QUESTIONS
CHRISTIANS
MUST ANSWER
BEFORE REVIVAL WILL COME
BEFORE REVIVAL WILL COME
By
Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
Before
a genuine Revival of biblical proportions can occur in our churches,
our communities and our nation, there are a number of things that
must happen and some questions that we all must honestly answer.
There is a price to pay that such a revival will break out and Jesus
Christ will be glorified among us!
Prophet
Isaiah prayed: “Oh that thou wouldest rend the Heavens, that Thou
wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at Thy
presence. As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the
waters to boil, to make Thy name known to Thine adversaries, that the
nations may tremble at Thy presence!” (Is. 64: 1,2). We often pray
that Almighty God will rend the Heavens and come down among us as in
old time power, however, He has come down among us.
When
the Son of God left His Father's Right Hand and was incarnated to die
on the Cross as our substitute, God came down among us. When He
raised Jesus Christ from the dead, God came down among us. When Jesus
Christ poured out the Holy Spirit upon His Church on the Day of
Pentecost, God came down among us. And when He sends His
Spirit-filled Missionaries, Evangelists and Pastors out across the
world to proclaim His glorious Gospel with signs, wonders and
miracles, He has come down among us!
The
Great Evangelist, D.L. Moody stated: “Shame on the Christianity of
the 19th
Century. It is a weak and sickly thing. Would to God that we had a
few men like Daniel living here today.”
VANCE
HAVNER the powerful Baptist Preacher, stated: “Many years ago in
Scotland in a certain community the fires had all gone out. They
searched everywhere to see if anyone had fire. Finally they found a
humble house where the hearth stone glowed with a cheery flame. Soon
they were carrying coals here and there to replenish their own
blackened fire places. Today, there are weary hearts, discouraged
souls, needy churches looking for a soul with fire, someone kept aglo
in spite of the world, flesh and the Devil.”
Robert
Murray Mcheyne said: “Men return again and again to the few who
have mastered the spiritual secret, whose life has been hid with
Christ in God. These are of the Old Time Religion, hung to the nails
of the cross.” LEONARD RAVENHILL stated: “The greatest tragedy is
a sick church in a dying world.”
The
Bible says: “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages,
teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the
Kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the
people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion
on them, because they fainted and were scattered abroad, as sheep
having no shepherd.
HARVEST
IS TRULY PLENTEOUS!
“Then
saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous but the
labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest, that He
will send forth more labourers into His harvest.” (Matt. 9: 35-38)
The
Bible says: “Be patient therefore, unto the Coming of the Lord.
Behold the husbandman waiteth for the PRECIOUS FRUIT of the earth,
and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and the
latter rain. Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the
COMING of the Lord draweth nigh.” (James 5: 7, 8)
We
are asked to be patient with a long patience and not give up, throw
in the towel or stop in our quest for souls. The work of sowing and
reaping must continue. We cannot, must not and will not stop until
our Lord returns. He is counting on us to finish the work He began so
long ago at such a tremendous cost!
The
Bible states: “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and
from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins, that He
might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will
of God the Father.” (Gal.1: 3, 4)
“But
for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that
raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. Who was delivered for our
offenses, and was raised again for our justifications.” (Rom, 4:
24, 25)
“For
as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things
like silver and gold but with the precious BLOOD of Christ, as of a
lamb without blemish or without spot, Who verily was foreordained
before the foundation of the world. But was manifest in these last
times for you.
“Who
by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave
Him glory, that your faith and your hope might be in God.” (1 Peter
1: 18-21).
JESUS
said: “Say not ye, There are yet for months and then cometh
Harvest, Behold I say unto you, Lift up your eyes and look on the
fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth
receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he
that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.” (John 4: 35,
36)
“I
must work the works of Him Who sent Me (Father in Heaven)while it is
day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the
world, I am the LIGHT of the world.” (John 9: 4, 5)
DR.
CALVIN MILLER wrote: "Missions is a divine madness that hears
the voice of God's only begotten, crying from a mountaintop, into all
the world (Matt. 28:18-20). It takes this cry to bed and pillow every
night. It wakes at every dawn, as Christ whispers in the heart, "I
was dead, but look-- I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys
of death and Hades. You must arise for I have come to seek and to
save that which was lost. There is no time to waste, the world is
loved and doesn't know it.”
In
his (1948) book, ‘The Fire of God’, Dr. Oswald J. Smith, founder
of People’s Church in Toronto, wrote: “Evangelism! God’s Answer
to this Groaning World. I am not a professional evangelist but I have
carried on evangelistic work and I know that the only hope of our day
is a new manifestation of the power of God. I have been in countries
where I have seen that power in operation and I am confident that we
can have here what I have witnessed there.
“Evangelism
is the order of the day, the need of the hour. Without revival, life
as we know it, must perish. We must evangelize or fossilize. The very
first crusade I had in Toronto lasted for six months without the
break of a night, Saturdays included, and generally two or three
services on the Sundays…The crowds increased from week to week.
Interest was intense and before it was over, many hundreds of souls
had been saved, so that the work was greatly strengthened as a
result.”
HARPER'S
LAST CONVERT!
RMS
Titanic with 2,224 passengers and crew aboard on its maiden journey
from Southampton to New York City, sank in the North Atlantic Ocean
at about 2 AM April 15, 1912. Four days after their launch they
struck a massive ice berg and sank a couple hours later. Some were
so sure they would be rescued and refused to get into the life boats,
so many left less than filled.
There
were only enough lifeboats for half of those aboard. Between 1490 and
1635 perished. They had received 6 warnings of sea ice on April 14,
but the owner refused to slow down or take a longer and safer route.
They wanted to set a record. The Owner stated that nothing could sink
the Titanic and the builder had boasted, “Not even God could sink
that ship!”
A
Baptist preacher John Harper gave his life jacket to an unsaved
person and had the band play 'Nearer my God to Thee'. Harper carried
his little daughter to the life boat and kissed her goodbye. He went
about urging people to pray and call upon the Lord. He said, “Let
the women, children and the unsaved into the boats.”
When
the ship went down he found himself in the freezing water holding on
to a piece of the wreckage. People were crying, praying and screaming
all around. He noticed a young man near him and shouted: “Young
man, are you saved?” He answered, “No.” The preacher shouted,
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” A
wave came and carried him away.
A
few minutes later, he saw the young man near him again and he
shouted: “Are you saved now?” The young man answered, “Not
yet.” John Harper shouted, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and
thou shalt be saved.” And then, the young man saw the preacher's
hands lose their grip and watched him slide down into the water.
A
couple weeks later, a young man rose to his feet in a Gospel meeting
in New York City to give his testimony. He recounted what I have just
written. In closing he said, “I am that young man and I'm here to
tell you that with several miles of water under me I believed and I'm
here to tell you that I am John Harper's Last Convert.”
1.
HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE AWFULNESS OF SIN?
Sin
is hurtful. It is divisive and destructive. It is the enemy of God
and man. It is an affront to God's authority and a transgression of
His righteous laws. It is perversion in it's highest form. Sin is the
creation of Satanic origin and the fruit of vulnerability on the part
of Adam and Eve. It is diabolical at its roots, a stench in God's
nostrils and an abomination in His sight.
In
'Sin an Ugly Three-letter Word', I quote from famed psychiatrist Dr.
Karl Menninger's book, Whatever Became of Sin? He describes the
subject as 'a transgression of the law of God, disobedience of the
divine will; moral failure...Sin has a defiant, or disloyal quality;
someone is defiled or offended or hurt'.
Sin
brought fear into the world: “And the Lord God called unto Adam,
and said unto him: Where art thou? And he said, I heard Thy voice in
the Garden and I was afraid, because I was naked and I hid myself.”
(Gen.3:3: 9).
Fear was unknown before 'the Fall'. Fear is a crippling
thing and unknown in Heaven. It was conquored by Christ's Victory
over Satan through the 'Blood of His Cross'. The Bible says: “God
hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a
sound mind.” (2 Tm.1:7)
Sin
brought death to the human race. God spoke to Adam after his sin of
high treason: “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, til
thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken: for dust
thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Gen. 3: 19).
Sin
separated God from man: “Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from
the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So
He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden
Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the
way of tree of life .” (Gen. 3: 24, 25)
Sin
brought murder into the human family: “And Cain talked with Abel
his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that
Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.” (Gen. 4: 8).
Sin brings condemnation, guilt and fear. It brings sickness, sorrow,
death and war: With sin came also unbelief, condemnation, oppression,
fear, hatred, and pain.
“The
Bible says: “For when ye were servants of sin, ye were free from
righteousness, What fruit had ye then in those things ye whereof ye
are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now, being
made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit
unto holiness and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is
death; but the gift of God is eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
(Rom. 6: 20 -23)
Sin
brings separation between families, loved ones and friends for time
and eternity: Sin causes infidelity, adultery, divorce which tears
families apart. It causes break up of the home, depression, fears,
anger and sometimes suicides and murder! Sin separates loved ones
here on earth and also in eternity. Those who receive Jesus Christ as
their Lord and Saviour receive eternal life, and those who do not are
lost forever separated from Christ and their loved ones.
“Then
shall He say unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed,
into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. And
these shall go way into everlasting punishment: but the righteous
into life eternal.” (Matt. 25: 41, 46)
2. HAVE
YOU CONSIDERED THE AWFUL COST OF SALVATION?
The
world was lost in sin, fear, torment and eternal death. Satan the
enemy of God and man had perverted the human race with his lies about
the Creator, Almighty God. He had tried to subvert the angels in
Heaven with his deception.
The
Bible says: “And there was war in Heaven: Michael and his angels
fought and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon
fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place
any more in Heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old
serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole
world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out
with him.
“And
I heard a loud voice in Heaven saying, Now is come salvation, and
strength and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ; for
the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before
our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb
and by the Word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives
unto the death.” (Rev. 12: 7-11)
The
Sovereignty of God demanded punishment for SIN and the CROSS provided
the Final Solution! For a time God winked at or overlooked sin in His
great mercy and kindness by allowing the sacrifice of innocent
animals, lambs, goats and bullocks (also a red heifer) to suffice.
When the fullness of time had come, our Heavenly Father gave Himself
in His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
The
word propitiation means covering, mercy seat, satisfaction and
expiation. Jesus of Nazareth, the only perfect, righteous One had to
die to cover and forgive our sins to satisfy the righteous demands of
Divine Justice: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God: Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus.
“Whom
God hath set forth to be a propitiation (satisfaction) through faith
in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins
that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at
this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier
of them which believeth in Jesus.” (Rom.3: 23-26)
God's
Word states: “...Without the shedding of blood, there is no
remission.” (Heb.9: 22); “...For it is the blood that maketh
atonement for the soul.” (Lev. 17:11); “But if we walk in the
light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and
the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1
John 1:7); “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is
Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 6: 23)
WHAT
DOES ALL THIS MEAN?
John
the Baptist declared: “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the
sins of the world.” Jesus of Nazareth stated: “Verily, verily, I
say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent
Me, hath everlasting life. Verily verily, I say unto you, the hour is
coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of
God; and they that hear shall live." (John 5: 24,25)
Jesus
said: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which
was lost.” (Luke 19: 10); “I am the good shepherd, and know My
sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I
the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
“Therefore
doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take
it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I
have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This
commandment have I received from My Father.” (John 10: 14-18).
For
a very long time a public CRY was made from the Synagogue. Jewish
theologian Alfred Edersheim wrote: “And still the Cry of the
Synagogue comes to us through these many centuries of past unbelief
and ignorance: 'Let one innocent come and make atonement for the
guilty', to which no other response can ever be made then that of the
apostle: “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.”
(Heb. 7:26) – From 'The Temple, its Ministry and Service'
The
Jews knew that all their ceremonial duties and traditional teaching
could not free them from guilt and condemnation, so they waited for
the Messiah who would take away their guilt and give them eternal
peace. Then one day, John the Baptist declared: “Behold the Lamb of
God that taketh away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29).
The
INNOCENT ONE had come, but He was rejected. For thousands of years
the Jews had awaited their Messiah, but when He came they rejected
Him. Many still sit in spiritual darkness. How sad! There will,
however, be a remnant that will believe on Him and be saved. (Rom.
9:27)
You
may ask, “Why did Jesus of Nazareth have to die?” Adam committed
high treason against His Creator and God by obeying the voice of
Lucifer and rebelled against Almighty God. The sins of Adam were
imputed to the human race bringing God's judgment upon us all.
The
Bible states: “For when we were without strength, in due time
Christ died for the ungodly. But God commendeth His Love toward us,
in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more
then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath
through Him.” (Rom. 5: 6-9)
3. HAVE
YOU CONSIDERED THE MASSES OF LOST SOULS FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED?
When
Jesus Christ hung on Calvary's Cross, He fulfilled the Holy
Scriptures that said: “But He was wounded for or transgressions, He
was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was
upon Him: and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have
gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord
hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Is. 53: 5,6)
The
Golden Text of the New Testament shows the love that God the Father
and Jesus Christ our Lord has for all the people on earth. His mercy
extends to all people everywhere who will repent and accept His love,
mercy and grace. Presently, the world's population stands at 7.6
billion. These are souls for whom Jesus Christ shed His precious
blood! These are souls for which we, as the body of Christ, are
responsible!
“For
God so Loved the WORLD that He Gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the WORLD,
but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3: 16, 17)
The
Bible says: “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and
from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins, that He
might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will
of God and our Father.” (Gal. 1:4)
“He
that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in Himself: He that
believeth not hath made Him a liar: because he believeth not the
record that God gave of His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and
he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1 John 5: 10-12)
There
was no sickness, disease or death in the Garden of Eden. Sin brought
a curse upon the earth that touched every man, woman and child.
Jesus of Nazareth, however, broke that curse when He bore that curse
for us all: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us for it is written, Cursed is every man that
hangeth on a tree.” (Gal.3:13)
Our
Lord stated: “...Go ye into all the WORLD, and preach the Gospel to
EVERY CREATURE. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but
he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow
them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall
speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents, and if they
drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands
on the sick and thy shall recover.” (Mark 16: 15-18)
4.
HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE GREATNESS OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST?
Do
you understand the meaning of the born again experience, becoming a
partaker of God's nature and the amazing process of adoption into His
kingdom? You may ask: “Why is Jesus so
special?” and, “What does His death and resurrection mean to me
personally?” Those are two very good questions: Jesus of Nazareth
was God the Son from eternity who was incarnated in human flesh so
that He could bring us back to God. He wanted His Father to be our
Father also. Because of the great rebellion of Lucifer the fallen
archangel, sin had come into the world.
Through
his deception, lies and hatred for our Heavenly Father and life
giver, Satan tempted our first parents to disobey their Maker and
God. Through their sin of high treason against their Heavenly Father,
they were driven out of the Garden of Eden which He had created for
them. Their rebellion plunged the entire human race into a state of
unbelief and hopelessness. When the fullness of time had come, Jesus
Christ came to planet earth to destroy Satan's power over us and to
bring us all back into fellowship with His Father!
Because
the enormity of Adam's sin, Jesus had to die as God's Paschal Lamb,
to atone for the sins of the entire world, past, present and future.
His precious blood alone brings forgiveness, peace, healing and
deliverance to sinful, fearful and dying people across the world
today! All honour, praise and glory be unto our precious Lord Jesus,
who was CRUCIFIED, but is alive forevermore!
The
Bible declares: “Christ was delivered (to the cross) for our
offences (sins), and was raised again for our justification.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 4: 25; 5:1). The word justified
means to be declared or made righteous in the sight of God!
Christ
knew about us before the foundation of the world. (Rom. 8:28, 29). He
was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. (Rev.13:
8). He was demeaned, blasphemed, beaten and scourged with the Roman
cat-of- nine-tails whip and nailed to the cross for us all. Jesus
Christ bore our sins, fears, sicknesses, diseases and pains on that
cursed tree. His vicarious death purchased our eternal salvation by
meeting the righteous demands of Divine Justice by pouring out His
pure and precious sinless BLOOD on our behalf.
“According
as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. To the praise of
the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the
Beloved.” (Eph. 1:4-7)
Jesus
Christ has provided for us a complete salvation which began the
moment we received Christ as our personal Saviour and will keep us
until we sit down with Him in His Heavenly Kingdom! “For since by
man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own
order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at
His Coming.” (1 Cor. 15: 21-23)
“Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold all things are become new. And all things are of God,
who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us
the ministry of reconciliation; to wit (that is) that God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of
reconciliation.
“For
He hath made Him to be sin (sin offering) for us, who knew no sin;
that we might be the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor. 5:
17-19, 21); “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and
from or Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins, that He
might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will
of God and our Father; to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
(Gal. 1:3-5);
“In
whom we have redemption through His blood. (Eph. 1: 7) ; “Forasmuch
as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as
silver and gold, from your vain conversation (lifestyle) received by
tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ,
as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
"Who
verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was
manifest in these last times for you. Who by Him do believe in God,
that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory: that your faith
and hope might be in God.” (1 Peter 1: 18, 19)
The
Bible says: “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and
of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as
it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the
seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” (Rev. 5: 6)
The
Bible says: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ
Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be
equal with God: But made Himself equal with God: but made Himself of
no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made
in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a m and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
“Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above
every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow o things
in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of
God the Father.” (Phil. 2: 5-11)
5. HAVE
YOU CONSIDERED THE LATENESS OF THE HOUR!
The
first thing that I noticed when I began reading the Holy Bible
regularly was the urgency with which Jesus spoke. A sense of urgency
permeated His teachings and His ministry:
“From
that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent for the Kingdom
of God is at hand. And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee saw two
brethren Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net
into the sea, for they were fishers. And He saith unto them, Follow
Me and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matt. 4: 17-19)
He
had just returned from His wilderness temptation and He was already
beginning to assemble His disciple team! He rose early in the morning
for communion with His Father. There were times that He prayed all
night and He encouraged His disciples to pray and to fast.
“And
at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto Him all that were
diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. And in the
morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and
departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. And Simon and they
that were with Him followed after Him. And when they had found Him,
they said unto Him, All men seek for thee.
“And
He said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach
there also: for therefore came I forth. And He preached in their
synagogues throughout all Galilee and cast out devils.” (Mark 1:
32, 37, 38). He spoke of the cares and pleasures of the world and He
warned that Satan was a thief and killer. (John 8: 44; 10: 10)
Jesus
taught about planting the seed of God's Word and of the coming
harvest. The closer He got to the time of His death He assured His
disciples that He had come to suffer and die to purchase redemption
for all sinners. And He warned about persecution for His name's sake.
(Matt 10:16-22; John 16: 18-21).
And
He promised to send the blessed Holy Spirit to lead, guide and
empower them to preach His Gospel to the ends of the earth:
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It expedient for you that I go
away: for if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you; but
if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And ye now therefore have
sorrow; but I will see again and your hearts shall rejoice, and your
joy no man taketh from you.
“And
in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you.”
(John 16: 7, 22-23)
6. HAS
THE HOLY SPIRIT BREATHED HIS PROMISE INTO YOUR SPIRIT?
Have
you heard His voice asking you to surrender totally to His CALL on
your life? Has the Holy Spirit breathed into your heart the assurance
that He will be with you always, help you through all problems and
give you the power to preach the Gospel, heal the sick, cast out
devils and work the works of Christ? Have you heard the call
of the Holy Spirit to pray for labourers for His
Vineyard? Are you prepared to lay your all on the altar of sacrifice
for Jesus Christ?
The
Bible says: “Jesus said unto them, come ye after Me, and I shall
make you to become fishers of men.” (Mark 1: 17); "And when He
had called the people unto him with His disciples also, He said unto
them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose
it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's,
the same shall save it.
“For
what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his
own soul? Whosoever, therefore, shall be ashamed of Me and My words
in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son
of man be ashamed when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the
Holy angels.” (Mark 8: 34-38)
“And
another also said, Lord, I will follow Thee; BUT let me first go bid
them farewell, which are at home in my house. And Jesus said unto
him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back is
fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9: 61, 62)
TAKE
UP THY CROSS AND FOLLOW ME!
Alfred
H. Ackleyn wrote these absolutely wonderful words in 1922. It has
been a greatly loved hymn to many people over many years. There has
been times when it has brought me to tears
I
walked one day along a country road,
And there a stranger journeyed too,
Bent low beneath the burden of His load:
It was a cross, a cross I knew.
And there a stranger journeyed too,
Bent low beneath the burden of His load:
It was a cross, a cross I knew.
Take
up thy cross and follow Me,
I hear the blessed Savior call;
How can I make a lesser sacrifice,
When Jesus gave His all?
I cried, Lord Jesus, and He spoke my name;
I saw His hands all bruised and torn;
I stooped to kiss away the marks of shame,
The shame for me that He had borne.
Oh, let me bear Thy cross, dear Lord, I cried,
And, lo, a cross for me appeared,
The one, forgotten, I had cast aside,
The one, so long, that I had feared.
My cross I’ll carry till the crown appears—
The way I journey soon will end—
Where God Himself shall wipe away all tears,
And friend hold fellowship with friend.
How can I make a lesser sacrifice,
When Jesus gave His all?
I cried, Lord Jesus, and He spoke my name;
I saw His hands all bruised and torn;
I stooped to kiss away the marks of shame,
The shame for me that He had borne.
Oh, let me bear Thy cross, dear Lord, I cried,
And, lo, a cross for me appeared,
The one, forgotten, I had cast aside,
The one, so long, that I had feared.
My cross I’ll carry till the crown appears—
The way I journey soon will end—
Where God Himself shall wipe away all tears,
And friend hold fellowship with friend.
Pray
that this paper on Revival will stir all our hearts to pray
diligently, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and work heartily
with great faith to make Christ known to as many as possible before
He RETURNS to calls us Home! Amen.
