All of us have little voices talking in our heads. Their are the voices of parents, teachers, coaches, professors all reminding us how to live and think. We have the voice of reason offering counsel about decisions in life. We have the voice of society telling us what is politically correct and incorrect. It is not correct to eat at Chic-Fil-A according to some in Hollywood because the owner spoke against homosexuality and same sex marriage. The in vogue have called for a boycott against Chic-Fil-A.
While reading in the book of Genesis this morning something really struck me. For several chapters God promised Abram he would be the father of a great nation even though he and his wife Sarai were childless.
While reading the first two verses of Genesis chapter sixteen God grabbed my attention. The voice of reason said Abram and Sarai were childless and time was running out. Abram had reached the upper nineties in age and Sarai had reached close to ninety. Everything seemed to be over as far as the two of them ever having biological children. The voice of reason offered another plan. Abram could marry and have relations with Sarai's servant and when the servant girl became pregnant and gave birth Sarai would take the child and raise it for her own.
The plan sounded good. It made perfect sense and seemed reasonable. The voice of reason came through loud and clear. There was only one problem. Both Sarai and Abram listened to the wrong voice. God did not initiate this plan. Everything about the plan had the fingerprints of Satan all over it. Two jealous women. Strife in the home. Warring nations were birthed out of Ishmael such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Afghanistan. These are the nations we find ourselves in contention with today. Think about it. It started when Abram chose to listen to the wrong voice. He listened to his wife Sarai but not God. He heeded her counsel but did not seek the counsel of God.
God had already revealed his counsel. Abram chose not to believe but to listen to the wrong voice. What voice are you listening to? I plead with all my might make sure you are listening to God first and foremost. Listening to the wrong voice will cost you more heartache and suffering than you ever cared to endure. If you can't discern His voice then wait on Him. Do not go ahead with your own plan listening only to the voice of reason. Wait on God to speak, to reveal, to lead, to show the path. Listen to His voice.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Sunday After Revival
So what happened at Faith Community the Sunday after the revival meetings? God moved. The worship filled the warehouse. People sang with passion. Eddie had fire in his heart after sitting and listening for the past two weeks. The people seemed pretty fired up as they sang as well. I could not help but smile while I sang.
One lady commented to me at lunch she could not quit crying through the whole service. She had pleaded with God to revive her heart during the revival meetings. She said she had been going through a dry spell. For some reason God moved in her heart Sunday morning. She wanted to go back to church right then. Another lady who has been praying for her husband and two sons to be saved came to me after the service with her youngest son who told me he wanted to follow in baptism next Sunday. His father and brother who have also recently been saved will be joining him along with a host of others. These three have been on my prayer list since this wife and mother asked me to join her in praying. Praise the Lord.
We had a family join the church Sunday morning. He works for the Southern Baptist of Texas Convention as the state wide Disaster Relief Coordinator and she is a retired school teacher who volunteers for a pregnancy crisis center. They will make great additions to our church.
Last night, despite 104 degree temperatures, Faith Community Church gathered to pray at the High School, Junior High, and Intermediate campuses. I prayed with our students and loved hearing them pour their hearts out to God for their friends, teachers, and the lost. We are committed to not only praying for our community but also praying at different venues. We next plan to go and pray at area churches. Prayer is part of the DNA of Faith Community Church.
We have not been deterred one bit from continuing to seek God for revival. I am assured it will come as God works in this community. We will continue to pray and labor for lost people. We will continue to plant the gospel seed and trust God for the harvest. We will continue to seek God for tangible ways to serve and to love this community with no strings attached.
When an evangelist finishes preaching a revival in a community he moves on to the next church and the next town. Preaching a revival in the same church and community where I pastor affords me the opportunity to stay. I get to stay and continue my labor of love. I get to keep praying, witnessing, preaching, writing, and loving this community. The pursuit of God and revival continues. I will not end this glorious pursuit.
God is at work in Paradise, TX just like He is working all over the world. Faith Community continues to push forward. The crowds continue to increase. They keep coming though it gets pretty hot in the warehouse as our a/c struggles to keep up with the hot temperatures outside. Many times I have sweat right through my shirt and pants. I love it. God continues to work despite these few obstacles.
Life after the revival meetings does not mean we are satisfied without revival. The glorious pursuit continues. On top of all that Sunday was our one year anniversary as a church. God has done so much in the past year. Nothing greater than saving people and transforming whole families. This coming Sunday we are going celebrate baptism with the most people we have ever been baptized at one time in our church. God continues to expand His kingdom one heart and life at a time. Glory to God.
One lady commented to me at lunch she could not quit crying through the whole service. She had pleaded with God to revive her heart during the revival meetings. She said she had been going through a dry spell. For some reason God moved in her heart Sunday morning. She wanted to go back to church right then. Another lady who has been praying for her husband and two sons to be saved came to me after the service with her youngest son who told me he wanted to follow in baptism next Sunday. His father and brother who have also recently been saved will be joining him along with a host of others. These three have been on my prayer list since this wife and mother asked me to join her in praying. Praise the Lord.
We had a family join the church Sunday morning. He works for the Southern Baptist of Texas Convention as the state wide Disaster Relief Coordinator and she is a retired school teacher who volunteers for a pregnancy crisis center. They will make great additions to our church.
Last night, despite 104 degree temperatures, Faith Community Church gathered to pray at the High School, Junior High, and Intermediate campuses. I prayed with our students and loved hearing them pour their hearts out to God for their friends, teachers, and the lost. We are committed to not only praying for our community but also praying at different venues. We next plan to go and pray at area churches. Prayer is part of the DNA of Faith Community Church.
We have not been deterred one bit from continuing to seek God for revival. I am assured it will come as God works in this community. We will continue to pray and labor for lost people. We will continue to plant the gospel seed and trust God for the harvest. We will continue to seek God for tangible ways to serve and to love this community with no strings attached.
When an evangelist finishes preaching a revival in a community he moves on to the next church and the next town. Preaching a revival in the same church and community where I pastor affords me the opportunity to stay. I get to stay and continue my labor of love. I get to keep praying, witnessing, preaching, writing, and loving this community. The pursuit of God and revival continues. I will not end this glorious pursuit.
God is at work in Paradise, TX just like He is working all over the world. Faith Community continues to push forward. The crowds continue to increase. They keep coming though it gets pretty hot in the warehouse as our a/c struggles to keep up with the hot temperatures outside. Many times I have sweat right through my shirt and pants. I love it. God continues to work despite these few obstacles.
Life after the revival meetings does not mean we are satisfied without revival. The glorious pursuit continues. On top of all that Sunday was our one year anniversary as a church. God has done so much in the past year. Nothing greater than saving people and transforming whole families. This coming Sunday we are going celebrate baptism with the most people we have ever been baptized at one time in our church. God continues to expand His kingdom one heart and life at a time. Glory to God.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Paradise Revival - Day Fourteen
While mowing today I prayed for the revival. I told the Lord if He wanted us to continue meeting I would do so. I told Him I would be willing to preach until I had no strength or no voice left if that was His will.
Physically I have been tired. The constant juggling of my schedule and then preaching every night have taken a toll. I have not slept well during these past two weeks. I often get up in the middle of night with the weight of my desire to see God move on my mind. The messages have come fairly easily. Everyday at some point a scripture is impressed on my mind. When it dwells there throughout the day that is the direction I go in the message.
Several times throughout the course of these meetings I have felt prompted to preach messages I did not want to preach. Many times I have preached messages that I preached years ago. I wanted a fresh word every night. Something new. Many times I have been led to preach messages I used to preach when I traveled as a full time evangelist years ago. One night I even rebelled and prepared another message. I had no peace about preaching my message and finally surrendered to preach what God wanted. Though I did feel prepared the Lord used it anyway. His ways are best.
This proved to be the case last night. On Friday night, the last scheduled night of the revival, I wanted to preach a hard hitting message. Instead God moved me to preach from [Heb 12:1-3]. This also was night for the opening ceremonies at the 2012 London Olympic Games. I wanted to enter the pulpit swinging for the fence in the message. Reluctant I prepared and delivered the message.
I felt more like a teacher last night. Chris prepared our hearts to receive the word of God as he led us in worship. He did not hold back. We were all tired. He and I both fought against just getting through the service. We both wanted to see God breakthrough. He sang with passion and led us with anointing.
I taught through [Heb 12:1-3]. I emphasize the word taught. The message did not feel like a revival message. It felt more like a Sunday night or Wednesday night teaching time. We squeezed the truth out of those verses. We did not rush through all of it. In the end I challenged people to lay down their encumbrances and the sin that trips us. Once again God touched hearts and people came to the altar in repentance and to pray. We had another good meeting. God did not come in and overwhelm us with His presence. He did meet with us but the community of Paradise has not changed much.
At the very end I felt no prompting from the Lord to continue the meetings. I had a woman from another church approach me afterward and tell me if we ever have extra meetings besides on Sundays and Wednesdays to please let her know. I assured her we would.
A fifth grade boy approached me afterward. He told me during the service he had taken off his cross necklace and put it in the seat next to him. He invited Jesus to come and sit down next to him. I asked the little boy if Jesus had spoken to him. He replied that indeed Jesus had spoken to him. I asked what he had heard Jesus say. His reply, "Jesus told me to listen to you to, pastor Matt, to what you preached tonight. He also told me to remember the verses so I could go home and look them up later." This same little boy has worshiped with hands lifted and heart abandoned to the Lord.
There is no way around it. I am disappointed. I prayed and believed God to do so much more. The whole church did not get revived. Some did. Many did not even attend the meetings. The community did not experience God on a mass scale like we had prayed. The grip of Satan has not been broken. We did make a few strides. In one week we are celebrating the baptism of up to a dozen people. That is cause for rejoicing.
During the altar call Friday night I knelt in prayer and surrender. In that moment I sensed the Lord telling me that revival will come. It may not be scheduled. It will come unexpectedly but it will come. I must continue to devote myself to prayer on behalf of Paradise.
The pursuit of revival continues. One glorious day God will usher in days of true revival. He has an open invitation at Faith Community Church. When He chooses to move we will meet as many days as He wants. There is more work to be done. Now is not the time to take a siesta. My hands are to the plow and with God's enabling I am determined to be a tool in His hands to break up the fallow ground of Paradise and to see days of revival and spiritual awakening.
True the meetings have ended but the quest for more of God and revival linger on. I guess they will as long as this preacher has breath. God I continue to ask you to come and shake this city.
Physically I have been tired. The constant juggling of my schedule and then preaching every night have taken a toll. I have not slept well during these past two weeks. I often get up in the middle of night with the weight of my desire to see God move on my mind. The messages have come fairly easily. Everyday at some point a scripture is impressed on my mind. When it dwells there throughout the day that is the direction I go in the message.
Several times throughout the course of these meetings I have felt prompted to preach messages I did not want to preach. Many times I have preached messages that I preached years ago. I wanted a fresh word every night. Something new. Many times I have been led to preach messages I used to preach when I traveled as a full time evangelist years ago. One night I even rebelled and prepared another message. I had no peace about preaching my message and finally surrendered to preach what God wanted. Though I did feel prepared the Lord used it anyway. His ways are best.
This proved to be the case last night. On Friday night, the last scheduled night of the revival, I wanted to preach a hard hitting message. Instead God moved me to preach from [Heb 12:1-3]. This also was night for the opening ceremonies at the 2012 London Olympic Games. I wanted to enter the pulpit swinging for the fence in the message. Reluctant I prepared and delivered the message.
I felt more like a teacher last night. Chris prepared our hearts to receive the word of God as he led us in worship. He did not hold back. We were all tired. He and I both fought against just getting through the service. We both wanted to see God breakthrough. He sang with passion and led us with anointing.
I taught through [Heb 12:1-3]. I emphasize the word taught. The message did not feel like a revival message. It felt more like a Sunday night or Wednesday night teaching time. We squeezed the truth out of those verses. We did not rush through all of it. In the end I challenged people to lay down their encumbrances and the sin that trips us. Once again God touched hearts and people came to the altar in repentance and to pray. We had another good meeting. God did not come in and overwhelm us with His presence. He did meet with us but the community of Paradise has not changed much.
At the very end I felt no prompting from the Lord to continue the meetings. I had a woman from another church approach me afterward and tell me if we ever have extra meetings besides on Sundays and Wednesdays to please let her know. I assured her we would.
A fifth grade boy approached me afterward. He told me during the service he had taken off his cross necklace and put it in the seat next to him. He invited Jesus to come and sit down next to him. I asked the little boy if Jesus had spoken to him. He replied that indeed Jesus had spoken to him. I asked what he had heard Jesus say. His reply, "Jesus told me to listen to you to, pastor Matt, to what you preached tonight. He also told me to remember the verses so I could go home and look them up later." This same little boy has worshiped with hands lifted and heart abandoned to the Lord.
There is no way around it. I am disappointed. I prayed and believed God to do so much more. The whole church did not get revived. Some did. Many did not even attend the meetings. The community did not experience God on a mass scale like we had prayed. The grip of Satan has not been broken. We did make a few strides. In one week we are celebrating the baptism of up to a dozen people. That is cause for rejoicing.
During the altar call Friday night I knelt in prayer and surrender. In that moment I sensed the Lord telling me that revival will come. It may not be scheduled. It will come unexpectedly but it will come. I must continue to devote myself to prayer on behalf of Paradise.
The pursuit of revival continues. One glorious day God will usher in days of true revival. He has an open invitation at Faith Community Church. When He chooses to move we will meet as many days as He wants. There is more work to be done. Now is not the time to take a siesta. My hands are to the plow and with God's enabling I am determined to be a tool in His hands to break up the fallow ground of Paradise and to see days of revival and spiritual awakening.
True the meetings have ended but the quest for more of God and revival linger on. I guess they will as long as this preacher has breath. God I continue to ask you to come and shake this city.
Paradise Revival - Day Thirteen
God had a special word for ladies last night. I preached on the passage about the woman who had been bent over double for eighteen long years and Jesus healed her. I felt a deep burden for the pressures women face in this society to look and act a certain way.
We looked at how Satan can use so many things to oppress women. He can use a father or mother who have a critical spirit. Their words can wound women not just in childhood but all the way through adulthood as well. The wounds are reinforced with each new criticism. No matter what a woman may try to do in this situation through improving themselves, getting an education, or becoming successful in their career it is never enough to satisfy critical parents. Wounded daughters cannot straighten themselves up.
Women have also been hurt and used by men they date and marry. The deceit of the enemy makes women think they have no self worth unless they have a boyfriend or husband. They may not even be good boyfriends or husbands so they settle for anything thinking this will bring the self worth they have craved. Women have been used by men to gratify their selfish and often times sinful desires. Women try to please and create the fairy tale "they lived happily ever after" ending. What they often receive is more disappointment and more criticism. Instead of the fairly tale these women often find themselves living in a nightmare they cannot escape. When they end up in divorce court the enemy only uses this to reinforce feelings of failure and not being able to measure up to other women.
Add to these the pressures reinforced by the media that a woman has to look a certain way and be a certain size to match up. So a lady who works a full time job, comes home to a dirty house, and labors to get dinner on the table, finally takes a look in the mirror. What does she see. Not the perfect woman from a fashion magazine. She looks in the mirror at a frazzled woman just trying to keep up. Satan uses this moment to bend her over a little more and to convince her she will never measure up. Never mind that the woman in the fashion magazine has been airbrushed to hide the flaws in her face and body. The picture in the magazine has been doctored. It is not the real thing.
Women feel the pressure to change their hair color, to have cosmetic surgery, to work out incessantly all so they can measure up to a fantasy. I once saw a rather unattractive woman with acne in a true life example of how photographers and magazine employees can take someone unpleasant to look at and with a little magic make them into a glamor star. Step by step the picture took on a new look as flaws were covered and other features highlighted. The final product looked nothing life real life. That is what women compete with everyday. Only they forget or do not know those fashion magazines pictures are not real.
When the invitation came after the message I felt the Lord wanted women to minister to women. God moved in a very tender way. Women got up to go pray for other women. Women came to the altar in tears while other women knelt behind them in prayer.
I challenged all the women to say together, "I am a daughter of the King." That is how we ended the night. I know God moved in many women's hearts. One lady told me afterward that I needed to preach that message to our teenage girls. This is something I will prayerfully consider in the future.
We had another really good night but true revival has not come. We are scheduled to meet tomorrow night and if there is no true breakthrough and God does not lead us to continue our revival meetings will come to an end.
We looked at how Satan can use so many things to oppress women. He can use a father or mother who have a critical spirit. Their words can wound women not just in childhood but all the way through adulthood as well. The wounds are reinforced with each new criticism. No matter what a woman may try to do in this situation through improving themselves, getting an education, or becoming successful in their career it is never enough to satisfy critical parents. Wounded daughters cannot straighten themselves up.
Women have also been hurt and used by men they date and marry. The deceit of the enemy makes women think they have no self worth unless they have a boyfriend or husband. They may not even be good boyfriends or husbands so they settle for anything thinking this will bring the self worth they have craved. Women have been used by men to gratify their selfish and often times sinful desires. Women try to please and create the fairy tale "they lived happily ever after" ending. What they often receive is more disappointment and more criticism. Instead of the fairly tale these women often find themselves living in a nightmare they cannot escape. When they end up in divorce court the enemy only uses this to reinforce feelings of failure and not being able to measure up to other women.
Add to these the pressures reinforced by the media that a woman has to look a certain way and be a certain size to match up. So a lady who works a full time job, comes home to a dirty house, and labors to get dinner on the table, finally takes a look in the mirror. What does she see. Not the perfect woman from a fashion magazine. She looks in the mirror at a frazzled woman just trying to keep up. Satan uses this moment to bend her over a little more and to convince her she will never measure up. Never mind that the woman in the fashion magazine has been airbrushed to hide the flaws in her face and body. The picture in the magazine has been doctored. It is not the real thing.
Women feel the pressure to change their hair color, to have cosmetic surgery, to work out incessantly all so they can measure up to a fantasy. I once saw a rather unattractive woman with acne in a true life example of how photographers and magazine employees can take someone unpleasant to look at and with a little magic make them into a glamor star. Step by step the picture took on a new look as flaws were covered and other features highlighted. The final product looked nothing life real life. That is what women compete with everyday. Only they forget or do not know those fashion magazines pictures are not real.
When the invitation came after the message I felt the Lord wanted women to minister to women. God moved in a very tender way. Women got up to go pray for other women. Women came to the altar in tears while other women knelt behind them in prayer.
I challenged all the women to say together, "I am a daughter of the King." That is how we ended the night. I know God moved in many women's hearts. One lady told me afterward that I needed to preach that message to our teenage girls. This is something I will prayerfully consider in the future.
We had another really good night but true revival has not come. We are scheduled to meet tomorrow night and if there is no true breakthrough and God does not lead us to continue our revival meetings will come to an end.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Paradise Revival - Day Twelve
You can mark three of the twenty-eight people I have been praying for off my list. One was already saved but had fallen out of fellowship with church. He showed up last night with his wife. God set up a divine appointment for me to talk to a student in the weight room about his salvation. He had already trusted Christ to be saved but had never been baptized. He is going to do that in two weeks when we celebrate baptism as a church. Another man I have been praying for gave evidence of also getting saved at some point in his life. He is contemplating baptism.
Last night the Lord allowed me to preach my all time favorite message from [II Kings 6:1-7] about the lost axehead. I will spare you all the details but suffice it to say God did move. I remember being moved by watching one man sprawled out on the altar in brokenness and prayer and a lady at the altar doing serious business with God last night. We had a good night. For some reason God has chosen to anoint that message more than anyone I have ever preached.
Once again God used Chris to lead us in anointed worship. I received two testimonies from adults getting blessed watching an incoming sixth grader lifting both hands in worship. One lady sent me a text that read, "Anyone who says God is not moving in Paradise I would call a liar." She is right. God is moving. Much of it is under the surface but make no mistake the movement is real. It is like the rip currents which you cannot see in the ocean but you can definitely feel the effects as they drag you further and further from the shore.
God is pulling and tugging on hearts. Plans for now include us to meet tonight and Friday night before ending our revival unless... That is unless God does some astounding things in these next two services. We long for more of Him and my will is only to do His will.
In two weeks we have as many as twelve people to baptize. I do not have words to express my gratitude to God for the work He continues to do here at Faith Community. I am off to night thirteen of the revival. I am off to preach another word clearly impressed on my heart from the Lord. To be continued...
Last night the Lord allowed me to preach my all time favorite message from [II Kings 6:1-7] about the lost axehead. I will spare you all the details but suffice it to say God did move. I remember being moved by watching one man sprawled out on the altar in brokenness and prayer and a lady at the altar doing serious business with God last night. We had a good night. For some reason God has chosen to anoint that message more than anyone I have ever preached.
Once again God used Chris to lead us in anointed worship. I received two testimonies from adults getting blessed watching an incoming sixth grader lifting both hands in worship. One lady sent me a text that read, "Anyone who says God is not moving in Paradise I would call a liar." She is right. God is moving. Much of it is under the surface but make no mistake the movement is real. It is like the rip currents which you cannot see in the ocean but you can definitely feel the effects as they drag you further and further from the shore.
God is pulling and tugging on hearts. Plans for now include us to meet tonight and Friday night before ending our revival unless... That is unless God does some astounding things in these next two services. We long for more of Him and my will is only to do His will.
In two weeks we have as many as twelve people to baptize. I do not have words to express my gratitude to God for the work He continues to do here at Faith Community. I am off to night thirteen of the revival. I am off to preach another word clearly impressed on my heart from the Lord. To be continued...
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Paradise Revival - Day Eleven
I felt a strong sense of spiritual warfare all day long but most especially between 2:30-6:15 p.m. Around 4:30 p.m. I felt so distraught I told the Lord I would not go into the service unless I had heard from Him. I did have a strong impression for a message but I did not want to preach it. I preached that message five years ago at FBC Paradise. I recall the day, the month, the year. Moreover I have preached that message numerous times at youth camps and in church revivals all the nation. I wanted a fresh word.
On top of that I have not heard the Lord speak to me since the revival began other than to give direction about what I should preach each night. I have sat in silence and solitude for hours and not received anything from the Lord. Scripture reading had not yielded anything, nor prayer, meditation, or reading other books. Yesterday afternoon I planted my feet and refused to budge until I heard from the Lord. Most of my praying would have to be categorized as more like complaining.
This lasted for some time. Over and over I pleaded with the Lord to confirm the revival had come from Him. I pleaded with the Lord to give me some assurance and encouragement. Nothing. Not a whisper. Not a word. Not a verse from Him. I poured my heart even more. Still nothing from the Lord. I determined that I would tell Chris to start without me and if he did not see me then to take over the service because I had not clearly heard from God.
All the while I kept sensing I needed to preach a message from [Mark 5:1-20] about a demon possessed man whom Jesus delivered and transformed. Reluctantly I finally caved in. This did not alter my desire for God to encourage me. Desperate for reassurance from my Father I cried out again.
Moments before Chris came to my office for our prayer I did something I rarely do. I even counseled our church against doing this just a few nights ago. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I blindly opened my Bible crying out to God to speak to me from the first verse my eyes came across.
[I Cor 15:58] reads, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." Stunned I recorded the verse in my journal and then went deeper. I studied every word believing God had really spoken something just for me in my time of need. The word "steadfast" means to be firm and immovable. The word "immovable" means to be firmly persistent. The word "labor" means intense work united with sorrow. Finally, the word "vain" means empty, fruitless, and no purpose.
I camped on that verse for a long time interpreting it several ways for my life. Two of the main ones were to continue preaching the revival day by day and see what God does. The verse also encouraged me to keep laboring at planting Faith Community Church. The work, though painful and difficult, is not in vain.
With all of this in mind I entered the sanctuary with a new sense of hope after Chris and I prayed. I enjoyed the worship. I stood to preach and told the congregation I would preach out of obedience but I did not want to preach that message. I think the message hit the mark. Nobody got saved but the work of God in our midst was obvious. We had many visitors in attendance and many of them from sister churches.
This revival has never been about Faith Community Church. It has never been about bolstering our attendance. In the end I left encouraged and grateful God had met with me. Just as I sensed no anointing on the preaching the previous night I felt the opposite last night. I felt no strain in delivering the message. The thoughts flowed seamlessly. God empowered the preaching.
Did breakthrough come? Did we experience a true revival. All I can tell you in summation is I met with God before the service and enjoyed being His vessel during the service. There was no wow factor. God touched the hearts of many. We enjoyed a good time together. Chris' family drove up to join him for the next several days. We had a good night. Did breakthrough come? I cannot say that. I can say we met with God.
We will continue to meet for the next three nights for sure. Now it is back to more praying, studying, and listening. I am taking [I Cor 15:58] to heart. I believe that what we are doing here is not in vain.
On top of that I have not heard the Lord speak to me since the revival began other than to give direction about what I should preach each night. I have sat in silence and solitude for hours and not received anything from the Lord. Scripture reading had not yielded anything, nor prayer, meditation, or reading other books. Yesterday afternoon I planted my feet and refused to budge until I heard from the Lord. Most of my praying would have to be categorized as more like complaining.
This lasted for some time. Over and over I pleaded with the Lord to confirm the revival had come from Him. I pleaded with the Lord to give me some assurance and encouragement. Nothing. Not a whisper. Not a word. Not a verse from Him. I poured my heart even more. Still nothing from the Lord. I determined that I would tell Chris to start without me and if he did not see me then to take over the service because I had not clearly heard from God.
All the while I kept sensing I needed to preach a message from [Mark 5:1-20] about a demon possessed man whom Jesus delivered and transformed. Reluctantly I finally caved in. This did not alter my desire for God to encourage me. Desperate for reassurance from my Father I cried out again.
Moments before Chris came to my office for our prayer I did something I rarely do. I even counseled our church against doing this just a few nights ago. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I blindly opened my Bible crying out to God to speak to me from the first verse my eyes came across.
[I Cor 15:58] reads, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." Stunned I recorded the verse in my journal and then went deeper. I studied every word believing God had really spoken something just for me in my time of need. The word "steadfast" means to be firm and immovable. The word "immovable" means to be firmly persistent. The word "labor" means intense work united with sorrow. Finally, the word "vain" means empty, fruitless, and no purpose.
I camped on that verse for a long time interpreting it several ways for my life. Two of the main ones were to continue preaching the revival day by day and see what God does. The verse also encouraged me to keep laboring at planting Faith Community Church. The work, though painful and difficult, is not in vain.
With all of this in mind I entered the sanctuary with a new sense of hope after Chris and I prayed. I enjoyed the worship. I stood to preach and told the congregation I would preach out of obedience but I did not want to preach that message. I think the message hit the mark. Nobody got saved but the work of God in our midst was obvious. We had many visitors in attendance and many of them from sister churches.
This revival has never been about Faith Community Church. It has never been about bolstering our attendance. In the end I left encouraged and grateful God had met with me. Just as I sensed no anointing on the preaching the previous night I felt the opposite last night. I felt no strain in delivering the message. The thoughts flowed seamlessly. God empowered the preaching.
Did breakthrough come? Did we experience a true revival. All I can tell you in summation is I met with God before the service and enjoyed being His vessel during the service. There was no wow factor. God touched the hearts of many. We enjoyed a good time together. Chris' family drove up to join him for the next several days. We had a good night. Did breakthrough come? I cannot say that. I can say we met with God.
We will continue to meet for the next three nights for sure. Now it is back to more praying, studying, and listening. I am taking [I Cor 15:58] to heart. I believe that what we are doing here is not in vain.
Paradise Revival - Day Ten
Chris and I met together for prayer in the warehouse. We lay on our faces as we cried out to God. We cried out for God to show Himself and to grip this community with conviction and His power. I do not know how long we remained there. I only know two people cannot have prayed any harder than we did. People may pray longer but I am confident they could not pray harder.
Before the service began I had four different seasons of prayer that day. I felt confident God would breakthrough. When all ended I felt I had preached the worst message of the entire revival and everything seemed flat. I left distraught. I kept thinking how in the world could a service end that badly when we had prayed so fervently all day long.
I did not feel I preached with any anointing. The whole service felt flat. I do not know what happened. Chris felt the same way. I recall preaching and thinking how hard every word and thought seemed for me to convey. It felt like labor. The anointing of God seemed absent. How we could have grieved the Spirit of God I do not know. I know I did not walk into that place trusting in my prayers or my preparation. I trusted in God to work powerfully.
Once again I left dejected. I really began to believe that maybe I had not heard from God at all about this revival which is even more disturbing. I recall the many times I wanted to back out on even doing this and then I would sense (or think I sensed) the Lord nudging me to follow through. I would have ended the meetings last week but once again I sensed (or thought I sensed) the Lord leading us to meet for two weeks.
I preached from [Gal 6:7-9]. I had prepared the message for a strong evangelism emphasis. I am not sure one lost person even attended that meeting. One thing is for certain. Paradise has not been shaken. Paradise has not been altered. It is difficult not to lose heart.
The one comfort I have is that when this does end I will remain. I will continue to pray, preach, and to write. I will continue to labor for more of God. I will remain at my post. There is still more work to be done.
Before the service began I had four different seasons of prayer that day. I felt confident God would breakthrough. When all ended I felt I had preached the worst message of the entire revival and everything seemed flat. I left distraught. I kept thinking how in the world could a service end that badly when we had prayed so fervently all day long.
I did not feel I preached with any anointing. The whole service felt flat. I do not know what happened. Chris felt the same way. I recall preaching and thinking how hard every word and thought seemed for me to convey. It felt like labor. The anointing of God seemed absent. How we could have grieved the Spirit of God I do not know. I know I did not walk into that place trusting in my prayers or my preparation. I trusted in God to work powerfully.
Once again I left dejected. I really began to believe that maybe I had not heard from God at all about this revival which is even more disturbing. I recall the many times I wanted to back out on even doing this and then I would sense (or think I sensed) the Lord nudging me to follow through. I would have ended the meetings last week but once again I sensed (or thought I sensed) the Lord leading us to meet for two weeks.
I preached from [Gal 6:7-9]. I had prepared the message for a strong evangelism emphasis. I am not sure one lost person even attended that meeting. One thing is for certain. Paradise has not been shaken. Paradise has not been altered. It is difficult not to lose heart.
The one comfort I have is that when this does end I will remain. I will continue to pray, preach, and to write. I will continue to labor for more of God. I will remain at my post. There is still more work to be done.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Paradise Revival - Praying for Breakthrough
As the tenth day of the revival dawns my heart is deeply grieved. To date we have not seen anything that would hint of the true and genuine revivals I have experienced or read about in the past. We have had some good meetings. We have worshiped. We have dug in the word. Most of the services have felt pretty ordinary. Please do not get me wrong. I am not saying God has not worked nor that He has not met with us. I am just stating the obvious. We have not had a breakthrough yet.
It would be tempting to give up but I know we still have another six days to meet. We have six more opportunities for God to breakthrough the fallow ground in Paradise. That is my prayer. Chris and I are devoting more time this week to prayer. We are not giving up. Everything could change in one service and I will be honest. Every time God does not breakthrough I leave disappointed and crushed in heart.
So on the dawning of this new day I reset my focus to pursue God and revival. So much is at stake I cannot afford to slacken in my pursuit now. So today I am pouring out my prayer to God on this blog. I plead with you to join with me in praying for God to breakthrough in Paradise.
Holy Father,
I come broken this morning. My heart is grieved. I thank you for the good things you have done but both of us know you have not sent revival. If there is something in my life or Chris' life that is hindering you from working I pray you would reveal it. I only want more of you for myself and our people. I come again asking you to breakup the fallow ground in Paradise, TX.
I know you love this community more than me. You love the lost more than I do. You love your glory more than I do. You have not done anything in the past week that would make this community sit up and take notice. You have not come in power. You have not brought glory to yourself. Chris and I cannot manufacture revival. That is your sovereign move. We hunger for it though. We yearn for more of you poured out in our hearts and in our services. I ask you to release more of your Spirit in this community bringing conviction and brokenness to the saved and lost alike. I ask you to come powerfully to rescue Paradise from the grip of the enemy.
Satan has full control of the high grounds of our schools. I bow my head and ask you to send wave after wave of your Spirit to take back that high ground. We sinned as a community. We went to sleep on the walls of Paradise while the enemy kept advancing. We turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the tide of evil sweeping over our students. I cannot stand for it. I beg of you with all that is in me that you turn the hearts of students back to you in droves. I pray your conviction would fall on our male and female athletes right now where ever they are. I pray you would send conviction to those in the band and those in cheerleading. I ask you to send conviction to those wrapped up in the party lifestyle. I plead with you to send the plow of your Holy Spirit to turn up the fallow ground of the hearts of the students. You know all things. You know what it will take to breakthrough.
I ask you to reveal that to me. I am willing to do whatever you lead me to if it will lead to a real breakthrough in this revival. I am desperate. I cannot do it. No matter how long or how hard I preach I know I cannot bring revival. Lord, you led me to do this. I wanted to back out of it several times but you are the one who called me to hold a revival for fourteen days. People are tired. They came for a solid week hoping for something special and they have left without having experienced you in true revival. I know you are capable of more. Ephesians 3:20 assures me of that. I know it is your will to send true revival to your sick and impotent church as well as to save the lost. I John 5:14-15.
I ask you to send revival like a spring storm. I ask you call sinful people to repentance and call the lost to new life in you. I ask you to quit holding back. I will not pray in unbelief and say if you can send revival. I know you can. This is not a matter of your ability. This is a matter of your will. To this point you have chosen to hold back even though every fiber of my being believes you are hovering over this community and church. What will it take for you to will to send a miracle season of refreshing among us.
I know the hearts of the people are hard. I know many of our own people have not displayed any hunger for you. Please do not punish the rest of us for that. You unleashing real revival would draw those very people to repentance but if you hold back nothing will ever change. The ground is dry like a kindling. One spark from you would set this community ablaze and the fires of revival would spread to other communities. We are broken. When I say we I am referring to Chris and I along with the remnant in this church who long for you.
On this early Monday I cry out with all my heart. I am not content to see this community drift further and further away from you. I am not content to watch the lost perish into eternal damnation. I am not content to see your churches continue on with business as usual. I am not content to see drugs drift into our schools and yet we do oppose the work of the evil one as churches. I ask you to break the grip of Satan on this community in the mighty name of Jesus.
I ask you to send fire. Fire into the hearts of the apathetic and cold hearted. I gave you my all in preparation for these days of revival. I did not hold back during our forty days of seeking you as a church. I cannot speak for anyone else. I have hungered for you. Day after day I have poured my heart out to you. I have laid my life down in pursuit of you and this revival. I obeyed you and have stepped out in faith holding the meetings over for this second week even though there has been nothing thus far that warrants such a move. I did it simply in obedience to you.
Please show me what to do. I want you to rescue this community more than I want my house to sell or to get a new house here. I want true revival to come to this community more than I want money. I want revival to come here more than I want Faith Community to grow miraculously. I want you. If you would come in power nothing would be the same in Paradise, TX. We both know that. Why do you hold back.
I keep asking. I am ready to receive. I have sought you. I am ready to find. I have continued to knock. I am ready for the doors to be opened. It is not my honor that is stake. All I have done is to follow through on the things you have instructed me to do. It is your honor that is at stake. Some have mocked you. Some have ignored you. Revival meetings have come and gone. You heard the testimony from one man who grow up in this community and said in 34 years he had never heard of a real revival. Why do you hold back. Do we as your churches not need you just as much as your church did in Acts. Am I not every bit has dependent on you to back me up as Elijah was on Mount Carmel. He obeyed you by taking a bold stand and you backed him up by sending fire.
I too have taken this stand in obedience to you. Elijah's cry remains my cry. O God of Elijah and Matt. I beg of you to today. Not tomorrow. We need you today. We need your glory to fall today. We need hearts to melt in your presence today. We need you to get the attention of this community today. We need you to come today. The need is urgent today. On this day I ask you to move to show these people that you alone are God. I ask you to flex your muscle and do the miraculous. I ask you to breakthrough the hardest hearts and to turn their hearts in repentance back to you. I ask you to turn the hearts of the lost to you in salvation. You know my heart. I don't care if those people end up at one of our sister churches. The kingdom is bigger than Faith Community. I ask you to bless every church. I ask you to bless ever church with revival and spiritual awakening.
Those things will never happen if you hold back. I ask you to honor the prayers of those ladies who have been crying out to you for revival for decades. I ask you to let them see the fruit of their prayers. I ask you today to move in such a powerful way nobody can deny you are at work. I ask you to give us
an open heaven for this season. Whatever it takes to turn the hearts of people back to you I ask you to do it. I ask you to use whatever vessel you choose. If it is not me I will contentedly take a back seat and give myself to prayer.
Let this community know that you are God. Not one of many but the One and only. I am your servant. I have done all these things with holding this revival at your word. It was not my idea. I beg of you to move in power. If you hold back we will never make any headway. Satan is too strong and his grip is too firm. I know of nothing else to pray. I plead you to will to send revival to Paradise. You know I will give you glory. You know I will write about it and glorify your name. You know it would encourage churches all over the land. I ask you to will to send revival and breakthrough today.
In Jesus name,
Amen
It would be tempting to give up but I know we still have another six days to meet. We have six more opportunities for God to breakthrough the fallow ground in Paradise. That is my prayer. Chris and I are devoting more time this week to prayer. We are not giving up. Everything could change in one service and I will be honest. Every time God does not breakthrough I leave disappointed and crushed in heart.
So on the dawning of this new day I reset my focus to pursue God and revival. So much is at stake I cannot afford to slacken in my pursuit now. So today I am pouring out my prayer to God on this blog. I plead with you to join with me in praying for God to breakthrough in Paradise.
Holy Father,
I come broken this morning. My heart is grieved. I thank you for the good things you have done but both of us know you have not sent revival. If there is something in my life or Chris' life that is hindering you from working I pray you would reveal it. I only want more of you for myself and our people. I come again asking you to breakup the fallow ground in Paradise, TX.
I know you love this community more than me. You love the lost more than I do. You love your glory more than I do. You have not done anything in the past week that would make this community sit up and take notice. You have not come in power. You have not brought glory to yourself. Chris and I cannot manufacture revival. That is your sovereign move. We hunger for it though. We yearn for more of you poured out in our hearts and in our services. I ask you to release more of your Spirit in this community bringing conviction and brokenness to the saved and lost alike. I ask you to come powerfully to rescue Paradise from the grip of the enemy.
Satan has full control of the high grounds of our schools. I bow my head and ask you to send wave after wave of your Spirit to take back that high ground. We sinned as a community. We went to sleep on the walls of Paradise while the enemy kept advancing. We turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the tide of evil sweeping over our students. I cannot stand for it. I beg of you with all that is in me that you turn the hearts of students back to you in droves. I pray your conviction would fall on our male and female athletes right now where ever they are. I pray you would send conviction to those in the band and those in cheerleading. I ask you to send conviction to those wrapped up in the party lifestyle. I plead with you to send the plow of your Holy Spirit to turn up the fallow ground of the hearts of the students. You know all things. You know what it will take to breakthrough.
I ask you to reveal that to me. I am willing to do whatever you lead me to if it will lead to a real breakthrough in this revival. I am desperate. I cannot do it. No matter how long or how hard I preach I know I cannot bring revival. Lord, you led me to do this. I wanted to back out of it several times but you are the one who called me to hold a revival for fourteen days. People are tired. They came for a solid week hoping for something special and they have left without having experienced you in true revival. I know you are capable of more. Ephesians 3:20 assures me of that. I know it is your will to send true revival to your sick and impotent church as well as to save the lost. I John 5:14-15.
I ask you to send revival like a spring storm. I ask you call sinful people to repentance and call the lost to new life in you. I ask you to quit holding back. I will not pray in unbelief and say if you can send revival. I know you can. This is not a matter of your ability. This is a matter of your will. To this point you have chosen to hold back even though every fiber of my being believes you are hovering over this community and church. What will it take for you to will to send a miracle season of refreshing among us.
I know the hearts of the people are hard. I know many of our own people have not displayed any hunger for you. Please do not punish the rest of us for that. You unleashing real revival would draw those very people to repentance but if you hold back nothing will ever change. The ground is dry like a kindling. One spark from you would set this community ablaze and the fires of revival would spread to other communities. We are broken. When I say we I am referring to Chris and I along with the remnant in this church who long for you.
On this early Monday I cry out with all my heart. I am not content to see this community drift further and further away from you. I am not content to watch the lost perish into eternal damnation. I am not content to see your churches continue on with business as usual. I am not content to see drugs drift into our schools and yet we do oppose the work of the evil one as churches. I ask you to break the grip of Satan on this community in the mighty name of Jesus.
I ask you to send fire. Fire into the hearts of the apathetic and cold hearted. I gave you my all in preparation for these days of revival. I did not hold back during our forty days of seeking you as a church. I cannot speak for anyone else. I have hungered for you. Day after day I have poured my heart out to you. I have laid my life down in pursuit of you and this revival. I obeyed you and have stepped out in faith holding the meetings over for this second week even though there has been nothing thus far that warrants such a move. I did it simply in obedience to you.
Please show me what to do. I want you to rescue this community more than I want my house to sell or to get a new house here. I want true revival to come to this community more than I want money. I want revival to come here more than I want Faith Community to grow miraculously. I want you. If you would come in power nothing would be the same in Paradise, TX. We both know that. Why do you hold back.
I keep asking. I am ready to receive. I have sought you. I am ready to find. I have continued to knock. I am ready for the doors to be opened. It is not my honor that is stake. All I have done is to follow through on the things you have instructed me to do. It is your honor that is at stake. Some have mocked you. Some have ignored you. Revival meetings have come and gone. You heard the testimony from one man who grow up in this community and said in 34 years he had never heard of a real revival. Why do you hold back. Do we as your churches not need you just as much as your church did in Acts. Am I not every bit has dependent on you to back me up as Elijah was on Mount Carmel. He obeyed you by taking a bold stand and you backed him up by sending fire.
I too have taken this stand in obedience to you. Elijah's cry remains my cry. O God of Elijah and Matt. I beg of you to today. Not tomorrow. We need you today. We need your glory to fall today. We need hearts to melt in your presence today. We need you to get the attention of this community today. We need you to come today. The need is urgent today. On this day I ask you to move to show these people that you alone are God. I ask you to flex your muscle and do the miraculous. I ask you to breakthrough the hardest hearts and to turn their hearts in repentance back to you. I ask you to turn the hearts of the lost to you in salvation. You know my heart. I don't care if those people end up at one of our sister churches. The kingdom is bigger than Faith Community. I ask you to bless every church. I ask you to bless ever church with revival and spiritual awakening.
Those things will never happen if you hold back. I ask you to honor the prayers of those ladies who have been crying out to you for revival for decades. I ask you to let them see the fruit of their prayers. I ask you today to move in such a powerful way nobody can deny you are at work. I ask you to give us
an open heaven for this season. Whatever it takes to turn the hearts of people back to you I ask you to do it. I ask you to use whatever vessel you choose. If it is not me I will contentedly take a back seat and give myself to prayer.
Let this community know that you are God. Not one of many but the One and only. I am your servant. I have done all these things with holding this revival at your word. It was not my idea. I beg of you to move in power. If you hold back we will never make any headway. Satan is too strong and his grip is too firm. I know of nothing else to pray. I plead you to will to send revival to Paradise. You know I will give you glory. You know I will write about it and glorify your name. You know it would encourage churches all over the land. I ask you to will to send revival and breakthrough today.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Revival Day Nine - Part Two
Like we have before every service, Chris and I gathered to pray this afternoon. It might sound silly to some but I even prayed against the fly that bothered me this morning. I knew I would be preaching on spiritual warfare. Sure enough when I started preaching the fly bothered me for a moment but I spoke against it and recalled our prayers against that pest. I kid you not the fly never bothered me again the rest of the night. Tonight I preached from [Eph 6:10-18] about the spiritual war we are in.
It is war. The enemy never stops. The enemy is relentless in his opposition against God. Every day and all day he opposes God and the work of the church. He does it through music, television, bad influences of friends, temptations and sin. It never ends. Satan may be defeated today but I assure you he will not stop. He will not give up. We are talking about the one who tried to take on God in heaven to usurp him as ruler of the universe. Anyone that is audacious enough to oppose God to his face in heaven is not going to give up down here.
We are in a war. We often forget it. We often do not take the war seriously but I assure you God does and our enemy does. Just look around. We are getting whipped. We are losing the war on many fronts. Paul exhorts us to be strong in the power of God's might. I asked the congregation how does a believer get strong in God's might. They came up with two answers. By reading scripture and praying. We took the time to get more practical. I asked what method people used in reading scripture. Some did it topically. Some used devotion books. Others had reading plans. I offered my plans of working through a book of the Bible or starting in Genesis and reading through to the book of Revelation at your own pace. I have been using this method since 1995.
I offered the three things that have helped me the most in prayer. First by far is praying scripture. When I do this not only do I learn more scripture but I also know I am praying what God wants to answer. The second suggestion includes praying out loud. This helps me stay focused. The other thing I do is write out my prayers. I have been doing this for over two decades. It has helped me to grow in my prayer life by leaps and bounds. I am able to stay focused and my mind does not wander.
The rest of the message centered on the armor of God. We looked at each piece and then recounted the purpose for wearing armor in the first place. That is because we are going to war.
During the invitation one of our men came and told me he felt like he was supposed to pray for me. What a blessing. I see God at work in the hearts and lives of these people. We have another whole week of services scheduled. I pray God will break up the fallow ground and turn this community around.
It is war. The enemy never stops. The enemy is relentless in his opposition against God. Every day and all day he opposes God and the work of the church. He does it through music, television, bad influences of friends, temptations and sin. It never ends. Satan may be defeated today but I assure you he will not stop. He will not give up. We are talking about the one who tried to take on God in heaven to usurp him as ruler of the universe. Anyone that is audacious enough to oppose God to his face in heaven is not going to give up down here.
We are in a war. We often forget it. We often do not take the war seriously but I assure you God does and our enemy does. Just look around. We are getting whipped. We are losing the war on many fronts. Paul exhorts us to be strong in the power of God's might. I asked the congregation how does a believer get strong in God's might. They came up with two answers. By reading scripture and praying. We took the time to get more practical. I asked what method people used in reading scripture. Some did it topically. Some used devotion books. Others had reading plans. I offered my plans of working through a book of the Bible or starting in Genesis and reading through to the book of Revelation at your own pace. I have been using this method since 1995.
I offered the three things that have helped me the most in prayer. First by far is praying scripture. When I do this not only do I learn more scripture but I also know I am praying what God wants to answer. The second suggestion includes praying out loud. This helps me stay focused. The other thing I do is write out my prayers. I have been doing this for over two decades. It has helped me to grow in my prayer life by leaps and bounds. I am able to stay focused and my mind does not wander.
The rest of the message centered on the armor of God. We looked at each piece and then recounted the purpose for wearing armor in the first place. That is because we are going to war.
During the invitation one of our men came and told me he felt like he was supposed to pray for me. What a blessing. I see God at work in the hearts and lives of these people. We have another whole week of services scheduled. I pray God will break up the fallow ground and turn this community around.
Revival Day Nine - Part 1
This morning the focus remained on total commitment. In light of the tragedy that happened with the shootings at the Batman premier in Colorado the focus remained on being prepared to meet Jesus in eternity and total commitment from [Phil 1:21].
Every song we sang had something to do with commitment. While Chris once again sang his heart out it seemed that many people did not enter into worship. We sang but perhaps the songs were too strong. The message too hard to receive for several. The cost of total and complete surrender too much. Maybe some are tired. It had been fourteen short hours since several of us had gathered for worship the night before.
The shootings in Colorado reminded me of another tragic day back on April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School. Several were shot and wounded by two very disturbed young men. Two of the girls that made headlines were Rachel Scott and Cassie Bernall. Both young ladies were asked if they believed in God with a gun pointing at their head. Both gave strong witness for their faith. Cassie simply said, "Yes." Rachel is reported to have said, "You know I do." With those simple replies both young ladies were gunned down making them modern day martyrs.
Those girls follow in a long line of people who surrendered their very lives to follow Jesus. In 1555 Thomas Hauker of England prepared to face execution. He had a friend who whispered a strange request. He asked Thomas, "I have to ask you this favor. I need to know if what the others say about the grace of God is true. Tomorrow, when they burn you at the stake, if the pain is tolerable and your mind is still at peace, lift your hands above your head. Do it right before you die. Thomas I have to know."
The next day Thomas was bound to the stake and the fire lit. While the fire burned for a lengthy time Thomas remained motionless. His skinned burned. His fingers burned off. While everyone watched Thomas suddenly lifted his hands over his head and clapped three times! Hauker died giving praise to God and peace to his friend. Those watching rejoiced at the scene.
Paul, who wrote, "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain," [Phil 1:21] died violently having his head cut off. The apostle Peter is reported to have been crucified upside down. Polycarp died by being burned at the stake. Others were shot with arrows. Some were torn apart by wild beasts. Yet they still followed Jesus. Like Paul they lived completely unto to God. Like Cassie and Rachel they did not love their own lives even unto the death. Paul also wrote one day, "But I do not consider my life of any account or as dear to myself so that I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God." [Acts 20:24]
In this day and time many people do not want to be put out by the inconvenience of extra services during a revival or speaking the name of Jesus to the lost. Modern day church members remain content to attend Bible studies while not being near as passionate about applying truth to their lives. Holiness is a concept we may sing about but it is nearly extinct in the lives of some. We do not mind joining the church as long as it does not inconvenience our lives.
I have found following Christ to be a great inconvenience and yet the reward I have in Him brings joy unspeakable. [Ps 16:11] [Phil 3:7-8] It was not convenient to start over in planting a new church. I was inconvenienced for three months living in an RV. It has not been inconvenient for Brenda and I to juggle our finances after taking a cut in salary to lead Faith Community Church. It has not been convenient to meet in a day care, school cafeterias, gymnasiums, and the football stadium. It has not been easy to build a church with few resources. Compared to Rachel, Cassie, Thomas, or Paul I have not made a sacrifice. I have it easy and therefore I recommit. I reenlist to follow my Commander in Chief Jesus Christ.
Cassie Bernall wrote to a friend that she wanted to live completely unto God. She admitted it to be a scary thought but considered the rewards of such a life superior. About a year before she died she said she was willing to die for her God and to die for her faith. She surely could not have known that she would do both before graduating high school.
Where are the Cassies, Rachels, Thomases and Pauls today? Where are the believers who look death and persecution squarely in the eye and say, "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." They are alive. Just travel to China, North Korea, Sudan, Uganda, Afghanistan or other places around the world where true followers of Christ pay a high price for remaining faithful.
I pleaded for the lost to give their lives to Christ. Nobody responded visibly. No one came to the altar to signify completely committing to live their lives for Christ. I am sure some decisions were made in the seats.
While extending the invitation a fly started buzzing around my head. Some told me afterward they saw it land on my forehead and cheek at different times. It buzzed my ears and swarmed around my eyes all causing me to get distracted at the most important part of the message. I recall thinking to myself that Satan had to be at work. That fly had not bothered me one time in thirty minutes of worship or thirty minutes of preaching until we got down to the invitation.
I know the enemy opposes the work of God all over the world and here in Paradise. The ground is hard. I am not talking about the physical ground, though it is hard too from the lack of rain. I am talking about the spiritual ground. Many are quite content to leave things the way they are. I am not. There are many lost especially among our young athletes and students. While the ground may be hard I continue to pray for God to break up the fallow ground. I only know to do that through praying, preaching, and witnessing. We press on.
Every song we sang had something to do with commitment. While Chris once again sang his heart out it seemed that many people did not enter into worship. We sang but perhaps the songs were too strong. The message too hard to receive for several. The cost of total and complete surrender too much. Maybe some are tired. It had been fourteen short hours since several of us had gathered for worship the night before.
The shootings in Colorado reminded me of another tragic day back on April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School. Several were shot and wounded by two very disturbed young men. Two of the girls that made headlines were Rachel Scott and Cassie Bernall. Both young ladies were asked if they believed in God with a gun pointing at their head. Both gave strong witness for their faith. Cassie simply said, "Yes." Rachel is reported to have said, "You know I do." With those simple replies both young ladies were gunned down making them modern day martyrs.
Those girls follow in a long line of people who surrendered their very lives to follow Jesus. In 1555 Thomas Hauker of England prepared to face execution. He had a friend who whispered a strange request. He asked Thomas, "I have to ask you this favor. I need to know if what the others say about the grace of God is true. Tomorrow, when they burn you at the stake, if the pain is tolerable and your mind is still at peace, lift your hands above your head. Do it right before you die. Thomas I have to know."
The next day Thomas was bound to the stake and the fire lit. While the fire burned for a lengthy time Thomas remained motionless. His skinned burned. His fingers burned off. While everyone watched Thomas suddenly lifted his hands over his head and clapped three times! Hauker died giving praise to God and peace to his friend. Those watching rejoiced at the scene.
Paul, who wrote, "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain," [Phil 1:21] died violently having his head cut off. The apostle Peter is reported to have been crucified upside down. Polycarp died by being burned at the stake. Others were shot with arrows. Some were torn apart by wild beasts. Yet they still followed Jesus. Like Paul they lived completely unto to God. Like Cassie and Rachel they did not love their own lives even unto the death. Paul also wrote one day, "But I do not consider my life of any account or as dear to myself so that I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God." [Acts 20:24]
In this day and time many people do not want to be put out by the inconvenience of extra services during a revival or speaking the name of Jesus to the lost. Modern day church members remain content to attend Bible studies while not being near as passionate about applying truth to their lives. Holiness is a concept we may sing about but it is nearly extinct in the lives of some. We do not mind joining the church as long as it does not inconvenience our lives.
I have found following Christ to be a great inconvenience and yet the reward I have in Him brings joy unspeakable. [Ps 16:11] [Phil 3:7-8] It was not convenient to start over in planting a new church. I was inconvenienced for three months living in an RV. It has not been inconvenient for Brenda and I to juggle our finances after taking a cut in salary to lead Faith Community Church. It has not been convenient to meet in a day care, school cafeterias, gymnasiums, and the football stadium. It has not been easy to build a church with few resources. Compared to Rachel, Cassie, Thomas, or Paul I have not made a sacrifice. I have it easy and therefore I recommit. I reenlist to follow my Commander in Chief Jesus Christ.
Cassie Bernall wrote to a friend that she wanted to live completely unto God. She admitted it to be a scary thought but considered the rewards of such a life superior. About a year before she died she said she was willing to die for her God and to die for her faith. She surely could not have known that she would do both before graduating high school.
Where are the Cassies, Rachels, Thomases and Pauls today? Where are the believers who look death and persecution squarely in the eye and say, "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." They are alive. Just travel to China, North Korea, Sudan, Uganda, Afghanistan or other places around the world where true followers of Christ pay a high price for remaining faithful.
I pleaded for the lost to give their lives to Christ. Nobody responded visibly. No one came to the altar to signify completely committing to live their lives for Christ. I am sure some decisions were made in the seats.
While extending the invitation a fly started buzzing around my head. Some told me afterward they saw it land on my forehead and cheek at different times. It buzzed my ears and swarmed around my eyes all causing me to get distracted at the most important part of the message. I recall thinking to myself that Satan had to be at work. That fly had not bothered me one time in thirty minutes of worship or thirty minutes of preaching until we got down to the invitation.
I know the enemy opposes the work of God all over the world and here in Paradise. The ground is hard. I am not talking about the physical ground, though it is hard too from the lack of rain. I am talking about the spiritual ground. Many are quite content to leave things the way they are. I am not. There are many lost especially among our young athletes and students. While the ground may be hard I continue to pray for God to break up the fallow ground. I only know to do that through praying, preaching, and witnessing. We press on.
Paradise Revival - Day Eight
Chris sang with passion last night. We sang an old song titled "I Went to the Enemy's Camp." We sang triumphantly about going to the enemy's camp and taking back what he has stolen as we claimed back ground lost to the enemy. Chris sang about one of his children who has been attacked by the enemy. We sang about taking back the students of Paradise. We sang about our joy. I thought about the vision Satan has wanted to steal from my life. I took it back by faith.
Chris got lost in worship. He ministered under God's anointing. He played his guitar till his fingers ached and then he pressed on and played some more. God sure uses him. He and I have laughed together, witnessed together, and wept together during these days. He is a true brother.
Once again we were ushered into God's presence. I preached from [Luke 4:14-21]. Jesus has still come to preach the gospel to the poor. He is still setting the captives free. Those bound by sin for years Jesus has the power to set free. Those bound in religion and what other people think He can also set free. Jesus is anointed to give recovery of sight to the blind. My focus on this point is that Jesus restores the vision and dreams that God sets in our hearts.
I recounted in my own life how Satan has tried to steal the vision and blind me God's destiny for me as a pastor, author, and the future of Faith Community Church. One area Satan has worked over time in recent days has been to blind me to God's vision for this revival.
Jesus also frees those oppressed. The word oppression means "bruised, crushed, beaten down." How many people wander through life dealing with those issues? Their lives are a wreck and yet the church often has little interest in helping them. Jesus made Himself to all types of people. We must do the same.
One of the things that struck me in verse fourteen is how Jesus came in the power of the Holy Spirit. I have been in a lot of different churches and I can tell you most of the ones I have been in do not talk about the Holy Spirit often. Jesus called the Holy Spirit our helper in John 16 and said it was to our advantage that Jesus would go away but the Helper would come. In [Luke 24:49] Jesus counseled the disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came. We know that took place in Acts 2:1-4. He told the disciples in [Acts 1:8] they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them to witness to ends of the earth. That is exactly what they did.
Sadly the power of the Holy Spirit is missing in many churches. We say we believe in the Trinity but do not have much regard for the Holy Spirit. Personally I have welcomed the Holy Spirit at Faith Community Church. This does not mean we seek weird signs. I simply want the Helper to come empower our worship, preaching, evangelism, and discipleship efforts.
Now the question for us is are we living in the power of the Spirit. Do we minister in the power of the Holy Spirit. Are we Spirit led individuals. If we are not then that would explain why there is so little power in the church today. We have money. We have programs. Those things do not always translate into the power of God.
No one came to the altar last night. Last night felt more like a teaching session than preaching. People sat under the word of God and were fed. God spoke and people responded in other ways than kneeling at the altar. The work of God touched all of us deeply in our souls.
Yesterday afternoon while praying I want back through my journals over the past three months to see the different ways God has spoken to me especially about the revival. Two things stuck out. I sensed in the beginning the Lord leading us to hold a two week revival. We are entering into the second week but I had entertained doubts about not finishing it. I committed in secret to meet through today (Sunday) but thought of canceling the rest of the services. While God has definitely moved we still have not made significant headway in the community. While reading my journal entries I felt strongly we needed to commit to meeting for the entire second week. I shared this with the congregation last night.
I am tired but not like I was tired in Seminole during that revival. The messages have come clearly each day. I have not had to struggle for them. Still I have preached all God has put in my heart for the past eight days including the Solemn Assembly. Expending yourself like that is wearisome but God strengthens day by day and at times hour by hour. Regardless of the outcome we are supposed to meet for the next week. So we press on.
The second thing that struck me while reading through my journals had to be God leading me not to quit the revival too early. My instructions are to meet and when God is ready to end our meetings He will instruct me to do so. Until then I must not entertain quitting. I did not do this in Seminole. After months God convicted me I had ended the meetings too early. Honestly I did so because of sheer exhaustion. I do not want to make the mistake of ending too early. So we press forward until at least July 29th. Quitting is not an option. Step by step we continue our pursuit of God and revival. Like Chris and I keep saying, we must keep praying, singing, and preaching. The rest is up to God. The revival rolls on.
Chris got lost in worship. He ministered under God's anointing. He played his guitar till his fingers ached and then he pressed on and played some more. God sure uses him. He and I have laughed together, witnessed together, and wept together during these days. He is a true brother.
Once again we were ushered into God's presence. I preached from [Luke 4:14-21]. Jesus has still come to preach the gospel to the poor. He is still setting the captives free. Those bound by sin for years Jesus has the power to set free. Those bound in religion and what other people think He can also set free. Jesus is anointed to give recovery of sight to the blind. My focus on this point is that Jesus restores the vision and dreams that God sets in our hearts.
I recounted in my own life how Satan has tried to steal the vision and blind me God's destiny for me as a pastor, author, and the future of Faith Community Church. One area Satan has worked over time in recent days has been to blind me to God's vision for this revival.
Jesus also frees those oppressed. The word oppression means "bruised, crushed, beaten down." How many people wander through life dealing with those issues? Their lives are a wreck and yet the church often has little interest in helping them. Jesus made Himself to all types of people. We must do the same.
One of the things that struck me in verse fourteen is how Jesus came in the power of the Holy Spirit. I have been in a lot of different churches and I can tell you most of the ones I have been in do not talk about the Holy Spirit often. Jesus called the Holy Spirit our helper in John 16 and said it was to our advantage that Jesus would go away but the Helper would come. In [Luke 24:49] Jesus counseled the disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came. We know that took place in Acts 2:1-4. He told the disciples in [Acts 1:8] they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them to witness to ends of the earth. That is exactly what they did.
Sadly the power of the Holy Spirit is missing in many churches. We say we believe in the Trinity but do not have much regard for the Holy Spirit. Personally I have welcomed the Holy Spirit at Faith Community Church. This does not mean we seek weird signs. I simply want the Helper to come empower our worship, preaching, evangelism, and discipleship efforts.
Now the question for us is are we living in the power of the Spirit. Do we minister in the power of the Holy Spirit. Are we Spirit led individuals. If we are not then that would explain why there is so little power in the church today. We have money. We have programs. Those things do not always translate into the power of God.
No one came to the altar last night. Last night felt more like a teaching session than preaching. People sat under the word of God and were fed. God spoke and people responded in other ways than kneeling at the altar. The work of God touched all of us deeply in our souls.
Yesterday afternoon while praying I want back through my journals over the past three months to see the different ways God has spoken to me especially about the revival. Two things stuck out. I sensed in the beginning the Lord leading us to hold a two week revival. We are entering into the second week but I had entertained doubts about not finishing it. I committed in secret to meet through today (Sunday) but thought of canceling the rest of the services. While God has definitely moved we still have not made significant headway in the community. While reading my journal entries I felt strongly we needed to commit to meeting for the entire second week. I shared this with the congregation last night.
I am tired but not like I was tired in Seminole during that revival. The messages have come clearly each day. I have not had to struggle for them. Still I have preached all God has put in my heart for the past eight days including the Solemn Assembly. Expending yourself like that is wearisome but God strengthens day by day and at times hour by hour. Regardless of the outcome we are supposed to meet for the next week. So we press on.
The second thing that struck me while reading through my journals had to be God leading me not to quit the revival too early. My instructions are to meet and when God is ready to end our meetings He will instruct me to do so. Until then I must not entertain quitting. I did not do this in Seminole. After months God convicted me I had ended the meetings too early. Honestly I did so because of sheer exhaustion. I do not want to make the mistake of ending too early. So we press forward until at least July 29th. Quitting is not an option. Step by step we continue our pursuit of God and revival. Like Chris and I keep saying, we must keep praying, singing, and preaching. The rest is up to God. The revival rolls on.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Paradise Revival - Day Seven
I worked diligently to prepare a message yesterday afternoon. It proved not to be the message God intended. Two songs into the worship service I knew God would not allow me to preach what I had studied. I did not panic. I knew I had a choice to make. I could preach what I had prepared and God would not bless it. I could preach what He wanted even though I had not prepared for it and trust Him to use it. I did the latter and I have no doubt God spoke to His people last night through a very unpolished message.
He led me to preach from Mark 9:14-29. The key verses are when the father of the demon possessed son said to Jesus, "If can you can do anything please take pity on us and help us." Jesus' reply, "If I can? All things are possible to him who believes." All of us pray. Not all of us pray with faith. We know God can but we are not always convinced He will answer when we ask. Many times we have prayed for things a long time and not seen the answer like the father who had the possessed boy.
Every time we are tempted to doubt we need to remember the prayer of the father. "Lord help my unbelief I do believe." I want that prayer engrained in my mind and branded on my heart. No matter what we must continue to ask the Lord to help our unbelief. We must ask the Lord to strengthen our faith as we continue to seek Him for revival, healing, provision, to move mountains, to save lost loved ones, and to make a way where there seems to be no way.
God worked in our hearts to strengthen and encourage our faith and topped the night off with a sizable miracle. One of our families has been trusting God to buy a snow cone stand for sale. All efforts had met with closed doors. They needed some down payment money to get things started. God used someone in our church to meet that need last night. Once again I had a front row seat to behold the faithfulness of God.
After church last night someone handed me a stack of cash with the instructions I was to give this to the family to help make the snow cone dream come true. I delivered the miracle this morning. I loved watching the shocked look on the face of the lady as I handed the money over to her. I know how she felt for Brenda and I have been on the receiving end of miracles many times.
Last night we also had a young girl make a profession of faith. Her older sister did so at children's camp and they will both be celebrating baptism in a couple of weeks along with several others. These are exciting days. God continues to move and to manifest His presence in a different way every night.
We have determined to meet with Him at least through next Saturday night. That means seven more nights of seeking, singing, praying, and preaching. We leave the results up to God. Please continue to pray with as God continues to shake our lives and the city.
He led me to preach from Mark 9:14-29. The key verses are when the father of the demon possessed son said to Jesus, "If can you can do anything please take pity on us and help us." Jesus' reply, "If I can? All things are possible to him who believes." All of us pray. Not all of us pray with faith. We know God can but we are not always convinced He will answer when we ask. Many times we have prayed for things a long time and not seen the answer like the father who had the possessed boy.
Every time we are tempted to doubt we need to remember the prayer of the father. "Lord help my unbelief I do believe." I want that prayer engrained in my mind and branded on my heart. No matter what we must continue to ask the Lord to help our unbelief. We must ask the Lord to strengthen our faith as we continue to seek Him for revival, healing, provision, to move mountains, to save lost loved ones, and to make a way where there seems to be no way.
God worked in our hearts to strengthen and encourage our faith and topped the night off with a sizable miracle. One of our families has been trusting God to buy a snow cone stand for sale. All efforts had met with closed doors. They needed some down payment money to get things started. God used someone in our church to meet that need last night. Once again I had a front row seat to behold the faithfulness of God.
After church last night someone handed me a stack of cash with the instructions I was to give this to the family to help make the snow cone dream come true. I delivered the miracle this morning. I loved watching the shocked look on the face of the lady as I handed the money over to her. I know how she felt for Brenda and I have been on the receiving end of miracles many times.
Last night we also had a young girl make a profession of faith. Her older sister did so at children's camp and they will both be celebrating baptism in a couple of weeks along with several others. These are exciting days. God continues to move and to manifest His presence in a different way every night.
We have determined to meet with Him at least through next Saturday night. That means seven more nights of seeking, singing, praying, and preaching. We leave the results up to God. Please continue to pray with as God continues to shake our lives and the city.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Paradise Revival - Day Six
While feverishly putting some final thoughts on the message for last night, Chris walked into my office about an hour before the service began. He had several things in his hands put I paid little attention. I continued to focus on finishing study for the message. When I finally looked up I noticed a picture full of water and thought Chris must really be thirsty. I could not have been more wrong.
He knelt down on the floor and then it hit me. He had come to wash my feet! At first I resisted thinking of the need to finish the message but with tears in his eyes he said, "Please. It won't take long." I have been a part of several foot washings. By far I prefer to be on washing end and not the receiving the washing end. Nothing can humble you like having someone wash your feet. I wanted to be on the other end. Chris left his family and committed to stay with us fourteen days this pursuit of God and revival. I should have been down on my knees washing his feet.
I took my shoes and socks off reluctantly and placed my feet on the towel he brought. He washed my feet while reading scripture from [Is 61:1-3]. I sat head bowed saying to myself over and over again, "I am unworthy. I am unworthy UNWORTHY! UNWORTHY!" When he finished I told him I loved him and we hugged.
This set the tone for the night. Every song Chris sang talked about hungering for more of God or desiring to draw closer to Him. They were songs that cultivated an intimate relationship the Father. Chris has been anointed to lead worship. He has been moved to tears in prayer during our times together on multiple occasions. He has encouraged me when I have been down about the lack of decisions or small attendance. Last night felt more relaxed. I am not saying the worship did not have intensity. At least for me I did not feel like I had to strive to get God to breakthrough. Last night felt more like God the Father inviting us to sit at His table and to dine with Him. I received from the Lord last night.
I preached from [Ps 63:1-8] about hungering for more of God. It felt much more like teaching than preaching or at least that was the intent of my heart. I know people listened. God intended the message to be for the church last night. For the first time since the revival began the sermon had no evangelistic emphasis. Last night God drew all of us to a closer walk with Him.
In some ways the message last night was the culmination of what God has been doing in my life for the past three months. I worked diligently to keep my focus on the Lord and wanting more of Him instead of being distracted by the size of the crowd. We have not had a full house since last Sunday morning.
Every night we have new faces. Many of these faithfully attend other churches. Yet the crowds have been small night after night.
There does not seem a great deal of hunger for God in Paradise. There is a hunger for a plethora of other things but not for God. Only God can create this in the hearts of people. Only God can turn the hearts of people to Himself. No matter how hard or long I preach I can't do that. No matter how passionately Chris sings He cannot do that. No matter how many nights we meet together none of us can make people desire more of God.
I do not know if one person responded to the invitation to make the pursuit of knowing God a life long quest. I came from the platform and sat on the front row bowing my head in prayer for the remainder of the service. I did not look up one time choosing to behold God in my own heart. The cry of my heart is to know more and more of Him. The desire of my heart is to behold Him in the sanctuary in power and glory. I have tasted and seen the Father move in power and I have been in services where I felt the weight of His glory settle in. I can never be satisfied with less.
The life long quest to know more and more of God is like the quest to reach the summit of Mount Everest at 29,029 feet. Only climbing the summit of God will not take an average of four days. It will take a life time and we will never attain the summit. There will always be more of God to discover and to explore. Knowing more of Him should be all of our relentless pursuits.
We thirst and hunger for things and experiences in this life. My prayer last night included everyone in that room hungering and thirsting for more of God above all. Not sports. Not possessions. Not more money. We have to thirst for the living God above all. If we do, true revival will have begun in all of us.
I think the people are tired. I know I am. It has been a chore every day juggling my schedule. In the midst of all of it God has been so faithful to guide me in what to preach. Everyday at some point He weighs a scripture on my mind. I have not had to struggle for one single message. They have come through prayer and resting in Christ.
I am unsure as to how long we will continue to meet. We are scheduled to go through all of next week as well. I know we will go through Sunday. I yearn for God to breakthrough. To date it has not happened on a broad scale. I know God has worked each night in the hearts of individuals. There is so much more to be done.
The grip of Satan has not been broken on this community. Apathy in believers remains high. There is so much more work to be done. Yesterday, Chris and I talked about all we can do is keep praying, keep singing and keep preaching. So that is what we intend to do. We will meet again and trust God to do more in our midst. I have tasted and seen real revival. I will not be satisfied until the Almighty comes and Shakes this City.
He knelt down on the floor and then it hit me. He had come to wash my feet! At first I resisted thinking of the need to finish the message but with tears in his eyes he said, "Please. It won't take long." I have been a part of several foot washings. By far I prefer to be on washing end and not the receiving the washing end. Nothing can humble you like having someone wash your feet. I wanted to be on the other end. Chris left his family and committed to stay with us fourteen days this pursuit of God and revival. I should have been down on my knees washing his feet.
I took my shoes and socks off reluctantly and placed my feet on the towel he brought. He washed my feet while reading scripture from [Is 61:1-3]. I sat head bowed saying to myself over and over again, "I am unworthy. I am unworthy UNWORTHY! UNWORTHY!" When he finished I told him I loved him and we hugged.
This set the tone for the night. Every song Chris sang talked about hungering for more of God or desiring to draw closer to Him. They were songs that cultivated an intimate relationship the Father. Chris has been anointed to lead worship. He has been moved to tears in prayer during our times together on multiple occasions. He has encouraged me when I have been down about the lack of decisions or small attendance. Last night felt more relaxed. I am not saying the worship did not have intensity. At least for me I did not feel like I had to strive to get God to breakthrough. Last night felt more like God the Father inviting us to sit at His table and to dine with Him. I received from the Lord last night.
I preached from [Ps 63:1-8] about hungering for more of God. It felt much more like teaching than preaching or at least that was the intent of my heart. I know people listened. God intended the message to be for the church last night. For the first time since the revival began the sermon had no evangelistic emphasis. Last night God drew all of us to a closer walk with Him.
In some ways the message last night was the culmination of what God has been doing in my life for the past three months. I worked diligently to keep my focus on the Lord and wanting more of Him instead of being distracted by the size of the crowd. We have not had a full house since last Sunday morning.
Every night we have new faces. Many of these faithfully attend other churches. Yet the crowds have been small night after night.
There does not seem a great deal of hunger for God in Paradise. There is a hunger for a plethora of other things but not for God. Only God can create this in the hearts of people. Only God can turn the hearts of people to Himself. No matter how hard or long I preach I can't do that. No matter how passionately Chris sings He cannot do that. No matter how many nights we meet together none of us can make people desire more of God.
I do not know if one person responded to the invitation to make the pursuit of knowing God a life long quest. I came from the platform and sat on the front row bowing my head in prayer for the remainder of the service. I did not look up one time choosing to behold God in my own heart. The cry of my heart is to know more and more of Him. The desire of my heart is to behold Him in the sanctuary in power and glory. I have tasted and seen the Father move in power and I have been in services where I felt the weight of His glory settle in. I can never be satisfied with less.
The life long quest to know more and more of God is like the quest to reach the summit of Mount Everest at 29,029 feet. Only climbing the summit of God will not take an average of four days. It will take a life time and we will never attain the summit. There will always be more of God to discover and to explore. Knowing more of Him should be all of our relentless pursuits.
We thirst and hunger for things and experiences in this life. My prayer last night included everyone in that room hungering and thirsting for more of God above all. Not sports. Not possessions. Not more money. We have to thirst for the living God above all. If we do, true revival will have begun in all of us.
I think the people are tired. I know I am. It has been a chore every day juggling my schedule. In the midst of all of it God has been so faithful to guide me in what to preach. Everyday at some point He weighs a scripture on my mind. I have not had to struggle for one single message. They have come through prayer and resting in Christ.
I am unsure as to how long we will continue to meet. We are scheduled to go through all of next week as well. I know we will go through Sunday. I yearn for God to breakthrough. To date it has not happened on a broad scale. I know God has worked each night in the hearts of individuals. There is so much more to be done.
The grip of Satan has not been broken on this community. Apathy in believers remains high. There is so much more work to be done. Yesterday, Chris and I talked about all we can do is keep praying, keep singing and keep preaching. So that is what we intend to do. We will meet again and trust God to do more in our midst. I have tasted and seen real revival. I will not be satisfied until the Almighty comes and Shakes this City.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Paradise Revival - Day Five
I woke up around 4:00 a.m. thinking last night would be the breakthrough night for the revival. I came to the office to pour out my soul to the Lord in prayer asking Him for a breakthrough. God has manifested His presence in every service but I still cannot say real revival has come. I still cannot say we have experienced anything supernatural.
Later in the afternoon when I sought the Lord again I had great peace. I had great peace that first God was the object of my pursuit foremost and not the experience of revival. I sought to maintain that perspective right up to the service starting.
Once again I was disappointed because the crowd was very small. I stood in the back last night as Chris led us in worship. The warehouse proved hot once again but the passion for more of God deep in my soul burned hotter. I sang and prayed all throughout the night. I cried out to God to bring a breakthrough. I offered to Him songs of praise and ultimately my life.
Everything seemed flat last night. Standing in the back it appeared nobody really got into the worship other than two people. Granted all I could see were the backs of the people. For the life of me I could not understand how God would hold back as much prayer that has been put into this. It seemed for the most part we were going through the motions.
I preached my heart out from Acts 4:1-31. No matter what happened Peter and John continued to proclaim the name of Jesus. They could not be shut up. In contrast with the church today we cannot get anyone to open up about Jesus. I read once where 90% of people in church have never shared Jesus Christ with anyone. Another survey revealed that 95% have never led anyone to faith in Christ.
In Acts the name of Jesus fell from the lips of His followers continually. They were not ashamed. They were bold and they prayed for more boldness. Those few followers started a revolution in Jerusalem that eventually encompassed the whole world. When Peter and John had finished preaching in Acts 3, 5,000 people trusted Christ for salvation on that day alone. We seldom see days where half a dozen or saved at the same time in this day and age.
The New Testament church prayed. They prayed a lot. Contrast with churches today. Every so often we hear how God is working mightily through some church. We hear about prayer meetings where throngs come and the power of God is evident. We say we want the power of God evident in our situations but we do not pay the cost in prayer. We want a short cut. There are no short cuts to revival.
Night after night I have preached the pure unadulterated gospel. I have pleaded with God to save the lost. There have been people I have prayed for by name in the services and still no decisions. I got on my knees a few nights ago pleading for people to put their trust in Jesus. Not one single decision for Christ thus far. I preached so hard last night my collar became soaked with sweat and perspiration rolled down my face all night. Brenda told me afterward the sweat actually soaked through my Khaki pants. I have not held back.
When the invitation was extended nobody responded to salvation. I challenged the church to do what Peter and John did when they were released from jail. They joined with their companions and cried out to God in one accord. I wonder if there has ever been a night or a day when the people of Faith Community really lifted up our prayers in unison and faith. The urgent prayer last night echoed for true revival and for spiritual awakening. We also prayed for more boldness to proclaim the name of Jesus.
One more time I knelt at the altar totally exhausted. I buried my head into the plywood stage and cried out to God for help again. I have no interest in just having some scheduled services. I want to see God bring a revolution to Paradise.
I am amazed at the hardness of hearts of people in this community. Many in our own church appear to have no hunger for God in their own lives or desire to see a genuine revolution in this community. The ground here is hard. One person asked me about the difference between Paradise and Seminole in revival. It dawned on me that Seminole had many more prayer warriors. For years all the churches collaborated with a lady named Joyce Dow for community prayer. She faithfully hosted a prayer meeting in a different church from 11-1 on Thursday afternoons. Those prayer meetings are some of my favorite times back in Seminole. Through her prayers and the prayers of many others the hard ground of spiritual in the hearts up people had been plowed and broken up by God.
I know of a group of ladies who have been praying for revival for decades in Paradise. Their numbers are few but they have stayed the course for decades. They pray every Wednesday morning though several of them are getting more feeble in their health as they get older. We pray every Sunday evening at Faith Community. We do not have a service. We have a prayer meeting. It is not well attended but we do pray. Everywhere you look in the books of Acts believers were gathered together for prayer.
For the life of me I do not understand why God is holding back. Perhaps God has been rejected and what He wants to do nobody really wants to happen. Either way I had much larger expectations for this revival. I thought I heard from Him so clearly about having this revival and what He would do. To date our meetings have been mediocre at best. Good but nothing to write home about. Honestly, I am frustrated. I have begged God to back us up. People are not going to be revived and saved just because you have some services scheduled. The power of God must be on display. When Elijah took his stand on Mount Carmel God answered with power. That power manifested itself in fire and when all the people saw it they fell on their faces crying out, "The Lord He is God." When Peter and John preached thousands not only listened but they responded in faith to the salvation message of Jesus. God backed them up. We need God to back us up.
Here in Paradise there are some concerned with matters of eternity. There is always a remnant who yearn for more of God and Faith Community has that too. We have a faithful remnant praying and attending. By and large this community is unconcerned with matters of eternity even though we have had two tragedies in a week. If God does not come and back us up with His power we have no hope. Things will continue to spiral down toward wickedness and paganism.
My heart is crushed for the soul of this community. What will it take for God to arise and pour out His Spirit over all of us and all the churches. I covet prayers from all who read this. Apart from a supernatural intervention from God the city will not be shaken and revival will not come.
Later in the afternoon when I sought the Lord again I had great peace. I had great peace that first God was the object of my pursuit foremost and not the experience of revival. I sought to maintain that perspective right up to the service starting.
Once again I was disappointed because the crowd was very small. I stood in the back last night as Chris led us in worship. The warehouse proved hot once again but the passion for more of God deep in my soul burned hotter. I sang and prayed all throughout the night. I cried out to God to bring a breakthrough. I offered to Him songs of praise and ultimately my life.
Everything seemed flat last night. Standing in the back it appeared nobody really got into the worship other than two people. Granted all I could see were the backs of the people. For the life of me I could not understand how God would hold back as much prayer that has been put into this. It seemed for the most part we were going through the motions.
I preached my heart out from Acts 4:1-31. No matter what happened Peter and John continued to proclaim the name of Jesus. They could not be shut up. In contrast with the church today we cannot get anyone to open up about Jesus. I read once where 90% of people in church have never shared Jesus Christ with anyone. Another survey revealed that 95% have never led anyone to faith in Christ.
In Acts the name of Jesus fell from the lips of His followers continually. They were not ashamed. They were bold and they prayed for more boldness. Those few followers started a revolution in Jerusalem that eventually encompassed the whole world. When Peter and John had finished preaching in Acts 3, 5,000 people trusted Christ for salvation on that day alone. We seldom see days where half a dozen or saved at the same time in this day and age.
The New Testament church prayed. They prayed a lot. Contrast with churches today. Every so often we hear how God is working mightily through some church. We hear about prayer meetings where throngs come and the power of God is evident. We say we want the power of God evident in our situations but we do not pay the cost in prayer. We want a short cut. There are no short cuts to revival.
Night after night I have preached the pure unadulterated gospel. I have pleaded with God to save the lost. There have been people I have prayed for by name in the services and still no decisions. I got on my knees a few nights ago pleading for people to put their trust in Jesus. Not one single decision for Christ thus far. I preached so hard last night my collar became soaked with sweat and perspiration rolled down my face all night. Brenda told me afterward the sweat actually soaked through my Khaki pants. I have not held back.
When the invitation was extended nobody responded to salvation. I challenged the church to do what Peter and John did when they were released from jail. They joined with their companions and cried out to God in one accord. I wonder if there has ever been a night or a day when the people of Faith Community really lifted up our prayers in unison and faith. The urgent prayer last night echoed for true revival and for spiritual awakening. We also prayed for more boldness to proclaim the name of Jesus.
One more time I knelt at the altar totally exhausted. I buried my head into the plywood stage and cried out to God for help again. I have no interest in just having some scheduled services. I want to see God bring a revolution to Paradise.
I am amazed at the hardness of hearts of people in this community. Many in our own church appear to have no hunger for God in their own lives or desire to see a genuine revolution in this community. The ground here is hard. One person asked me about the difference between Paradise and Seminole in revival. It dawned on me that Seminole had many more prayer warriors. For years all the churches collaborated with a lady named Joyce Dow for community prayer. She faithfully hosted a prayer meeting in a different church from 11-1 on Thursday afternoons. Those prayer meetings are some of my favorite times back in Seminole. Through her prayers and the prayers of many others the hard ground of spiritual in the hearts up people had been plowed and broken up by God.
I know of a group of ladies who have been praying for revival for decades in Paradise. Their numbers are few but they have stayed the course for decades. They pray every Wednesday morning though several of them are getting more feeble in their health as they get older. We pray every Sunday evening at Faith Community. We do not have a service. We have a prayer meeting. It is not well attended but we do pray. Everywhere you look in the books of Acts believers were gathered together for prayer.
For the life of me I do not understand why God is holding back. Perhaps God has been rejected and what He wants to do nobody really wants to happen. Either way I had much larger expectations for this revival. I thought I heard from Him so clearly about having this revival and what He would do. To date our meetings have been mediocre at best. Good but nothing to write home about. Honestly, I am frustrated. I have begged God to back us up. People are not going to be revived and saved just because you have some services scheduled. The power of God must be on display. When Elijah took his stand on Mount Carmel God answered with power. That power manifested itself in fire and when all the people saw it they fell on their faces crying out, "The Lord He is God." When Peter and John preached thousands not only listened but they responded in faith to the salvation message of Jesus. God backed them up. We need God to back us up.
Here in Paradise there are some concerned with matters of eternity. There is always a remnant who yearn for more of God and Faith Community has that too. We have a faithful remnant praying and attending. By and large this community is unconcerned with matters of eternity even though we have had two tragedies in a week. If God does not come and back us up with His power we have no hope. Things will continue to spiral down toward wickedness and paganism.
My heart is crushed for the soul of this community. What will it take for God to arise and pour out His Spirit over all of us and all the churches. I covet prayers from all who read this. Apart from a supernatural intervention from God the city will not be shaken and revival will not come.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Paradise Revival - Day Four
I received a disturbing phone call yesterday mid-morning. A soon to be Paradise High School Senior died in a car wreck Tuesday night. Several students along with some pastors and school counselors gathered to offer comfort to the grieving. The longer I stood in that room I kept thinking about John 10:10. "The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy but I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly."
Yesterday afternoon I came to the office to study for the service after some time at the high school. For the better part of an hour all I did was weep and pray. The burden for this community and especially the teenagers weighs on me night and day. I desire nothing more than to see God move in this town.
We have a real adversary. He is the Father of Lies, the great Deceiver, the Accuser of the Brethren, our enemy, a thief, a liar, and he disguises himself as an angel of light. He opposes the work of God. He marshals all the forces of hell to steal, kill, and destroy. He is relentless in his ambition to blind, deceive, and destroy.
While he works around the clock every moment of everyday to fight God and propagate wicked in every corner of the world, the church goes about business as usual. We are losing. Check the statistics. Fewer baptisms have been reported in many mainstream denominations. Translation. Fewer people are being saved. Prayer meetings have almost become extinct. Worship services often resemble religious routine rather than revival. Attendance has dropped in many churches across the nation. People will be committed to just about anything more than serving and pouring their lives out for Christ.
We are getting our tails kicked. The forces of darkness have invaded every part of society. I read yesterday that every single second of every day over $3,000 is spent on pornography. Every single second of everyday 28,258 people are viewing pornography on the internet. Every single second 372 people are typing in adult porn search items on search engines. The internet is littered with the filth of 4.2 million pornographic websites. Every 39 minutes a new porn video is made. 25% of all internet traffic totaling some 68 million of all search engine requests are pornographic in nature. One researcher reported that one third of all female church attenders have viewed porn and one half of men admit to struggling with this sin.
Alcohol is a tool in the hands of the enemy. 100,000 deaths in the United States happen as a result of excessive alcohol consumption. Nearly 50% of all traffic fatalities are alcohol related. Every single day over 11,000 people try alcohol for the first time. Right here in Paradise students found ways to drink right on the campus during school hours. My son told me water bottles were banned because they were being filled with banned substances.
After years of declining drug use trends among high school students since 1960 drug use is on the rise. Research has shown that nearly 25% of all high school seniors have tried marijuana. This past year several football players went out and got high before playing in a junior varsity football game right here in Paradise, TX. Right here in this community drugs were found stashed in the school.
I do not even have the time to talk about the sexual immorality. I will suffice it to say that in 1960 439,000 couples lived together outside of marriage. Fast forward to 2011 and that number exploded to 7.5 million. Many of those 7.5 million went through abstinence programs like "True Love Waits" but they did not wait.
To hear another teenage girl died in a car accident last night from this little community broke my heart. I did not know her. I am unsure if she had a relationship with Christ. If she did not I shudder to think about the consequences. It angers me that such a young life ended so soon and so tragically.
So last night I preached hard. I have preached hard every night of this revival. I feel the weight of God's burden for this community. I see what is at stake. Souls. Lives. Heaven. Hell. Not for one moment do I believe the lie my kids are immune. Though Satan cannot steal their souls he can destroy their lives through getting them tripped up in sin just like anyone else.
Some would say, "Come on Matt. Lighten up. You are taking all this way to seriously. Kids are going to be kids." In response I would say, "THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT SATAN WANTS YOU THINK!" He wants the church to continue to sleep. He wants preachers to preach pop psychology sermons. He wants the church to water it down. He wants us to sleep more than to pray, to sing more than witness, and to remain apathetic rather than engaged in the battle.
It struck me yesterday how many famous people died of drug overdoses. Marilyn Monroe in 1962. Elvis Presley in 1997. Michael Jackson in 2009. Whitney Houston in 2012. There are many many others. When such iconic people die we are shocked and saddened for a moment. We consider matters of eternity. Everyday around 150,000 die around the world. That means 150,000 stand before the Great White Throne judgment. If those people have not repented of their sin and put their faith in Jesus Christ to forgive them, cleanse them, and to make them righteous before His Holy Father they perish into eternal damnation. Every minute another 100 die and enter into eternal life or eternal destruction. Every minute! In the time it has taken me to write these last few sentences another 100 people are gone. Some due to old age. Some due to crime. Some because of illness and disease. Some because of natural disasters. All gone from this life. I am supposed to lighten up? This is all sobering.
In 1912 the Titanic disaster claimed the lives of over 1,500 passengers. All gone drowning in the icy waters of the Atlantic. In 2001 over 3,000 people perished in the terrorists attacks. People pondered eternity briefly but soon life went back to normal except for those personally affected by that tragedy. People began to believe they were bullet proof, invincible and that death could not touch them. One deck hand on the Titanic told a nervous lady boarding the ship, "God himself could not sink this ship."
Life is fragile. We are not invincible. Satan has played us for the fool. We think there is more time. None of us know. [Hebrews 9:27] It is appointed unto to man to die and after this comes the judgment." God could not make it more plain for any of us.
You want me to lighten up. How can I? Paradise is a small community. In a week's time a five year old drowned at the lake and a teenage girl died in a car accident both from this community. How can I lighten up? People are perishing and I know not how it is with many of their souls. Satan has deceived and stolen the allegiance of many students right under our noses. Lighten up? Leave that to someone else.
I am after one thing in these days. I will settle for nothing less than a full on assault of God against the forces of evil in this community. I am determined to pray, preach, and write in opposition of the enemy as long as God gives me strength. I will fight the good fight. I will labor on no matter the cost. I will call the churches in Paradise to stand together in opposition against the forces of evil. May God answer. May He shake this city.
Yesterday afternoon I came to the office to study for the service after some time at the high school. For the better part of an hour all I did was weep and pray. The burden for this community and especially the teenagers weighs on me night and day. I desire nothing more than to see God move in this town.
We have a real adversary. He is the Father of Lies, the great Deceiver, the Accuser of the Brethren, our enemy, a thief, a liar, and he disguises himself as an angel of light. He opposes the work of God. He marshals all the forces of hell to steal, kill, and destroy. He is relentless in his ambition to blind, deceive, and destroy.
While he works around the clock every moment of everyday to fight God and propagate wicked in every corner of the world, the church goes about business as usual. We are losing. Check the statistics. Fewer baptisms have been reported in many mainstream denominations. Translation. Fewer people are being saved. Prayer meetings have almost become extinct. Worship services often resemble religious routine rather than revival. Attendance has dropped in many churches across the nation. People will be committed to just about anything more than serving and pouring their lives out for Christ.
We are getting our tails kicked. The forces of darkness have invaded every part of society. I read yesterday that every single second of every day over $3,000 is spent on pornography. Every single second of everyday 28,258 people are viewing pornography on the internet. Every single second 372 people are typing in adult porn search items on search engines. The internet is littered with the filth of 4.2 million pornographic websites. Every 39 minutes a new porn video is made. 25% of all internet traffic totaling some 68 million of all search engine requests are pornographic in nature. One researcher reported that one third of all female church attenders have viewed porn and one half of men admit to struggling with this sin.
Alcohol is a tool in the hands of the enemy. 100,000 deaths in the United States happen as a result of excessive alcohol consumption. Nearly 50% of all traffic fatalities are alcohol related. Every single day over 11,000 people try alcohol for the first time. Right here in Paradise students found ways to drink right on the campus during school hours. My son told me water bottles were banned because they were being filled with banned substances.
After years of declining drug use trends among high school students since 1960 drug use is on the rise. Research has shown that nearly 25% of all high school seniors have tried marijuana. This past year several football players went out and got high before playing in a junior varsity football game right here in Paradise, TX. Right here in this community drugs were found stashed in the school.
I do not even have the time to talk about the sexual immorality. I will suffice it to say that in 1960 439,000 couples lived together outside of marriage. Fast forward to 2011 and that number exploded to 7.5 million. Many of those 7.5 million went through abstinence programs like "True Love Waits" but they did not wait.
To hear another teenage girl died in a car accident last night from this little community broke my heart. I did not know her. I am unsure if she had a relationship with Christ. If she did not I shudder to think about the consequences. It angers me that such a young life ended so soon and so tragically.
So last night I preached hard. I have preached hard every night of this revival. I feel the weight of God's burden for this community. I see what is at stake. Souls. Lives. Heaven. Hell. Not for one moment do I believe the lie my kids are immune. Though Satan cannot steal their souls he can destroy their lives through getting them tripped up in sin just like anyone else.
Some would say, "Come on Matt. Lighten up. You are taking all this way to seriously. Kids are going to be kids." In response I would say, "THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT SATAN WANTS YOU THINK!" He wants the church to continue to sleep. He wants preachers to preach pop psychology sermons. He wants the church to water it down. He wants us to sleep more than to pray, to sing more than witness, and to remain apathetic rather than engaged in the battle.
It struck me yesterday how many famous people died of drug overdoses. Marilyn Monroe in 1962. Elvis Presley in 1997. Michael Jackson in 2009. Whitney Houston in 2012. There are many many others. When such iconic people die we are shocked and saddened for a moment. We consider matters of eternity. Everyday around 150,000 die around the world. That means 150,000 stand before the Great White Throne judgment. If those people have not repented of their sin and put their faith in Jesus Christ to forgive them, cleanse them, and to make them righteous before His Holy Father they perish into eternal damnation. Every minute another 100 die and enter into eternal life or eternal destruction. Every minute! In the time it has taken me to write these last few sentences another 100 people are gone. Some due to old age. Some due to crime. Some because of illness and disease. Some because of natural disasters. All gone from this life. I am supposed to lighten up? This is all sobering.
In 1912 the Titanic disaster claimed the lives of over 1,500 passengers. All gone drowning in the icy waters of the Atlantic. In 2001 over 3,000 people perished in the terrorists attacks. People pondered eternity briefly but soon life went back to normal except for those personally affected by that tragedy. People began to believe they were bullet proof, invincible and that death could not touch them. One deck hand on the Titanic told a nervous lady boarding the ship, "God himself could not sink this ship."
Life is fragile. We are not invincible. Satan has played us for the fool. We think there is more time. None of us know. [Hebrews 9:27] It is appointed unto to man to die and after this comes the judgment." God could not make it more plain for any of us.
You want me to lighten up. How can I? Paradise is a small community. In a week's time a five year old drowned at the lake and a teenage girl died in a car accident both from this community. How can I lighten up? People are perishing and I know not how it is with many of their souls. Satan has deceived and stolen the allegiance of many students right under our noses. Lighten up? Leave that to someone else.
I am after one thing in these days. I will settle for nothing less than a full on assault of God against the forces of evil in this community. I am determined to pray, preach, and write in opposition of the enemy as long as God gives me strength. I will fight the good fight. I will labor on no matter the cost. I will call the churches in Paradise to stand together in opposition against the forces of evil. May God answer. May He shake this city.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Paradise Revival - Day Three
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts. Those words echoed like thunder from the lips of the Seraphim in praise of Jehovah. He is uncommon. He is set apart. He is sacred. He is pure. The voice shook the threshold and foundations of the temple. This made up only a part of Isaiah's vision of God in Isaiah 6.
Few attended the service last night. God remained my focus. He burned His word in me from [Is 6:1-8]. He expanded my view of Him and I pray He did the same for those in attendance. Here is just part of what we looked at.
Part of Isaiah's vision of God included seeing Him sit on the throne as the Sovereign ruler and the scripture tells us the train of His robe (or the edge of His robe or the hem of His robe) filled the temple. The word filled means to overflow. Get this. Not God Himself. Not the robe of God. Just the hem of his robe filled the temple. When Solomon constructed the temple it totaled 183,618 square feet. When we lived in Seminole the school district built a new Jr. High. The massive two story building totaled a little over 170,000 square feet much smaller than the temple Solomon built yet the whole community of Seminole seemed awed at the new facility. In that massive temple just the hem of God's robe filled and overflowed the building. When I think about the temple in relation to that Jr. High facility I am blown away. The edge of God's robe overflowed 183,000 square feet in Isaiah's vision.
We are talking about a massive God. Isaiah later records in [Is 66:1] that heaven is His throne. We learn in [Rev 21:16] that Heaven is laid out in a square. The length, height, and width all being 1,500 miles. That makes the total square miles of Heaven 43,814,275 square miles if I did the math right. And all of that is but a sitting place for God. Heaven is His throne. This passage in Isaiah 66 records that earth is a footstool for God. This planet we reside on is a place for God to prop up His feet. The average radius of planet earth 3,959 miles. We do not get God. We are continually trying to shrink Him down to size. HE IS A MASSIVE GOD!
We are talking about a massive God larger than we know. Back in Isaiah 6 the Seraphim covered their faces before God and covered their feet. I think back to Moses' prayer in [Ex 33:18] to see more of God's glory. God's responded that no man could see Him and live. Just the back side of God's glory passed by Moses while God hid him in the cleft of the rock and Moses could never be the same.
The Seraphim also covered their feet. Again I am reminded of an encounter Moses had with Jehovah at the burning bush. In [Ex 3:5] God told Moses to take off his sandals because the place he was standing was holy ground. We stood on holy ground last night as God revealed more of Himself to us.
The Seraphim stated that the whole world is filled with the glory of God. From prairies to the hill country. From dense forests all the way out to the deserts. From mountain streams to the Great Lakes and from rivers all the way out to the oceans all creation shouts glory to God. From the Pine trees to the giant Redwood trees, they sway in worship of God. Not one of many gods. Not equal with any. The one, true, sovereign, eternal God.
My mind could barely grasp the fact that we were meeting in a 4,000 square feet warehouse and we had the audacity to ask God to come meet with us. The building could not contain Him much less our hearts and minds. Yet this superior God chooses to stoop down to relate to us as inferior beings. It is all absurd and yet He does so because He loves us.
Let that sink in. He, as massive, powerful, holy, and majestic as He is, chooses to relate to us. That one truth is more mind boggling to me than all the other things mentioned above. He took away our sin and like Isaiah we are forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God used a coal from the altar with Isaiah to cleanse Him. God used His Son to purchase our redemption and to pardon our guilt.
You probably know [Is 6:8] "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here am I. Send Me!" That is the biblical response to such a great salvation from such a great God. We make ourselves available to Him. So I keep preaching. I keep asking God for revival. I keep witnessing to lost people. I keep serving Him. And when He wanted a new church in Paradise and needed someone to pastor and plant that church I found myself like Isaiah, though initially resistant and hesitant, holding my hand up like grade school child eager to answer the teacher's question, "Pick me. Choose me. I will go."
You know the rest of the story. Though we have seen God move we have NOT experienced revival on a broad scale. I have met with God and been touched deeply by Him all three days thus far. God has not shaken the entire church much less the city at this point. So we continue to plead for more of Him. I continue to plead that God would put a hunger in the hearts of His people. I will never cease challenging people to give God their all when I see them give their all in support of schools, sports, and civic organizations. We labor on and pray on for more of Him.
Chris ended the night with a song based on Isaiah 6:1-8. I wanted to shout. I do not know what God has in store for tonight. I do not even know what I will be preaching yet. I only know God is calling us deeper and we trust Him to shake this city.
Few attended the service last night. God remained my focus. He burned His word in me from [Is 6:1-8]. He expanded my view of Him and I pray He did the same for those in attendance. Here is just part of what we looked at.
Part of Isaiah's vision of God included seeing Him sit on the throne as the Sovereign ruler and the scripture tells us the train of His robe (or the edge of His robe or the hem of His robe) filled the temple. The word filled means to overflow. Get this. Not God Himself. Not the robe of God. Just the hem of his robe filled the temple. When Solomon constructed the temple it totaled 183,618 square feet. When we lived in Seminole the school district built a new Jr. High. The massive two story building totaled a little over 170,000 square feet much smaller than the temple Solomon built yet the whole community of Seminole seemed awed at the new facility. In that massive temple just the hem of God's robe filled and overflowed the building. When I think about the temple in relation to that Jr. High facility I am blown away. The edge of God's robe overflowed 183,000 square feet in Isaiah's vision.
We are talking about a massive God. Isaiah later records in [Is 66:1] that heaven is His throne. We learn in [Rev 21:16] that Heaven is laid out in a square. The length, height, and width all being 1,500 miles. That makes the total square miles of Heaven 43,814,275 square miles if I did the math right. And all of that is but a sitting place for God. Heaven is His throne. This passage in Isaiah 66 records that earth is a footstool for God. This planet we reside on is a place for God to prop up His feet. The average radius of planet earth 3,959 miles. We do not get God. We are continually trying to shrink Him down to size. HE IS A MASSIVE GOD!
We are talking about a massive God larger than we know. Back in Isaiah 6 the Seraphim covered their faces before God and covered their feet. I think back to Moses' prayer in [Ex 33:18] to see more of God's glory. God's responded that no man could see Him and live. Just the back side of God's glory passed by Moses while God hid him in the cleft of the rock and Moses could never be the same.
The Seraphim also covered their feet. Again I am reminded of an encounter Moses had with Jehovah at the burning bush. In [Ex 3:5] God told Moses to take off his sandals because the place he was standing was holy ground. We stood on holy ground last night as God revealed more of Himself to us.
The Seraphim stated that the whole world is filled with the glory of God. From prairies to the hill country. From dense forests all the way out to the deserts. From mountain streams to the Great Lakes and from rivers all the way out to the oceans all creation shouts glory to God. From the Pine trees to the giant Redwood trees, they sway in worship of God. Not one of many gods. Not equal with any. The one, true, sovereign, eternal God.
My mind could barely grasp the fact that we were meeting in a 4,000 square feet warehouse and we had the audacity to ask God to come meet with us. The building could not contain Him much less our hearts and minds. Yet this superior God chooses to stoop down to relate to us as inferior beings. It is all absurd and yet He does so because He loves us.
Let that sink in. He, as massive, powerful, holy, and majestic as He is, chooses to relate to us. That one truth is more mind boggling to me than all the other things mentioned above. He took away our sin and like Isaiah we are forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God used a coal from the altar with Isaiah to cleanse Him. God used His Son to purchase our redemption and to pardon our guilt.
You probably know [Is 6:8] "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here am I. Send Me!" That is the biblical response to such a great salvation from such a great God. We make ourselves available to Him. So I keep preaching. I keep asking God for revival. I keep witnessing to lost people. I keep serving Him. And when He wanted a new church in Paradise and needed someone to pastor and plant that church I found myself like Isaiah, though initially resistant and hesitant, holding my hand up like grade school child eager to answer the teacher's question, "Pick me. Choose me. I will go."
You know the rest of the story. Though we have seen God move we have NOT experienced revival on a broad scale. I have met with God and been touched deeply by Him all three days thus far. God has not shaken the entire church much less the city at this point. So we continue to plead for more of Him. I continue to plead that God would put a hunger in the hearts of His people. I will never cease challenging people to give God their all when I see them give their all in support of schools, sports, and civic organizations. We labor on and pray on for more of Him.
Chris ended the night with a song based on Isaiah 6:1-8. I wanted to shout. I do not know what God has in store for tonight. I do not even know what I will be preaching yet. I only know God is calling us deeper and we trust Him to shake this city.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Paradise Revival - Day Two Part 2
God met with me powerfully last night. Chris sang song after song about God's grace and mercy. I sat on the front row with my head buried in my hands. I could not sing. Soon tears began to form as wave after wave of memories began to form. Like a motion picture in mind I relived my childhood. The sexual abuse, the lack of an earthly father, the physical abuse, the poverty, the wickedness of things I saw and partook in, and then I recalled how Jesus stepped in and rescued me from all of it. All of it. It overwhelmed me. More tears flowed as I sat in silence but worshiped the King who died to break my chains. I did not sing but I worshiped intensely in prayer.
I cannot speak what God did for or spoke to anyone else last night. All I know is God spoke to me. He ministered to me. He nudged me to share my testimony. When I stepped behind the pulpit after regaining some composure I shared a portion of my past. That seems such a long time ago. It is surreal. Yet I lived it. Some wept as I talked. At the end I asked the simple question, "So what do you do in response to such a great salvation?"
At that point we turned to [II Tim 4:6-8] I preached on pouring your life out as a drink offering to God. Too often we hold back. We want salvation but we do not want to empty ourselves in submission to the Lord. God wants every ounce of our being poured out as an offering to Him. That was the basic challenge of the message.
It was both evangelistic and a challenge to believers. At the end I held up four water bottles. One was filled to the top but had dirt mixed in. This represented all those without a relationship with Christ. The second bottle was half full mixed with dirt. This represented all those who are still lost but who try to make up for it by doing good things. The third bottle was both filled to the top and clear. This represented those who had trusted Christ for salvation but had not poured out their lives as a drink offering to the Lord. The final bottle had been drained completely. Not one drop fell from it as I turned it upside down. That is the picture of what God wants for His people. Lives turned upside down and drained to the last drop.
All passion, affection, strength, energy, faith, devotion, dreams, heart, mind, family, finances, possessions, all laid down before Him and poured out. Every ounce poured out to the last drop. Nothing held back. Total surrender and complete submission. Fully committed. That is the only biblical response to such a great salvation we have come to experience through Jesus.
When I offered the invitation I just knew someone would be saved. Nobody responded. When we invited believers to come to the altar to pour their lives out to Jesus as a drink offering they came by the dozens. Men, women, and teenagers knelt at the altar and poured their lives out to the Lord. I have rarely seen a more beautiful sight. I have seen many altar calls and people do great business with God there. At times in the past I could not even step off the stage because so many people responded to God's word and work in their lives. Yet the sight of all those people pouring their lives out to Jesus touched me deeply.
Knowing last night people were pouring out their lives to God blessed my soul. I knelt right along side them. Once again burying my head on the plywood stage and sinking low I offered God all I am. I held nothing back. Like the song we sang yesterday morning I prayed, "All I am is yours."
We met with the Lord yesterday. We are only in day two of this revival (counting the Solemn Assembly) and I feel the strong presence of the Lord. Greater things are yet to come and God has greater things to be done in this city. Please continue to pray for and with us.
I cannot speak what God did for or spoke to anyone else last night. All I know is God spoke to me. He ministered to me. He nudged me to share my testimony. When I stepped behind the pulpit after regaining some composure I shared a portion of my past. That seems such a long time ago. It is surreal. Yet I lived it. Some wept as I talked. At the end I asked the simple question, "So what do you do in response to such a great salvation?"
At that point we turned to [II Tim 4:6-8] I preached on pouring your life out as a drink offering to God. Too often we hold back. We want salvation but we do not want to empty ourselves in submission to the Lord. God wants every ounce of our being poured out as an offering to Him. That was the basic challenge of the message.
It was both evangelistic and a challenge to believers. At the end I held up four water bottles. One was filled to the top but had dirt mixed in. This represented all those without a relationship with Christ. The second bottle was half full mixed with dirt. This represented all those who are still lost but who try to make up for it by doing good things. The third bottle was both filled to the top and clear. This represented those who had trusted Christ for salvation but had not poured out their lives as a drink offering to the Lord. The final bottle had been drained completely. Not one drop fell from it as I turned it upside down. That is the picture of what God wants for His people. Lives turned upside down and drained to the last drop.
All passion, affection, strength, energy, faith, devotion, dreams, heart, mind, family, finances, possessions, all laid down before Him and poured out. Every ounce poured out to the last drop. Nothing held back. Total surrender and complete submission. Fully committed. That is the only biblical response to such a great salvation we have come to experience through Jesus.
When I offered the invitation I just knew someone would be saved. Nobody responded. When we invited believers to come to the altar to pour their lives out to Jesus as a drink offering they came by the dozens. Men, women, and teenagers knelt at the altar and poured their lives out to the Lord. I have rarely seen a more beautiful sight. I have seen many altar calls and people do great business with God there. At times in the past I could not even step off the stage because so many people responded to God's word and work in their lives. Yet the sight of all those people pouring their lives out to Jesus touched me deeply.
Knowing last night people were pouring out their lives to God blessed my soul. I knelt right along side them. Once again burying my head on the plywood stage and sinking low I offered God all I am. I held nothing back. Like the song we sang yesterday morning I prayed, "All I am is yours."
We met with the Lord yesterday. We are only in day two of this revival (counting the Solemn Assembly) and I feel the strong presence of the Lord. Greater things are yet to come and God has greater things to be done in this city. Please continue to pray for and with us.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Paradise Revival - Day Two part 1
The house was full this morning with eager worshipers and the Spirit of God. Chris led us to the throne of God. I sang with joy wanting nothing more than to offer God my all. Some still do not grasp worship. They stand and shove their hands in their pockets or nervously look around to see what everyone else is doing. They do not grasp that God is the audience.
I preached from Hosea 6:1-3 calling people to return to the Lord and to come to Jesus for salvation. I challenged the students especially to press on to know the Lord. We had a good morning but sadly the altar was barren. I believe God spoke to people and moved in hearts. We just did not see a visible response.
I am not the least discouraged. God will work in His time and in His way. I have great confidence He is going to do something extraordinary in these days. So I pray, wait, and preach with expectation.
I recall a distinct moment this morning when I sensed the Lord was present. I am not after emotional experiences though some may come. I am after more of God. Our format is very simple. We pray. We worship. We look into God's word and we trust Him for the results. God is at work on His people first.
In the Solemn Assembly and the service this morning I have met with God. I felt the depth of the message in the bottom of my soul. Perspiration drenched my collar and oozed down my face and I loved every minute of it. We are off and running in pursuit of God and revival. Our forty day journey in preparation for these days have ended. Now we are in a dead sprint to follow hard after God. [PS 63:8] KJV We will not be satisfied with lesser blessings like big crowds or crocodile tears. We are after more of God and I believe God is after more of us.
In twenty minutes we will begin our evening service. I will be preaching from [II Tim 4:6-8]. I believe God will be calling His children to deeper commitment. I also believe God will be calling the lost to salvation. Please continue to pray for us.
I preached from Hosea 6:1-3 calling people to return to the Lord and to come to Jesus for salvation. I challenged the students especially to press on to know the Lord. We had a good morning but sadly the altar was barren. I believe God spoke to people and moved in hearts. We just did not see a visible response.
I am not the least discouraged. God will work in His time and in His way. I have great confidence He is going to do something extraordinary in these days. So I pray, wait, and preach with expectation.
I recall a distinct moment this morning when I sensed the Lord was present. I am not after emotional experiences though some may come. I am after more of God. Our format is very simple. We pray. We worship. We look into God's word and we trust Him for the results. God is at work on His people first.
In the Solemn Assembly and the service this morning I have met with God. I felt the depth of the message in the bottom of my soul. Perspiration drenched my collar and oozed down my face and I loved every minute of it. We are off and running in pursuit of God and revival. Our forty day journey in preparation for these days have ended. Now we are in a dead sprint to follow hard after God. [PS 63:8] KJV We will not be satisfied with lesser blessings like big crowds or crocodile tears. We are after more of God and I believe God is after more of us.
In twenty minutes we will begin our evening service. I will be preaching from [II Tim 4:6-8]. I believe God will be calling His children to deeper commitment. I also believe God will be calling the lost to salvation. Please continue to pray for us.
Paradise Revival - Day One
Though the revival does not officially begin until this morning a remnant gathered last night for prayer and repentance accompanied with worship. We cried out to God to forgive the sins of the community like the drugs in the school, the lack of respect for God, the immorality in the community, the filthy language in the schools, the petty jealousies that exist among the churches, the prayerlessness of all the churches, for fathers who do not love and guide their children spiritually, and the lack of the love of God in our hearts to mention a few.
We read scripture and fell on our faces in repentance. I don't know where the thought came from other than God because I had not thought of it during my preparations, but [II Tim 4:6] came to mind. "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come."
The thought of being poured out all for God last night in pursuit of Him and revival captured my heart. I challenged our people to lay their lives down to God being poured out for Him like water being poured from a glass. I challenged all of us to not hold one drop back. To pour out every ounce of us on the altar in pursuit of the Lord and His transforming this community.
If I have ever had a worship encounter with my Father, I did last night. I bowed as low as I could get on the altar and poured all of my heart out to Him in worship, in service, in consecration, in yielding my life to follow the dream of Faith Community Church, to expend all my strength in pursuit of Him and revival, and offering all I am and ever hope to be. I wept pleading to be completely yielded.
If nobody in that warehouse poured their lives out like a drink offering I can tell you this pastor did. I did not hold one ounce back. I sunk my face into the bare wood stage and my knees on the concrete floor getting as low I could get. I did not hold back any part willingly. To my knowledge I gave my Lord everything. My life, family, future, my dreams, my strength, mind, heart, affections, money, time, and my remaining days. Every ounce of me poured out before God as a drink offering.
While others continued to pray I went to the back to partake of communion alone. I could not. I fell on my knees and buried my face in the concrete again offering Jesus everything. I worshiped. I, being inferior, bowed before my Superior Lord and offered Him the deepest worship I knew how to give. I sang with my heart as well as my lips. I offered Him my all. The tears flowed freely. I could not tell you what happened in the life of one other person last night, but I can tell you I have never been more fully surrendered and poured out before the Lord as happened last night.
When I ran into my boys after the service I challenged them to not hold back one drop of their lives in pursuit of the Lord and seeking Him during these revival days. I am already pumped and revived and the real revival has not even begun yet. I cannot say what the Lord has in store for us today much more over the next two weeks. All I know is I am yielded. I am poured out before Him. I am laid down at His feet to surrender preaching, writing, praying, worshiping, and serving. I am not holding back. To God be the glory for great things He has done.
We will gather for more worship at 10:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. tonight. My expectations are high. All I have is what I am supposed to preach today and tonight.
Now, I ask have you poured out your life as a drink offering to God? Are you holding back even one single drop? I challenge you regardless of whether you live in Paradise, Seminole, Lufkin, or even in some other country; pour out your whole life to God in an act of worship today. I challenge you to stop right where you are reading this and fall on your knees. Take the glass of your life and turn it upside down. Pour out your all before Him in one massive act of worship. Do this in your home. Do this in your secret place. Do this at the altar of your local church. Regardless of your location pour out every single drop. I challenge you to not hold back. If you have ever fully surrendered to God I urge you to do it right now in this moment. What God does in response will most likely overwhelm us.
As for me, I will pour myself out in prayer, worship, and preaching today. No holding back. To the last drop I am a drink offering. When all was said and done I fell into bed exhausted and slept like a baby last night. That is until God awakened me and summoned me to take my post on the walls of Paradise. That too is a drink offering. There is much more to come. I hope you will take this journey with us.
We read scripture and fell on our faces in repentance. I don't know where the thought came from other than God because I had not thought of it during my preparations, but [II Tim 4:6] came to mind. "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come."
The thought of being poured out all for God last night in pursuit of Him and revival captured my heart. I challenged our people to lay their lives down to God being poured out for Him like water being poured from a glass. I challenged all of us to not hold one drop back. To pour out every ounce of us on the altar in pursuit of the Lord and His transforming this community.
If I have ever had a worship encounter with my Father, I did last night. I bowed as low as I could get on the altar and poured all of my heart out to Him in worship, in service, in consecration, in yielding my life to follow the dream of Faith Community Church, to expend all my strength in pursuit of Him and revival, and offering all I am and ever hope to be. I wept pleading to be completely yielded.
If nobody in that warehouse poured their lives out like a drink offering I can tell you this pastor did. I did not hold one ounce back. I sunk my face into the bare wood stage and my knees on the concrete floor getting as low I could get. I did not hold back any part willingly. To my knowledge I gave my Lord everything. My life, family, future, my dreams, my strength, mind, heart, affections, money, time, and my remaining days. Every ounce of me poured out before God as a drink offering.
While others continued to pray I went to the back to partake of communion alone. I could not. I fell on my knees and buried my face in the concrete again offering Jesus everything. I worshiped. I, being inferior, bowed before my Superior Lord and offered Him the deepest worship I knew how to give. I sang with my heart as well as my lips. I offered Him my all. The tears flowed freely. I could not tell you what happened in the life of one other person last night, but I can tell you I have never been more fully surrendered and poured out before the Lord as happened last night.
When I ran into my boys after the service I challenged them to not hold back one drop of their lives in pursuit of the Lord and seeking Him during these revival days. I am already pumped and revived and the real revival has not even begun yet. I cannot say what the Lord has in store for us today much more over the next two weeks. All I know is I am yielded. I am poured out before Him. I am laid down at His feet to surrender preaching, writing, praying, worshiping, and serving. I am not holding back. To God be the glory for great things He has done.
We will gather for more worship at 10:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. tonight. My expectations are high. All I have is what I am supposed to preach today and tonight.
Now, I ask have you poured out your life as a drink offering to God? Are you holding back even one single drop? I challenge you regardless of whether you live in Paradise, Seminole, Lufkin, or even in some other country; pour out your whole life to God in an act of worship today. I challenge you to stop right where you are reading this and fall on your knees. Take the glass of your life and turn it upside down. Pour out your all before Him in one massive act of worship. Do this in your home. Do this in your secret place. Do this at the altar of your local church. Regardless of your location pour out every single drop. I challenge you to not hold back. If you have ever fully surrendered to God I urge you to do it right now in this moment. What God does in response will most likely overwhelm us.
As for me, I will pour myself out in prayer, worship, and preaching today. No holding back. To the last drop I am a drink offering. When all was said and done I fell into bed exhausted and slept like a baby last night. That is until God awakened me and summoned me to take my post on the walls of Paradise. That too is a drink offering. There is much more to come. I hope you will take this journey with us.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
On the Eve of Revival
As I write this we are about an hour and a half from holding a Solemn Assembly in preparation for the revival services starting in the morning. [Joel 1:13-17] [Joel 2:12-17] Tonight we will gather to worship, pray, repent, and take communion all in order to consecrate ourselves for what the Lord wants to do in these next few days. [Joshua 3:5]
I feel like a race horse in the starting blocks. We have been preparing for these days for months. I could not tell you what I will be preaching for the next several days. God has given me enough light for tonight and the morning worship service. Other than that I am following God step by step through all of this. I am still raring to go. I have been waiting on this day for months.
I personally am not looking for anything other than the presence of God to fill the house. I yearn for Him to move and stir the hearts of the apathetic and cold hearts. I yearn for God to move people to repentance starting tonight and begin drawing people to Jesus for salvation. I continue to ask God to shake up this little town. We need a shaking. Paradise is a great community and I love living here. It is not a perfect community. Many have turned their backs on God. Saved people have fallen into rebellion and out of fellowship with God. Lost people openly mock God and defy His commands. I trust God this is all about to change.
While praying earlier today the Lord reminded me that I do not have to strive to make this revival happen. In fact, no matter how much I strive I cannot produce revival. Only God can produce revival and I am convinced He is determined to do that right here in Faith Community Church and the Paradise community at large. I believe God is choosing this church and this community for revival. I want all of Him.
I am humbled to get to be a part of it. I have never felt more prepared to be a part of anything. I have chronicled what the Lord has been doing in my life for the past several weeks. I still hunger for more of Him. On the eve of revival I stand ready to receive all the Lord has for us. I hope you will join us in prayer.
I will do my best to record how the Lord works in these days on this blog. Check back daily for updates. I plead with you to do more than just read. Pray for us. May the Lord kindle our hearts with His revival fire starting tonight. May it spread beyond Paradise.
I feel like a race horse in the starting blocks. We have been preparing for these days for months. I could not tell you what I will be preaching for the next several days. God has given me enough light for tonight and the morning worship service. Other than that I am following God step by step through all of this. I am still raring to go. I have been waiting on this day for months.
I personally am not looking for anything other than the presence of God to fill the house. I yearn for Him to move and stir the hearts of the apathetic and cold hearts. I yearn for God to move people to repentance starting tonight and begin drawing people to Jesus for salvation. I continue to ask God to shake up this little town. We need a shaking. Paradise is a great community and I love living here. It is not a perfect community. Many have turned their backs on God. Saved people have fallen into rebellion and out of fellowship with God. Lost people openly mock God and defy His commands. I trust God this is all about to change.
While praying earlier today the Lord reminded me that I do not have to strive to make this revival happen. In fact, no matter how much I strive I cannot produce revival. Only God can produce revival and I am convinced He is determined to do that right here in Faith Community Church and the Paradise community at large. I believe God is choosing this church and this community for revival. I want all of Him.
I am humbled to get to be a part of it. I have never felt more prepared to be a part of anything. I have chronicled what the Lord has been doing in my life for the past several weeks. I still hunger for more of Him. On the eve of revival I stand ready to receive all the Lord has for us. I hope you will join us in prayer.
I will do my best to record how the Lord works in these days on this blog. Check back daily for updates. I plead with you to do more than just read. Pray for us. May the Lord kindle our hearts with His revival fire starting tonight. May it spread beyond Paradise.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Dare to Believe
You may remember when you were little hanging out with a group of friends when someone came up with a hair brain idea. To entice someone to act they would say, "I dare you." If that did not do the trick the next two things out of their mouth worked every time. "I double dare you. I tripled dog dare you."
In my neighborhood a triple dog dare could not be passed on. You had to act. Your honor was at stake even though little kids may not even understand what honor is. All I know is if one of my friends wanted me to do something good or bad all they had to do was to triple dog dare me. That little phrase set in motion a courage and resolve to act. The consequences of those actions did not deter me from following through. A triple dog dare could not be resisted.
Today as an adult I look back on those times with a wry smile and shake my head. Why did those words entice me to do things I would later regret? Today I am more sensible in a way. I have outgrown those childish and immature actions for the most part.
There is still an area in my life where I am as impulsive and reckless as I used to be in my youth. That is the area of following God and walking by faith. At forty-six I still dare to believe God. I take Him at His word. When I read a promise in the Bible I believe that promise includes me. When God challenges me to believe Him for something, even if it seems ridiculous, I choose to believe. I dare to believe God for impossible things. No dream is out of reach. No vision is too grand. No task seems undoable with God's held. I dare to believe when others do not. I run toward impossible odds like David running to battle Goliath. My confidence is God. What He wills I dare to believe will come to pass.
Let me illustrate. Sometime ago this year God planted in my heart to hold a Shake the City Revival in Paradise. This is not so unusual. After further praying I sensed the Lord wanted me to use an old friend from my past to lead the worship for the revival. Here is where it gets unusual. We have scheduled the services to go for at least two straight weeks. Fourteen days and nights of worship, preaching, and trusting for revival.
I just got off the phone with my friend who will be leading our worship. Chris told me that people in his church cannot understand why we are meeting for two weeks. It is beyond their comprehension. Chris and I both have been a part of meetings where God moved in extraordinary fashion and you wanted to be in the presence of the Lord night after night. We have seen moves of God that lasted three weeks or more. I have read about revivals lasting for three and four years. Do we at Faith Community Church dare to believe God for something supernatural and miraculous for the Paradise community.
Daring to believe God for true revival that turns the city upside down is the desire of my heart. I actually believe God is not only going to meet with us for two straight weeks but I am open to the idea of meeting longer. God is the desire of my heart. I believe backslidden people will come back to God repentance. I believe multitudes of lost people will be saved. I believe this revival will have far and lasting impact on the Paradise community.
Yesterday I wrote about how from time to time God plants outrageous dreams in the hearts of His people like He did with Moses. In those moments we have to dare to believe God or sink back into doubt. I honestly do not understand why so many in church do not dare to believe God for more. It is like we all want to believe God can do the impossible. We seldom hear about miracles though. We seldom hear about how God worked powerfully in this life or in that church. There are a few exceptions. When we do hear or read about those situations we are quick to ask why God does not move like that where we are. We sing the songs and hear the sermons but the power of God is not always on display. We settle for the normal and the routine.
People sit and wonder if God really can and does work like He did in the pages of the Bible. We long for more than the routine. We yearn to see God splash on the pages of history in our day and do things that leave us awed. We look and wonder if it is all really true. Over and over again God responds to such longing hearts by challenging our faith. In essence God says, "Dare to believe Me for this." He then lays something on our hearts and in our minds that makes our knees buckle. Instead of faith we cower in fear.
We fear if we follow through with God's promptings it will spell financial doom for us. We fear we will come out looking like a fool if we dare to believe God. We fear risking our reputations. I know. I have been there in the past and I am there again.
To schedule a revival to last for two weeks is strange. If God does not move powerfully I will look like a fool and I will be preaching to a largely empty building before two weeks is up. I cannot manufacture revival. I cannot usher in the living holy presence of the Lord. I cannot transform one heart or cause one person to fall to their knees in brokenness and repentance. Those are things only God can do.
It would have been easy for Elijah to fear failure when he stood on Mount Carmel in that great show down with the 850 false prophets. Elijah cast fear aside and dared to believe God for the miraculous. You know the story. You know how he not only trusted God but saturated the sacrifice with water along with digging trenches and filling them with water. Elijah dared to believe that his God would truly answer by fire. The whole nation watched and waited to see what Elijah's God would do.
He came in fire and consumed not only the sacrifice but also all the water in the trenches. Immediately the people fell on their faces saying, "The Lord He is God."
For years I have been fascinated with the prayer Elijah prayed before God sent the fire. You read that prayer and you know he dared to believe God for something supernatural. Read it for yourself. "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have turned their hearts back." [I Kings 18:36-37]
Elijah did not create this stage. He said in his prayer that he did all of it at the word of God. I interpret that to mean God instructed Elijah to take this bold stand. God called for this dramatic show down. It was all God's idea. Elijah dared to believe and acted on that belief in obedience.
Why don't we see God doing more miraculous things? Why don't we dare to believe Him for more? The problem is not on God's end. It is our lack of belief.
I know what I am talking about. If you have kept up with my life you know that we have been trying to sell our house in Seminole for over a year. Finally we agreed to lease that house for a year. The lease agreement runs until April of 2013. Before we signed the lease a couple from Seminole looked at the house and loved it. I wrote about this family because the kids were playing in the back yard and when summoned to leave they told their parents they were playing with Jesus. We wanted to sell our house to that family but they could not buy it at the time.
Nobody else seemed interested in buying it and we agreed to the lease. Here is where this story gets interesting. In my private times with the Lord He has dared me to believe for several things. There is a house Brenda and I recently looked at with our realtor. This is the house I feel God wants me to dare to believe Him for. There are several impossibilities staring us in the face. First, the house is way out of our price range. The price is a menacing mountain. I feel this is the house God wills for my family. I cannot shake it. We have looked at other houses that were cheaper and I really liked several of them. God keeps calling me to believe Him for this particular house. Wisdom would dictate forget even considering a house while you are in a lease agreement. Wisdom would say you cannot afford that house. What I hear God whispering to me is dare to believe.
The other impossibility for all of this is the lease on our house. We are contractually obligated to lease our house for the next nine months. My hands are tied. I will not break that lease agreement. I have begun to dare to believe that God could move the people leasing our home to find a permanent home and want out of the lease. This would be a win win for all of us. I cannot force this to happen.
I have only told one person these things I am writing down today. I pray about them secretly and trust God to work.
I have been silently praying over all these issues. Guess who called me yesterday. No it was not the people leasing our house. The couple called me who really want our house and who's kids played with Jesus in the backyard. Their financing is all together. They more than qualify for our house. I talked with the husband and explained the situation. They are believer's as well.
He told me just the night before he and his family prayed God would give them our house. He is daring to believe God for that house, our house. Six hours away I am daring to believe God for another house. We both agreed to dare to believe God to move in the heart of the people leasing our house. I know that all sounds quirky.
That is not the way real estate works. I choose to put my trust in God to be my realtor. I find it more than coincidental that this man would call me yesterday when the Lord had already put all these things in my heart. So what do I do. I dare to believe God to do something miraculous. I pray and I watch expectantly to see what God will do. I may appear foolish in the world's eyes. It would not be the first time and I am pretty sure it will not be the last time.
Regardless of what people think about me or the ways the Edwards family does things, I dare to believe God. That is my focus. When God instructs me to trust Him for something like; building a church, trusting Him for provision of a house, holding a lengthy revival, giving away my possessions, asking for things like carpet, a screen, and signs for our buildings I dare to believe.
Now back to Elijah. Elijah did not dream up that great show down and promote himself on the national stage. God put him there. God called him to believe for a miracle of fire. Likewise, I am not seeking grandeur. I walk with God and what God instructs me to trust Him for I dare to believe. I believe Him for revival. I believe him for a third miracle house. I believe Him for a revived and growing church. I believe Him for twenty-five acres down the road for Faith Community Church. I believe Him for another $130,000 to pay off the debt on the hospital in Honduras. I dare to believe God my books will sell millions of copies.
You may read this and say, "Matt, you are off your rocker. You are losing touch with reality." My reply would be, "You know, you may be right. But the greatest reality in my life is God. He works in strange and mysterious ways. Sometimes the things He does might be considered weird. Yet, I dare to believe Him. I have found He can be trusted. All the time and every time He is faithful. When God comes through as He always does, the whole world will know God did those things and not Matt Edwards. He will get all the glory and I hope others will be inspired to dare to believe Him in their situations?"
In my neighborhood a triple dog dare could not be passed on. You had to act. Your honor was at stake even though little kids may not even understand what honor is. All I know is if one of my friends wanted me to do something good or bad all they had to do was to triple dog dare me. That little phrase set in motion a courage and resolve to act. The consequences of those actions did not deter me from following through. A triple dog dare could not be resisted.
Today as an adult I look back on those times with a wry smile and shake my head. Why did those words entice me to do things I would later regret? Today I am more sensible in a way. I have outgrown those childish and immature actions for the most part.
There is still an area in my life where I am as impulsive and reckless as I used to be in my youth. That is the area of following God and walking by faith. At forty-six I still dare to believe God. I take Him at His word. When I read a promise in the Bible I believe that promise includes me. When God challenges me to believe Him for something, even if it seems ridiculous, I choose to believe. I dare to believe God for impossible things. No dream is out of reach. No vision is too grand. No task seems undoable with God's held. I dare to believe when others do not. I run toward impossible odds like David running to battle Goliath. My confidence is God. What He wills I dare to believe will come to pass.
Let me illustrate. Sometime ago this year God planted in my heart to hold a Shake the City Revival in Paradise. This is not so unusual. After further praying I sensed the Lord wanted me to use an old friend from my past to lead the worship for the revival. Here is where it gets unusual. We have scheduled the services to go for at least two straight weeks. Fourteen days and nights of worship, preaching, and trusting for revival.
I just got off the phone with my friend who will be leading our worship. Chris told me that people in his church cannot understand why we are meeting for two weeks. It is beyond their comprehension. Chris and I both have been a part of meetings where God moved in extraordinary fashion and you wanted to be in the presence of the Lord night after night. We have seen moves of God that lasted three weeks or more. I have read about revivals lasting for three and four years. Do we at Faith Community Church dare to believe God for something supernatural and miraculous for the Paradise community.
Daring to believe God for true revival that turns the city upside down is the desire of my heart. I actually believe God is not only going to meet with us for two straight weeks but I am open to the idea of meeting longer. God is the desire of my heart. I believe backslidden people will come back to God repentance. I believe multitudes of lost people will be saved. I believe this revival will have far and lasting impact on the Paradise community.
Yesterday I wrote about how from time to time God plants outrageous dreams in the hearts of His people like He did with Moses. In those moments we have to dare to believe God or sink back into doubt. I honestly do not understand why so many in church do not dare to believe God for more. It is like we all want to believe God can do the impossible. We seldom hear about miracles though. We seldom hear about how God worked powerfully in this life or in that church. There are a few exceptions. When we do hear or read about those situations we are quick to ask why God does not move like that where we are. We sing the songs and hear the sermons but the power of God is not always on display. We settle for the normal and the routine.
People sit and wonder if God really can and does work like He did in the pages of the Bible. We long for more than the routine. We yearn to see God splash on the pages of history in our day and do things that leave us awed. We look and wonder if it is all really true. Over and over again God responds to such longing hearts by challenging our faith. In essence God says, "Dare to believe Me for this." He then lays something on our hearts and in our minds that makes our knees buckle. Instead of faith we cower in fear.
We fear if we follow through with God's promptings it will spell financial doom for us. We fear we will come out looking like a fool if we dare to believe God. We fear risking our reputations. I know. I have been there in the past and I am there again.
To schedule a revival to last for two weeks is strange. If God does not move powerfully I will look like a fool and I will be preaching to a largely empty building before two weeks is up. I cannot manufacture revival. I cannot usher in the living holy presence of the Lord. I cannot transform one heart or cause one person to fall to their knees in brokenness and repentance. Those are things only God can do.
It would have been easy for Elijah to fear failure when he stood on Mount Carmel in that great show down with the 850 false prophets. Elijah cast fear aside and dared to believe God for the miraculous. You know the story. You know how he not only trusted God but saturated the sacrifice with water along with digging trenches and filling them with water. Elijah dared to believe that his God would truly answer by fire. The whole nation watched and waited to see what Elijah's God would do.
He came in fire and consumed not only the sacrifice but also all the water in the trenches. Immediately the people fell on their faces saying, "The Lord He is God."
For years I have been fascinated with the prayer Elijah prayed before God sent the fire. You read that prayer and you know he dared to believe God for something supernatural. Read it for yourself. "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have turned their hearts back." [I Kings 18:36-37]
Elijah did not create this stage. He said in his prayer that he did all of it at the word of God. I interpret that to mean God instructed Elijah to take this bold stand. God called for this dramatic show down. It was all God's idea. Elijah dared to believe and acted on that belief in obedience.
Why don't we see God doing more miraculous things? Why don't we dare to believe Him for more? The problem is not on God's end. It is our lack of belief.
I know what I am talking about. If you have kept up with my life you know that we have been trying to sell our house in Seminole for over a year. Finally we agreed to lease that house for a year. The lease agreement runs until April of 2013. Before we signed the lease a couple from Seminole looked at the house and loved it. I wrote about this family because the kids were playing in the back yard and when summoned to leave they told their parents they were playing with Jesus. We wanted to sell our house to that family but they could not buy it at the time.
Nobody else seemed interested in buying it and we agreed to the lease. Here is where this story gets interesting. In my private times with the Lord He has dared me to believe for several things. There is a house Brenda and I recently looked at with our realtor. This is the house I feel God wants me to dare to believe Him for. There are several impossibilities staring us in the face. First, the house is way out of our price range. The price is a menacing mountain. I feel this is the house God wills for my family. I cannot shake it. We have looked at other houses that were cheaper and I really liked several of them. God keeps calling me to believe Him for this particular house. Wisdom would dictate forget even considering a house while you are in a lease agreement. Wisdom would say you cannot afford that house. What I hear God whispering to me is dare to believe.
The other impossibility for all of this is the lease on our house. We are contractually obligated to lease our house for the next nine months. My hands are tied. I will not break that lease agreement. I have begun to dare to believe that God could move the people leasing our home to find a permanent home and want out of the lease. This would be a win win for all of us. I cannot force this to happen.
I have only told one person these things I am writing down today. I pray about them secretly and trust God to work.
I have been silently praying over all these issues. Guess who called me yesterday. No it was not the people leasing our house. The couple called me who really want our house and who's kids played with Jesus in the backyard. Their financing is all together. They more than qualify for our house. I talked with the husband and explained the situation. They are believer's as well.
He told me just the night before he and his family prayed God would give them our house. He is daring to believe God for that house, our house. Six hours away I am daring to believe God for another house. We both agreed to dare to believe God to move in the heart of the people leasing our house. I know that all sounds quirky.
That is not the way real estate works. I choose to put my trust in God to be my realtor. I find it more than coincidental that this man would call me yesterday when the Lord had already put all these things in my heart. So what do I do. I dare to believe God to do something miraculous. I pray and I watch expectantly to see what God will do. I may appear foolish in the world's eyes. It would not be the first time and I am pretty sure it will not be the last time.
Regardless of what people think about me or the ways the Edwards family does things, I dare to believe God. That is my focus. When God instructs me to trust Him for something like; building a church, trusting Him for provision of a house, holding a lengthy revival, giving away my possessions, asking for things like carpet, a screen, and signs for our buildings I dare to believe.
Now back to Elijah. Elijah did not dream up that great show down and promote himself on the national stage. God put him there. God called him to believe for a miracle of fire. Likewise, I am not seeking grandeur. I walk with God and what God instructs me to trust Him for I dare to believe. I believe Him for revival. I believe him for a third miracle house. I believe Him for a revived and growing church. I believe Him for twenty-five acres down the road for Faith Community Church. I believe Him for another $130,000 to pay off the debt on the hospital in Honduras. I dare to believe God my books will sell millions of copies.
You may read this and say, "Matt, you are off your rocker. You are losing touch with reality." My reply would be, "You know, you may be right. But the greatest reality in my life is God. He works in strange and mysterious ways. Sometimes the things He does might be considered weird. Yet, I dare to believe Him. I have found He can be trusted. All the time and every time He is faithful. When God comes through as He always does, the whole world will know God did those things and not Matt Edwards. He will get all the glory and I hope others will be inspired to dare to believe Him in their situations?"
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