Revival As Revealed In Nature

I love the spring time! The time of “Aprilia” (‘opening’, as in the buds) is here! There is a natural optimism breathing life and hope which tidal waves its influence across this blue planet we call home. Hope is in the air, and its life giving insurgence fills our lungs. March, April and May are the times of nature’s revival. It is high time that the good ole USA smells the roses of the natural world.

(Son KJV Bible 2:12) The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

The glad Gospel is wondrously illustrated through nature.  Renewal is the best part of living. Every time I delight in the perfume of the roses and the mélange of sweet smelling flora, I know the plain truth that God wills revival for His people. I hear His voice through Solomon’s song, “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away” (Son KJV Bible 2:10,13)!

I would love for us all to hear this spring-time chorsus from God and nature: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away” (Son KJV Bible 2:10,13)!

The Church of Christ is often sluggish; God’s people often need multiple exhortations. I find the best refrain to mobilize and awaken me from my couched slothfulness is the 'aprilia' of His great love for me! I experience the budding of revival when I am reminded that He gave His life, and shed His blood to demonstrate this 'agape' sacrifice for me, and not for me alone but for all of us. The Scriptures declare that we are the Bride of Christ.  He persists in calling Her (His Bride) to arise and go along with Him. As the spring sun and life giving showers call the earth’s plants from their grave each year, and as nature’s revival greens the dull earth, and as the hormones of new life is sparked in animals great and small, the Church is to be ignited with renewal and urged to follow her Beloved Jesus. The 'Song of Solomon' says the flowering fields are pleasing to her eyes, and the chirping birds are enjoyable to her ears, and the ripening figs are savory to her taste and smell. It is high time His Beloved rises to Her loving Savior’s call to revival!

I see worship in this process of revival. Most Christians have little thought of why they attend church. Why do you go? For the average dullard of understanding in spiritual matters it is to get something. I remember talking to such an acquaintance. I am hoping to reach this young man when he sidesteps my witness and says, “I love to go to church!” Astonishment floods my spirit, and I think maybe he understands more than I reckon. However, my pleasure is short-lived with his continued words, “I love to dress up, go to church looking spiffy, put a $20 bill the plate, shake hands with everybody, go to a nice restaurant, then smoke a cigar. I get so much out of it!”

Worship is all about giving! Church is all about giving, not getting! Worship is giving: giving our time; giving our reverence; giving our prayers: giving our tithes, offerings and alms; and, most importantly, giving our hearts and minds. We give these to our Beloved, even as He gives revival to us, His Beloved. We are blessed to bless Him!

I see our responding to our Savior’s invitation as our greatest act of worship. In order to give in church, we must learn to bow, to praise, to believe, to honor, to obey. When we practice such from the deepest reverence and adoration, then we ‘arise to our Beloved’ in renewal.

One final note: When we truly realize that we come to church to worship Him, the more we seek to lose ourselves! God wants you to have a good self image; He wants you to have a handle on self. We all must get our life from God. He knows this and He wills it. However, true ownership is when we have the ability to give all or part of ourselves to others.

Ephesians KJV Bible 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Paul uses family as an example of true giving. Love requires the giving of ourselves! Christ has life and He gives His life for us that we might have His life! We receive this life freely. Now we are to give this life back to Him and others. We cannot give what we do not have, so He gives us life abundantly and ever renewable as in ‘Aprilia.’ In so doing we receive yet more life. So it goes, and life is renewed as the Spring! Spring is sprung - Revival is everywhere!