The Three R's
by Karla Maxwell
The battle ensued the moment Lucifer attempted to become greater than God Almighty, his Creator. War began the moment The Creator gave life to man; a spiritual war for the heart of man that cannot be seen, yet the effects and outcomes are evident in the devastation of man-made wars, earth’s natural disasters, famine, pestilence, plagues, and diseases running rampant. These devastating events were not caused by our Heavenly Father but allowed to be used by both Him and the enemy. Good vs. Evil. Devastating events, used by the enemy to steal, kill, and destroy humankind, yet the Lord allows devastation in hopes of turning His most precious and loved creation back to Him.
The Bible compares these life-changing events to that of a woman having childbirth pains (Matthew 24). Just as birth pains serve as a warning to a woman of things to come, these warnings on earth should not be feared but should cause us to be more watchful of the Lord’s return for His children. His warnings have been evident throughout the history of man, and with each turbulent event man has experienced, he has thought the end times were coming in that lifetime.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, we have seen more and more trials and tribulations taking place worldwide, and it is said we are in the “Last of the Last Days”. The Lord is giving us strong and more pertinent warnings of His coming. The COVID-19 virus is a warning. The more frequent earthquakes are a warning. The rumors of war are a warning. Famine has affected nations for decades and has been discussed to possibly be a result of this virus pandemic.
Yet America stands oblivious to the warnings, Christians are passive in speaking the truth for fear of offending their neighbors or being persecuted. Change is coming; the spiritual war is being felt worldwide like no other time in history. Change is coming; the Lord is fighting hard for us, but so is His enemy. The Lord does not need our help in this war, but our neighbors do. They need us to be the Light of Christ in this dark world.
It is time for Christians in America and the world to cry out to the Lord God Almighty for REVIVAL, REFORMATION, and RESTORATION to come. You see, Revival is just the starting point. In the word “revival” we have the word “revive”. Just as a heart-failure patient must have his heart jolted back to life, we need our hearts jolted back to life in the Church. Revival speaks of a life that is brought back into alignment with the Word of God. But revival can only come when we acknowledge our wayward ways and repent. We MUST have a genuine repentance for the many sins of our nation, for our own individual sins which include any unforgiveness towards others or ourselves. If we do not repent of our sins in our land and change our sinful ways, we will be judged.
Reformation is about returning to the sound teachings of the Scriptures and is mandatory for true revival; no more sitting on the fences, Relativism, political correctness, no more idol living and idle living. Be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only. Biblical reformation attests that true revival has taken place and is a visible change in the way we live. Just like the heart patient that was jolted back from death and is now living a full, productive life, it is the same with reformation after revival. Reformation produces the Fruit that Christ demands we seek to be true followers of Him.
When we submit to the Lord and do as the Lord says concerning revival and changing our ways, He will then give us restoration. But His restoration is more than reestablishing something to its normal or previous condition. When the Lord restores, He multiplies and improves what He is restoring so that its final condition is even better than the original. Is that amazing or what? He loves us so much and blesses us beyond measure when we follow Him.
We are truly in the last days of the last days. We, like the generations before us, are sure the Lord is coming soon but we know not when. We do not know what lies ahead, if things will become worse before He comes or if He comes tomorrow. But what if the time we are now living is the last push, the absolute last warning He sends for us to seek revival, reformation, and restoration? Just as we have been warned by medical authorities to “assume you have the virus” to keep ourselves in check for spreading the pestilence of COVID-19, act as if this is our last chance for the three R’s of Revival, Reformation, and Restoration before Christ’s return.
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face
(Repentance)
, and seek My face
(Revival)
, and turn from their wicked ways
(Reformation)
; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land
(Restoration)
.
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of
God.
To God be the Glory
P.S.
If you would like to share the goodness of the Lord during this unprecedented difficult time, click the "Share" button below to send an email to Promise Helpers, or leave a post on our Facebook page.
We love hearing from you!
