Again... Revive Us

::Bible Study::

Psalm 85:1-7 ... 2 Chronicles 7:14

It is the nature of all created things to wear out and to wind down. It is the nature of a fire, to go out; of sheep, to wander; of love, to wax cold; of the church, to drift; and of people, to forget. 

As a result we need to be revived and restored to the early devotion we had for becoming loyal disciples of Jesus Christ.

Acts 3:19 is a good definition: “…Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

There is a difference between a revival and an evangelistic campaign. An evangelistic campaign is something the church decides to do. Revival is something God does. Revival is a work of GOD!

And as modern evangelism looks more and more like emotionalism we are in more need today than ever for an authentic revival effort.

EXAMPLES OF REVIVAL

There have been examples of extraordinary movements of the Spirit of God throughout history.

One example is the tremendous movement of the Spirit of God in Korea (1906-1910) with 80,000 added to the churches. Since the Korean War, 15 million have come to Christ in a nation of just over 40 million.

Another example is China. There were less than one million Christians in China prior to 1950. Primarily in the last 25 years

the Spirit of God has added 70-90 million believers in a nation that contains one-fourth of the world’s population 

In our nation’s history we have experienced three major revivals:

FIRST: The Great Awakening about 1740 in the time of George Whitfield and Jonathan Edwards. All of society was dramatically affected. Thousands came to Christ. The Great Awakening became probably the major unifying factor among the American colonies at that time. Laid the spiritual foundation for the beginning of our nation. 

SECOND: The Second Great Awakening at the beginning of the 19th century. 1785-1820. Taverns were closed, families were reconciled, young people became serious in their pursuit of God. Thousands came to Christ. 

THIRD: The third great period of revival in America took place at the beginning of the 20th century. Immigrants were coming to America from all over the world.

As these immigrants were arriving, God chose to raise up a number of great evangelists like Dwight L. Moody and others to preach the gospel to them. Tens of thousands came to Christ. Beginning of Sunday Schools. Beginning of the American Bible Society. Missionary societies were formed.

But the Church in America in spite of its many activities and apparent successes has no measurable affect in reversing this downward spiral.

Religion is up and morality is down.

THERE IS HOPE! 

Revival is possible as long as God is God. Jonathan Edwards argued that God grants light when the darkness is the greatest.

It was at just such times that revival occurred in America’s history.

When there was disinterest in religion, gross immorality, rampant unbelief, God poured out his undeserved, gracious blessing.

CONDITIONS FOR REVIVAL ON GOD’S TERMS

2 Chronicles 7:13-14

Notice in verse 13 that God says that there may very well be times that He must use trials and uncomfortable situations to get the attention of His people...

1. IF MY PEOPLE WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES

God said... My people... not the government, not the world... but His people!

God has said, "If my people will humble themselves." God will visit us when we reach a point of desperation. When we surrender that pride, when we give up the idea that we can do pretty good on our own, and we get down on our knees and admit things are not as they should be, then God will come to His people. God says that the first thing I am looking for in my people is a spirit of humility.  

David said in Psalm 51:16-17,  For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Q: When I was at my lowest, confounded by obstacles, bewildered by the darkness that surrounded us … I discovered an astonishing truth: God is attracted to weakness. He can’t resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need him. Our weakness, in fact, makes room for his power.” -Unknown

James 4:6-10

The next thing we must do to attain revival is that we must pray…

2. IF MY PEOPLE WILL PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE

Are you pretty satisfied with the state of the church today – with the devotion to God in your own heart? Revival will not come that way. God never sends revival to those who don’t want it enough to even bother asking for it in prayer. 

Jonah 3:4-10... Tells of a nation that has a genuine desire to repent of their sins.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Dwight L. Moody, that famous evangelist from Chicago went on vacation to England. He wasn’t planning to do any preaching; he was on a sabbatical. But he met a pastor there who said, "Mr. Moody you’re so well known, would you come and speak at our church?" So he went to preach the next Sunday morning.That afternoon Moody wrote in his journal that they were the deadest crowd he had ever seen and that the only thing worse than preaching to those people was that he had promised to go back that night and preach again. But as he preached he noticed that the atmosphere had changed, he did not know just why. At the close of the meeting, he was led to give an invitation for those who wanted to be saved to stand. Something amazing happened. A great crowd of people stood. He didn’t know what to do. So he said, "Maybe you don’t understand what I am asking. So when we are dismissed if you believe you are unsaved and you need to be saved come over to this little room and meet with me." When the service was over, he went to the room it was packed! He left the next day for Dublin Ireland. Shortly after arriving there, he received a telegram from the church to return, “Come back. Revival has broken out." So Moody got back on the train, went back to that church and preached 10 straight nights. And hundreds of people came to Christ. Not long afterwards, he learned the secret. An invalid lady, who could not attend the church, was praying for a mighty outpouring of the Spirit upon the church. She prayed for months. Once she saw in the papers accounts of some of the Moody meetings in America, and although she had never heard of Mr. Moody before, she began to pray that God would send him to her church in London for a revival. One Sunday morning, her sister returned from the service and informed her of Moody’s presence and his preaching. She spent the whole afternoon in prayer that God would make that night a night of power. And God did! 

Charles Spurgeon said – “Whenever God determines to do a great work, he first sets his people to pray.” 

3. IF MY PEOPLE WILL TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS 

Repentance is not only for the hardened sinner. Repentance is often required of those of us who have accepted Christ and are inside the church. Our Lord said to the church at Ephesus, Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. Revelation 2:5 

Real repentance involves confession of sin and turning away from it. 

When Paul preached at Ephesus, the Bible says that "many came, and confessed, and showed their deeds" -and not only that, they turned from their sins, and made a bonfire of those things which should not have been in their homes. 

Our sins need to be confessed, and if we have wronged another person, we need to confess and make restitution.

If we are to be clean we have to renounce all bitterness, wrath, malice, harshness, unforgiving spirits, filthiness, and immorality; in short, anything that would “give the devil a foothold” 

Eph. 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.

Conclusion:

R. G. Lee describes revival like this:

If all the sleeping folk will wake up,

If all the lukewarm folk will fire up, 

If all the dishonest folk will confess up, 

If all the disgruntled folk will cheer up, 

If all the depressed folk will cheer up, 

If all the estranged folk will make up, 

If all the gossipers will shut up, 

If all true soldiers will stand up, 

If all the dry bones will shake up, 

If all the church members will pray up... 

Then we can have a revival! 

--R. G. Lee

Dear friend if you find yourself desiring a fresh touch from God then count yourselves blessed... So many are wandering around cold and complaisant not caring to ever really be on fire for God. Run to Him hungry and thirsty and allow Him to fill you once again.

Always Abounding (Bible Study)

I Corinthians 15:1-12…50-58

This chapter is a treasure of hope… It is a argument for the resurrection of the body. This is distinctly a Christian teaching. Notice that the Resurrection was primarily not a doctrine but a fact. It is not necessary to argue it, but simply to say that Christ arose, therefore all will arise, because Christ is the Son of man. V. 19 of this chapter says… If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

 As we approach the final verse of this chapter 15, we notice that Paul is giving the people of God instructions on how to be prepared for the end of days. In fact there are 3 truths mentioned that we are to strive for… Let’s look at these truths together, and while we do let’s consider that Satan wants us to be unprepared at the return of our Lord…

 Be Stedfast
 D: STEDFAST; 1. Fast fixed; firm; firmly fixed or established; Constant; firm; resolute; not fickle or wavering.

Acts 2:42  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 

-We are trying to figure out every way possible to fight the multiple warfares that Satan wages on us except for getting down in the trenches and getting our knees dirty… one thing that God’s people of days gone by understood that we don't today is the value of prayer… laboring in prayer!

Q:“What the Church needs to-day is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use — men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men, men of prayer. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men” -E.M. Bounds

Hebrews 3:12-14  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

2 Peter 3:17-18 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Unmovable 
D: UNMOVABLE, adjective That cannot be moved or shaken; firm; fixed.

Psalm 16:8 I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalm 121:1-3 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2  My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. 3  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Colossians 1:21-23  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23  If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

-It seems as though we are all so quick to forget that Christ is our help and our hope, when confusion compasses us… its not then that we should fold and run… but it is then that we should stand firm, unmovable on Christ our Great foundation.

Matthew 7:24-25 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

Always Abounding
D: ABOUND'ING, participle present tense Having in great plenty; being in great plenty, being very prevalent; generally prevailing. Increase.

Colossians 2:6-7 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7  Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

-Abounding in what?… The work of the Lord, laboring. while all the while realizing that what you are doing for God matters to God.

Matthew 9:35-38 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36  But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, [4] and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37  Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

1 Corinthians 3:8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 

1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

Concluding Thoughts: Are we stedfast, unmovable, and always abounding?

The Helpful Farmer

... Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. -Matthew 19:19

There was a farmer who grew excellent quality corn. Every year he won the award for the best grown corn. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?” the reporter asked.

“Why sir,” said the farmer, “Didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.”

So it is with our lives... Those who want to live meaningfully and well must help enrich the lives of others, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

Keep Yourselves

Jude v. 21 - Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

As Baptist, verses like these make us scratch our heads. I've spent my entire life watching and listening to believers try to explain away verses like these. After all... Do not most Baptist teach that we are totally depraved and can not do one thing to please God? 

Notice the verse carefully.... "Keep yourselves"... This means that God requires that we see to it that we are careful to study, pray and live our lives in fellowship with Christ and one another. The last part of our verse pinpoints the key to our Spiritual success "The Lord Jesus Christ". 

Jesus puts it this way in John 15:4 "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." 

It's way overdue that professing Christians become followers of Christ. It's as if we are all willing to establish our own definition of what being a Christian is, but unwilling to study to truly see what the Word says on the toughest issues. But I say; follow the words of Christ... Make Him head of all that is about you and things will begin to change for the better in your heart and home.

Like the old song goes... I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back... No turning back. The world behind me, the cross before me. No turning back... No turning back. Though none go with me still I will follow, no turning back... No turning back.

We NEED One Another

Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

1 John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

I'm thankful that it is not my idea or your idea but the HolySpirit that keeps us in unity. How can we love one another when we are prone to have so many different opinions? Because if we are the children of God we have the Spirit of Christ bearing witness with one another that we are indeed the children of God. The world puts a stipulation on love..."I'll love you as long as I'm getting what I need from you". But our love as the people of God is unique, this kind of love says "I'll continue to love you no matter how you treat me". It's not always easy, but it is possible in Christ.

1 John 4:11-13 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

Serving Self

 

Every person is born into this world with a combination of the traits, talents, and temperament of their forefathers.  When we are innocent little children, we belong to the Lord (Mk 10:14).  However, as we grow and eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Deut 1:39), each one of us comes into our inheritance from Adam:  we are carnally minded, selfish, under bondage to the god of this world, under the sentence of death.  Our vision is darkened by the cloud of sin and iniquity in which we come to live.  We may be living a good life (doing constructive things) or living an evil life (doing destructive things).  Although, in either case, we are serving ourselves if we are not serving God.  Our minds are on the desires of our human nature (Rom 8:5).  We are all born heirs of the kingdom of Darkness due to the fall of Adam (Rom 5:12-21).  We are all born blind to the reality of the kingdom of God (II Cor 4:4).

Now everyone experiences problems at one time or another during their life here on earth.  It is the legacy of our common ancestor, Adam.  Sometimes we are troubled, agitated on every side.  We are, at times, perplexed, having doubts about our life and we may be in despair, hopelessly obsessed, oppressed, depressed, or defeated.  The children born into this world are sometimes persecuted, abused and made to suffer at the hands of others.  We may be cast down, humiliated and sometimes we are destroyed or killed.  Jesus said, 'In this world you shall have tribulations' (John 16:33).  We are all troubled people until we enter the kingdom of God.

 The kingdom of God:

What is the kingdom of God? 

Where is it?  

The kingdom of God is mentioned numerous times in the New Testament.  Jesus taught us to pray, 'Our Father in heaven, may your name Thy Kingdom come...' (Mt 6:9-10)  The kingdom of God is where His will is done, whether on earth or in heaven.  A person can be, spiritually, in the kingdom of God while still living on this earth.  Jesus explained this when the Pharisees asked him when the kingdom of God was to come.  He replied, 'The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.’ (Luke 17:20-21) 

The Kingdom of God is within us... You and me as the children of the most high King! So if it is so that we are already citizens of this Kingdom then may we live each and every day as selfless as Christ our King did while He was here on this earth. We have Him as our best example of what it means to be selfless and give ourselves for others. It's easy to get wrapped up in this life to the point where we become selfish and uncaring.

God guard our hearts and minds and help us to be aware of the hurting and broken around us... And help us to be a help to the weary. May the Gospel message be on our lips continually.

Bearded Man Card Tract

Have you picked up one of our "Bearded Man" card tracts? Being a bearded man myself... I felt the need to have a short but straight forward tract that would grab the attention of the bearded. 

The back of the card reads...

Greetings! I'm just a bearded fellow telling others about another bearded Man who changed my life and gave me peace. You may have heard of Him before, His name is Jesus. He is no mere man as you and I, but rather He is Lord and Savior to all who come to Him to be forgiven of their sins. Jesus is the only One able to forgive and cleanse us. He earned this right by dying in our place and taking upon Himself His Father's wrath that is against all sinful men. Jesus was beaten, His beard was plucked from His face, and a crown of thorns was placed on His head, then, He was nailed to a wooden cross and left to die. Why? Because He loved us enough to take our punishment! If you feel the HolySpirit drawing you to Himself, all you must do is repent of your sins and ask Jesus to save you. Then follow Him by praying to Him and reading His word daily, finding a good bible believing church is also very important. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8 Even burly, bearded, axe-slinging, flannel wearing men need Jesus. 3and20baptist.com

If you picked up one of these cards and found us through the web address given at the bottom of the card then thank you for stopping by, we hope that  you are already a follower of Christ but if not then please repent of your sins and ask Jesus to cleanse you and save you before it's too late... Please contact us and let us know if we have helped you.