THE BASIC PRINCIPLE FOR REVIVAL: GOING TO THE DOOR

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him and he with Me”, Rev. 3:20.

If there is a home, children running inside, if the man of the house is of the kind that states even to himself “I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing”, the first thing he disregards is the door and whatever is good outside.

Because he wants to believe that there is no good outside for confidence’s sake, the second thing he has to ignore and misjudge so as to carry on feeling rich and saved, is the evil inside. These two evils combined, is a harming evil beyond conception. Nevertheless, the Lord thought it easy to solve by calling attention upon the door – He knows that if someone opens it, he will have a taste of whatever is outside and compare. Because the door is neutral ground and belongs to the one feeling safe and rich all over, he is not challenged to look upon command to whatever is good and better outside. None can help it but look, once opening that door.

Whenever someone grows up in an environment where money is asked, where fantasy reigns, where prophecies are never to be examined and proofed upon the word of God as clearly and as honestly as one may ever do, one gets used to it as the only truth to be regarded ever, being told there is nothing good outside. All voices from inside their realm point out that there is nothing at the door to see as good. These people are dominated by their own evil and pride, thinking God drives them. Once sin starts preaching the Word, there is nothing to feel afraid of within the imaginations of a corrupted mind, seeing presumption has the clothing of faith. And the more these sinful men preach according to truth, the less they care about the door, the spot where Jesus will knock. They will care the less when their back door is opened up to the devil: they believe everyone should take notice there is a back door open.

These people start to talk and preach about revival, about the lives of genuine revival men, discrediting them before many outside, seeing they link obvious error to them. There are countries where the word “Revival” is regarded as an evil to be avoided: the word of God is blasphemed because of such. Besides, because of the many things which happen inside their door, people in there feel and find how to feel appeased at conscience level, singing and praying as few do, thinking they are being persecuted innocently, just as Christ said genuine Christians would. “They have also healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace”, Jer 6:14. “And they do not say within their hearts that I remember all their evil. Now their own doings have hemmed them in; they are before My face,” Hos 7:2.

They little know, actually have little chance to know, that their time is running short and that their feet are “Surely set in slippery places, casting them down into ruin”, Psa 73:18. If their life seems to be blessed, it means God wants to come to destroy them eventually and does not want them to feel lost at all. Nevertheless, they are never allowed to grow beyond measure, for their sinning allows them not to gain the confidence of people for too long a period. If their sin would not draw their limitation line, God Himself would, for He says, “They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them the region of wickedness, and the people with whom Jehovah is indignant forever”. To be called rightly “the region of wickedness”, is a sure sign God is angry at them. The only thing that will remain of their work eventually, are the Bibles they have spread all over the place, besides the lives that may have heard the knocking at the door and answered correctly and promptly. In every house where sin is allowed to abide freely, there are always children that will rebel and some of these will rebel in the right direction – some won’t, even if they rebel too.

We may have noticed how the Lord is knocking at a door of a church that had a revival. I often hear preachers use this verse to the world outside their doors many times. If you happen to be one of those who try to convert others to your ways by using this verse, applying it to their case, allow me to remind you that the door is yours and that you are the one that should go there to answer – have none sent there for you. If you go down and humble yourself by going to the door, if you listen to the one that is there and obviously differentiating and separating Himself from your ways, the ones you believe are golden like and most pure, you are as close to revival as can be. It is your door that separates you from real revival and your heart has great reluctance to take heed upon the knocking you perceive to be there too.

After having gone to the door of your own heart, you may despise whatever is told unto you still. Take care to regard yourself as evil and possibly rebellious so you may hear what the Lord has to say. There is a greatness that has to be reached beyond your doorstep, outdoors where you may have once hated to hear a good thing about, even being reluctant to believe and accept that there is goodness outside your own courts to reach for. If the Lord denies to come in and says as He said to Lot, “Run for your life and do not look back”, go and remember that your mouth may become used to say and believe that "The LORD's great reputation reaches beyond our borders", Mal 1:5.

 

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