FOR REVIVAL TO COME THERE MUST BE A PURGING

True repentance hates the sin, and not merely the penalty; and it hates the sin most of all because it has discovered and felt God's love. -Taylor

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Psalm 51:2

Let me remind you that revival isn’t for the lost man it’s for those who have repented of their sin and trusted Jesus as Saviour. So with that being said, if you’re saved and you have been drawn back to the wickedness God saved you from in the first place, repent of it! Acknowledge your sin to God and beg for His mercy and grace! Your sin is what is withholding God’s revival in your heart! Repent Child of God and cling to The One who can wash you whiter than snow!

PREACHING WILL HAPPEN BEFORE REVIVAL COMES

            Though we live in a reading age and in a reading community, yet the preaching of the gospel is the form in which human agency has been and still is most efficaciously employed for the spiritual improvement of men.  --Daniel Webster

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

            Programs, programs, get your programs right here! That’s what it seems like in today’s churches. But what did the early church center the ministry around? It wasn’t programs, popular plays, or even pretty buildings; it was the preaching of God’s Word. We see preaching in the book of Acts time and time again; Acts 8:4, 8:12, 10:36, 11:20, and many more. It’s what Peter did and what God used to save more than 3,000 in Acts 2. And it’s what He will use today if we are going to see revival!

How do you feel about preaching? In order to have revival in your heart, your home, in your church there must be the preaching of God’s Word. Don’t forsake what God loves and is pleased with!

 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.—1 Corinthians 1:21

FIRST STEP OF REVIVAL—PRAYER

EVERY TRUE REVIVAL HAS HAD ITS EARTHLY ORIGINS IN PRAYER.—R.A Torrey

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

As you and I seek God’s face in prayer we ought to have reasons to pray. Just don’t sit down to pray frivolously! Have a written out prayer list or at least a list in your head. With our revival service beginning this Sunday, as the pastor of the church, revival has been constantly on my mind. I want to have the Lord speak to my heart and to the hearts of others! I want someone to be saved! I want someone to repent! I want a revival, so I’m praying for it!

What or who will you be praying for today? Don’t be shy, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4:6

I WANT REVIVAL!

Author S. D. Gordon said, “You can do more than pray after you have prayed but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.”

David prayed, “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” Psalm 85:6 

If I want revival in my home, in my church, in my country, I must pray. I must beg God to send revival. I must pledge with Him to begin the work in my heart asking Him to humble me, to the point in which I weep over my sin, I repent, I confess, I forsake, and I give God the glory for what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do again!

Do you want revival? Then pray! Pray without ceasing for it!

EVER WONDER WHAT’S GOING ON IN OUR NATION?

So goes the church, so goes the nation.

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Exodus 20:12

We have lost this art of “Honoring thy father and thy mother”. We have replaced it with disrespect and dishonor. We have swallowed the lie that mom and dad are dumb and we don’t need old, out dated thoughts and ideas. The truth is there is a lot of wisdom behind those wrinkles and gray hair.

Each one of us would do good to sit at our parent’s feet for a while and just listen. Parents already passed? Find a nursing home and sit a listen to the wisdom those Senior Saints have. Bring back the honoring of the gray headed, wrinkled faced old man or woman. As we begin to honor our fathers and mothers, our children will begin to bring honor to us and more importantly—Our Saviour!

We use to teach in our schools the theory of evolution, now it is taught as fact. We use to teach in our schools absolutes, now it is situation ethics. We use to teach in our schools there is a God, now we teach we cannot know whether there is a God or not. We use to preach Jesus from the pulpit, now we put on a play. We use to preach Jesus in Sunday School, now we tell social stories. We use to preach Jesus on Wednesday nights, now we go to ball games.

THERE’S MORE TO IT THAN JUST GOING TO CHURCH!

Spurgeon said, “Sinners are dying in the street by hundreds; men are sinking into the flames of eternal wrath, but they fold their arms, they pity the poor perishing sinner, but they do nothing to show that their pity is real. They go to their places of worship; they occupy their well-cushioned easy pew; they wish the minister to feed them every Sabbath; but there is never a child taught in the Sunday-school by them; there is never a tract distributed at the poor man's house; there is never a deed done which might be the means of saving souls.”

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. John 15:16

I heard a simple saying years ago; GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH! While it is a simple saying, I am also sure this is one of the most important places on the planet today. The church is more than a social club where people chew the fat on politics, make financial contacts, and complain about the weather. No, church is where people meet together to learn about who God is and who where are, what He has done and what we have done, and what we mean to God and what it all means to us. It’s a place where lives are transformed, taught, and tethered to God’s Son. The local church is a place where souls are saved, saints are sanctified, and saints start sharing the Gospel.

The local church is the most powerful place on Earth today yet, it is also the most neglected place as well. Child of God, sinner friend, GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH!

WHERE WILL YOU SPEND ETERNITY?

We have to live but one day at a time, but we are living for eternity in that one day.–Anonymous

He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 1 John 5:12

Someone once said, “You are now become what you will one day be.” Many would like to think, what they do today has no impact on what they do tomorrow. That is far from the case friend! What you are seeing with your eyes, hearing with your ears, smelling with your nose, and touching with your hands, will influence your future actions! What I smell today at the restaurant will impact what I order next time. What I see on the computer today will direct my clicks tomorrow. What I hear on the radio today will guide my tuning tomorrow. What I touch with my hands today will either keep me in check or may land me in jail.

Friend, what you do with the Gospel message today will impact you for eternity! We are not guaranteed tomorrow. We may not even alive. We may be in a accident, in the hospital, or may even be unidentifiable. Where will you spend eternity if today was your last day on Earth?

FOUNDATION COLLAPSE

Spiritual truth is more essential to a nation than mortar to its cities' walls.  For when the actions of a people are unguided by these truths, it is only a matter of time before the walls themselves collapse. --Charles Lindbergh

Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. Psalm 119:160

The foundation is the most important part of a building. But if the building’s floors, walls, and ceiling aren’t installed correctly- I still do not want to be in it. A few years ago a ceiling collapsed on the campus of Duke University. The reason, it wasn’t installed correctly. They had attached the supports to part of an existing ceiling but did not anchor it back to the original rafters.

Just as with that ceiling, if we are not anchored to The Truth our lives will eventually collapse around us. We will begin to believe the lies of the devil. And as it says in James 1:14-15, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

Does it seem as if your walls are collapsing in around you? Has your life hit rock bottom? When your down there it is only one way to look- and that’s UP!----I know you have heard the saying, “When all else fails, read the Bible.” My saying is a spin on that, “Before all else fails, read the Bible!”

I’M GONNA LIVE FOREVER, I’M GONNA DIE NO NEVER!

One of the benefits of salvation is eternal life. The alternative is eternal death.

The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. Psalm 37:18

Friends are dying, family members are dying, former co-workers are dying, actors and actresses we grew up with are dying, teachers who taught us to read and write are dying, there is death all around us. But one thing I know is true; those that received Jesus as Saviour will only experience the shadow of this physical death, there soul will live on through eternity! Those that have rejected the Lord will taste a horrible second death. That’s the death that will separate them eternally from anything that is remotely good; friends, family, and God Himself.

You want to live forever? You want to have life and have it more abundant? Trust Jesus as your Saviour! Take that step of faith; repent of your sins, confess Him as Lord, and believe He has washed your sins away and walk in the new life only He can give!

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

TOO BUSY TO VOTE?

It’s our duty to elect the officials best representing God’s way and not our own. 

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

Many a men and women have sacrificed their lives for the rights we have in America. One of the greatest things we can do to honor their memory is by casting our vote on election day or one of the early voting days. What a great way to see our rights being employed by each one of us GETTING UP, GETTING READY, and GOING TO VOTE for the person you see as the best candidate for the office they are running for!

YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN!

It’s in the mysteries of God, man is made into God’s own image.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3

Standing before Nicodemus Jesus said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus could see the confusion and bewilderment on Nicodemus’ face so much so that He had to explain His comments further. So, Jesus said, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Jesus told Nicodemus; obviously you must be born just like every other person in this world, of flesh and blood. The He goes on to explain the second birth, salvation. Without the second birth no one will enter into Heavens gates. The second birth is why Jesus came. The second birth is why He died. The second birth is why He arose from the grave. The second birth is why He lives today!

Here it is one more time for you; “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” John 3:7

THE END OF A GOOD THING—VACATION

Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.  –Ovid

And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Genesis 2:3

Now we all know God did not need to rest after He created everything in the first six days of time. What He was doing was setting an example for you and I that we needed to rest. We need a time away to clear our thoughts, getting our focus back on the things that are important; our relationship with our Saviour, our sweet heart, and the Saviour’s calling on our life.

What a blessing it is to get a way for a while but what an opportunity to get busy doing what He has called us to! Yes, even on a Monday after vacation we can get excited in sharing the Good News of the Gospel to a lost and dying world!

TIME TO HEAR THE WORD!

This was posted on a Bronx, New York, church bulletin board: "Do come in-Trespassers will be forgiven." –Anonymous

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. Psalm 122:1

It’s been a rough week I know but would you do me a favor? GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH! Your life depends on it! Your co-worker’s life depends on it! Your children’s life depends on it! Can I be frank with you? The world depends on you and me putting a high priority on going to church! When we neglect it, we are telling them it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t make a difference, it doesn’t mean anything! But child of God, David even said, He was glad to go to church! Shouldn’t we be?

JESUS DIED FOR ME AND YOU!

I must die or get somebody to die for me.  If the Bible doesn't teach that, it doesn't teach anything.  And that is where the atonement of Jesus Christ comes in. –Moody

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:21-24

Jesus came for you-

Jesus lived for you-

Jesus died for you-

Jesus arose again for you-

Jesus is coming again- If you have repented and confessed your sin, He’s coming for you!

DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR OR SEE!

Seeing isn’t believing anymore, but then neither is hearing.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1

The digital, computer generated age we live in propels images to us that are so far from the truth the FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, and NSA have trouble determining what’s real. So how do they determine what’s real? They study the real things! How do we know if a twenty dollar bill is real? I don’t! A cashier at the market runs a mark over them to check them out. But I don’t have one. The guys keeping check don’t study the fake ones, they study the real ones!

You and I are going to determine truth versus error by studying the Truth. It will not be by looking at the dead religions of the world. We will see Truth when we read His Word, study His Word, and apply His Word. Let’s be like the Bereans in Acts 17, “…they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

JESUS CARES!

It is when you get to doubt the love of God that you grow hard and cold.  But when you are fired with the love of a dying Savior who gave himself for you, you feel as if you loved every beggar in the street, and you long to bring every harlot to Christ's dear feet.  You cannot help it.  If Christ baptizes your heart into his love, you will be covered with it and filled with it. –Spurgeon

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7

When you’re feeling you have no one to turn to remember, Jesus Cares!

When you’re think all is lost remember, Jesus Cares! When you’re down to nothing in the cupboards remember, Jesus Cares! When you are in need of a friend remember, Jesus Cares! When there is more month than the money in the bank account remember, Jesus Cares!

Hey friend, there’s no one that cares for you like Jesus does! Just remember, He gave His life for yours!

DON’T TEMPT YOURSELF!

Your thought life will either be victorious through faith or it will be a fatality because of your flesh.

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. James 1:14

             In James 1 we have the proof that our number one enemy is self. James doesn’t identify the world or Satan as the catalyst drawing us away into sin but it is our own lust. Lust means; allure, entice, or beguile. Our own flesh tricks us into believing the lie that sin will satisfy what the soul longs for. Our flesh will trick us into believing that sin will secure us lasting happiness. Our flesh will trick us into believing we are saved and on the way to heaven based on our good works but scripture plainly says salvation is wrought by grace through faith.

If my number one enemy is my flesh, and it is, then I need to do what scripture says, “Crucify it”! I need to die to it daily. I need to surrender my fleshly desires to God’s will. I need to surrender all and serve the Lord whenever, wherever, and however He wants!

FINISH WELL

Lord, let us finish this life the way you did, sacrificially.

 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

             How are we going to finish well? We will finish well if we lay aside every weight, anything that holds us back from doing what Jesus wants us to. We will finish well if we confess and forsake the sin that so easily besets us. We will finish well when we keep our eyes of the Lord Jesus! Keep them on His Word, His Work, and His Way.

THE CURE FOR A HARD HEART—A RISEN SAVIOUR!

God hates the sin, but He loves the sinner. -D.L. Moody

And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Matthew 28:5-6

Since that glorious day in the garden when Jesus arose, the lives of millions of men, women, boys, and girls, have been radically change by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Drunks have been transformed into sober members of society. Harlots have been converted into faithful wives. Sons and daughters have been changed into people with great potential. You see, with God, all things are possible, even for the wicked heart of man!

Has your hard heart been cured?

GO TO CHURCH!

It is not the possession of extraordinary gifts that makes extraordinary usefulness, but the dedication of what we have to the service of God. –Robertson

With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Ephesians 6:7

What do you have to serve the Lord with today? Is it your time? GET UP, GET READY, AND GO TO CHURCH! Is it your talents? GET UP, GET READY, AND GO TO CHURCH! Is it your treasures? GET UP, GET READY, AND GO TO CHURCH!

I hope you saw a theme in that last paragraph! If you didn’t- boy you are blind, you can’t read, or you just have a huge problem with reading comprehension! Not to be mean or nothing but the value in church attendance cannot be labeled with any dollar value! The value of going to church will only be measured out in eternity!

So friend, let me say it one more time: GET UP, GET READY, AND GO TO CHURCH today! Your life depends on it! Your family’s life depends on it! And so many more that you may never know this side of eternity! Amen!