Keys for an Awakening

Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. —Matthew 22:29, KJV

I believe that revival is coming—an unprecedented kind of outpouring such as was seen in Jonathan Edwards’s day, unlike anything our generation has seen. This Awakening will come when the Scriptures and the power of God come together. Another way of putting it is that the Word and the name of God are rejoined—remarried. The two ways God unveiled Himself in the Old Testament were through His Word and His name.

What is the Word? It is what Abraham believed and so was saved. “Abraham believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). It’s the way people are saved still.

What about the name? It was first disclosed to Moses in Exodus 3:6, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.”

Like many of us, Moses wanted a rational explanation for what was happening. We all have our questions; however, some things are too deep to be revealed this side of eternity. God said simply, “Stop. Take off your shoes. You are on holy ground.” (See Exodus 3:5.) And in that event, an event through which Moses would never again be the same, God unveiled His name—”I am who I am” (v. 14).

Unprecedented phenomena accompanied the unveiling of God’s name. There were signs and wonders that defied a natural explanation. It began with the burning bush. It continued with Aaron’s rod, which was turned into a serpent. It continued on with the ten plagues of Egypt, culminating with the night of Passover and the crossing of the Red Sea on dry ground.

How do we summarize the relationship of Word and name? The Word relates to God’s integrity: His promise, His grace, His inability to tell a lie. It is the way we are saved. The name relates to His honor, His reputation, His power, and His influence.

In this coming awakening, God will use most those who have sought His face, not His hand, who have searched His Word and stood in awe of it.

Excerpted from The Word and the Spirit (Charisma House, 1998).