Asbury Revival: Where's the Blessed Hope?
If revival is defined as an awakening of men and women to spiritual things, have we considered that God wants us revived to the spiritual truth of the blessed hope!
The Bible says in Titus 2:13 ...
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
The blessed hope is an upward look. It's not an inward look or an outward look. It's the best look for a Christian to have.
We are told by God to get our eyes off what we can see down here on earth and focus our eyes on Him.
Biblically, the blessed hope is when believers will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ...
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
This is important because if we are not careful, we will get distracted by always looking for an outward EXPERIENCE here on earth.
There used to be a popular saying among believers that went like this: "Here, There, or IN THE AIR!"
This saying was a testimony to the fact that the blessed hope was in view.
If there is anything that needs to be revived in the hearts of Christians, it's the blessed truth of the blessed hope!
Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
It's a lot easier to deny ungodliness and wordly lusts if we're constantly looking upward to meet the Lord in the air.
Finally, the upward look of the blessed hope should compel us to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world!
#RevivetheBlessedHope