The Bottom Line, Ministries Christian News, Articles, & Poetry 
Nehemiah 8 & 9
The professor was teaching from the book of Nehemiah. I had been reading ahead of him because he was boring me. He was expounding on the facts of who wrote the book; when was it written; why was it written – facts, facts, facts. I was reading about a revival taking place and I thought this is what he should be teaching. Paul’s admonition to Timothy was “preach the word.” I was reading chapters eight and nine and getting all excited, while he was droning on about statistics.
Suddenly, I broke out into a sweat. I felt the Spirit of God all over me, telling me to get up and preach it. I think I was almost in a trance when I heard my name being shouted. The professor was staring at me with a shocked expression. He said, “Are you okay, Mr. Corcoran?”
And I said, “No sir, I’m not. Can’t you all see what’s happening here? I was on fire; my body was trembling as I spoke. “This is what the church needs today; a revival! How many of us actually read the word of God on a daily basis? When was the last time any of us were convicted of sin? Nobody in this room can say that you haven’t sinned. If you do, you’re calling God a liar.”
And that’s all the farther I got. The Holy Spirit took over and grabbed a guy in the row behind me. He just jumped up and started confessing. No sooner had he sat down then another one jumped up. Then someone started praising God and others joined in. Every single man, and the two women, in that room were confessing and praising God. This is revival. When was the last time you witnessed such an event? I see it up on church marquees all the time. It says something like this: “REVIVAL starting Sunday” or Wednesday, or whatever day they choose, but is it revival?
Nehemiah 8:15 says “proclaim this word and spread it throughout the towns…”
Have you heard anyone going through town proclaiming the word? The church today has the wrong idea of revival. They invite someone to come in and preach, tell some funny anecdotes, and get everyone emotionally excited; for about thirty minutes. And as soon as they leave the church, they forget all about it. They go have dinner or watch a football game. That’s not what happened in Nehemiah.
Nehemiah 8:18 says they went on “day after day” meeting and reading from the Book of the Law. The Book of the Law was the Bible of that day. In many churches today, the people don’t even bring their Bibles. They read it from the wall. Do you realize what a blessing they are missing by not reading from their Bible? Do you realize what a privilege we have to be able to bring our Bibles with us? In many countries today, good Christians are persecuted for owning Bibles.
When was the last time you heard of a church weeping over the reading of the word? Have you ever heard of any churches weeping over the reading of God’s word? That’s what happened when Ezra read the word
Neh 8:9 …all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the law.”
Neh 9:2 … They stood in their places and confessed their sins…
And that is exactly what happened in the classroom as I told you earlier in this narrative. “Every single man, and the two women, in that room were confessing and praising God.” How far could that have gone if it hadn’t been stifled by that professor? I don’t suppose we’ll ever know.
Revival is not a planned event. Revival comes when you allow the word of God to melt your heart. Revival comes when you turn the service over to the Holy Spirit of God. WE NEED REVIVAL in this country. We need to quit playing church and allow the Holy Spirit to take over. We need God to save us from the catastrophe that is heading our way because of a corrupt government. This great nation is about to crumble because we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the power of the Holy Spirit. We have gone and done the exact thing I spent so many years doing and wasting time; we have tried to do it ourselves.
We need revival but we won’t get it until we quit believing in ourselves and start believing God. We have become too prideful and obstinate; we have become too boastful and too arrogant. We need to openly confess our sin of grieving the Holy Spirit and then, and only then, “will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Ch 7:14).” Amen and Amen.
Remember this: Revival comes when we let go and let God.
What are some ways you could prepare yourself for the Holy Spirit to take over for some serious revival?
Amen, so glad you spoke up when prompted! I just finished reading the autobiography of Charles Finney and it lit me up! My pastors have been praying for revival for decades, and we are seeing the Lord pioneer something new and exciting in our midst, although still not to the scale we’re expecting. I’m excited, this is a glorious time to be alive because what He’s doing in our midst in these days will outshine all previous moves of the Holy Ghost the globe over.
Hi, thanks for the comment. It feels good to hear from others on the need of revival. I’ve been to many churches since those days at seminary and I’m ashamed of most of them. They behave as though they have never heard of the Holy Spirit. Revival starts within our hearts and listening to the Spirit that God has placed into each believer but too many act like they’re not listening. It is going to happen, you can be sure; you can feel it, can’t you? Well, thanks again. Keep praying for it and keep the faith.
Yes, it is going to happen! Something very profound happened in our prayer time at church tonight (it’s a long story) but there are prayers that were prayed years ago that we are seeing the answers manifest suddenly now, all at once. There’s something deeper stirring in my spirit, too, and not only when I read the word or worship. The best I can describe it is a “kairos kinship” with other believers that makes the love I used to have for the family of God seem shabby indeed; and there’s a new level of faith — not something I myself worked up, but a gift of faith that relentlessly expects, even demands, to see individuals saved, healed, and even whole regions changed in their atmosphere. It’s all from HIM — wow, His own hand is bringing this about!
Hi, thanks for the comment. It feels good to hear from others on the need of revival. I’ve been to many churches since those days at seminary and I’m ashamed of most of them. They behave as though they have never heard of the Holy Spirit. Revival starts within our hearts and listening to the Spirit that God has placed into each believer but too many act like they’re not listening. It is going to happen, you can be sure; you can feel it, can’t you? Well, thanks again. Keep praying for it and keep the faith.