One of the main values of special meetings, such as revivals, retreats, camps, seminars, is the time that a person spends in personal and intimate fellowship with God.
The person who makes the greatest investment in quiet time, meditation, soul searching before God is going to get the greatest return. The same thing could happen aside from those scheduled meetings, but it would still require "alone time" with God. This is why we see so few champions of the faith, because there are so few who are intimate with the Champion of our salvation.
People want to succeed in spirituality without seeking the Spirit of God...
Psalms 139:23-24
(23) Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
(24) And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
They want the appearance of godliness, without the substance...
2 Timothy 3:5
(5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
They want the bells of profession without having possession of the pomegranates...
Exodus 39:24-26
(24) And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
(25) And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
(26) A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.
As the song says, "Take time to be holy," and as Peter said...
1 Peter 1:16
(16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Since holiness belongs to God and since holiness comes from God, we must take time to be with God, in praise, worship, meditation, confession, surrender and obedience.
People want to succeed in spirituality without seeking the Spirit of God...
Psalms 139:23-24
(23) Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
(24) And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
They want the appearance of godliness, without the substance...
2 Timothy 3:5
(5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
They want the bells of profession without having possession of the pomegranates...
Exodus 39:24-26
(24) And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
(25) And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
(26) A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.
As the song says, "Take time to be holy," and as Peter said...
1 Peter 1:16
(16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Since holiness belongs to God and since holiness comes from God, we must take time to be with God, in praise, worship, meditation, confession, surrender and obedience.
Remember, God wants to be closer to us, than we want to be close to Him. Jesus said...
Luke 11:9-13
(9) And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
(10) For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.
(11) If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
(12) Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
(13) If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Don't wait for a scheduled time to draw near to God...
Isaiah 55:6-9
(6) Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
(7) Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
(8) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
(9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Paul prayed for believers...
Ephesians 1:17-19
(17) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
(18) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
(19) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
God wants to reveal His secrets to His children...
1 Corinthians 2:9-13
(9) But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
(10) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.
(11) For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God.
(12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
(13) Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Luke 11:9-13
(9) And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
(10) For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.
(11) If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
(12) Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
(13) If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Don't wait for a scheduled time to draw near to God...
Isaiah 55:6-9
(6) Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
(7) Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
(8) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
(9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Paul prayed for believers...
Ephesians 1:17-19
(17) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
(18) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
(19) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
God wants to reveal His secrets to His children...
1 Corinthians 2:9-13
(9) But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
(10) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.
(11) For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God.
(12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
(13) Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
