Sunday: The Transformed Life
Revival does not simply result in some warm, fuzzy feeling of supposed closeness to Jesus.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
It results in a changed life. There were times when the Bible writers felt extremely close to Jesus, and at other times they felt distant. There were times when their spirits soared in ecstasy, and they delighted in the joy of His presence. At other times, they did not feel the nearness of His presence at all.
The results of revival are not necessarily positive feelings. They are a changed life. Our feelings are not the fruit of revival. Again, obedience is. This is evident in the lives of the disciples after Pentecost.
Analyze Peter’s reactions before the Cross, after the Resurrection, and after Pentecost. What do you notice? What difference did the Cross, the Resurrection, and Pentecost make in Peter’s attitudes?
Matt. 26:69-74: Peter’s reaction before the Cross.
John 21:15-19: Peter’s reaction after the Resurrection.
Acts 5:28-32: Peter’s reaction after Pentecost.
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost made a dramatic difference in Peter’s life. It transformed him from a weak, vacillating believer to a faith-filled, obedient disciple. Once full of brash words and empty promises, Peter now became filled with faith, courage, and zeal for witnessing. It is a powerful example of what the Holy Spirit can do for anyone surrendered in faith and obedience to our Lord.
(35)
Lead us to rescue Lord and be with us everyday. We need you more than we needed you before
We are alive to God when conversion takes place. We are still human and prone to mistakes, but our purpose in life has changed. We are changed as we continue down the path putting God first and letting Him in by His Holy Spirit to cleanse and empower us to be channels of God's Love and Truth!! On our own we cannot do anything right, but He makes us successful members of the Kingdom, the Royal Family! What a wonderful life to live!!
Thoughts and behavior guided and directed by the Holy Spirit is mature and well presented all the times. This translates into a good steward and better witnessing and service
Lord what you did for Peter, you can do for me. Make me humble and honest enough to recognize my need of you in my life. Help me to be willing to pray, and ask your Spirit to come in, and effect the changes needed in my life' so that I will glorify your name; this I pray in the name of Jesus.
Lord, I need the same also
Amen my prayer too
todays lesson reminds me about witnessing when we become layback with this message thee three angel message when we fail to carry it out to the world we are acting like peter who denied christ jesue ask do you love me our mission is to go when fail to go we lose big time
OK, help me out here... the first sentence says:"Revival does not simply result in some warm, fuzzy feeling of supposed closeness to Jesus". Then the author proceeds to use Peter as an example of a positively transformed mind as a result of the Holy Spirit's influence that we refer to as a revival. After the Pentecost experience with the Holly Spirit, Peter slipped back into the weakness of his character as evidenced by Paul's remarks about Peter's behaviour with certain Jewish believers. Of course, NT does not record every minute of every hour of Peter's life, but I am under the impression that Elija could have been a better example of "how our feelings must NOT be used as a thermometer for the absence or the presence" of the Holy Spirit in my life.
The picture that my "eyes" are getting from NT writings about Peter is that the Holy Spirit embedded a greater zeal for Jesus in the heart of Peter. So the question that remains is, how does greater zeal affect our feelings?
[Moderator's Note: Please use full names when commenting. Thank you.]
Peter or Elijah would do. Both are good examples. They demonstrate how as Christians we stumble and fall after a revival. The gift ,the HS comes and nudges us concerning our failures. Because we are revived and reformed, our response is Heavenly Father take this sinner's heart fashion it into your likeness. I am depended on you. He does. When the humble spirit of Christ and total dependence is absent, we fall. Like Peter we fall into our self righteous prejudices and like Elijah we run in our own strength full of fear. Again both show us how to not to allow our failures to over power our existence but cling to the victories through the HS promised and glorify our HEAVENLY FATHER as they both did.
Revival and reformation transform our lives only when you give yourself to Christ Jesus.When we are revived then we must be obedient to God.Whatever the Lords says we must do and also keep all His commrads.Without obedient then there is no revival.Therefore i will earnestly and mathematically,obedient is subset of revival.In other words,obedient is derive from revival.I urge all of us to participate and learn the sabbath school very well and surely we shall be blessed.Amen
John 14 verse 15 " If you love me , [says the Lord] keep my commandments". Though it may appear simple this injunction calls for an inward transformation. The Pharisees were keeping the letter of the law yet they did not love Jesus. They organised His crucifixion based on their keeping of "their law" which excluded any love for Jesus. I am praying right now that Jesus may dispense this undiluted love for Him from the most holy place so I will delight in His law always(Psalm 119 verse 70).
Revival brings about a transformation that is inexplicable. Tracing the transformation that took place in the life of Peter for instance. Peter changed from the selfish disciple, who would want to save his life to the bold and fearless apostle of Jesus who would speak and uphold the truth at the expense of his own life. This passion for the truth is only comprehensible in the light of the Holy Spirit