THE DUELING REVIVIALS (HEAVEN VS HELL)

(Luke 5:17-26)
by David C. Hairabedian

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. (Jas. 3:13-18, NIV)

Two revivals are taking place simultaneously on this 21st Century planet. One is a revival from Heaven as God "pours out His Spirit upon all flesh" (Acts 2:17-21). The other is a revival bubbling forth from the pits of hell as Satan tries to deceive the whole world (Rev. 18:23). There is a last day’s battle over souls. God's angels and Satan's demons are in conflict as the undecided of humanity come ever closer to the day of final reckoning. Where are you at in this battle? In which revival are you participating? We are going to look into the characteristics of both revivals and determine by our individual lifestyles which revival stream has engulfed us. At the end of this teaching, we will also have an opportunity, if necessary, to switch streams, to enter the river that reaches to Heaven for eternity.

WHAT IS REVIVAL?

Webster's Dictionary defines Revival as, "Restoration to use, acceptance, activity, or vigor after obscurity...a new presentation as of an old play, film, opera or ballet...renewed interest in religion...a meeting or series of meetings in order to reawaken religious faith, often marked by impassioned evangelism and public professions of faith."

Revivals result in "restoration to use and acceptance of some sort of activity." Ecclesiastes says, "What was, will be again, what has been done, will be done again, and there is nothing new under the sun!" (Eccl. 1:9, NJB). A long way of saying, history repeats itself. It has been often said, "He who fails to study history is doomed to repeat it." In being faithful students of history, we need to go to the genesis of mankind, the Garden of Eden. Revival fires began there.

Adam and Eve had been given dominion over the earth. God placed them in a perfect place, the Garden of Eden. No sin was present, neither sickness nor depravity. They lacked nothing. Abundant life was all around them (Gen. 2:15). Fellowship with the Creator occurred daily. “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day” (Gen. 3:8, NIV). God's Peace, His Presence, His Power, and His guiding voice were resonant like a stream of life flowing in their midst. But then, the serpent struck. He deceived the woman through crafty speech (Gen. 3:6; 2Cor. 11:2-3). Fine sounding arguments were his tool of treachery. "Ye shall not surely die," he said. "Just take a bite of the fruit of that forbidden tree, and it will make you better not worse," he propositioned. "God has withheld something from you...something that will make your life more enjoyable...you shall not surely die...go ahead and eat...". She did, Adam followed suit and they both fell from grace (Gen. 3:6-7). They switched revival streams. Consequences followed. Eve's pain in childbirth was greatly multiplied (Gen. 3:16), and Adam's gardening business became filled with thorns and thistles (Gen. 3:18). Sound familiar?

NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN

There is nothing new under the sun. The devil has no new tricks. As we see from the story of Adam and Eve and the serpent, we see three things the adversary used to entice God's creation to switch revivals. The first was what the Bible calls, "The lust of the flesh" (1Jn. 2:16-17). "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food..." (Gen. 3:6). The second was what the Bible calls, "The lust of the eyes" ("and that it was pleasant to the eyes..."). The third was what the Bible calls, "The pride of life" ("and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave her husband to eat") (v. 6).

We are admonished in Scripture, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides for ever" (1Jn. 2:15-17, RSV).

The revival of Heaven is a revival of the Father's love, agape love. A selfless love, love that puts others first, the love Jesus demonstrated on Earth. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (Jn. 15:13, NIV). And, appropriately, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16, RSV). This is the revival of Heaven. Is this revival flowing in and through your life? Let's examine some facets of Heaven's revival of the Father's love for humanity from 1Corinthians 13:4-8:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails (NIV).

NINE FACETS OF DIVINE LOVE

1). PATIENCE

–This is love in waiting. It is never in a hurry. It suffers long with others. It bears, hopes, and believes through all things, enduring the most difficult circumstances. (v. 4, 7).

2). KINDNESS

– This is love in action. It never acts rashly or insolently towards others. It is never puffed up or prideful. It is warm-hearted. When attacked, it responds quietly, knowing “A gentle answer turns away wrath” (Prov. 15:1, NIV). It is never contingent on another’s actions, but takes action by being kind. (v. 4).

3). GENEROSITY

– This is love overflowing. This is the love that meets the needs of those around it. It is not envious or jealous, but esteems others better than itself. In a practical way, this love offers you the bigger piece of cake. (v. 4).

4). HUMILITY

– This is love in hiding. It doesn’t parade itself publicly, there is no pride about it. It just does what needs to be done, not concerning itself with who gets the credit for the job, success, or victory. And when given compliments, it points others to God who gave them the ability in the first place. (v. 4).

5). COURTESY

– This is love in everyday living. It never behaves in an unseemly manner, is always polite, never rude or discourteous. Never cuts in line, and when someone cuts in front of them, they respond with patience (v. 5). “But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Mt. 5:39, RSV).

6). UNSELFISH

– This is love in essence. It’s never selfish, sour, or bitter. It sees only the good in others. It does not retaliate or seek revenge (v. 5).

7). GOOD TEMPERED

– This is love in disposition. It is never irritated, never resentful. It remains balanced. It never reacts, only responds. This type of love cannot be easily knocked off its foundation, but brings others back into balance by its role model. (v. 5).

8). RIGHTEOUSNESS

– This is love in conduct. It hates sin, and is never glad when others go wrong. It is always gladdened by goodness to others, always slow to expose. It covers a brother’s sin, correcting him privately, never publicly. It is not a tattletale, always enduring and praying through to victory (v. 6-7).

9). SINCERITY

– This is love in profession. It is never boastful, conceited, or hypocritical. It is always honest, full of trust, knows how to be silent, joyful, and truthful. “Against such things [the fruits of the Spirit] there is no law” (Gal. 5:23, NIV). Sincere love always prevails. (v. 7).

These nine ingredients of Divine love are present where God’s Holy Spirit is reviving mankind. God is a restorer, a healer, a deliverer. Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted and to announce that captives shall be released and the blind shall see, that the downtrodden shall be freed from their oppressors, and that God is ready to give blessings to all who come to him” (Lk. 4:18, LVB). He forgives and pardons sin. He takes that which the devil meant for harm and turns it around for good. This is his nature, character and love. He revives the weary and wounded soul. Are you a representative of this revival? If not, you can be.

If this doesn't sound like the revival in which you are an active player, perhaps the 20 telltale signs of Satan's revival might be a bit more familiar. Let's look briefly at hell's revival and its characteristics.

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them" (2Tim. 3:1-5, NIV).

The Lord showed the Apostle Paul the last day’s revival of hell and its 20 telltale signs. He said, "these people will have a form of godliness, but deny the true power of God." These people say things like, "Hey, I believe in God." The Bible says, "Even the devils believe in God, and tremble" (Js. 2:19). "But I go to Church," they reply. Jesus said, "A tree is known by its fruit" [or lack thereof] (Mt. 7:15,20). Do you have the 9-fold fruit of the Father's love flowing through your life, or are the 20 telltale signs of Satan's revival dictating your actions? Let's look closer and decide...

TWENTY TELLTALE SIGNS OF SATAN'S REVIVAL

1). Lovers of themselves (v. 2). These men are fond of themselves; always talking about themselves, selfish, placing others last and self first. They take the bigger piece of cake, leaving the smaller one for others.

2). Lovers of money (v. 2). Fond of money. Fond of having things. If someone else has it and they don't, they want it at almost any cost, even risking a prison sentence.

3). Boastful (v. 2). Braggarts, self exalting. Claim to be the best at their sport, cards, womanizing, gambling, business, educational accomplishments, and knowledge on every other matter.

4). Proud (v. 2). Self-esteem is of high priority. Machismo. Feel they have to defend their honor; even at the cost of compromising the 9-fold love of Christ.

5). Abusive (v. 2). Speak evil of God’s servants, rail on others, revile, defame, slander and insult the things of God and His Spirit. Speak evil of spiritual things they don't understand, trampling underfoot the blood of Christ's covenant to their own shame.

6). Disobedient to Parents (v. 2). Headstrong children. Always looking for a loophole around the directives given to them by the ones in authority over them. Feet swift to run off into mischief.

7). Ungrateful (v. 2). Unthankful, unappreciative. The cup is always half empty in their eyes instead of being half full.

8). Unholy (v. 2). Without piety; no reverence for the things of God. Foul language flows in their conversation as natural.

9). Without love (v. 3). Living in unnatural affection; homosexuality, bestiality, perversion. True love can wait, lust cannot; it must be satisfied now.

10). Unforgiving (v. 3). Doesn't honor agreements for peace. Usually the first one to pick a quarrel, fight or bring chaos after a truce has been negotiated.

11). Slanderous (v. 3). The Greek word here is “diabolos”. It’s the same word used for Satan. He is the diabolical one, the accuser, the slanderer, the adversary, the one who brings opposition to the people and things of God. This word was used by Jesus to describe Judas before he betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Jn. 6:70).

12). Without self-control (v. 3). No control of appetites or passions. Gluttony, lustful, no control of eyes when a woman walks by or appears on the TV screen.

13). Brutal (v. 3). Wild, savage, uncivilized. Untamable in nature, acts on base nature instead of the new nature of Christ.

14). Not lovers of the good (v. 3). Talks evil when seeing others doing good. Hates those who are walking in the 9-fold love of Christ, always having some negative comment or accusatory statement concerning those who do good.

15). Treacherous (v. 3). Betrayers. Makes a deal for one price and changes it later. Sells others out for personal gain, self-interest, advancement or to extricate himself from a dilemma.

16). Rash (v. 4). Hasty; reckless; headstrong. Difficult to reason with. Quick to run off to handle the problem without first hearing the whole matter. “What a shame--yes, how stupid!--to decide before knowing the facts!” (Prov. 18:13, LVB)

17). Conceited (v. 4). The Greek word here is “tuphoo”, meaning, "senseless, silly, conceited, to make dull, stupid or absurd." Speaks and acts out often, but rarely says or does anything of true value or substance.

18). Lovers of pleasure (v. 4). Sensual gratification is their god. "If it feels good, do it" is their mindset. "God made me this way, I have to satisfy my natural urges." "God understands my weakness...if he wanted me to stop he would take it from me." This sign of Satan's revival is rampant in the world and within the Church. "The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life." God calls us to die daily to our sinful nature and to bring our body and mind under subjection, so we are not rejected by Heaven after we have preached to others (see 1Cor. 9:27; 15:31). God is not interested in our excuses on judgment day. Which revival are you in?

19). Having a form of godliness (v. 5). The Greek word here is “morphosis”, meaning, "a semblance; sketch; form." Their religion is only in their creed and formal confession of faith and not in their hearts. They talk the talk, but don't walk the walk. They say, but do not do. This person acts piously in Church for an hour, often singing all the right hymns, saying the right things, but the minute service is over, they walk out and live like the world. Church angels, street devils.

20). Denying the power of godliness (v. 5). Destitute of godliness; having no belief that it is possible for them to live a victorious Christian life, free from the old shackles of sin. God says, "Be holy, for I am holy" (1Pt. 1:16). He gives us the power of the Holy Spirit, if only we will ask (Luke 11:11-13, Acts 1:8).

WHICH REVIVAL DO YOU REPRESENT?

Which revival do you represent? In which one are you participating? Are you dueling against Satan, or dueling against the Lord? Who do you serve? Who do you oppose? Actions speak louder than words. The word represents is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “…to stand for, symbolize…to draw attention to…to function as the official and authorized delegate of agent for…to act as a spokesperson for…to be an example of…” What television programs do you spend your time – time given to you by God – watching? How about radio programs, conversations, books, magazines, and other printed material? What do you spend your time doing? What songs do you sing throughout your day? Do the lyrics come from Heaven or hell? Who do you fellowship with? Are they being won to Christ or are they winning you to the world?

Which revival are you an example of? Which revival are you “acting as a spokesperson for”? I once heard a preacher say, “Show me your checkbook, and I’ll tell you where your heart is.” We vote with our dollars. We also vote by how we spend our God-given hours of life. Take a minute and do a quick inventory of the last few days. Where your money is, there also is your heart. Likewise, where your time is spent, there will your heart be found. Whom are you serving? Be honest.

One of Webster's definitions of Revival was "a meeting or series of meetings in order to reawaken religious faith, often marked by impassioned evangelism and public professions of faith." Are you attending a meeting (gathering of two, three or a dozen or more people) that is marked by "impassioned evangelism" and "public professions of faith." The TV sets where I am presently housed meet the above criteria from a negative standpoint. Men are impassioned about what they want to watch, fleshly reality shows, Howard Stern, sexually explicit music videos, Temptation Island, Ultimate Fighting, etc… They are passionate to the point of fist-fighting if they can't get their morning, afternoon and evening fix. They are standing firm, defending their lord and master. They are controlled by what is displayed on the screen. They then emulate and become what they watch, sheep following their shepherd’s leading. Men go through the units, preaching about a certain program, trying to convert others to watch with them. For some, it is one-an-one evangelism, while others do it en masse, preaching to whoever will listen. Paul tells us, “And all of us, with our unveiled faces like mirrors reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the image that we reflect in brighter and brighter glory; this is the working of the Lord who is the Spirit” (2Cor. 3:18, LVB). Or, are you reflecting Satan’s darker and darker depravity? For good or evil, you will, literally, become what you spend your hours beholding. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is” (Rom. 12:2, NLT).

Who do you represent in your preaching? Who are you converting to your god? Can your god save them? What message are you preaching? Are you covered with God's angels or Satan's demons? "For a tree is known by its fruit" (Mt. 12:33, NKJV) "Are there still some among you who hold that only believing is enough? Believing in one God? Well, remember that the demons believe this too--so strongly that they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that believing is useless without doing what God wants you to? Faith that does not result in good deeds is not real faith" (Js. 2:19-20, LVB).

EVERY MAN AN EVANGELIST

In this last days dueling revival between God and Satan, every man is an evangelist. Webster’s defines Evangelism as: “1. Zealous preaching and dissemination of the gospel, as through missionary work. 2. Militant zeal for a cause.” An Evangelist is, "A person who practices evangelism." Do you practice zealous preaching of the Gospel, through missionary work at your facility, work-place, or neighborhood? Or are you zealous, perhaps even militant, for another cause? Is it your gang, as you operate in the 20 telltale signs of Hell's revival to win converts? What have you tattooed onto your body? What revival are you advertising with your skin for all to see? Is Christ glorified, or the devil and his hellish fallen imps? [If you put tattoos on your body before you were saved, God has forgiven you, and will take what the devil meant for harm and turn it to good for a testimony of what Jesus has delivered you from. If you are saved and still glorifying the old lifestyle, you may need to "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith…" (2Cor. 13:5, NKJV)]. Repent if necessary, receive God's forgiveness, switch revival streams, and move forward as an evangelist for God.

THE HARVEST IS COMING!

The harvest is coming. Jesus said, "…the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one…" (Mt. 13:38, RSV). Jesus will be sending his angels to gather and separate these groups. "The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear" (Mt. 13:39-43, NIV). Are you ready for the harvest? Do you know where you will spend eternity? The angels are coming!

ARE YOU READY?

Are you ready for harvest? Is your oil lamp full? Are your eyes singly focused on the things of God, or are you a double-minded man? Do you have both feet in the Kingdom of God, sold out to Jesus, or do you still have one foot in the world? If you are riding on the fence, remember this, the devil owns the fence. It’s a dangerous time to be sitting on the fence. The "lukewarm" are going to be "spewed out of the mouth of Christ" (Rev. 3:15-16).

CHOOSE THIS DAY, WHOM YOU WILL SERVE

Today is the day of salvation. Tomorrow isn't promised. One of the devil's most effective tricks is to tell people they always have time to repent. "‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you" (Lk. 12:20, NIV). A lot of people end up in hell, for eternity, where there is no more hope of salvation, because they said they were going to "get right with God tomorrow." Tomorrow never came. The angels came for them that night, carrying them to the place of everlasting torment. Joshua told the Israelites before entering the Promised Land, "…choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served…or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. " (Josh. 24:15, KJV). Joshua and the Israelites, who chose to serve the Lord, entered into and enjoyed the land flowing with milk and honey. Sadly, some chose to try to serve both the Lord and the false gods of the land. It cost them their eternity. The demons in hell are now laughing and tormenting them, as they have no more hope of relief.

TIME TO REPENT

You have time to repent if you are reading this. "Now therefore, put away the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord" (Josh. 24:23, KJV). Jesus accepts those who accept and follow Him. Satan accepts those who accept him and follow his ways. Those who accept and follow Jesus 'go where Jesus goes; heaven. Those who accept and follow Satan go where Satan goes; hell. "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever" (Rev. 20:10, KJV). Heaven is real and so is hell. "The fool says in his heart, there is no God" (Ps. 14:1; 53:1). Jesus has paid the price that we might have eternal life. "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1Jn. 1:9, KJV). Jesus died on the Cross to purchase our freedom from sin and its consequences, hell. If you want to serve the Lord in this revival, pray this prayer with me.

PRAYER TO SERVE GOD

God, I confess I've been in the wrong revival. I want the 9-fold love of the Father that flows from a relationship with Jesus Christ. Satan, I denounce you as my lord. No longer will I serve you with my actions. I make a decision today to cast away the false gods that I've been serving. I choose to follow Jesus. Jesus, I accept your sacrifice on the Cross for my sins. I believe you were buried in the tomb, and three days later God raised you from the dead. I choose to serve you whole-heartedly in this life that I might spend eternity with you in the afterlife. I willingly enter God's side of the dueling revival and become an evangelist for Jesus Christ! Amen.