Faith and Fortitude (Matthew Corbitt)

I have learned that there are places that a person or a church can get within Jesus that will take your breath away, yet they only come from great dedication. I wish so strongly that everyone would desire to look into the things of God with both amazement and excitement.

I have been trying to figure out how to get back to a day of Pentecost, book of Acts revival in North America, and have found out that one of the key ingredients is patience. If you were to think logically about how God works, you would understand that He will not put on your shoulders more than you can handle, therefore if we aren't ready to be dedication to Him, as much as the apostles were, then we could not handle the degree of revival that they had.

Think about it. They spent their childhood learning the Old Testament. Their lives revolved around God. Yes, they were not in the ministry when Jesus came to call them, but you can bet that their lives involved God, and a willingness to follow. (You can see by their faith in action. They followed Jesus when He called.) After this they spent the next 3 years learning from God manifest in the flesh, night and day they were with Him, learning His ways. After His crucifixion they were with Him for another short time before waiting more than a week in a prayer meeting on the Holy Ghost.

You may think that after all of this, the hands on training with Jesus in the flesh, they would have walked perfectly, but this was not the case. None of the Apostles were perfect, but they all had one thing in common, dedication. They were fighting amongst themselves from time to time, but they never once left God. They were dedicated, even unto death.

When I look at these mortal men, even with their faults, I see great things, and I notice that there is great similarities with the way they lived their lives and how our forefathers in the American Church lived their lives. For the apostles, they were dedicated, their lives revolved around God and the church, it was the same with our fore runners. When we hear about mighty moves of God around our country, what factor is at the root of that? I can tell you for certain that it is not God.

You see, God is always willing to pour out revival. God never changes. He is always pursuing after us, always calling. He jumps at the chance to fill a sinner with the Holy Ghost and begin the life transformational process. God is always ready to move, always ready for a revival.

The key factor in revival is you and I. Many times we enter a “fired up” state because someone generated enough faith to act, and God blessed. “God is doing great things!” we rightly say, but we accept this as abnormal. Why is this considered abnormal? Because we don't entertain the thought that God wants to move, anywhere and everywhere, and He wants to use normal people like us to do it.

One thing that I have learned in 2011 is that God is always wanting to move, He is never finished in a service or prayer meeting. There is always another level He will take you if you are willing to go. God is searching for people who are willing. That is all it takes. Faith and Fortitude. If you want to see God move in your family, church, and city, and you believe He will, mix that with fortitude to “keep on keeping on” and you will see miraculous things in your life.

You see, God is open to anyone, anyone willing. You don't have to be the best or the brightest, you just have to be dedicated. I heard a preacher say one time that “God doesn't call the equipped necessarily, but He does equip the called.” What ever God has called you to do in this life, don't worry about the how and when, concentrate on being available when He does call. If you are wanting a revival in your church, in your family and in your life, take a tip from the apostles and the men and women of old, revitalize your dedication to God and watch Him do great things!