From: B S TURNER Owner
What Being Awakened Really Is Part 2
When God comes near--when Jesus Christ pours out his Holy Spirit in power--people feel an overwhelming awareness of God's holiness and their own unworthiness. This was certainly true of the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Shortly before leaving this earth and ascending to heaven, Jesus promised his followers in Acts 1:8
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Ten days later, on Pentecost, the promise came true.
Jesus' followers were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke of God's wonders to people from many countries who were visiting Jerusalem. A crowd gathered. Some of the listeners were curious. Others mocked. The apostle Peter then spoke to the crowd. He explained that the Holy Spirit's outpouring had been foretold by God's prophets. He told the people that although they helped crucify Jesus, God raised him from the dead and gave him the highest place in heaven as Lord and Messiah.
"When the people heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?’"(Acts 2:37)
That's what happened on Pentecost, and that's what has happened many times since. When the Lord comes in power and addresses people who have been at odds with him, they are pierced or cut to the heart. Or you could say that they were awakened to who and where they were and are in the eyes of Christ.
Where do you think that we are today? As a people, as a Church?
It may not be a pleasant feeling. In fact, it may be the most painful feeling a person can have. When you are awakened your heart changes, God through his son Jesus Christ become overpowering realities and not mere words in nice bound books.
When you are awakened, you find God to be so pure and the truth becomes so clear. You can't bear God for God to be so close, but you can't bear for him to be distant, either.
When you are awakened, you can't live with God, and you can't live without him. His holiness shows your sin. His light shows your darkness. And that is a scary thought, yet we will be drawn to him because we will be able to see him as he sees us.
You may not know where to turn or what to do next but the scriptures are full of the “what do we do next”.
What a great testimony we find when Ammon and King Lamoni come together and the King truly understands his state…
Alma 12:133,134
133 He knew that the dark veil of unbelief being cast away from his mind, and the light which did light up his mind, which was the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness;
134 Yea, this light had infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of darkness having been dispelled, and that the light of everlasting light was lit up in his soul;
In 1908 some missionaries among Chinese people reported, "A power has come into the church that we cannot control." The crazy thing was that Chinese people were breaking down in tears and admitting their sins against God and other people. These heartbroken confessions were coming from people who were previously unemotional, sure of themselves, and concerned about their own pride and public image. Yet they were confessing sins.
The missionaries who saw all this wrote, "Perhaps you will say it’s a sort of religious hysteria. So did some of us. But here we are, people with all shades of temperament and everyone who has seen and heard what we have, every day last week, is certain there is onlyoneexplanation--that it is God's Holy Spirit manifesting himself”
In that mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit, people awakened to the greatness of Jesus and the grimness of their own sin, and they cried out,
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38).
About three thousand people accepted the message and were baptized. No longer were they torn by guilt. They were "filled with awe" (2:43) and enjoyed Christian fellowship "with glad and sincere hearts" (2:46).
Being awakened to our current state can cut to the heart and will hurt, but the hurt can lead to happiness and holiness. I think that Isaiah truly understood the hearts of men…
Isaiah 29:8 Yea, it shall be unto them even as unto a hungry man who dreameth, and behold, he eateth, but he awaketh and his soul is empty; or like unto a thirsty man who dreameth, and behold, he drinketh, but he awaketh, and behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite. Yea, even so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against mount Zion.
I believe many of our efforts are similar to the words out of Isaiah where we are never satisfied. We are continually tweaking what we should be doing…when we have everything in front of us.
In The Endowment by Curry writes such clarity that I don’t think there ever was a more prophetic statement made in these latter days.
As the servants of God move forward in the performance of their manifold duties, many, many perplexing problems inevitably arise. Also, the Lord has set before you projects of labor, projects of demonstration which are as yet very far from the measure of achievement. He has hope for His people. Thousands have come together in the center areas of Zionic gathering, yet they are far from being of one heart and one mind.
You lack wisdom and foresight in these matters, and you scarcely try to find the wisdom that your loving Father would give to you were you to cease trusting so much in your own selves, and were a faithful body of men, deeply concerned about this lack of progress, to come together asking for their eyes to be opened that they might see how to do these things, even under the difficulties of this present hour.
All this can rapidly change when you will come together and ask to see truly that which was in the heart of your Lord when He caused His words concerning these last days to shine forth.(Characteristic #3)
I did want to point out one thing that is very important in what is being said here,“servants of Godmove forwardin the performance of their manifold duties”
I added the bold and underlined. Moving forward is different from justmoving around.
More to come
Yours in Christ
Brian Turner
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