I am seeing the church like a person that has a serious wound. Instead of caring for the wound by cleaning it up, and applying salve (applying the word and repenting) dirt and dung are being rubbed into the wound. And when the doctor (Jesus the great physician) tries to have the nurse (those whom he sends to confront the sin), the church bites at the one who is trying to help it.
The most caring thing that could be done is confronting the festering wound, clean it up and put medicine on it to get rid of the infection. However, as this is done, there is going to be the backlash.
Paul said, “Girt ye up like men”, in other words we must be mature about this, in so doing HE will give us the supplies we need so that we lack nothing. We are in a battle.
Again, like Jesus said, there are tares among us. Leadership is SO afraid of making someone mad and causing them to leave the church. Instead of rooting out the tares so they do not produce seed, the tares take up most of the elder-ship time.
Paul told Timothy to build up the church by finding faithful men and equipping them to minister also. He also taught to rebuke sternly those who were in sin, and if they did not repent to cast them out. My observance is the opposite is happening. The ones who are not doing what they should are either coddled or their sin is overlooked. Thus allowing their seeds to spread like creeping Charlie. The little foxes spoil the vines, it is the little sins that not being dealt with grow up into bigger sins.
There are those who seek signs and wonders and healings and gifts. Why would God give those if we are not following his instruction book? He said “If you love me, keep my commandments”, and, “You praise me with your lips, but your hearts are far from me.”
We need to get back to the Bible, not the “studies show” philosophical and psychological mumbo jumbo that has invaded the church in the last 45 years.
If you really want revival to come, it is going to take work, it is going to take prayer, and it is going to take fasting, and lots of it. It is going to take those who are doing the praying, fasting, and seeking after God to have revival start with them. It is going to take searching the heart for any wicked way, it is going to take confessing and rejecting the sin that so easily besets us. It is going to take repentance of both committed and omitted sin. As Keith Green once said, Lord bring revival, and let it start with me.
We also need grace to be preached as well. Jesus came preaching GRACE and TRUTH. There should be Holiness in our lives, as well as graciousness. There should NOT be a pendulum swing so far to the other side that condemnation for condemnations sake is thrown on the people. Real, loving preaching and teaching so that their hearts condemn them to the point of repentance and salvation because God is allowed to show us his Greatness.
If you truly want revival, then reading the following would make a good start!
http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=579
It is a hard read, and a tough read, but if you do what he suggests, revival will start with you, and me, and those we know and care about.
Lord I do truly want to see revival, let it start with me, and my house!
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