Last night marked the halfway point of our “scheduled” services. Once again we had a comfortably full house. Last night God put souls on my heart. I preached about Jesus being the exclusive gate to salvation and that once a person is saved, there will be fruit in their lives. In fact, verse twenty reads, “You will know them by their fruit.” A person who claims to know Christ as Savior and yet has no fruit in their life is either not saved for backslidden. Neither condition honors the Lord.
Salvation is so much more than walking an aisle, talking to a preacher, and being baptized. Salvation is a person being transformed by the power and person of Jesus Christ. God initiates, sustains, and perfects the work of salvation. [Phil 1:6] [Phil 2:13] Many people have struggled at this point. As one man testified last night, “I wore a mask. I went down as child but even while saying the sinner’s prayer I knew I was doing it for all the wrong reasons. I did it to get a certificate and the approval of men. Over the years I knew how to play church. I could fool everyone but God. God dragged me kicking and screaming these last few nights until I finally surrendered and tapped out.” This man who had pretended to be a Christian for years met Jesus Christ. He faithfully taught Sunday School but now finally knows the one he taught about for so long.
When a person truly knows Jesus Christ there is a life transformation. I am not saying saved people do not sin. We all do, which is why we need revival in the first place. Yet, when a saved person sins God chastises us. The New Testament pattern is that God saves people and continues that work in a person’s life which results in that person bearing fruit.
We started the service with two baptisms last night. One was the senior adult lady I talked about in yesterday’s blog. She has been going to church here for fifty something years but has only known Jesus as her Savior for less than forty-eight hours. Hallelujah! Tonight the man behind the mask will follow the Lord in baptism.
God continues His work here. Trust me. It is His work. It is not Matt’s work on the work of FBC. There were three others saved last night. Last night we actually had a few guests from other churches in attendance as well. I pray the fire of revival would touch their hearts so they can be a conduit to take revival back to their churches. This is all bigger than FBC.
As exciting as all this is, I am still convinced we are sitting on the threshold of revival. We are right on the verge of something supernatural and beyond comprehension but we have not had that breakthrough as of yet. We are close. I continue to pray for God to unleash the fullness of His power in our midst. I ask Him for breakthrough every night. This is His work. He began it and I trust He will sustain it and finish it.
God continues to sustain the work. Many times over the past few days I thought the crowd would dwindle. Each night I try to stop by our television studio before entering the sanctuary and watch the monitors. Usually there are few people in the seats at 6:55 p.m. but when I get up to preach the house is full. God is working. God is drawing people to Himself.
I have received testimonies from people who are watching the services in their homes. They tell me the power of God is also felt in their living rooms. I know before all of this is done there will be people saved who watched the services. I also believe some of these will eventually take the next step and go from watching on television to coming to the services in person.
The services are now consistently lasting two hours. Much of that time is God working during the invitation. We are not intentionally trying to drag services out. This is God at work. I am amazed at our people who continue to come for more. I know they are tired because I am tired. When I sat down to eat with our staff and the Atens last night I was spent. I have preached with all my heart this week.
A lady asked me if I was tired after each service. I told her truthfully I am but God sustains me the next day getting me up early to pray and get into the scriptures. When I come back each night I am refreshed and energized.
I just left a men’s prayer meeting early this morning crying out for God to do more. We are on the threshold and I can see through the door greater things. I pray for God to move us to the other side. I am convinced there is so much more to be done. There are more people to save and there are more of God’s people who need to be broken. There is more of God’s glory to be revealed and more fire to spread.
This little fire of revival is building in intensity and beginning to spread. It has primarily touched our church. I can see it spreading way beyond here. We have people from Paradise in town and others coming this weekend. We have people from Canada who will be here this weekend as well. People from several churches are being drawn to God’s revival fire. I trust it will spread all over West Texas.
I beg of you to pray with me that we go beyond standing at the threshold of revival tonight and jump through the door and experience more of God. I plead for fervent intercessors to pray that God would breakthrough. Revival continues here in Seminole. There is much much more to come. Come join us if you live close enough.
No comments:
Post a Comment