PERSEVERANCE - GODLY CHARACTER PART 2 ....SIXTH KEY TO THE KINGDOM

 TEXT: 1 PETER 4:12-19 and 1 PETER 5:7-11 (in part)

KEYS TO REVIVAL

KEY #3 - PRAYER

The value of prayer in revival cannot be overstated.  Every major revival in America and other countries began with prayer. The Second Great Awakening began in New York City when a burdened man named Jeremiah Lanphier read the times, which were not much different than today!  The financial picture of New York City (and thus most of the industrial sector of the North) was desperate and there was no move of God in America for decades.  The last revival had taken place when the controversial Charles Finney was on fire throughout the north eastern United States preaching the Gospel and leading hundreds of thousands to Christ.

Jeremiah Lanphier printed out and passed out flyers all over America’s largest city inviting men to a prayer meeting at the Fulton Street church he attended. The meeting was set for September 23, 1857 at noon. Even though thousands of flyers were handed out, not one person showed up for lunch time prayer until about 30 minutes in. Finally 6 men got together to pray for their city, businesses, community and family, where factories closing, unemployment and worse had destroyed many a family.  

One week later, 40 prayer warriors showed up at Fulton Street to pray at Lanphier’s noon time weekly prayer meeting.  From that day, it was changed to a daily noontime prayer meeting instead of weekly and within SIX MONTHS,  ten thousand (as in 10,000) New York businessmen started meeting DAILY for prayer - IN NEW YORK CITY! Today, one would be hard-pressed to find ten (10) men in one small town who would even meet weekly to pray for their families, neighborhoods or anything! What resulted out of all of this praying and seeking the Face of the Lord was that over 1 million were saved across America as the fires of revival caught the head wind and spread like, well, wild fires on the prairie. The renewal and awakening which began in New York City with one man, then six, then forty was a result of prayer, not just prayer for the natural but fervent prayer which brought repentance and sorrow of the sad human condition of the day.

Every move of God began with personal repentance and prayer, and none genuine was a result of a church or group of people sitting comfortable in their pews chanting "Lord bring revival". Every turn around in the spiritual atmosphere came out of an environment of idolatry, crime (against God and man) and general despair. It happened with the Welch Revival where bars shut down and the cops had no work to do, so they formed barbershop quartets and it happened in the Old Testament. Back then, godless men had destroyed much of the Word of the Lord, much like they are attempting to these days, and pagan "worship" abounded. Still God's word never goes away and a copy of the Word was found during the reign of King Josiah who had it read out loud.

Scripture says "Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king. When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes...(2 Kings 22:10-11)." Are we rendering our spiritual hearts today as the Word of the Lord convicts us? What happened when the pure milk of the Word of God convicted the king to lead him to tear his clothes, was an acknowledgement of his and the people's sins. It cut him to the quick.

God said to the king ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel, “Regarding the words which you have heard, because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you”. (2 Kings 22:18b-19)

Revival can come and the Lord can hear us, and will react according to His own Sovereign Will. Even in the Great Awakenings from Whitefield to Lanphier and D.L. Moody to Duncan Campbell and Life Action Ministries, God did NOT move across an entire people. He only moved upon those whose hearts were set upon Him and then brought many into glory as a result of that faithfulness. The majority still rejected Him, and were and will be judged in His Wrath. Still, there is no magic to revival. King Josiah's repentance and leadership in actively getting rid of the evil junk in the lives of his people, of removing all symbols of the evil idols and allowing the Word of God to be read and taught constantly resulted in something really powerful for a time. It was that specific season for the people of Jerusalem which led to their spiritual revival at that time. It WAS the reading and preaching of the Word. Read this account right here.

To that end, finally, the Apostle Paul prayed and ask for the same in 2 Thessalonians 3: 1-5 "Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; 2 and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ."

The rapid spreading of the Word of the Lord, which convicts and leads many to repentance and salvation, is how we should pray. We have the example of King Josiah's HEARING the Word and the subsequent turning of all Jerusalem to the Lord and then Paul's prayer here that the Word will led to rescue, strength, protection and then confidence and the turning of hearts unto the love of God, standing strong in the Knowledge and Faith of Jesus Christ. This is our true prayer of revival. May we never depart from it but press on daily, as we seek a strong move of the Savior across a dry and spiritually barren land.

THE LAST WORDS OF SOME FAMOUS PEOPLE

We must all travel the road of all mankind, back to the God Who created us. At the moment of death...and in some cases, way before that final moment, all of us will know our final destination. We will be sure of one thing - it is either one of two places: Heaven and fellowship forever in the Amazing Presence of God or Hell - eternal separation and torment in the lake of fire.

There is no mulligan; no do-over; no holding cell; no "Get out of Jail Free" card and no such thing as Purgatory! The Word of God says that it is appointed ONCE for man to die - and then the Judgment. In the twinkling of an eye, in a flash of light, in the draw of one breath we are immediately transported into eternity.

They say that the eyes are the window to the soul. I can vouch for that truth. Without going into detail, the Lord has shown me things which would scare the average person about someone else's destiny. My prayer is those persons will seek forgiveness and salvation through repentance  before it is too late for them. As an evangelist and minister...whether it is street ministry or monthly ministry at three different retirement homes or witnessing to scores and scores of adults and children at the state fair....the lost sad eyes of so many would break your heart. It should also make us more intentional to reach as many with the Gospel of Christ before it is too late.

If you speak to chaplains and nurses who work in hospices, the reality of the finality is devastating.  Not many are dying with the Peace of God, through Christ,before they depart this life. All kinds of screaming from those still alive including yells about "feet being on fire" and on and on. This is something we can do our best to change. God can change the hearts of even the harshest unbeliever and sinner to Him, before it is too late. All we have to do is let Him. If those with little time left would just allow Him tochange some of these terrifying stories from the hospices from "my feet are on fire" to "I feel so much at peace", what an amazing testimony that would be! Wouldn't THOSE final words be more desirable? What does it profit the rebellious to go away to eternal punishment just to prove a point? What point? Huh?!

We will all have final words -whether it is on our actual death bed or the night before we wake up in eternity. Have you ever thought what YOUR final words would be? Just recently, the vicious Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez died of cancer at the young age of 57. He thought he was immortal and was full of bravado because he had temporary military power. Yet, his final words were "I don't want to die"...knowing for the first time, where he was heading.

Therefore, I present here, some final words of some famous people. The well known unbelievers were shocking to learn of, in my research. But then, you see the final words of the Redeemed - those saved by Christ, and it grants us peace and hope!

A. THE FINAL WORDS OF NON-CHRISTIANS:

Winston Churchill: “There is no hope, all is lost....I'm bored with it all"

Victor Hugo (author): “I see black light!”

Karl Marx (founder of Communism): “Go on, get out! Last words are for fools who haven’t said enough!”

Ludwig Van Beethoven (composer): “Too bad, too bad, it is too late!!”

Anne Boleyn (whom King Henry VIII married after divorcing his first wife): “O God, have pity on my soul, O God, have pity on my soul.”

Cardinal Borgia (later to become the corrupt Pope Alexander VI): “I have provided in the course of my life for everything except death, and now, alas, I am to die unprepared!”

W.C. Fields (comedian/actor): “I am looking for a loophole.”

Joan Crawford (famous actress who heard her maid praying out loud for her): Damn it . . . Don't you dare ask God to help me.

King Henry VIII ("founder" of the Church of England): All is lost. Monks, monks, monks!

B. THE FINAL WORDS OF CHRISTIANS:

D.L. Moody (great American Evangelist): “I see earth receding; heaven is opening. God is calling me!”

William Shakespeare (the Bard of Avon): I commend my soul into the Hands of God, my Creator, hoping and assuredly believing, through the merits of Jesus Christ my Savior, to be made partaker of life everlasting; and my body to the earth, whereof it was made.”

Daniel Webster (great American statesman and senator 1800’s): “Thank God, the gospel of Jesus Christ brought life and immortality to light…I still live.”

David Livingstone (great British Missionary): “Build me a hut to die in, I am going home.”

Charles Dickens (British author): “I commit my soul to the mercy of God, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and I exhort my dear children humbly to try and guide themselves by the teaching of the New Testament.”

Andrew Jackson (U.S. President known as ‘Old Hickory’): “My dear children do not grieve for me…. I am my God’s. I belong to Him. I go but a short time before you, and …I hope and trust to meet you all in heaven.”

Isaac Watts (hymn-writer, hymns like ‘Joy to the World’ and ‘O God Our Help in Ages Past’): It is a great mercy that I have no manner of fear or dread of death. I could, if God please, lay my head back and die without terror this afternoon!” 

SAUL OF TARSUS (LATER, THE APOSTLE PAUL):  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith....(2 Timothy 4:7 ESV)

THE GREATEST LAST WORDS OF ALL TIME: “IT IS FINISHED” Jesus.

(Graphic Credit: Risen Savior Church and School, Arizona)

BLACK....ER, NO - BRIGHT FRIDAY!

THE WORD FOR FRIDAY THE 13th  - NEGLIGENT

Today is Friday the Thirteenth. There are all kinds of explanations as to its origins and meaning. Stories run the gamut from an ancient Roman pagan observance where they observed the sixth day of the week to their non-existent goddess Venus to Pope Clement V capturing and torturing Knights Templar on Friday October the 13th, 1307.  Of course our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was executed on a Friday by the Romans and Jewish religious leaders. 

For some reason, the number 13 is also associated with an alleged phenomenon called "bad luck". You and I know there is no such thing as "luck".  What the world calls luck is an event which occurs with, or without the blessing of God. What some call "good luck" is actually a point in time where all the hard work and preparation for whatever the cause comes together, within God's timing, to where one is put on a path to fruition of one's dreams. There is no such thing as an overnight success either. But back to the number 13 - this number is so feared that some tall buildings would not even have a 13th floor listed on their elevator! Now there will actually be 13 floors built into the buildings as the next number after 12 is 13! So they are only fooling themselves.


Folks would believe and follow and act on all kinds of Friday the 13th superstitions from crossing their fingers; wearing so-called "lucky" socks to; to carrying rabbits' feet made in China to....you name it. They will not walk under ladders and by the way, the only good time NOT to walk under a ladder is if there is a can of paint under it. They will be scared of black cats. Some will even throw salt behind them and on and on...


Yet, these same folks will neglect the Word of Truth. I find myself in agreement with DL Moody who once said "This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book"....in reference to the Bible. Still most church leaders, in the western world, are negligent in shepherding the flock God gave them to lead into spending time with both Him in prayer, and reading the Scriptures daily. Most of the modern preachers do not even carry an actual bible into the pulpit and rely on electronic devices and powerpoint illustrations to do their messages.


Here is what Jesus said about neglecting the Word of God...and He confirms precisely what I just mentioned about Black Friday. In Mark 7:8 Jesus said "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." He was speaking to those who go through all kinds of rituals and burn themselves out following these things, yet would not following the simplest, easiest and most direct teaching from our Maker Himself, when HE Is the One Who cares the most about us!

Webster's Dictionary describes negligence as "failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in like circumstances".  Imagine you, as a surgeon, taking great care NOT to leave a pair of scissors inside of a patient after surgery, so must we as believers, be very careful NOT to let the things of this world take us away from that which we know to be true and holy and right and wonderful and purely good. Let us pursue that....and not the traditions of men!

Psalm 119:16 "I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word"

(images courtesy google)