![]() He said this directly after the rich young ruler refused to follow Him because he would have to give up his riches. Jesus said that without God it is impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Yet God does not want a desire for wealth or security to come before our trust in Him. Are we pursuing money with the wrong motivations? Are we storing up wealth with no consideration for the poor? Do we consider money and possessions to be our security, rather than the Lord? There is nothing wrong with money, in and of itself. We also need to ask ourselves questions about our attitude toward money and material things. Yet they must not hinder us from trusting Him, from keeping in constant communion with Him, and being responsive to His Spirit. We need to ask ourselves, do we have an undue preoccupation with the worries of this life? Do we keep putting off our time with God until we can fit it into our schedule? Do we fret about material needs instead of trusting God? God knows we have needs. This is serious and not to be taken lightly. If so, we are in real danger of being choked by the thorns that distract us from God. In preparation for revival, we must examine our own lives to see if anything has become more important than our relationship with the Lord. ![]() Yet, as was mentioned earlier, they ignored this warning. They needed to pay close attention to what He said, take it to heart, and obey it. The Lord told the Israelites in Jeremiah 4 not to sow among thorns, He was lovingly warning them not to let anything choke out His Word from their lives. These thorns are "the worries of this life," "the deceitfulness of wealth," and "the desires for other things." Jesus described the "thorns" that can choke out our own fruitfulness, hindering the life of Christ in us and the good works He has foreordained for us to do. Out the Thornsīesides breaking up our unplowed ground, we need to keep from "sowing among thorns." In Jesus’ parable of the sower, the seeds sown among thorns grew a little, but then were choked by the thorns, so that they were not fruitful. Cleansing from sin lays the groundwork for revival. And as we humble ourselves before God, He will cleanse us, restore us, and transform us into the image of Christ. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Do not banish me from your presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit* from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me" ( Psalms 51:10-12 Close Psalms 51:10-12Ĭreate in me a clean heart, O God. As David said, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. They will have their own ruler again, and he will come from their own people.I will invite him to approach me," says the LORD, "for who would dare to come unless invited? The Lord asks, "Who is he who will devote himself to be close to Me?" ( Jeremiah 30:21 Close Jeremiah 30:21 To live as a faithful disciple, continually responsive to the Spirit and instantly available for service, we need to ask God to show us our hearts, to repent continually of known sin, and to seek his face. We may attend church, worship God, lead a cell group or Bible study, and minister in the choir or Sunday school. We may not feel that our hearts are hardened. Some of these include: unconfessed sin, pride, rebellion, hardened hearts, apathy toward unbelievers, lost love for Christ, and superficiality (shallow faith reflected in prayerlessness and lack of Bible study). This is anything that blocks our relationship with God, and keeps us from maturing - any obstacles to loving God, hearing His Word, and obeying Him. When we begin to contemplate the conditions of revival, we need to start with the "unplowed ground" in our own hearts.
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