness date!
· I’m not accusing anyone of sinning in big ways; it’s the little sins that may creep in like “weeds in a garden” that we should repent of. Jesus tells us more about these weeds:
· Mark 4:18-19: Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
· The problems of life can be overwhelming and we focus our minds on that.
· Therefore, we miss the things that God is doing and wants to do… and our relationship with Him becomes dry and stale… and our God is never stale!
· If you are living in the same old, same old… you are missing what the Lord wants to do in your life.
· His mercies are new every morning. We do not have a God of the same old, same old. Our God wants to lead you into the newness every day and we shouldn’t miss them. He is always doing something “fresh.” He wants us to see and behold these things!
Isaiah 43:19-21: Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. 20 The beast of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen. 21 This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise.
· Even though God spoke these words through Isaiah the prophet more than 2500 years ago, these are now words for us. God’s word is living and active, it’s never stale!
· He says to behold these words.
· It is more than just seeing—it’s seeking understanding until something is revealed.
· Therefore, our “beholding” should lead us into “revelation.” And it’s only by “revelation” that we experience God’s truth.
· And it’s experiencing God’s truth that leads to change and revival in our lives-- new things are coming and we should be ready and desiring His newness.
· Just as it was for the children of Israel, it’s possible that we have been walking in the desert of the “same old thing,” and maybe not even be aware of it.
· If Jesus is not our purpose for living, it’s because we are still finding our purpose for living from “our worldly pursuits” and we will settle for the desert without ever truly living in our Promised Land, the life in the Spirit.
· The things of this world are like a mirage of pools of water, but there’s no water there just misery. You’ve seen plenty of mirages of things that seem to be one thing and end up being another.
· Some days in our lives are dry and barren wilderness and it’s hard to remain grateful. It’s easy to fall into complaining rather than praising.
· It’s easy to become “stuck” in our Christian life. And when we are stuck days turn into weeks, weeks turn unto years, and years turn into decades. The only solution is a “personal revival,” to be “revived again.” To be “revived” is to bring back to life and to be refreshed again in your spirit.
· He wants to make a way for you “out of your desert” and make “rivers of water flow” in your life. These ancient words were for God’s chosen people, but these are now words for you today. He wants to refresh you in ways that you have never experienced… in joy and freedom.
· He wants to lead you to an oasis in the desert, filled with deep, fresh, cool, and clear spring water. Surrounded by date palms and beautiful flowers, just for you. He knows your cares and concerns and wants to satisfy deep things in your life, and He wants to refresh you in ways that only He can do.
· It’s time to behold Him with the eyes of your heart, behold His qualities, behold Him in His love, in His grace, and in His mercy. He wants to reveal Himself to you as you seek His face in His presence.
Ephesians 1:17-19: …that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.
· Paul prays for the Ephesian believers to receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation for the believers, so they would receive the knowledge of Him. Let’s not “just know about God” and enter in to the life of “knowing God” and experiencing Him.
· Once the eyes of our understanding are opened, we must respond by believing it. If you have believed it you will act upon it. You have never truly believed the truth if it has not changed your experience.
· Our God wants to move in “power” in our lives. Our God is a God of miracles, and if you won’t believe that… you will never see it.
· If you say that you believe that something is true and you are still living in the same old unbelieving way, then you have never really believed it and you’re only kidding yourself.
· We are still drawing on our own strengths and talents, rather than receiving his strength, His power, His love and His wisdom.
· This is the Living Water of his Spirit that is available to us in our wilderness. Isn’t it time to leave the same old and move into the new?
John 7:37-39: On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
· Jesus boldly called people to Himself to drink and satisfy their deepest thirst. The invitation said, “if anyone thirsts.” It’s for everyone and anyone, but there is a condition: One must see their need or they will not come to Jesus and drink…freely.
· Anyone can drink: Jesus is offering “rivers” of living water, more than enough to satisfy our thirst.
· These rivers come from within. There would be no more need to wander and search, no more mirages, no more dead seas, no more empty promises of religion and false doctrines. These rivers are “infinitely more” than anything the world has to offer.
· Jesus says these living waters flow from our heart in the abundance of the Holy Spirit.
· The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not been glorified through death and resurrection.
· But on this side of the cross, the Living Water of the Spirit always flows when we glorify Jesus! If Living water is not flowing in your life, perhaps you are not really glorifying Jesus in “all things.”
1 Corinthians 2:9-12: But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
· The Holy Spirit reveals to us “the things” that have been “freely given” to us by God.
· These things cost us nothing because Jesus paid for it in full!
· Most of us don’t know the things that are ours, or know how to access these things.
· We wander in this world like the children of Israel and never enter the Promised Land of the finished work of Christ, and don’t ever enjoy the fullness of what is ours in the New Covenant.
· For most of us--these things remain in the area of theology rather than experience. Religion has robbed us of our inheritance by telling us that we don’t have these things, so we keep trying to get what we already got.
· We try to deserve these blessings.
· This tells us that these things “have been given to us.” In other words these things are already ours. They are like money in our bank account ready for us to spend. These are blessings from the Father.
· Try just thanking the Father for these things that you need-- praise Him in His goodness and His great love for you and see if these things that have been "freely given" don’t begin to manifest!
Ephesians 1:3-6: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
· This tells us that we have already been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. This doesn’t mean we will get them when we finally get to heaven, it means the source of these blessings is from heaven.
· These blessings are not determined by earthly things, they are from the Father. He loves to bless His children.
· You were chosen long ago by Him to be “in Him” so that we will be holy like Him and be without blame. It does not mean we are without sin, it means we are without blame! You can quit condemning yourself for your past mistakes… you are accepted in the Beloved Jesus.
· But Bob, if I was predestined to be chosen by Him, what role does my own choice play. Predestination and choice both play a role, it’s not one or the other…it’s both. It’s love on His part and its choice on my part!
· He always planned on us being His sons by the work of Jesus on the cross.
· How does this work? The Father adopts us. Adoption is taking someone out of one family, and bringing them into a new family with all the rights of inheritance and authority the family possesses.
· This is not a second-class status—it is with full acceptance that can never be revoked, it is permanent status.
Ephesians 1:13-14: In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
· You received the Holy Spirit when you were born again and were sealed with the promise of your redemption. That sealing means that you belong to Him. It is an eternal belonging! It is not temporary until you make a mistake.
· You must not only hear the word of truth but believe it. The word of truth and the Holy Spirit are a one volume set.
· Without the word, people who trust in the Spirit only will get goofy.
· Without the Spirit, we will get religious, dry, and replace traditions for the movement of the Spirit in our midst.
· It’s the Holy Spirit that brings Jesus out of the pages of our Bibles and makes Him real in our experience. It’s the Spirit that makes the word become alive in us and burn with fire in our hearts.
Luke 24:27-33: And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. 28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. 30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?
· Jesus appears to this couple after His resurrection before He appears to the disciples, and they do not know that it is Him. He chooses to remain hidden to them.
· He walks with them unfolding the Scripture to them. It’s more important for them to see Him in the word and experience Him in the word… than in person!
· They had been discouraged and downtrodden, but now their hearts burned within them—they had holy heartburn! The eyes of their hearts had been opened.
· They were being refreshed because they were “beholding Him in the Scriptures.”
· If the Bible is dull and boring to you and you want the word of God to come alive to you, ask Him for illumination. Ask the Spirit to open your heart to the word; “Lord show me Yourself in your word, make Yourself real to me in these pages.”
· The Spirit wants to make Jesus come alive to you in His word, and then in every other area of your life. But it begins with His word!
· It is the Spirit that makes the truth burn within your heart and so captivates your soul that you know that God is real and the hope of your calling is real, and the power of His Presence is flowing through your life.
· Matthew 5:8: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.