Midst Of The Year Is Season To Watch by Bishop David Oyedepo: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

Midst of the Year: God's Season of Revival

From scripture we understand that God is a God of times and seasons. Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 — "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." We also discover that God makes all things beautiful in his time. Ecclesiastes 3:11 — "He has made everything beautiful in his time."

The midst of the year is a season of revival in God's agenda. This is made clear in Habakkuk 3:2 — "Oh Lord, I have heard thy speech and was afraid. Revive thy work in the midst of the year. In the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy."

The midst of the year — June and July — is ordained by God as a season of revival. And every season of revival is a season of divine visitation, ordained to wipe away every issue of shame and reproach among the people of God.

That is why every time you see a season of revival, it is a season of divine decoration. God begins to beautify his people. Zephaniah 3:17 — the Lord thy God in the midst is mighty. And the effect is in verses 19-20: "Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee. I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. And at that time I will bring you again, and I will make you a name and a praise among all the people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes."

Every issue of shame and reproach in any department of life, within this midst of the year, every such reproach shall be rolled away.

God is a master at rolling away reproaches that have lasted generations. In Joshua 5:9, God said, "This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you." They had 430 years of reproach, but in one day it was rolled away.

A season of revival will always provoke the rolling away of reproach. And this is because a season of revival is also a season where even dry bones are turned to a mighty host. In Ezekiel 37:1-14, the Spirit of God took the prophet to a valley filled with dry bones — very dry. The Lord said, "Can these bones live?" He said, "Lord, thou knowest." "Now prophesy." As he prophesied, bones came to bones, flesh covered bones, skin covered flesh, the wind breathed upon them, and every one of them rose up as a mighty host.

God then said, "This is the whole house of Israel." It was a hopeless dry bone situation. But when the Spirit of God moved, that hopeless situation turned around for a testimony.

Seven Characteristics of a Season of Revival

1. It Is Ordained to Move the Church of God Forward

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   Bishop David Oyedepo

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   Every season of revival never leaves the church at the same level. Isaiah 2:2-3 — "In that day the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established above all the mountains and exalted above all hills, and all nations shall flow into it. For many people shall go and say, come let us go to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his path. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."

   A season of revival always moves the church forward. It brings the church of Christ to the consciousness of a people. People begin to rush in from every nook and cranny. In Isaiah 5:26, God said he will lift up a sign to the nations from far, and they will come with speed swiftly. That is the effect of a revival.

   In Acts 2:1-4, as they began to pray, the Holy Ghost came down. Verse 6, the multitudes came together. Verse 41, 3,000 were added to the church. Verses 46-47, they were praising God, having favor with all the people, and the Lord was adding to the church daily such as would be saved.

   That means June and July are ordained by God to keep moving the church forward — increases in services, cell meetings, midweek services, prayer meetings. Everywhere the church gathers under Christ, there must be forward motion.

2. It Is Ordained to Move All Engaging Believers Forward

   In Habakkuk 3:17-19, the prophet says: "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, and there is no fruit in the vines... yet I will rejoice with joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord is my strength and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon my high places."

   No engaging believer ends a season of revival in the low places. It accelerates destiny. It moves the believer to their next level. In the adventure of life, no matter what level we are today, God has a place called forward and a place called upward. We are not permitted to remain at the same level.

   In 1 Samuel 12:6, it was the Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron. When God pushes you forward, no one can bring you backward.

   In Isaiah 61:1-6, the spirit of the Lord is upon me — and the effect by verse 4: "They shall build the old wastes. They shall raise up the former desolations." They will not end as local champions; they will be accelerated to global icons. Verse 6: "You shall be named the priests of the Lord. Men shall call you the ministers of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall you boast yourselves."

   You cannot be pushing the work of God forward and be left backward. Everyone that gets committed, that gets engaged in advancing the kingdom of God, will always experience supernatural advancement.

3. It Is Ordained to Secure Access to Turnaround Revelations

   It is the revelation of the word that brings about the revolution of the believer. Our lives are changed at the frequency of revelation. One of the blessings of revival is that it gives access to revelation.

   John 14:26 — Jesus said, "The Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost, that the Father will send in my name, will come. He shall teach you all things. He will bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you." Every time the Holy Ghost is moving, he begins revealing. He begins unveiling the word. And when the word is unveiled, our world is changed.

   Isaiah 60:1-3 — "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Gentiles will come to thy light, kings to the brightness of your rising." Verse 15: "Though you were forsaken and hated, because of this revelation, you will become an eternal excellency, the joy of many generations." Verse 22: "A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation. And I the Lord will hasten it in his time."

   One of the blessings of revelation is that it brings about a revolution. The brighter the light, the greater the speed. In a season of revival, there is the opening of our eyes to begin to see what God is changing. There is nothing that cannot change in a person's life if they capture light. Many areas of life that seem to have defied solution — all they are waiting for is revelation. When revelation comes on the scene, it brings about a dramatic change.

   2 Corinthians 3:18 — we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed.