Apostle Grace Lubega

Hosea 6:2 (KJV); After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight

We have heard many things about the revivals of old. Church history gives us accounts of the Azusa Street Revival of 1906, the Welsh Revival of 1904-1905, the East African Revival of the 1920s and many others.

To many, revival is defined by healings, deliverances and great demonstrations of power. 

Today, I wish for us to define revival from another perspective as revealed in our theme scripture.

The Prophet says, He will revive us, on the third day He will raise us up and we shall live in His sight.

The true experience of revival is that men live in the sight of God. God does not revive men so that they can increase their material possessions, but that they may live in His sight. He does not even revive them so that they may experience His miraculous power; He does so, so that they live in His sight.

Many people are seeking God for entirely the wrong reasons. Their hearts and minds are set on what He can give them but not on what He wants to do in them.

But ask yourself this question, ‘How many people have been healed and stayed the same in all the other aspects of their lives? How many people have been delivered from demonic oppression  but their relationship with God remained tepid and characterised by a paralysing sense of indifference?’

Think about this: what if all the things you desire were granted to you (riches, influence, healing, or restoration of their relationships), what will bring you back to the presence of God? 

God is calling upon us to seek Him beyond signs, miracles and wonders. As revived men, we behold the riches of Christ and walk as men who are truly alive unto God.

Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Ephesians 4:1, Philippians 3:14

GOLDEN NUGGET: The true experience of revival is that men live in the sight of God. As revived men, we behold the riches of Christ and walk as men who are truly alive unto God.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank You for this truth. I thank You because I know that I am revived. I am not simply waiting for revival, I know that revival is already here because I live in its reality every day, to the glory of Your name, Amen.

KUFUFULIWA!

Mtume Grace Lubega

Hosea 6:2 (SUV); Baada ya siku mbili atatufufua; siku ya tatu atatuinua, nasi tutaishi mbele zake.

Tumesikia mambo mengi kuhusu ufufuo wa zamani. Historia ya kanisa inatupa masimulizi ya Ufufuo wa Mtaa wa Azusa wa 1906, Ufufuo wa Wales wa 1904-1905, Ufufuo wa Afrika Mashariki wa miaka ya 1920 na mengine mengi.

Kwa wengi, ufufuo unafafanuliwa na uponyaji, ukombozi na maonyesho makuu ya nguvu.

Leo, ningependa tufafanue ufufuo kutoka kwa mtazamo mwingine kama ulivyofunuliwa katika maandiko yetu ya mada.

Nabii anasema, atatufufua; siku ya tatu atatuinua, nasi tutaishi mbele zake.

Uzoefu wa kweli wa ufufuo ni kwamba wanadamu waishi mbele zake Mungu. Mungu hawafufui wanadamu ili waweze kuongeza mali zao za kimwili, bali wapate kuishi mbele zake. Hata hawafufui ili wapate uzoefu wa nguvu zake za miujiza; Anafanya hivyo ili waishi mbele zake.

Watu wengi wanamtafuta Mungu kwa sababu zisizo sahihi kabisa. Mioyo na akili zao zimekazwa juu ya kile Anachoweza kuwapa lakini sio kile anachotaka kufanya ndani yao.

Lakini jiulize swali hili, ‘Ni watu wangapi wameponywa na kubaki sawa katika nyanja nyingine zote za maisha yao? Ni watu wangapi ambao wamekombolewa kutoka dhuluma za kishetani lakini uhusiano wao pamoja na Mungu uliendelea kuwa fufutende na wenye sifa za upoozaji wa kutojali ?’

Fikiria juu ya hili: je, ikiwa vitu vyote unavyotamani vilitolewa kwako (utajiri, ushawishi, uponyaji, au urejesho wa mahusiano yao), ni nini kitakachokurudisha kwenye uwepo wa Mungu?

Mungu anatuita tumtafute zaidi ya ishara, miujiza na maajabu. Kama watu waliofufuka, tunaona utajiri wa Kristo na kutembea kama watu walio hai kwa Mungu kweli.

Haleluya!

MASOMO YA ZIADA: Waefeso 4:1, Wafilipi 3:14

UJUMBE MKUU: Uzoefu wa kweli wa ufufuo ni kwamba wanadamu waishi mbele zake Mungu. Kama watu waliofufuka, tunaona utajiri wa Kristo na kutembea kama watu walio hai kwa Mungu kweli.

SALA: Baba Mpenzi, Nakushukuru kwa kweli hii. Ninakushukuru kwa sababu najua kwamba nimefufuliwa. Singojei tu ufufuo, najua kwamba ufufuo tayari upo kwa sababu ninaishi katika uhalisi wake kila siku, kwa utukufu wa jina lako, Amina.