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.

How Heavy is Your Burden?

Do you think living the Christian life is hard? Do you often feel burdened down? Why do we become so burdened and overwhelmed?
I was listening to chapel messages and reading some verses and felt slightly convicted about something. Throughout our Christian life we go through times where we feel so burdened down. But do we realize that it’s our own fault? We cause ourselves to bear those burdens. Jesus tells us that the Christian life isn’t hard in Matt. 11:28-30, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Our burdens are self-inflicted. Jesus says to bring them to Him and he will give us rest, not that He’ll take it away. We are to learn of Christ, learn how to leave the worry with Him, worrying is a sin. When we cast out the sin (worrying, complaining, selfishness, ect…) in our life that is connected to that burden, we can then learn how to carry the light burden. Jesus says “my yoke is easy and my burden is light”. Living the Christian life isn’t hard, unless we are trying to live it with sin at the same time.
Christ tells us to take His yoke upon us and learn, a yoke is used to guide animals to get work accomplished. The master in charge of the animals decides on how much the animal should pull and how much they can handle. So does the Father for us, He knows what burdens we can handle when we are yoked. The verse tells us that Jesus’ yoke is easy, and the “burden is light”.
We know we are going to have a burden to carry, Christ tells us to “take up his (your) cross, and follow me.”(Mk. 8:34) A cross is going to weigh something, but it doesn’t have to overwhelm us and be hard, because the “burden is light”. Choose to carry your burden, your cross, without dragging that excess weight of sin attached to the burden. Think of when we are serving Christ like we know we should, how burdened down do we feel? Now think of when we take upon ourselves the care of running our own life and doing what we want. Which makes you happier?
How heavy is your burden right now? Do you need to drop some excess weight?

The Consequences of Complaining

I was praying the other day and the Lord brought something to mind. I was convicted lately about complaining and this is the thought the Lord gave me:
The Israelites were known for their grumbling and complaining in the wilderness. God had taken them from Egypt with the promise of the land flowing with milk and honey; all they had to do was follow Him. Yet, what did they do? Murmur and complain
*See Exodus 16:7-12, 17:3 and Numbers 14:1-4, 26-34 They complained about not having food, then water, and then that they were going to be defeated by their enemies. They complained to Moses and Aaron, who in turn said “Hey! Why are you complaining to us? We are just doing what God tells us! You aren’t complaining about our decisions, you are complaining about God’s” (Yes, this is my paraphrased version.)
Think of the results of their complaining. God didn’t allow them to go into the Promised Land, He killed them off. They ruined their chance of the greatest blessings of God by complaining, they saw God work and lead, yet still they complained.

Now to the practical application:
God has led me to this college and He’s “called” me to study here because it’s going to prepare me for the Promised Land later. But if I keep sitting around murmuring and complaining about the changes I don’t like I’m not complaining about the authorities’ decisions in my life, I’m complaining about God’s decisions!
I may miss out on the greatest blessings of God because I repeatedly disobey with my complaining. So, I can stop and have the chance to see the Promised Land (God’s specific will for me later) or I can keep complaining and risk the chance of God taking me out. He may not do it physically but I may never get to do His specific will for my life because I will not trust the way He is leading. Quite a sobering thought.
So, my challenge is: Will you continue complaining when you think about the severe consequences of it against our God?
Just remember that complaining about one thing in your life leads to complaining about everything in your life. It’s like a disease, but Praise the Lord it’s curable!

Benefits of the Will of God

Colossians 1:9-14
Paul was telling the Colossians that he was praying for them to find God’s will and do it. When we find God’s will and do it there are some things that may come with our obedience:
1. You’ll be walking worthy of the Lord – When we do His will we are pleasing Him and accepting what He’s told us to do.
2. You’ll be fruitful in all you do – Now you might not see the fruit, but your labor is not in vain.
3. You’ll grow closer to the Lord – Your knowledge of Him will increase which will strengthen your relationship with Him.
4. You’ll be strengthened – God gives strength to the weary, strength to those who are afraid, and strength those who are weak.
Eph. 3:20 – We have the power to see God do above and beyond the normal with His strength and power.
5. You’ll be given strength in patience ad you’ll have joy while showing it – We are never patient all the time, there is always at least one area where we are lacking in patience. But it is possible to suffer through things and still have joy.
6. You’ll realize all you have to give thanks for – Did you ever stop to think of all God’s given you? He’s given so much, Thank Him!
What are some things to be thankful for?
a. He’s given us eternal life
b. He’s delivered us from Satan and will continue to do so
c. He’s given us a home in Heaven
d. He’s bought us with His blood and call us His brethren
e. He’s forgiven us of all sins – past, present, and future.

The real question is: why don’t people want to do the will of God when there are so many benefits from doing it?

*originally taken from a journal entry from September 2008*

The Rope of Supplication

Last week we had missions conference and during one of the messages, Brother Starnes (church planting in Harrisburg, PA) gave a list of ways we can hold the ropes for missionaries. One of the ways we do that is by holding the rope of supplication, begging on the behalf of the missionaries. The following is a list he gave during the sermon:
Ways to Pray for your Missionaries:
1. That they would have the power of God
2. To be able to withstand the evil ones
3. Grow in the knowledge of God
4. Do all they can to stand
5. Have a great Prayer life
6. Encourage themselves in the Lord
7. Be steadfast and do what God would have