Tag Archives: revival

It might look Hopeless but it’s not over Yet!

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Earthquake Destruction1The Scripture says whoever will come after Christ, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Christ. (Mk. 8:34) It doesn’t come easy or cheap, but the effects are life changing. Leonard Ravenhill declares, “Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, GIVE ME REVIVAL in my soul and in my church and in my nation—or GIVE ME DEATH!”

Have you gotten to the place that ordinary routine is nauseating? I believe just religiously going to church, receiving nothing more than entertainment causes decay and a slow spiritual decline. If we are not going to obtain the best God has for us, then we might as well just go home to heaven. The choice is easy—either it is life or death! We must press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God!(Phil 3:14)

In the story of Esther, we see the divine orchestration of God. The Jews were in a desperate situation, with death lurking at the door of their comfort zone. It looked hopeless for they needed a miracle to get themselves out of this tight spot. They didn’t go looking for the hottest and most fiery Jewish evangelist to bring in a change. No! They got on their faces and began to fast and pray. They began to beseech God with fasting and prayer for his intervention and deliverance. In the end the stamp of approval on what she had done was God’s great deliverance for the Jewish people.

Anywhere you look in our society, you can see the destroyer at the door. The thief comes not but to steal, kill, and destroy. (Jn 10:10) Whatever we have, whether it is our life, our family, or our nation, it is his aim to destroy it. America, the great unsinkable land of opportunity, is on a course headed for destruction. The signs are in the sky. The evidence is clear. It is now the time to lay hold of the reason for which Christ has laid hold of us! Let us seek the Lord while he may still be found. I cringe at the thought of ever having the Lord speak about me as he did about Jerusalem. In Luke 19:44 Jesus says, “Because you did not know the time of your visitation,” there would be no peace, and Jerusalem would have destruction. Now is the season of our visitation. It says in Joel 2:28, “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh.”

The church must awake out of its slumber and receive God’s visitation on his people. Then the church will reap in righteousness and see revival. Let us not wait till it’s too late to do something. The night is far spent; the hour is at hand. Using the words of the Psalmist, let us cry out to the Lord, “Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You.” The church must humble itself and repent from its arrogance and haughty attitudes. Peter speaks to the men of Israel in Acts 3:19. He tells them to, “Repent therefore and be converted,hat your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Only through our brokenness and turning away from sin will we truly see the refreshing of the Lord. The time is now for us to sow in prayer and fasting. Instead of decreasing our prayer time, we need to increase in prayer power. We must search the very intent of our heart and get rid of every hindrance that would stand in the way of revival. Then ask the Lord right now to begin to stoke the fires and passion for revival in your hearts.

We Need a Fire of Revival in our Lives

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At the end of Charles Finney’s powerful lectures on revival, he exhorted the listeners. “It is not my design to preach so as to have you able to say at the close: ‘We understand all about revivals now,’ while you do nothing. Or will you spend the time in learning about revivals, and do nothing for them? I want you as fast as you learn anything on the subject of revivals, to put it in practice, and go to work and see if you cannot promote a revival…”. Let me gracefully agree with him in also exhorting you. Is it not time to be about Christ’s business? The church is saturated with incredible seminars, books and teaching about revival. Yet, we should not just learn more on revival, but walk in it.

The church doesn’t need more knowledge of revival but what it needs is to experience revival! It is imperative that we have a move of God beginning with the community of believers. Only with a true revival can there be any hope for this world and for us!

Here are some characteristics I feel come out of revival. First, revival is a

Revival shakes the dust off of us and restores God’s fire within us

refreshing of God upon our lives. It’s God breathing back into His church a breath of freshness. God revives the church, bringing it back from a state of complacency and apathy. In Psalms 85:6 it says, “Will You not revive us again”.

Secondly, revival is a renewing of the passion in us for more of God. It puts in us a hunger and thirst for the things of God. Bringing us to the point of restlessness, motivating us to a deeper walk with the Lord. Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” The promise from the Word of God is we will be filled with his righteousness.

Thirdly, revival helps us to respond to God’s call on our lives. He has called us to be the salt of the world, a preservative in a rotting society. In Matthew 5:14 we read, “You

Revival stirs us so that we cannot keep silent!

are the light of the world.” Revival shakes the dust off of us and restores God’s fire within us, causing us once again to line up with God’s call to become a fragrance of beauty before Him.

Fourthly, revival gets us to a place of reproducing ourselves. In other words, it stirs us so that we cannot keep silent. In Acts 4:20, the apostles responded to the religious leaders by saying, “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” We come to a place that we must share the goodness of God and lead others to Christ.

Let me end with a statement from Winkie Pratney’s book, Revival. “Do not think God has yet done all he intends to do. Revival is an act of mercy, and if ever the West needed mercy, she needs it now. God has too much of an investment in the West to easily hand her over to the Destroyer.” What are we waiting for? It’s time for revival! Don’t wait for another seminar or someone else to bring revival to the church. Let it begin with you! Ask the Lord right now to begin to stoke the fires of revival in your life, as well as, let a passion for revival burn in your hearts to the point of being contagious to whomever you come in contact with. Then and only then will we truly see a move of God in our churches and in our land! God start the Fire of revival!

 

 

Let us not wait till it’s too late to do something

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IMG_1150The Scripture says whoever will come after Christ, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Christ. (Mk. 8:34) It doesn’t come easy or cheap, but the effects are life changing. Leonard Ravenhill declares, “Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, GIVE ME REVIVAL in my soul and in my church and in my nation—or GIVE ME DEATH!”

Have you gotten to the place that ordinary routine is nauseating? I believe just religiously going to church, receiving nothing more than entertainment causes decay and a slow spiritual decline. If we are not going to obtain the best God has for us, then we might as well just go home to heaven. The choice is easy—either it is life or death! We must press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God!(Phil 3:14)

In the story of Esther, we see the divine orchestration of God. The Jews were in a desperate situation, with death lurking at the door of their comfort zone. It looked hopeless for they needed a miracle to get themselves out of this tight spot. They didn’t go looking for the hottest and most fiery Jewish evangelist to bring in a change. No! They got on their faces and began to fast and pray. They began to beseech God with fasting and prayer for his intervention and deliverance. In the end the stamp of approval on what she had done was God’s great deliverance for the Jewish people.

Anywhere you look in our society, you can see the destroyer at the door. The thief comes not but to steal, kill, and destroy. (Jn 10:10) Whatever we have, whether it is our life, our family, or our nation, it is his aim to destroy it. America, the great unsinkable land of opportunity, is on a course headed for destruction. The signs are in the sky. The evidence is clear. It is now the time to lay hold of the reason for which Christ has laid hold of us! Let us seek the Lord while he may still be found. I cringe at the thought of ever having the Lord speak about me as he did about Jerusalem. In Luke 19:44 Jesus says, “Because you did not know the time of your visitation,” there would be no peace, and Jerusalem would have destruction. Now is the season of our visitation. It says in Joel 2:28, “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh.”

The church must awake out of its slumber and receive God’s visitation on his people. Then the church will reap in righteousness and see revival. Let us not wait till it’s too late to do something. The night is far spent; the hour is at hand. Using the words of the Psalmist, let us cry out to the Lord, “Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You.” The church must humble itself and repent from its arrogance and haughty attitudes. Peter speaks to the men of Israel in Acts 3:19. He tells them to, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Only through our brokenness and turning away from sin will we truly see the refreshing of the Lord. The time is now for us to sow in prayer and fasting. Instead of decreasing our prayer time, we need to increase in prayer power. We must search the very intent of our heart and get , getting rid of every hindrance that would stand in the way of revival. Then ask the Lord right now to begin to stoke the fires and passion for revival in your hearts.

I am going to do it even if I have Screaming Eagles in my Stomach!

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Thankfulness - sunsetFew Christians have seriously pressed into the realm of prayer and fasting. The church has nonchalantly looked the other way and has stopped talking about this biblical principle. Denying ourselves isn’t convenient or enjoyable to our flesh. I know when I fast it seems as if there are screaming eagles in my stomach!

God is awakening courageous believers to the understanding of the empowerment of a fasted lifestyle. Unfortunately, that will never happen until we crucify our flesh and combine fasting with our prayers. They go hand-in-hand. Hunger is one of the body’s strongest cravings. When the believer seeks God and His

I am going to Fast even if it gives me Screaming Eagles in my Stomach! –

kingdom by going without food it demonstrates self-humbling and a sacrifice of personal pleasure. (Ps.35:13)  It is a dynamic principle that every believer needs to practice throughout his or her lives. It can’t be just a quick fix button that we use when we are in a jam or a medal we wear to proclaim our self-righteousness.

In Isaiah 58:6 we read, “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke”? The scriptures openly tell us that God has chosen the fast as a way to loose bondages and release those who are oppressed. We see today many renowned ministers and ministries promoting fasting and prayer such as, Jentzen Franklin, Mike Bickle as well as, the late Dr. Bill Bright and his ministry, Campus Crusade for Christ International, have stirred churches, pastors and their congregations around the world to pray and fast for godly change. These men also live a fasted lifestyle and have seen the power and impact of it. Dr. Bright said, “Fasting is the most powerful spiritual discipline of all the Christian disciplines. Through fasting and prayer, the Holy Spirit can transform your life.” Joel 2:12 says, “’Now, therefore,’ says the Lord, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’” Fasting is in the same category as wholeheartedly turning toward Him. Derek Prince said, “Fasting breaks down the barriers in man’s

Fasting can’t be just a quick fix button or a medal we wear to proclaim our self- righteousness.

carnal nature that stand in the way of the Holy Spirit’s omnipotence. With these barriers removed, the Holy Spirit can work unhindered in His fullness through our
prayers”.

Fasting gets the believer serious about God’s will. In the book of Acts, we see the early church practiced and was vigilant in fasting. Acts 13:2-3, “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then, having fasted and prayed and laid hands on them, they sent them away.” Matthew Henry says about this passage, “We see here a divine warrant and commission to Barnabas and Saul to go and preach the gospel among the Gentiles, and their ordination to that service by the imposition of hands, with fasting and prayer.” The early church understood the seriousness of fulfilling God’s will and His calling; therefore, they denied themselves and fasted.

There is a moving of God’s Spirit upon the community of believers all across the world to live a life of prayer and fasting. Humbling ourselves before the Lord will bring a desire to hear His heartbeat and know His will. Isn’t it time for every believer to return to Biblical truth and practice this lifestyle? Getting serious in prayer and fasting will bring the powerful results that we so desperately need in our culture. Are you ready to get back to the Biblical principles of fasting?

   Thoughts to Ponder:  

  1. What do you think of when you hear the word fasting? Maybe going in for a medical procedure, or a hunger strike? In your own words define what you and your friends think about fasting

 

  1. What do you think the biblical principle of fasting’s part is in the church today. Is it a thing of the past ? Does it bend God’s arm to answer us?
  1. Other than the scriptures mentioned above do you know of any other Biblical stories of fasting? Explain the Story?

 Quotes to Tweet:    

  • I am going to Fast even if it gives me Screaming Eagles in my Stomach! – billvirgin.com
  • Fasting can’t be just a quick fix button or a medal we wear to proclaim our self-   righteousness. – billvirgin.com
  • Getting serious in prayer and fasting will bring the powerful results that we so desperately need in our culture.   – billvirgin.com

#FastingGivesMeScreamingEaglesInMyStomach     #JoinTheFastingMovement

 

We Need the Good Stuff!

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fresh water1

It was growing up in the mountains, that taught me how thirst quenching fresh water was after a long, hard day. The Spring thaw causes the snow water to roar down the mountain creek with thunderous sounds. The white water flows against the rocks and banks with such power and determination that it brings the water to a pure freshness. It’s good stuff!

People know when they taste the real thing verses some polluted water. In some places, you can hardly call the water refreshing. Jeremiah 18:14 says, “Will a man leave the snow water of Lebanon, which comes from the rock of the field? Will the cold flowing waters be forsaken for strange waters?” In other words, will any person pass up the fresh crystal streams of Lebanon to drink from strange waters?

I remember when I was about 11-years-old, I went down behind my aunt’s house to a pond in the woods. It wasn’t until I jumped out of a small tree into the pond to catch a turtle that I realized pond water wasn’t as clean as the mountain streams I was used to.

The River of God brings life and revives whatever it touches. (tweet)

I was thrashing around in the muddy water trying to grab hold of the turtle. It was a wonder that I came up with its tail instead of the head, since it turned out to be a big snapping turtle. I will never forget my family’s expression when I came walking out of the woods covered from head to toe in stinky pond mud and the turtle in hand. I didn’t have time to smell Continue reading →

Have we become a thermometer instead of a thermostat!

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thermostat (outdoor)

It can be shocking to see our society in light of past history. We must see the importance of learning from the course of history. Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Anytime a person or a nation winks at sin—allowing it to begin to infiltrate and spread through them—they will always suffer the consequences of it. Godliness will always build up a person or a nation! But it is sin that will begin to eat away, leading to death! Psalms 107:34 brings this to light saying, “A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of those who dwell in it.” Our land has been very fruitful and prosperous, but unless we take heed to the Word of God, it’s only scriptural that we will become barren.

Has the Church forgotten the marvelous works of God? We cannot separate our godly heritage from our birthing as a country! In every fiber and corner of our society, we can see the fingerprints of our God. Let us not turn aside on the verge of the most incredible end-time revival this country has ever seen. If we sit here buying into the “Big Lie” that everything is fine, we will only begin to write our own ending. Just as the frog, if it is put in hot water will jump out saving itself. But if it is put in water and heated slowly, it will not realize it’s being gradually cooked ending in destruction.

God wants us to become a thermostat instead of a thermometer!   – Quote from “Passion for Revival” (Tweet)

Former revivalist Leonard Ravenhill puts it like this: “We appease sin, but do not oppose it. To such a cold, carnal, critical, care cowed church; this lax, loose, lustful, licentious age will never capitulate. Let us stop looking for scapegoats. The fault in the declining morality is not radio or television. The whole blame for the present international degeneration and corruption lies at the door of the church!” Psalms 9:17 says, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” Have we forgotten the Lord God?

Mario Murillo says, “When the army of God is healthy, it broadcasts a mighty light. Like a catalyst it changes the culture that surrounds it! But in sickness, the church absorbs the odor of the secular thinking near it.” We have become a thermometer instead of a thermostat! The first reads the temperature of the surroundings and the second is a gage that determines what the surrounding will be. As ambassadors of Christ, we should be setting the standard, not being absorbed into the mud and muck of society.

In Ephesians 5:6 it says, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience”. The church, has failed to deal with the real reasons for our country’s problems. Man wants to live without any restraints but not have to deal with the consequences. They want their pie and eat it too! As a result, we are merely putting bandages on symptoms, while ignoring the source or root of the problem.

Nations and civilizations do not just pass away. Their leaders and people are first deceived and drawn away, opening up to self-destruction destroying them and their nation.

Is our country being eaten away by the moth and worm of sin? All the while, we are in our local churches and basking in our so-called security.

I Want It Now!

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200157668-001A society surrounded by the convenience of instant everything, brings a slow death to the tenacious spirit. Many people want prayers answered before their lips stop moving, unfortunately, many times, it doesn’t happen that way. The scriptures teach us in Colossians 4:2, “to continue earnestly in prayer,” and in Romans 12:12, it says “continuing steadfastly in prayer.”  We are exhorted to be persistent in our prayer life.

Jesus shares a parable in Luke 18:1-8, driving home the point of persistent prayer. It says, “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’” Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily…”

                        A society surrounded by the convenience of instant everything,                                   brings a slow death to the tenacious spirit.    (tweet)

            When I was young, I was told that if I asked or prayed for something more than once I would be praying in unbelief. That’s totally contrary to scripture! The continual knocking or coming to the judge brought the widow’s answer. The Bible does say in James 1:6-8, that we must have faith when we pray, but being continuously in prayer doesn’t mean you have unbelief. On the contrary, I think it indicates that you do have faith in God. Your action of continual asking shows you believe He will answer.

I like what Marilyn Hickey says, “Prayers are like seeds that are watered daily. Different ones take different lengths of time to sprout and to grow.” If you think about the farmer’s process, he plants his seed then waters it day after day until he sees a sprout breaking through the soil. The farmer is like the diligent believer who plants his seed and then through continual prayers of faith waters it until the answer breaks through and comes to pass. Keeping with this analogy, if praying continually is wrong then the farmer watering his seed daily would also be wrong.

                    Many people want prayers answered before their lips stop moving,                          unfortunately, many times, it doesn’t happen that way     (Tweet)

            Let’s look at I Kings 18:41-45. We see Elijah telling Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of an abundance of rain.” Then Elijah went to the top of Mt. Carmel to pray. That’s when this story gets very interesting. After Elijah prayed, he sent his servant to look for rain clouds. Six times his servant checked and didn’t see anything, Elijah continued in prayer. The scriptures say, “Then it came to pass the seventh time that he said, ‘There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!’ The downpour from that small cloud broke three and a half years of drought. This all happened because Elijah wouldn’t quit praying—he had faith to be steadfast in prayer.

            Living a life of prayer will always be a life of adventure and power. Ephesians 6:18 tells us, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication … with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”  In other words be tenacious and persistent in prayer. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see the answer to your prayers immediately. Keep knocking on Heaven’s door.

Passion For Revival

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Through church history we have seen the people of God lose their passion and hunger for more of Him, resulting in spiritual dryness and mediocrity. Then through God’s faithfulness and mercy, He raises up a remnant to turn from their evil ways and seek Him resulting in Heavens outpouring.

New Book Just Released

New Book Just Released 

Only when this same action is done will we see the outpouring of God’s spirit in our society! I believe that is exactly what we’re beginning to see come to pass! Men and women, boys and girls, church and churches are seeking the Lord with all their hearts. They’re crying out for an outpouring of God in our land!

In recent years, we have seen revivals ignite in places such as Toronto, Smithton, Pensacola, Lakeland, and Kansas City. The cry for revival in the earth seems to be getting louder! In some of the most unlikely places of the world, God is beginning to open the windows of heaven upon those that want more of him. Peter confirming God’s outpouring on the day of Pentecost, declared the prophetic word of the prophet Joel in Acts 2:17 which says, “In the last days, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh”. We too can wait and anticipate in confidence that God will continue to fulfill His promises to His people in this hour.

Revival starts in the very heart of God. It is his will before it ever becomes our will!  (Tweet) 

 Many pulpits are agreeing that one of the greatest revivals that the church has ever seen is beginning to trickle through our sin-soaked generation. Every day, we can see the desperate need of our society as it continues to spit in the face of our creator. Michael Brown says, “Revival comes when things are wrong. It comes to set them right. It renews and corrects and fixes and repairs. It comes to make us whole.

Though we haven’t seen the total outpouring yet! We’re hearing the sounds of abundance of rain; there’s thundering, there’s lightning, and there is the smell of spiritual rain in the air. I am drawn to 1 King 18:41–45, a familiar passage that I believe is very applicable to the day that we live in.

Even though Elijah knew there was the sound of abundance of rain coming, he still had to endure with expectancy until he saw the manifestation.   It says the sky became black, the winds began to blow, and then there was a great drenching and saturating rain. Yet it started as a little cloud the size of a man’s hand. Is this what is happening in our midst? Are we hearing the sound of abundance of rain and seeing a cloud the size of a man’s hand? I believe it is! We need to endure as Elijah with expectancy as we intercede for a move of God.

For even in this season of limited spiritual rain, these individual outpourings have wet the appetite of the church to desire more of God. As the rains steadily increase, we must get ready! For when the rain comes in its fullness, it will uproot, tear down, and rearrange things. It will do exactly like we have seen in the natural world all across our nation in recent years. The rains and floods have affected every part of the country. I remember seeing the news and reading the articles about the Little Salmon River in Idaho, where most of my family still lives. The uncommon rains of that year totally saturated the soil in the beautiful mountains. The rivers were full to capacity. The roaring creeks continued to flood the river bottoms until things began to change. Mountain bluffs that we had played on as children came crashing down. The river began to carve a new path through the valley floor. Houses that seemed so permanent were knocked off their foundations and plunged down the river. Peoples’ lives were drastically changed forever. It will be the same in the spiritual realm.

Revival starts in the very heart of God. It is his will before it ever becomes our will! Too often, it seems like we think we must convince God to send forth his Spirit upon us. Yet, that’s not it at all! We don’t have to talk God into it. He wants to pour his spirit out upon us more than we even desire it ourselves. Let us agree with God’s heart and cry out for revival in the earth!

Passion For Revival – For Those That Are Hungry for More of God!

             This book will be dangerous for those that are satisfied with a spiritual lifestyle of mediocrity.  It reveals to the reader the need for an undeniable revival and outpouring of God’s heart in and through the church worldwide.

Understanding God’s passion and principles for reviving His children is our only hope of bringing a radical change in our society.  Passion for Revival, will cause an intense hunger for more of God and is for those that desire a change in their families, neighborhood, country and the world.

For all those that are sick and tired of being sick and tired, this book is a must read.  You will never be the same!

                                                       Click to Purchase    

Unforgiveness is the Cancer of the Soul

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Image

The effects of revival in our land have on different occasions in history touched even the White House.  President Lincoln, being concerned about America’s condition, its success and independence as well as a country be ripped apart.  He gave his Proclamation for a National Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer.  On April 30,1863, President Abraham Lincoln said, “… It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”[i]   The results of the great revival that had been happening in America not only carried on, but lasted for many years.  It had begun in a passion for prayer and was sustained with faithfulness of prayer!  Mathew Henry once said “When God intends a great mercy for His people, He first sets them a praying.” We must find the place of prayer!  We must allow the Holy Spirit to convict us of anything that would stop His flow in us and through us. 

God wants us to pray from a heart of purity that we might see Him in His fullness and in dimensions of His great mercy.  Even in the midst of blessing and revival we can allow the enemy to get a foot hold in our lives. In Matt. 6:14-15 it says, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (NKJV)   Anytime we allow our soul to be infected with the spiritual cancer of bitterness and unforgiveness, it will hinder God’s moving in our lives and those around us.

  • Unforgiveness will stop your prayer life!
  • Bitterness that is bottled up inside you will defile you and others.
  • Lets deal with our bitterness and unforgiveness so that we can have a pure heart.

How can we expect to talk to our heavenly Father who has forgiven us when we ourselves are holding bitterness and unforgiveness in our own hearts towards others?  In the Gospel of Mark we read “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”  ( Mark 11:25  NKJV)

 Search your heart for any area

of defilement in you.

[i]   Arthur S. DeMoss Foundation , The Rebirth Of America, 1986, p. 151

Radically Convinced brings radical Actions!

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Image When Revival comes upon any people and place, people will do whatever it takes to get their friends to Jesus.  The harvest will truly come in, whether you are ready or not! And it will probably look differently than you had pictured it in your mind.  Let’s look at the story in Mark 2: 1-13.

One extremely afflicted individual, an overly crowded meeting and four radical friends. It doesn’t sound like a recipe for a move of God, but in the gospel of Mark we read that God moved mightily in a situation just like that. Why, because Jesus was in the midst of it!

The news rushed through the streets of Capernaum that Jesus was back in town.  Before long there were so many people coming to see Him, that there wasn’t even room about the door where He was teaching. Though the room was full to overflowing, it didn’t stop four individuals who were carrying their friend, a paralytic, to the meeting. They were so determined to get their friend to Jesus that they went to the roof and lowered him down in front of Jesus.  Now, think about it?  The house is full to the brim, Jesus is speaking words of life and then out of the blue, four individuals whether they ripped a hole in the roof or just came to an opening in the ceiling began lowering their apparent friend down to Jesus.

Talk about being downright disruptive and rude!  Either they had never been to a church service or they were totally ignorant of the protocol of such a meeting.

In churchanity of our day, in the same situation we would have had the head usher and security on top of the commotion immediately. The atmosphere of the room would most likely had been filled with a rumble coming from the sounds of the saint’s praying and rebuking the enemy, as the security dragged the men off to jail. With the only testimony being how we put to silence the enemy and regained the focus of the meeting back to waiting for God’s miracles to be manifested in our midst.

It’s extreme and out of balance to think that every commotion is of the enemy.  But one thing for sure is when we stop giving room for the supernatural activity of God in our services it will lead us down a road into legalism and lifeless religion.  So often in our feeble attempts to please the Lord we catastrophically blunder and reflect a wrong picture of His heart to others.

Now back to the story. I believe that they were so convinced that their friend’s answer was in Jesus, that they came to desperate measures?  It definitely paid off, because at the words of Jesus, this paralytic’s life was change forever.  He arose and walked out the doors that he couldn’t get in.  Also, the people were so amazed at what they saw, that the multitude followed Jesus to the sea and He taught them.  Not only was this paralytic made whole, but a whole multitude followed after Christ.  It started with four courageous friends who had a radical unction!  Or maybe a better way of saying it is they understood who Jesus was. They were convinced Jesus was the answer and because of that confidence their friend was made whole!  Being radically convinced brings radical actions.  Revelation of who Jesus is and what is on His heart will fuel the passion for revival.

Revival changes the most reserved person into a radical servant of God. It will motivate friends to do whatever it takes to get their friends to Jesus.

  •  Are you convinced Jesus is the answer?
  •  Which one of your family or friends need you to get radical and do whatever it takes to get them to Christ?
  •  Today, It’s time to get desperate and radical about bringing the hurting to Christ?

Because we are His children through the blood of Jesus, we can come boldly before His throne and ask for our inheritance, which are the souls of men. It’s time for Radical results from being radically convinced of who Jesus is.

It’s Time to get Radically Convinced!      

Can You Hear the Sounds of the Abundance of Rain?

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rain in the hand We all have at some time in our lives experienced a rain cloud moving in and the temperature drops and the smell of rain fills the air. It signals to us to shut our windows on the cars and gives us time to prepare for the coming rain. Then a drop here and one there confirms refreshing rain that is so badly needed.  I love those times.

 The process all starts with not just a desire, but first it begins with the Sun evaporation of the moisture from the ground in the distance. Then the clouds carry that moisture along the way until the hand of God releases it on the earth. The change in temperature and the hints of rain seem to always get our attention!

I am reminded of what I heard the Holy Spirit say to me in the midst of worship service.  Out of nowhere the sweet whisper of God filled my mind with the words, “Can you hear the sounds of abundance of Rain?”

Imagine with me the coming spiritual rain from heaven. It first starts with the brightness of God shining on His people and in return we begin to cry out for more of Him. Those prayers come before the Lord just as the rain is evaporated.  (In Revelation it says the bowls of incense are the prayers of the saints). Then we begin to see the hints of our prayers being answered, the smell, the change in the spiritual atmosphere and then comes the cool drops from heaven. Before long the down pour of rain saturates the dry ground. Then before our eyes, sprouting all around us in our families, communities and most of all our society, it is apparent to all that we have the refreshing of God in our midst.

I believe we are seeing and smelling the beginning drops of spiritual rain in our midst. It’s time to prepare for the down pour from heaven.

How do we Prepare you may ask. Well, let me share a few things with you and then I am sure God will fill in the blanks where we might miss something.

First, we need to get our laundry and the kids toys picked up and out of the way.  Often the laundry of our life is out where everyone is focused on it rather than on what is important. The childish games and toys that we play in our churches and our private lives are scattered everywhere hindering others from walking in God’s righteousness.

Secondly, we need to make sure our rain barrels are positioned right to catch as much rain as possible. Being in the correct place is essential for being filled up and available to be used to pour out on others.

Thirdly, we need to open up the windows and doors so we can benefit from the freshness and cool breeze.  If we are spiritually closed and shut up, we will get moldy and stuffy. Having a heart and mindset that is open to Gods Will, will result in refreshing’s from the Lord.

It’s time to prepare for I hear the sounds of the abundance of rain!