Wake Up! Return to God: A Call to Personal Revival Now

By Yvonne Rose

Alarms are sounding. Warning signs are everywhere. The call is now. God longs for His people, those who call themselves believers in Jesus Christ, to return to Him and experience His forgiveness and love again. As this world becomes a dark place, God is calling His people to rise up, rise above, and take off the basket that has been hiding their light; be that light in the darkness. You may have been lulled into a deep spiritual sleep, but God is calling you now to wake up! Come back to Him and be revived and restored to the abundant life He promised for those who believe in His son, Jesus.

Come let us return to the LORD...he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence.

(Hosea 6:1)

I, the Lord, made you, and I will not forget you...Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free. (Isaiah 44:21-22)

Learn more and connect with Yvonne's ministry

at restoreabundantly.org

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 9, 2024
• ISBN: 9798889438410

Book preview

cover.jpg

Wake Up! Return to God

A Call to Personal Revival Now

Yvonne Rose

ISBN 979-8-88943-840-3 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88943-841-0 (digital)

Copyright © 2024 by Yvonne Rose

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

Humble Your Heart

Chapter 2

Commit Resolutely

Chapter 3

Restored and Renewed

Chapter 4

Call Out from the Pit

Chapter 5

Follow Him Again

Chapter 6

Strengthened Once More

chapter 7

Know That He Is God

chapter 8

Return Home

chapter 9

Cleaning House

chapter 10

Return to His Word

chapter 11

Remember Your Identity

Conclusion

Appendix

Would You Like to Know God Personally?

About the Author

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Other versions used are:

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Would You Like To Know God Personally? ©2014 Bright Media Foundation. All rights reserved. A version of Have You Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws?, written by Bill Bright, ©1965–2014 Bright Media Foundation and Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc. Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version. All rights reserved. No part of the book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing.

To the many people in my life,

my family, ministry partners,

pastors, Christian teachers, missionaries, and friends

who have prayed for me, influenced my walk with God,

and guided me in God's truth.

Thank you for your impact on my life

as I walk with Jesus, my Savior,

in this world.

Introduction

Alarms are sounding. Warnings signs are everywhere. The call is now. God longs for His people, those who call themselves believers in Jesus Christ, to return to Him and experience His forgiveness and love again. As this world becomes a dark place, God is calling His people to rise up, rise above, and take off that basket that has been hiding their light; be that light in the darkness. For decades, the Church in America and around the world have heard this message: to wake up. God's Spirit is calling his people to return from their cold hearts and be renewed. So why are Christians hitting the snooze button, pulling the pillow over their ears, and still not waking up? Apathy, selfishness, pride, religion, love for the world, and a lukewarm heart toward God and His commands have become the normal pattern for many who call themselves Christians. God is heartbroken over His Church! And He is heartbroken over our individual choices to be lukewarm, half-hearted, apathetic to his words and obeying them. Many Christians look no different than the average person who knows nothing about God and His love for them. Sadly, they live self-sufficient lives with no lasting hope. They can tell you more about the entertainment, sports, and financial world than they can quote a few scripture verses. Their lives show nothing of the power of God to overcome moral sins and worldliness.

There are many in the church who live a good life on the outside to others. Yet like the religious leaders of Jesus's time, these Christians inwardly condemn other Christians for their wrong theology and praise themselves and their specific churches for their goodness. These believers have locked themselves up in their churches, a Pharisaic-type castle, with a country club atmosphere and exclusive membership to their particular belief system about God and the Bible. There is often no love for one another, much less a hurting world. Pretending they don't see the hurting and needy around them, they have become apathetic, surrounding themselves with their members.

While in college, I had become a bit apathetic in my faith as a believer in Jesus. I was invited to attend a large Christian gathering on campus. Through these new Christian friends, I saw something in their lives that I was missing—a deep joy, a unity, a boldness, and an excitement to share their faith in Jesus with other college students. They often shared what they were learning in the Bible and shared about the power of the Holy Spirit, who was given to us to live an abundant Christian life. Curious and hungry to have this kind of joy and boldness, I joined a Bible study and began to understand the Bible in a deeper way.

One day, my Bible study leader confronted me with God's Word about my proud heart. I had become a religious, judgmental Christian with very little power to live the Christian life. And I had very little understanding about the Holy Spirit's power to fill us with God's love for others and boldly share the Good News about Jesus with others. When confronted by God's Word and his love and forgiveness, I made the choice to repent of my self-centered, proud, and apathetic heart by asking God to forgive me. I wanted desperately to return to God and be revived, coming back to life in Him. Desiring God by talking to Him in prayer and devouring his Word, I started sharing all that I was learning with other Christians and nonbelievers. Often, it seemed like I was speaking a foreign language to them, being met with blank stares. Some told me that this was just a phase I was going through with this campus group. Other friends told me that I was becoming a fanatic about Jesus. I was so confused! How could other Christians not want this abundant life Jesus had promised? Jesus had said, I came that they may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). His desire was and continues to be for all believers in Jesus to live a full and meaningful life, abundant with spiritual fruit and a changed heart.

In love with Jesus and concerned for those who didn't know Him, I decided to spend a summer working with other college interns at the headquarters of that campus ministry, known as Campus Crusade for Christ, to learn more. Our group of interns were able to meet Bill and Vonette Bright, the founders of Campus Crusade, in their home one night. As they talked with us and shared their hearts, I came to see a couple who were so in love with Jesus and who humbly and simply wanted to tell others about Him. That next year, I decided to give up my life to do the same thing, to tell others about Jesus and His love for them. Serving on college campuses in several states and overseas, I was privileged to see many lives changed through God's love and the message of Jesus. It was a joy to partner and work with many different churches, other ministries, and individuals. Through those years, God continued to work in my heart to show me areas where I was not trusting in Him and, at times, had succumbed to the worldly culture around me. At times, I have also seen pride, greed, arrogance, and disobedience in some who were even God's servants in ministry. God in His grace continues to use these people, but He is brokenhearted over their desire to be better than those who do not agree with their theology or their methods of ministry. And some in ministry have even fallen away from their walk with God and desperately need to return to Him in repentance and humility.

Right now, there are too many of God's people who are lukewarm in their love for God—selfish, apathetic, and proud. God has broken my own heart as He has revealed these things in me at times. My passion is to call these Christians who have strayed to return to God, to receive His forgiveness and grace, and to become bold in their faith again. Some are living in those Pharisaic castles, and others are playing in the mud pit with the world. As I draw closer to the heart of God and study His Word, I am convinced like the psalmist that But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter (Psalm 73:28). When I have strayed away from Him, I miss out on His goodness.

A few years ago, God impressed on me a desire to intercede for my brothers and sisters in Christ to come back to their first love for God. With a handful of friends, we began to meet weekly at noon on Wednesdays to pray for a revival in our lives, our churches, our nation, and the world. God's deep desire is for us to return to Him and His Word. Too many Christians are missing out; they have been put to sleep by the world and its desires. Every day more and more succumb to the world and its temptations, following its path and losing sight of their Savior and God. His love and grace motivate us to return so He can renew, restore, and bring us back to life, full of His Holy Spirit. Even Paul, when he confronted those in Rome about God's judgment because of their stubborn and unrepentant hearts, also reminded them of God's kindness to them. Paul wrote, saying,

Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing