How to Continue in the Blessing of Revival

Personal REVIVAL, like all matters in the genuine Christian life, is kept BY Faith. This real faith is simply a daily exercise living the Word of God. Our Lord Jesus did say in John 8:31-32, “… If ye CONTINUE IN MY WORD, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

EACH & EVERY DAY:

1) Maintain close fellowship with Christ using 1 John 1:8-10. If there is no confession viz. agreement with God on these sin matters, there is no forgiveness or cleansing. Keep in mind, this is NOT the JUDICIAL forgiveness and cleansing you received when you trusted Jesus for salvation. That forgiveness takes place only once when you were saved from the penalty of sin once for all and forever. In 1 John 1:9, it is speaking of regular parental forgiveness granted upon confession of sins to God in order to maintain close tender fellowship with the Father and to continue to walk in the light.

We have sins of omission – things I ought to have done but failed to do. We have sins of commission – things I should not have done that I committed. There are secret sins, public sins, sins of thought, and sins of act. Charles Spurgeon has said, “We sin numberless times daily. Transgressions and debts of which we may or may not be aware, yet we are guilty.” This is why when we agree with God about the sins of which we know, He yet cleanses us from those that we do not know. 1 Cor 11:31 “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” This daily 1 John 1:9 practice foils defeat in the Christian life. It is, in itself, the way of victory for the believer!

Ignore those pompous “Bible teachers” who wrest (distort and twist) this Book and passage out of its context claiming this is unnecessary, when God has plainly and literally stated it is essential to walk in the light of fellowship and holiness with the Father and to experience fulness of joy. 1 John 1:4-7.

1 John 1:9 – Use this infallible promise from our loving God! Now, if this 1st point is not done, all the following points will lose the power they could have had in giving you a victorious Christian life!

2) Die to self and renew your dedication to the Lord- Gal 2:20 Rom 12:1. Yield to God, asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit – Eph 5:18 Luke 11:13. Lee Roberson had a very famous saying for the victorious Christian life, i.e. ” Die to self; be filled with the Spirit! .. Die to self; be filled with the Spirit!” There is to be a conscious deliberate “by faith” denial of self and a renewal of one’s dedication to live for Christ. Present yourself afresh and anew to be used by the Lord. By faith ask the Holy Spirit to fill and control you. You are simply obeying instructions and commands given to us by our Lord Jesus and they can only be obeyed by faith.

3) Feast on the Bible; meditate on It throughout the day-Psalm 119:9-11; Romans 12:2. There is just no substitute for time in the Word. We are to saturate our minds and hearts with the Bible. It is then we are saturated with the mind and heart of God.  2 Timothy 3:15-17.

4) Have a season of prayer. Hebrews 4:14-16 .Again, there is just no substitute for fervent, focused, honest prayer time with your only high priest, and loving Shepherd Jesus Christ! 1 Peter 5:7; Matt 7:7-8.

5) Walk, witness & love by faith asking God to arrange and schedule your days – Ephesians 5:15-17. When we put our God and Saviour Jesus Jehovah Christ FIRST in our life, we will receive amazing direction and wisdom. We will have a ready witness on our lips. We’ll see needs otherwise we’d have missed.

Mark 12:29-31; 16:15. The great commandment and the great commission will then be a conscious and revival way of living.

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Humility, Brokenness and Need

What attracts God? Pride repels the Lord Jesus. “James 4:6 God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.” Pride is certainly a root sin, even THE root sin. Out of pride issues guile, deceit, selfishness, a perverted perspective on reality, and rebellion to name just a few.

The heart with unrelenting pride will eventually lie, steal, even murder and destroy others for their own agenda and purpose. Therefore, this type of person is malignant (harmful to others without trying) and malevolent (hurtful on purpose).

The Lord Jesus tells us in His Word that there is a real creature with the worst dosage of pride ever – Satan, the Devil. And all of the above things he is guilty of and more. See Isaiah 14, John 8, Rev. 13.

But what about when the Lord’s own people are prideful and then won’t face the facts to get help? Read and think on Revelation 3:17 and Isaiah 66:2 and 1 John 1:8-10 and James 4:6-10.

Children of God, our Lord Jesus is attracted to genuine humility, confession of our sins, and an honest expression of our total need of Him. God is not only attracted to but blesses brokenness of spirit and obedience to His Word.

One spirit with one mind striving TOGETHER

The local NT Bible Believing Great Commission Churches are to “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together FOR the faith of the gospel” Philippians 1:27 It is obvious in the mind of our LORD God that there is something a whole lot bigger going than just the daily routines of you or me.

Yes, God loves us and is concerned enough to have more thoughts toward us than can be numbered. Psalm 40:5 However, don’t lose sight of reason for which He has saved us “unto good works”. The big thing is the Big Commission = Missions across the street and across the sea.

We, Churches, are to be serving corporately and cooperatively in the cause of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Shoulder-to-shoulder, arm-in-arm, loving, deferring, assisting, forgiving, encouraging one another to get the work of the ministry accomplished.

Following is one of the greatest stories that illustrates how working together like a local NT Bible Believing Great Commission Church should work together endeavouring to carry out our Lord Jesus Christ’s mandate to us.

Reported some years ago in a big city newspaper was the following:

“At the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the the starting line for the 100-yard dash.

As the gun fired, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win. All, that is, except one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They slowed down and looked back. Then they all turned around and went back … everyone of them.

One girl with Down’s Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, “This will make it better.” Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line ! ! ! !

Everyone in the stadium stood; the cheering went on for several minutes. People who were there are still telling the story…Why? Because, deep down, we know this one thing: What really matters in this life is much more than just winning for ourselves. What matters in this life is helping others win, too.”

Therefore, as genuine Christians and as authentic NT Churches we all want to hear, “Well done thou good and faithful servant” from our God and Saviour Jesus Christ! We will, if we serve Christ “in one spirit with one mind” working TOGETHER!

FAITH PRACTISED

Legend has it that a man was lost in the desert, just dying for a drink of water. He stumbled upon an old shack-ramshackled, windowless, roofless, weatherbeaten and old. He looked about this place and found a little shade from the heat of the desert sun. As he glanced around he saw a pump about fifteen feet away–an old, rusty water pump. He stumbled over to it, grabbed the handle, and began to pump up and down, up and down. Nothing came out.

Disappointed, he staggered back. He noticed off to the side an old jug. He looked at it, wiped away the dirt and dust, and read a message that said, “You have to prime the pump with all the water in this jug, my friend. P.S.: Be sure you fill the jug again before you leave.”

He popped the cork out of the jug and sure enough, it was almost full of water! Suddenly, he was faced with a decision. If he drank the water, he could live. Ah, but if he poured all the water in the old rusty pump, maybe it would yield fresh, cool water from down deep in the well, all the water he wanted.
He studied the possibility of both options. What should he do, pour it into the old pump and take a chance on fresh, cool water or drink what was in the old jug and ignore its message? Should he waste all the water on the hopes of those flimsy instructions written, no telling how long ago?

Reluctantly he poured all the water into the pump. Then he grabbed the handle and began to pump, squeak, squeak, squeak. Still nothing came out! Squeak, squeak, squeak. A little bit began to dribble out, then a small stream, and finally it gushed! To his relief, fresh, cool water poured out of the rusty pump. Eagerly, he filled the jug and drank from it. He filled it another time and once again drank its refreshing contents.
Then he filled the jug for the next traveler. He filled it to the top, popped the cork back on, and added this little note: “Believe me, it really works. You have to give it all away before you can get anything back.”

That is the essence of genuine faith! It is not a risk, but it is a challenge to human reasoning. Faith will call on us to do the unthinkable so that we might receive the impossible!

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

The world’s wisdom says. “I’ll believe it – when I see it.” God’s wisdom from His inspired Word, the Bible, tells us to BELIEVE HIM (HIS BIBLE PROMISES) THEN YOU’LL SEE IT. Psalm 27:13 “I had fainted, unless I had BELIEVED TO SEE the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”

When Will You Get Saved?

IF A PERSON GETS SAVED WHAT FACTS CAN THEY KNOW FOR SURE?

THERE ARE THREE THINGS YOU CAN KNOW FOR SURE…

1) THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HEAVEN.. 1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.

2) THAT YOUR LIFE WILL BE CHANGED WHEN YOU GET SAVED …2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

3) YOU WILL NEVER LOSE YOUR SALVATION…John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

So what is keeping you from getting saved?

God the Father wants you saved. John 3:16

Jesus Christ wants you saved. Romans 5:8

The Holy Spirit wants you saved. John 16:7-11

Victory Baptist Church wants you saved. 2 Corinthians 4:5

Satan does not want you saved. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

Likely your unsaved family or unsaved friends & associates don’t… OR couldn’t care less if you got saved.  It boils down to you & your choice.  Take a courageous stand and get saved then get baptized and join the local Bible-Believing Great Commission (Independent Fundamental Baptist) Church.

Listen to God through His Word-He’s not willing that you go to Hell ! 2 Peter 3:9

Why-why then are you ??

Someone In Your Corner

This is an edited entry from Pastor Paul Chappell’s “Daily in the Word”. I am thankful to the Lord Jesus that I know some encouragers. I know others that for the most part are discouragers. Sad! What would you want to have? And what do you want to be?

“But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he
shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the
land which thou shalt see.” Deuteronomy 3:28

Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you…
Encourage me, and I will not forget you.—W.A.Ward

CBS News anchor Dan Rather admits he was always fascinated by the sport
of boxing, even though he was never good at it. “In boxing you’re on your own;
there’s no place to hide,” he says. “At the end of the match only one boxer has
his hand up. That’s it. He has no one to credit or to blame except himself.” Dan,
who boxed in high school, says his coach’s greatest goal was to teach his boxers
that they absolutely, positively, without question, had to be “get up” fighters.
“If you’re in a ring just once in your life—completely on your own—and you get
knocked down but you get back up again, it’s a never-to-be-forgotten experience.
Your sense of achievement is distinct and unique. And sometimes the only thing
making you get up is someone in your corner yelling.”

We all need someone in our corner “cheering us on” in life, because we all face
tough times. Some are right now facing unfair situations. Someone falsely accused
accused them at work or are being threatened with legal action over something they
didn’t do or family keeps disappointing them. Everyone faces injustices yet we can
just focus on our small problems when others are dealing with far bigger situations.

The word encourage has been defined as “to give courage to.” When others are
fearful of the future or uncertain of what to do, God desires that we would put
courage in their hearts by encouraging them, by cheering them on in their corner.

Think about the times you’ve had difficulties or felt apprehension. Was there
someone who encouraged you to keep going? Think of what a difference they
made in your life. You might not be where you are today without them! Everyone
needs an encourager. Everyone needs someone to give them an encouraging word,
through a simple phone call, a note or card to say you prayed for them, or an
encouraging Bible verse. Anything can be encouraging when you take time to show
you love & care. Who could use some today? Who is going through a difficult time
or facing a problem? Take time today to encourage! You never know when your
word of encouragement will make a difference. Determine today to be that someone
who stands in the corner, encouraging people through the ups and downs of life.