Revival Begins Within – Relationship and Surrender by Robert Hotchkin

We are in the midst of an amazing move of God. The Lord is parting the waters for us. He is dividing soul from spirit and inviting us to cross over into greater manifestations of His promises through a greater level of relationship and surrender. This move that we are in the midst of, is taking place in the midst of each of us. If we are willing to embrace it, He is inviting us into the fullness of all He has given us.

The reality is that He has not kept any of His fullness from us, we have. But in His incredible love for us (and I think His incredible pleasure at the cry of our hearts for "MORE, LORD!"), He is answering our prayers with the Refiner's fire, allowing the dross and chaff (the rationalizations and justifications that have kept us limited in the fowler's snare of "self") to be burned up.

Revival begins within. Reformation starts with us allowing Him to re-form us into a greater expression of Him (2 Corinthians 3:18). As we allow this move of God – this process unto the promise, this purification and refinement, this loving discipline of the Lord – we will see greater manifestations of revival and reformation explode through us into the earth. I am convinced of it. Whether we are breaking something open for us to walk in, or for the next generation, I know that He has something glorious for each of us in all of this. I want to cooperate with Him fully so that He gets His heart's desire in it all. OH LORD, greater grace!!

A Fresh Baptism of the Fire of God's Love

Throughout last year, we as a ministry heralded a word about the coming move of God that would be marked by the baptism of fire. We decreed it, we declared it, we called it forth as Elijah called forth the rain. And now, I believe, we are in the midst of it. A release of fire from His burning heart of love that so consumes us, we say no to anything that does not look like love – love for Him, and love for those around us. (Photo via Pixabay)

When the Pharisee lawyer tried to trip Jesus up with the question about which was the most important of all the commandments (Matthew 22:36), I believe he was trying to put Jesus "on trial" in the hopes of discrediting Him, by getting Him to raise one commandment above the others so the lawyer could then argue something like, "Oh so you are saying that remembering the Sabbath and keeping it holy is the most important? Then what about murder, oh great teacher? Are you saying compared to remembering the Sabbath, murder is not that big a deal? And yet, Scriptures say this about murder..."

Jesus' answer was brilliant: "You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40).

Jesus made it clear: it is all about love. In love, for love and with love we express the fullness of the Kingdom. When in love we show mercy; when in love we speak truth unto edification and enlightenment; when in love we work miracles; love, real love, agape love, is the fullness of the Kingdom, the fullness of our calling, and the fullness of God. All our gifts and abilities are naught when we get caught up in any "agenda" other than love.

The Pharisee lawyer wanted Jesus to lift up one behavior over another, which I think ultimately only empowers self-righteousness and thus self-ishness (look at me and how well I honor God in this behavior!). But what Jesus did was exalt love above everything. Jesus made it clear that it is not about behavior, not about self, but about LOVE. Why did He do what He did for us at the Cross, as hard as it was? LOVE! Why does He ask us to take up our cross and die to ourselves daily? LOVE! Why do we say yes? LOVE! Anything else ultimately only serves self.

I am so excited about the hour that we are in, and the way God is moving in our midst. Yes, at times it is uncomfortable and quite humbling – having Holy Spirit highlight areas where, and reasons why, I compromise on love by giving into selfishness or fear or doubt. But as soon as He does, He also offers a fresh baptism of the fire of God's love that graces me to trust in Him, lean into Him, and die to myself to a greater degree so that I may be reformed and revived into a more glorious expression of the fullness of who He is!! That is what He has for each of us in this season.

Prayer Directives

Let's pray that:

[1] We will love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength! (Matthew 22:37)

[2] We will love others as Christ loves us! (Matthew 22:39) (Photo via Freeimages)

[3] Holy Spirit will come upon us in power so that we might die to ourselves in a greater way and be more gloriously alive in Christ! (Acts 1:8)

[4] We will embrace the discipline of the Lord and lay aside every encumbrance and sin which so easily entangle us. We will run with endurance the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1 and 12:10)

[5] We will cry out for the fire of God to burn up all the dross and chaff in us, refining us again and again until there is nothing of our old dead nature and we are fully alive in His righteousness! (Malachi 3:3)

[6] We will know the height, the length, the breadth and the depth of His love. And we will make it known everywhere we are because we are filled up with the fullness of God! (Ephesians 3:18-19)

[7] We will be a people without compromise, submitting no part of our body or soul unto wickedness or unrighteousness, but present ourselves to God as living sacrifices that are instruments of His righteousness! (Romans 6:12-13)

[8] We will embrace the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to baptize us anew and take us from glory to glory, transforming us into greater and greater expressions of Jesus! (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Robert Hotchkin
XP Ministries
Email: robert@xpministries.com
Website: www.xpmedia.com/channel/rhotchkin