Start of Our Revival

I can't believe that it has been so long since I last posted! Not that I haven't had anything to post but haven't had much time.
We have revival going on at my church this week and Sunday nights message was really good. It was basically a message pleaing with people to surrender to Christian service. Brother Ron Comfort gave some staggering statistics of the world. If you have ever been to another country you understand a little of the need.
75% of the world has heard of Coca Cola, and 50% has tried it, but only 10% of the world has heard the gospel!
I was burdened by the fact that I begun to be complacent in my Christian life, kind of nonchalant in my ministries, which ought not to be. My heart cried out that many teens would see the need. Brother Comfort asked who was going to take the place of those faithful people in leadership when they pass on to glory. I know I don't deserve to take their place but I want to be available and usable for the Lord. But I was praying that it would click to the teens, and at the invitation 8 came forward to surrender for Full time Christian service. It was good, but pray that they would remember this and not take back the string they've now given to the Lord. I so want God to use me for His service, it's an ache that fills my being. There's nothing that soothes it but serving Him.
Well I need to go and get ready for church tonight. I'll try to post again soon.

Revival in the Heart

I found this the other day while Lizzie and I were reading Baptist History and I thought it was really good. It’s part of a journal entry of Absalom Waller, pastor of Lower Spotsylvania Baptist Church in Virginia in 1817. His church had become cold to spiritual things and he longed to see revival and records when revival broke out, starting in his own life first.
This scene takes place in a grove of trees where he regularly went to pray, it was also a graveyard where several of his relatives lay.

“While I was thus engaged (praying in the grove) the thought struck me with great force indeed, that the souls of my dear departed children near whose graves I was then kneeling were at that moment in glory, singing the praises of the Lamb of God, who died for the redemption of lost sinners! And that I was surely a most ungrateful wretch, to feel unwilling to spend and be spent in the cause of Christ! I am unable to describe my feelings at that moment; I wept, under a sense of God’s goodness and my own ingratitude – nay more, I fell on my face and cried out, O Lord! Send me, and I will go; I will forsake all for Christ, and try to spend my last breath in exhorting sinners to repent and turn to God.”

What a powerful statement and oh, how we need to see ourselves! I am praying that revival would come to our churches but more specifically to me. I hope maybe this was an encouragement to someone.

Times of Old

We wonder why our churches aren’t experiencing revivals and God’s power like times of old but the answer is so clear. Prayer is power, we little power because we pray so little. What is wrong with us that we think because we are a “different” generation that we should do things as they were done before? Cottage prayer meeting and prayer partners are things of the past, hardly ever heard of, but look how God used that to move the church and transform it into the image of His Son. There used to be prayer meetings before every church service where the members would come and pray that God would speak to them and God answered. Yet today we can’t even find a man to volunteer to pray and close the service. God help us as we’ve drifted so far from the simple, tried and true ways of knowing God! I’m not harping on everyone around me, I’m “preaching” at myself. I propose we get back to the way things were and they way need to be. I want to see God change me and those around me, and conform us into the image of Christ. Let’s get back to the methods that God blessed, praying and seeing His power.

We Need Revival

There was a time when the Spirit of God,

Moved in a mighty way.

There was a time when the people of God,

Lived in a godly way.

Something's wrong, it is time to turn around.

Somethings wrong, it is time to heed the sound.

Verse Two

Now is the time, and this is the place,

We are the ones who must make the choice.

Now is the time, we do not hesitate,

The people of God must lift their voice.

We must be strong, in the power of God's might,

We must be strong, this darkness needs our Light.

Chorus

We need revival, all across the land,

We need revival, it is time to take a stand.

We better fall on our knees and pray,

And turn from our wicked ways,

We need revival all across the land.

Do We Really Want Revival?

I mean do we really, seriously want a revival that will change our life? Like that of the old days. I am reminded of the time at college when we went up for teen visitation and were told that we were going to stay on campus and pray for the upcoming revival. That was one of the best moments of my life and the lives of others. We spent that time praying, really praying, that God would send revival to everyone but more specifically to us individually. And it was amazing! We spent time searching ourselves for any sin that would be in the way of God getting a hold of our lives and making us more like Him. Why is it we don't have revival? Even my 9 year old brother Josiah, after learning about the Great Awakening in history, said "Why can't we have a revival like the Great Awakening? I wish we had a revival like that." This coming from a 9 year old! Yet you never hear things like that coming from adults. What a sad world we live in and what carnal Christians we are!
I want revival, I want the Lord to change me and make me more like Him. But how can I help make it happen? I mean we have revivals and they are wonderful but they aren't like I believe they could be, so what do we do?
I read a really great book called The High Cost of Compromise & Worldliness by Glen Spencer Jr. and in it he speaks about how we can obtain revival. So I am going to put some quotes from the book and hopefully it will help remind me to do my part in helping to bring about a revival.

"It is only when God's people repent and separate from ungodliness that God can hear from Heaven and pour out a might revival." (p.20)

"Christianity is suffering today because the bible has been replaced by television, pleasure, sports, and just about everything else the Devil has thrown out. What's the solution you ask? A God breathed heaven sent revival is our only hope! How can we have it you ask? Junk the television, movie going, money mongering, jungle jazz music, card playing, public nakedness(mixed bathing), cigarette sicking, cocktail drinking "sipping saints." Then get rid of these pussyfooting, back scratching, ear-tickling, gospel-dodging, compromising, soft-soaping, corner cutting, aim-at-nothing, hit nothing, modernistic, cemetery seminary, manufactured, assembly line preachers, and get some Daniels, John the Baptists, and Elijah's. Then, and only then, will we see an old fashioned, Holy Ghost, sent from Heaven, God-breathed Revival." (p.23)

We need to forsake our worldliness and get focused on doing what God's Word says. And I'm just as guilty as the next person. We never reach that peak of perfection, where we've done it. It's an everyday process of denying the flesh. So pray with me and strive with me to do our part to bring about an old fashioned revival.