The Changed Life - Nehemiah 10-11 and Acts 4:1-22
Anyone can claim to know God. Anyone can claim to have experienced a revival in their relationship with God. The real proof of a relationship with God and of having experienced a revival is a changed life. When Jesus lives in a person, there is a fundamental change that takes place. When a person experiences true revival, there will be substantive changes in that person's life. The changes are the fruit of the encounter with God.
The remnant of Israel who experienced the revival in Nehemiah's day signed a covenant with God in which they promised to change their lives in many areas. They made numerous commitments that are outlined in these chapters. Then, there were ten percent of the people who were willing to live in Jerusalem and to rebuild it from scratch, too. All of this showed that they were willing to make big changes in their lives, because of their encounter with the Living God. The same is true today. If we experience revival, our lives will change. We will continue in the changes, and they will cause us to become more like Jesus. I urge each of us to examine our own lives in light of this reality and to ask ourselves when we have had a personal revival. If it has been a long time, we need to pray for God to send a revival in our lives.
In Acts 4 Peter and John continued to stand up to the authorities, even after they were put in prison. They spoke boldly in the name of Jesus. They told the leaders that they would not stop speaking in the name of Jesus. What had happened to these timid disciples? Could this be the same Peter who denied Jesus three times? It was the same Peter, but he had encountered the Risen Christ. His life had been changed by the Holy Spirit coming to live in him. The change showed that he had a real relationship with Jesus. Jesus, Himself, said that we would be able to tell a tree by its fruit. If there is no fruit in a person's life, then they have not encountered the Lord Jesus and entered into a meaningful relationship with Him. We should all realize that God's goal for us is a changed life. He wants us to be like Jesus. He will always do His part, if we will come to Christ with all of our hearts, or if we will seek revival with all of our hearts.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Nehemiah 12-13 and Acts 4:23-37.
The remnant of Israel who experienced the revival in Nehemiah's day signed a covenant with God in which they promised to change their lives in many areas. They made numerous commitments that are outlined in these chapters. Then, there were ten percent of the people who were willing to live in Jerusalem and to rebuild it from scratch, too. All of this showed that they were willing to make big changes in their lives, because of their encounter with the Living God. The same is true today. If we experience revival, our lives will change. We will continue in the changes, and they will cause us to become more like Jesus. I urge each of us to examine our own lives in light of this reality and to ask ourselves when we have had a personal revival. If it has been a long time, we need to pray for God to send a revival in our lives.
In Acts 4 Peter and John continued to stand up to the authorities, even after they were put in prison. They spoke boldly in the name of Jesus. They told the leaders that they would not stop speaking in the name of Jesus. What had happened to these timid disciples? Could this be the same Peter who denied Jesus three times? It was the same Peter, but he had encountered the Risen Christ. His life had been changed by the Holy Spirit coming to live in him. The change showed that he had a real relationship with Jesus. Jesus, Himself, said that we would be able to tell a tree by its fruit. If there is no fruit in a person's life, then they have not encountered the Lord Jesus and entered into a meaningful relationship with Him. We should all realize that God's goal for us is a changed life. He wants us to be like Jesus. He will always do His part, if we will come to Christ with all of our hearts, or if we will seek revival with all of our hearts.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Nehemiah 12-13 and Acts 4:23-37.