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Abundant Life Crusades |
| REVIVAL IS IN THE WORD ITSELF!
Thursday, July 14, 2005 (2 Chr 7:14 KJV) If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chr 7:15) Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attend unto the prayer that is made in this place. (2 Chr 7:16) For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. I. RECALL your own Christian experience. A. When you share your testimony you give people hope and hope always precedes faith. God's people are Hope Givers. 1. Paul was always sharing his testimony, giving people hope before preaching the Word and by that giving them faith. (Romans 10:17) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Psa 61:8 KJV) So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows. RENEW your promises to God! (Psa 116:18) I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people, A. Many are the times when people are in trouble they promised God so many things and after the storm passes they forget their vows. 1. I recall the story of a sea captain who was a Christian and given to much prayer. A great storm was blowing and someone came the wheelhouse where the Captain was. It was a great storm. A man shouted to the Captain, "Why are you not praying?" The Captain said, "I pray during the calm and when the storm comes I sail may ship". Many people do the opposite. RESOLVE to do your best in His service. (2 Tim 4:7 KJV) I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: II. ENTER into the revival enthusiastically! (Psa 100:4 KJV) Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. EXERT every effort to win someone to Christ! (Acts 1:8 KJV) But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Mark 16:15 KJV) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. A. The added benefit of winning souls is strength. The joy of the Lord gives us strength. The greatest joy next to the joy of your own salvation is winning another soul to Christ. Of the 43 years of missionary evangelism we have seen many answers to prayer with the healing of many. However, I do not believe that a blind eye that is opened, a cancer healed or any other physical healing brings great joy in heaven. I am sure it does not make the Lord sad, but the Bible teaches us that there is GREAT JOY in heaven over one sinner that repents. Many times my wife Marge and I are asked how do you keep going year after year to a point that some people think your address is on the airplane? We tell them winning souls to Christ is the answer. God gives us some of that heavenly joy He has when a sinner come to Christ. We rejoice in our meeting if there is one or when we have led up to 4,000 in a since service to Christ. Great joy, great strength. ENLIST this new convert in service to Christ! (Mat 28:19 KJV) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Mat 28:20 KJV) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. A. This is why along with Rev. Walter Zygarewicz we are now having our 15th Basic Bible Training School in the former USSR. We are training and making leaders through teaching the Word. What is wonderful is that 90% of all students that have gone through our schools are in full time ministry winning souls. There have been over 1,000 students that have gone through the schools. We have trained over 5,000 in evangelism in the former USSR. It is not enough to win souls we must disciple them too. III. VISUALIZE the condition of the lost! (2 Pet 2:12 KJV) But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; (2 Pet 3:9 KJV) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (Ezek 3:20) Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. A. We are responsible to tell people the Good News. VOW that you will do something about it! (Deu 23:21 KJV) When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. VOICE your deep desire in daily prayer. (2 Sam 22:7 KJV) In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears. (Psa 3:4 KJV) I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. (Psa 5:3 KJV) My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. (Psa 55:17 KJV) Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. (Jer 1:9) Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. A. Many church prayer meeting have become play meetings. The Bible tells us our intersession should be one of the spirit and with groanings from the deep concern we have for the lost. IV. INVITE people to all the services. (Rev 22:17) And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Psa 66:5) Come and see the works of God: (John 1:39) He saith unto them, Come and see. (Luke 14:23 KJV) And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. IMPRESS upon them the importance of attending. Phil 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. INTENSIFY your own efforts to live like a Christian. (Phil 3:14 KJV) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. V. VIEW the fields that are white unto harvest. (John 4:35 KJV) Say not ye, There are yet four 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. VOLUNTEER your services wherever they are needed. (Isa 58:9 KJV) Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; (Gen 22:1 KJV) and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. VISIT in homes as much as possible. (James 1:27 KJV) Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (Mat 25:36 KJV) Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. VI. A ASPIRE to all that is good and holy (Psa 73:25 KJV) Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. ATTEND every service if possible. (Heb 10:25 KJV) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Psa 27:4 KJV) One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. ALLOW God to use you. (Isa 6:8 KJV) Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. VII. L LOOK at the needy and sinful world. (Mat 9:36) 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. (Mat 14:14) And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. LOVE people freely and abundantly. (John 15:12 KJV) This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (Rom 13:8 KJV) Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. (1 Th 4:9 KJV) But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. (1 John 3:11 KJV) For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. (1 John 4:7 KJV) Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. LET the Holy Spirit guide you. (Rom 8:14 KJV) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. A. I remember the day of my marriage to my wonderful wife of 43 years who has packed her bags to travel with me during that time into over 120 countries to spread the Gospel of Christ. I was only 23 and felt doubts about marriage. I took a walk in the woods to pray, while in prayer, God spoke to my heart from His Word. I am glad my heart heard and I listed. He will always lead us if we let Him. He always uses His Word to speak to our hearts. Let us have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying today.
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