Revival Times 2018 March 2018 | Page 9

the lost and disciple them in the faith right where you are, in your home, in your circle of friends, and at your place of work or study. That is what this “time of refreshing” is all about. STAY FOCUSSED We are easily distracted when it comes to spiritual things. The visible world takes precedence over the invisible. It is hard to stay focussed when so much demands our attention. Day-to-day life has many challenges and the devil uses these things to draw us away from God. The thorns in Jesus’ parable represent “the desire for other things” which stifles our spirit and chokes out the life of God, the very life which, unhindered, makes us fruitful. My prayer is that this move of God will cause you to put him centre stage in your life. That you will see the barrenness of busyness and the fruitlessness that comes from placing every other pursuit above the pursuit of God himself. Maybe for you the “other things” are perfectly reasonable in their proper place – your relationships, your friends your family, your career or your studies. But once these things become the main focus of your life, God is marginalised. God wants you to be fruitful by exercising his lordship over the whole of life. Every part of it. The cell strategy makes this possible as in the small groups you can grow as a disciple and be fruitful for him, right where you are. Instead of just relying on the weekly boost to your spiritual life you get from the Sunday services, you allow him to use you every day of the week. You win NO RESISTANCE The good ground in the Parable represents the soil where there is no hindrance to growth and no restrictions on fruitfulness. That is where this move of God is gently taking us – to a place of minimal or zero resistance to the will of God. And the result? Fruitfulness. Enormous fruitfulness. Recently, every time I close my eyes in our public services, I see multitudes. Multitudes of people being brought to Christ from every nation, every culture and every section of society. God knows, Britain needs such a move of God. I think we are in a time of refreshing, but I long for true Revival. I prefer to reserve that word for the outpouring of the Spirit upon the lost. Right now we may be in the early stages of an outpouring of the Spirit upon the Church. But God’s heart is for the lost. As you allow the Holy Spirit full access to your life, he will soften your heart, deepen your experience of him, and position Christ at the very centre of your life, making you abundantly fruitful. Revival Times March 2018 9