Now is the Time for Revival

Money can satisfy a nice bouquet that is a nice glow bling bling satisfied Dr. Tony Evans is true satisfaction. As a result of revival, processor restoration, with two vital once it becomes the only time Samuel said he will return me to your first love.

This is the alternative only as an author, speaker, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the alternative today. Dr. Evans explains there are two parts to revival and being only half revived doesn't get the job done much joining. I'm sure all of us have alarm clocks usually by the side of our bids in these alarm clocks have a major assignment and that is to let us know it's time to get up.

They said at night to go off in the morning even with a loud noise or with becoming one of the radio to tell us that we should no longer be sleeping or slumbering's, wake up alarm clocks can go off at the most inconvenient time they can go off when you're not ready to get up that golf when you don't want to get up, they can go off and you resist them is called the snooze button is where you are resisting the call of the alarm that's demanding a response right now.

That means the comfort of the bed must be left the convenience of the covers must be rejected because you gotta get on with your day. The alarm clock is critical if you want to accomplish something in life. God had an alarm clock in the Bible and they will call prophets prophets were God's alarm clocks they would sound the alarm in order to call God's people to a spiritual response remains revival and regularly throughout the Bible God would call the people to revival through the alarm system called the prophet today I want to look at one of those profits and is cool.

The prophet's name is Haggai is known as a minor prophet major prophets that one with the big books, music kills and Isaiah is the major prophets.

They wrote and talked about a lot and the prophets all the little books. In fact, Haggai.

You flip the page you finish. I don't have to check this lease minor prophet buddy the minor prophet with a major message that set the context of Haggai's prophetic message Israel has been under the judgment of God in Babylon for 70 years they rejected the earlier prophets like Jeremiah who said if you don't change God to intervene and judge. They did not change.

They refused. God intervened and judged, and the Babylonians invaded Israel destroyed the temple, and many of the Israelites into slavery in the Babylon.

That's where books like Daniel Clement with Daniel and Richet Shadrach, and Abednego a bit taken.

The Babylon of of all products that judgment for 70 years they had been living in Babylon in this placemat home unhappy, miserable and wanting to come out of judgment at the end of 70 years. God's grace and mercy intervened and God brought them out of captivity from Babylon. The book of Haggai is written to the returning Jews who are now returning back to Babylon. In fact, they have now been back in Israel for over 15 years with the book of Haggai.

When I got prophet comes on the scene there back in Israel for fifth teen years. Let's see what Haggai has to say to these returning folks who are now back in Israel burst to the posterior people say time is not yet, even the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt. So these returning people back home now for more than 15 years have not started to rebuild the temple, which was destroyed when the Babylonians came many years earlier to take them in the captivity the temple has been left in ruins. When asked why the people said we don't have time to rebuild the temple. We don't have time now we know one of the reasons that they didn't have time for said they didn't have time because it's recorded in the book of bathroom Internet chapter 4 verses four and five. The people have become miscarriages. They had some opposition. They had some resistance. They had some inconvenience and I said we have to live with this. That was nice to meet the temple but we now fully with this because we want to go through all this inconvenience obey rather than deal with the inconvenience that we don't have time for this so they left the house of God on hold now not dealing with the temple was major it was major because in the old testament. The temple was now the manifest presence of God in the temple was where the glory of God came where God sat in the midst of his people.

So when they said we don't have time for the temple.

They were not just saying we don't have time for this building.

Although the temple was building what they were also saying is it's not that big a deal not to have God in our midst because with the temple came God in their midst. So I want you to not look at the temple merely of the building was building but it represented something deeper. Let me show you what else, if you turn over one page you run into another minor prophet's name is Zachariah Zacharias.

In verse two the Lord was very angry with your fathers before you went in the captivity.

Therefore say to them that the multiples returned to me, declares the Lord of hosts that may return to you said, Lord of host then returning to him to God was being demonstrated through the neglect of the temple. So here it is, how do you know when you are returning to God. You pretty much know when you're turning from sin to you doing not doing so you can measure that you measure when you return real simple one word first. You know you returning when you put God first. That's when you know when.if you are returning because that means you have now reprioritize them and you have repositioned him in your life which means you are returning to hips. We got your emotions on any given moment. That's why so much is said about first in the Bible. He says you are to bring your firstborn to the Lord's 26 says that you ought to give the first of your flocks to the Lord. Colossians chapter 1 verse 18 for Jesus Christ is the firstborn of many brethren, that he might have first place in everything its relationship to the love show put God first. Once it becomes a priority. Now you not only turn from your sins, you are returning to your first love. You are putting God first and therefore calling God down in your midst.

Our problem is we off with a left over relationship with God.

We are satisfied with the leftovers and nobody wants people to go with Every day, what with his five spiritually with is giving God all but which means we have not returned to him. Even if we turn from six which means he is not in the best and if he is not in the midst we do not have the expression of his presence operating in our lives. You know you not put in first one you have time for spiritual priorities is what he says in verse verse five.

Consider your ways. In other words, to think about this case, only to be something about because he told me to think about is to consider your ways. Think about this. You have so much work time and harvest little you want to. When I went you eat and there is not enough to be satisfied your drinks. There is not enough to become drunk you put on clothes and no one is warm enough and you earned earns wages to put them in a purse full of holes.is how you know you cannot return to God you living a dissatisfied life. The money came satisfying.

Have a nice food can satisfy you having a nice clove bling bling came satisfying.

If you living an unsatisfied life you're living an unsatisfied life.

God says because I make sure that all your hard work does not satisfy.

It will satisfy you. It won't be enough, and I will make sure that what you get. You put in a pocket full of old soon as you get it you lose it you payoff one thing that Mel's breakdown so it keeps going up. You keep trying to get more more more more more. Nothing wrong with having you in and of itself, but you're getting it without a relationship.

You wonder what happened to it so that it went in and went through one where would you wonder wherewith you said so I am unlucky.

No doubt, is that you want to use me you will return to me you don't want a relationship. The Bible says, seek ye first the kingdom of God. Dr. Evans will have more on how to find satisfaction in life continues her message just a moment with his 2021 is just around the corner and your health is vital to finish the year strong, and keep these messages coming your way. What people need right now is interest found in God's word, the financial cost to me can continue to increase your gifting will help keep the Irving alternative going strong, on-air and online.

Similarly, sinners like you can continue to be encouraged by messages of hope and life is a Tony Evans direct and when you help us out with a generous contribution will say thanks by sending you the best of Tony Evans 2020 giant set of 20 of his most popular messages digging into subjects like overcoming addiction, healing relationships, developing unshakable inner peace and much more. And as an added bonus will also include a copy of his popular devotional book called for a purpose. Both of these wonderful resources are our gift to you to make your year-end contribution online@tonyevans.org or call our resource Center at 1-800-800-3222. I repeat that information for you again after Dr. Evans brings us part two of today's lesson. Let's join if he says consider your ways efforts are not bringing you enough enough means to be satisfied. Okay.

Put another way is very little contentment in your life pauses. I have learned to be content, whether times are good or times are bad. I have learned to chill whether my stuff is up all my stuff is there, I have learned to be cool whether the stock market is headed north or whether the stock market and hitting sucks have learned to chill good because I have satisfaction made. That's what he says but what is your state of discontent and everything you do to make your self content will be enough.

You will drink but you will get enough to be content you ate what you will be full enough to get content to make so all but it will go into all I will not grant you contentment with me, but if you return to his let me putting me first make some vague thing returning to God come to church every week, putting first, church may not be for you to religiously watch is that watches a lot of those were seven consider Yahweh's that means.

Think about this, you better think about this, go to watches watches that go to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified, says the Lord, go to the mountain shot down some trees bring back rebuild the temple so that happy okay you want me to make you happy okay making me happy first is you call me. Make me happy go up there limiting case down without sweat become something that you gotta calm up the mountain little inconvenient appeal to limitation returning to the Lord has to be demonstrated and what you do not how good you say, my rock mouse with my Shealy my wheel in the middle with that sound good but you have done nothing a man highly praise the Lord.

Nice talk. Go now have a mountain discussion get up go up shot down the trees. Bring back the Lord is with the temple. Let me see what you're going to do nice.

You can talk mountain shot them trees would rebuild the temple, so I'm happy you please me. Let me put me first problem with that request was is is that the Bible says in a number places will please that's with 37 that went the people went back from Babylon to Israel, the king then was Persia, Babylon, the king of Persia was is now the Jews would to rebuild the temple. Okay she Jews to refuse about it.

Not enough on to rebuild the Lord to rebuild the temple would to rebuild the temple, the mountain to chop down the trees to audit to rebuild the Temple have been given the will to rebuild the capital go back now. The red… Mountain to chop down the trees to get to rebuild the capital when we model will the goodness of God, and you thought themselves for the glory of God and how to be. They wanted on clothes from a new house for me, but nothing came back to get all my walls to get this nice wooden house show temple not important except the blessed me. The problem the day would be a blast. Not probably a blast when you leave God out of the blessed day on the builders sample house and get to sample what am I say.as long as you don't need you in the midst first, you look for much behold it comes to little will you will you come to me, you want a lot, but it comes the little when you bring it home blow it away oh we want to clear the Lord because house lies desolate. Each one of you wants to get the house for because the sky has withheld its due and the earth has withheld its produce call on the land on the mountains.

I called for a drought on the dreams on the new one will what the ground produces a trout on man when you like a drought on the cattle call for a drought on the label of all your you thought you had a bad day you thought this right away maybe from you. Don't mess in Blacks can bring good bad you want to call me what you think the bad impersonal forces that may explain God says The ground is not producing it: nothing that would not reproduce a good melt to get the snail mail piece that they provide is not griped not to produce great calamity in your world become the impersonal forces operating in the universe take call Katrina Rita United States you the richest country in the well you little because you want me you won't make the nations in trouble.

You may for the benediction outpatient but you know what makes this mama down so that you stand.

Okay, how rich, how many people know how how everybody recognize the nation down if you mess with me.said if you look at somebody name lately because you refused to review hello Joe stuff to see shut you down you how great you are, what gravity one. Calm down.

If you return to the Lord coming down stress you will return to the law exceedingly abundantly above all you can return to the law, you, Dr. Tony Evans talking about the link between revival and survival in the tough times we face in today's message is part of that special year-end package I mentioned earlier, the best of Tony Avenue and is 20 2020 of Tony's most popular messages blesses powerful devotional book called for purpose. This package is yours is our thank you gift when you support Tony's work here on the radio, on television and with pastors, their families and churches around the world get the devotional book in 20 of the best messages for 2020. This offer will only be around for a few more days, so make the arrangements right away by visiting Tony Avenue and.org. That's Tony.org or call our 24 hour resource Center at 1-800-800-3222 the number again 1-800-800-3222. Most of us have no problem praying for what we want or even praying for what others want tomorrow. Dr. Evans will talk about the importance of praying for what God wants. Be sure to join us for the alternative with Dr. Tony Avenue is made possible by the generous, you should