Consecration - Revival

"And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp." (Exodus 33:7).


There is another element in revival that I must emphasize. It is clear that in putting the Tabernacle outside the camp, Moses had another motive and a very important one. It is this whole idea of consecration. Moses felt that this could not be done in the midst of the camp. The camp had become unclean, and he deliberately took the Tabernacle out, "afar off from the camp." it was a very deliberate action. But by doing it, he said in effect, "We must do this thing in God's way; we must get out of the impurity and this sinful atmosphere. We must get together here instead." Yes, that is consecration. That is, if you like, the call to holiness.


I am suggesting to you that the history of every revival brings out this same factor in exactly the same way. What is it that has happened to these men whom God has used? Take any one of them, and you will find almost invariable that their first concern has not been the state of the Church - it has been the state of heir own souls. It has been the holiness of God. The Methodists said, "We must meet to study the Scriptures together, we must pray together, and we must live methodically in everything." Methodists, yes; but what they were searching for was holiness. And that has always been God's way. One man or a number of men suddenly become awakened to their distance from God, to the fact that they are in a far country. And their first concern is to be holy as God is holy, and to come into His presence, and to know His glory.


A Thought to Ponder:  Their first concern has not been the state of the Church - it has been the state of their own souls.


~Martyn Lloyd-Jones~


(more revival articles coming)