Chapter 5
                    The Tempest in the Day of the Whirlwind. 

                                     Chapter 5.  Do It Again Lord.  

Our Purpose. To humble the pride of man, to exalt the grace of God in salvation, and to promote real holiness in heart and life. We are committed to the Scriptures as the only Guide for faith and practice and to the winning of the lost to Jesus Christ.

See also our website, soldiersoftheword.com, for Bible helps and discipleship encouragement.

Today, may the Holy Spirit teach us to be faithful to all of the Scriptures, and be careful to compare Scripture with Scripture. May we desire to search them daily. Lord keep us from the silly pride of believing we can interpret the Scriptures better than the Scriptures can interpret themselves. Guide us into all truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen. (All on account of Jesus. don]

This is the Full Power of Revival !!
A. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life.” (1 John 1:1)
   (1) Jesus who is eternal God has come in the flesh as a man.
   (2) We heard Him speak, we saw Him with our own eyes, we have looked upon His person, and we have touched Him with our own hands.
   (3) He is the Word of God and has given us an understanding of the revelation of God, His will for our lives, and His redemptive plan for our souls.
   (4) Jesus commanded His people to Go -- not stay, not sit, not stand.
B. “The only alternative to soul winning is disobedience to Christ.” (C W H)
C. Again, we must face the fact of a forgotten commission: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15).

                                     We have not done it. 
                                      We are not doing it.

[] Around us are powerless leaders, pastors, missionaries and teachers without Holy Spirit power. Many leaders are self-satisfied.

You come back to the Word.
   Come back to the way of salvation.
      Come back to the way of life in Christ, separated from the world.
         Come back with great hope in the second coming of our Savior.
            Jesus is coming again!
               Preach, teach and live in the light of these certainties.

[] “Sunday school teachers, ushers in the church, people of the church, no matter what you may be, let your light shine. Live in such a way that people know you belong to the loving Savior.” (Lee Roberson)

Getting Serious About the Things of God.
A. “Now, my dear friend, that’s the thing I want you to see. There is this strange, astounding confusion today. It is all around us. You see it on every hand. You hear it on the radio, don’t you? You get it on television and in your newspaper. It’s everywhere. People are confused; they don’t know what to think.” (Lee Roberson)
B. “Revival is needed in our country today -- not a few emotional decisions or just coming forward and sobbing a bucket of tears. What is needed are backsliders getting right with God, the church to come alive and be serious about the things of God -- this will lead to the winning of souls to Jesus.” (Joe Shadowens)
C. The Lord Jesus commanded all those who are worthy of Him to take up their cross daily and follow Him. (See Luke 9:23) Lord God, Help us to give unswervingly to Your kingdom -- by our toil, by our sweat, by our tears, by our own blood -- may it redound to the glory and unsearchable riches of the shed blood of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.
D. “Modern-day revival efforts are often directed toward the unsaved, when, in reality, only the saved can be revived. However, it should be understood that when revival comes, the unsaved will be reached.” (Tom Malone)

Performing a Work of Grace.
“Our Lord Jesus Christ did not come into this world to do the work of a social reformer, a political administrator, a judge, or simply a ruler in the affairs of men and women. Jesus came as the Light of the World, to perform a work of grace in the hearts of individuals that will impart a new dispensation of righteousness. This heartfelt transformation will make God real in our lives.” (Oswald Chambers)

            We Are Living In an Era of the Death of Moral Outrage.

                            Where is the Venom of Indignation?

                              Quit Circumventing the Answers !!
We don’t need someone or something else to answer a question the Bible has already answered. We don’t need new prophets, we don’t need new paths, we don’t need new visions, we don’t need a new breed of preachers, we don’t need a new breed of Christians, we don‘t need a new body of internet “truth,” nor the new excitement of a mob of charismatic televangelists. All we need is our obedience to the old ones, the ones between Genesis 1:1 and Revelation 22::21 -- the ones Jesus endorsed, promised power for, and insisted upon our devotion to. They have worked fine for 2,000 years. Quit circumventing the answer to today’s vital question of “What can we do?” Quit cowering in the corner and proclaim boldly: Jesus Christ and Him crucified, risen again, and coming soon. Know Him !! Know His Love !! Know His Wrath !! (author unknown) You like easy? Here’s easy.

The Most Basic (Yet Effective) Revival Ever.
“And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the sayings of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto Him, they besought Him that he would tarry with them: and He abode there two days. And many more believed because of His own Word; and said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” (John 4:39-41)

We Need to Confess, Repent, and Turn From Our Wickedness.
“Ladies and gentlemen, do you realize how we’ve degraded ourselves, how our moral standards have evaporated? Do you understand how all this crime and corruption and dope are coming out of the hearts of men? The heart of man is desperately wicked. It’s deceitful, who can know it? You just look at the crime and the dope and the sex, the abortion, and the homosexuality, and you can see it. There is no fear of God before our faces, there’s no recognition that there’s a penalty for this sin. And we’re in a situation right now, ladies and gentlemen, where this country needs to confess, repent, and turn from its wicked ways.” (Carl McIntire)

Realize the Need and Have a Desire for Revival and Salvation.
A. “O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years. In the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.”
B. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” [Romans 3:23]
C. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” [1 John 1:8]
D. “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” [1 John 1;10]

Test, Motive, Proof, Quality !!
A. Stir up your own thinking and ask, "O God, what am I doing? What can I do? What do You want me to do so I might be my best for my Saviour?"
B. “Here I am, Lord, send me; send me to the ends of the earth; send me to the rough, the savage pagans of the wilderness [far] from all...earthly comfort... even to death itself, if it be but in Thy service and to promote the kingdom.…” (David Brainerd)

Our Strength Comes From the Lord.
“And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb. And behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is their breath left in me. B Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me, and said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.”
(Daniel 10:15-19)

Revival, Action!!
----------
Move me, move me,
Move me to do Thy will.
Move me, move me,
Move me to do Thy will.
----------
I want the Lord to me,
So I can do His will,
My empty cup to fill,
I know he can, I know he will.
----------
Move me, Jesus
Move me, Jesus.
[from an old hymn]

God Works Through His People.
The broken and the jaded and the twisted are being ministered to by God through the saints who are not overcome by their own panic, who because of their oneness with Him are absolutely at rest; consequently He can work through them. Others, He has to get on their schedules. (author unknown)

The Revivalist’s Life.
Grace with truth
Rules with relationships
Soul winning with discipleship
Holiness with helpfulness
Leadership with servanthood
Doctrine with discipleship.

Seven Thoughts on Obedience and Faith (Joe Shadowens)
Have faith in God. (Romans 10:17)
Never quit. (Philippians 3:13-14)
Separation -- live it. 2 Corinthians 6:17)
Faithfulness and loyalty to Christ and to His church.
Be a soul winner. (John 1:42)
Be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18)
Look for Jesus’ coming. (John 14:3)

Clarence Sexton’s “Remember Each Day,”
(Pamphlet titled “Helps for the New Christian“)
1. You are a child of God.
2. You are saved forever.
3. When you sin, ask your Heavenly Father to forgive and Cleanse you.
4. Regularly read your Bible and spend time in prayer.
5. Yield your life to God’s control.
6. Realize the importance of your local church -- support it with your tithes, talent, and time.
7. Tell others how to be saved.

Passion for Souls is the Winning Attitude in Revival.
A. "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee." (Psalm 51:12)
B. In Full Surrender is the Condition of the Heart. God calls you to a place and a time, and that’s where you must be. The Place: On the firing line for Jesus.
C. Revival is the result of the proper use of constituted means. Punch lines.

Haughty America.
“They did not remember the brotherly covenant, they cast off pity, their lies were the source of their error, they hated those who corrected and rebuked them for their wickedness, they persecuted the people of God, and they did not fear God (neither did they work to prevent sin).” (See Amos 1:9,11; 2:4, 5:10; 7:12; 9:10) 

               Their Sins Were Mighty!! (Amos 5:12)

Revival Should be our Prayer, Our Passion, and Our Priority.
A. “It should be the normal state of things in every church. What should be, could be and will be -- when we believe God as we should and give ourselves devotedly to His cause.” (Sermons on Great Preaching on Revival)
B. Not only must there be a personal passion for Christ and a purposeful compassion for the souls of men, but there must be a persistent intercession for a visitation of God’s Holy Spirit, for an outpouring of God’s mighty power.

“They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.” (Hosea 7)

One Common Ministry.
A. “Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.” (1 Samuel 12:23)
B. We all are called to varied and precious ministries, our labors of love ever rewarded by our Lord. But there is one ministry that each and every one of us has in common, no matter whatever calling bids us from another quarter. It is the Ministry of Prayer!!!!!
C. If you bear the name of Christ and are serious about serving Him, you cannot ignore this ministry. (See 1 Timothy 2:1-2.)

Sanctuary for the Outcasts.
A. “Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth. Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them…” (Isaiah 16:3-4)
B. Middle Class America is alive and well in the pews of our churches, while society’s outcasts are allowed to shift for themselves.
   (1) The Lord counsels Moab to hide God’s Jewish outcasts, as if in a dark shadow, to provide sanctuary and safety for them.
   (2) In doing so, they will prevent the spoiler from his evil, and will bring in the reign of Christ (the Messiah) upon the throne of David.
C. Moab was a neighboring country who shared some of the fortunes of their history with the Israelite people, although the two led a rather tortuous existence together, often fighting.
   (1) Moab was the incestuous descendent of Lot and his daughter.
   (2) While many Jews fled to Egypt when the Babylonian captivity came upon them (a course of action God promised that He would punish them for), yet it appears that in His mercy God allowed the less fortunate of his people (the outcasts) to become refugees in Moab, knowing that they might not fare well under captivity.
   (3) Clearly, the church’s love for the needy and helpless has grown cold, just as Jesus said it would, and as it is pictured here.
D. “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Isaiah 57:15)

Compassion for Sinners
“Our own nation is very religious -- to the degree that more than 60 per cent of the population claims religious affiliation (circa 1966 -- that number has fallen drastically since then). But religious profession can be formality, hypocrisy, or vanity. It must be tested by the quality of worship that springs from it, by the compassionate concern and sacrificial service motivated by it. Christian profession must be made dynamic in terms of the purpose of Christ. This means compassion for sinners, persons rebellious against God or indifferent to his mercy and love. It means commitment to purity and truthfulness as qualities inherent in sonship to God. It means commitment to an attitude of love toward other persons, including one’s enemies, for God is love. It means commitment to works of mercy and deeds of helpfulness in a world of suffering and need. (Points of Emphasis)

Let Not Satan Destroy Your Enthusiasm.
“If you’re like me, you care about what others think of you, and the last thing you want is for people to think you’re a religious fruitcake. While it is good to be concerned about having a reputation of integrity, the fear of man is from Satan, and will constantly attempt to discourage you and destroy your enthusiasm to talk with people about Jesus Christ.” (Kirk Cameron)

We Must Have a Travail of Soul for Sinners.
(1 Thessalonians 2:9)
A. The more tears you throw on the fires of revival, the more flames you’ll fan.
B. Some people just don’t seem to get bothered. They go on their way. "Well, so what?"
C. The child of God should be stirred to a holy compassion, a condemnation of sin, an acknowledgment of what he believes in his own heart. Set the church, the people, my own heart on fire with the soul-winning Spirit. (Dr. Len G. Broughton)
D. James 5:20 says, "Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."
E. What a great honor and privilege conferred upon us!

An Absence of Quality.
A. “The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.” (Mark 12:29-30)
B. Love is the test of devotion. It is the motive for obedience. It is the proof of sonship. It is the quality of Christlikeness,
C. If we love God sincerely, that is enough. (Points of Emphasis)
     “I want to hug everybody.”
     “I want to love everyone.”
     “I want to save the planet.”
     “I want to rid the world of hunger.”
     “I want to have peace in the world.”
D. These all start at the top and work down. Jesus Christ works from the bottom -- in the heart of every individual -- and makes His way upward.
E. These are all impossible for the people of the world. They are entirely possible through Jesus Christ, but through Him alone. One day under His rule, all of these statements will be fulfilled.
F. These statements are designed to please the one making them and the audience who hears them. Jesus Christ is wholly motivated by His love for and desire to obey His Heavenly Father. He gave everything He had to please His Heavenly Father.
G. These statements are about the ego of men. Jesus Christ is about the souls of men and their eternal destinies. I do not believe most people are really sincere when they say these things; it is a matter of pride, conscience, showing off, and partnering with popular clichés.
H. People do not like the Bible because it calls a spade a spade and demands a higher motivation that selfish pride and ego building.

A Quality of Excellence.
A. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)
B. “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.” (Psalm 119:9)
C. Obedience to God’s Word adds a quality of excellence which means favor with God and man. The clean way is the right way. And the right way is full of joy and strength. (Points of Emphasis)

God Send Us Men !!
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God send us men whose aim ‘twill be,
Not to defend some ancient creed,
But to live out the laws of Right
In every tho’t and word and deed.
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God send us men alert and quick
His lofty precepts to translate,
Until the laws of Right become
The laws and habits of the state.
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God send us men of steadfast will
Patient, courageous, strong and true;
With vision clear and mind equipped,
His will to learn, his work to do.
---------
God send us men with hearts ablaze,
All truth to love, all wrong to hate;
These are the patriots nations need,
These are the bulwarks of the State.

Signaling His Presence.
Fire is sometimes used in the Bible as a symbol to indicate the very presence of God. In Genesis 15, we see it expressed in terms of a smoking furnace and a burning lamp. In Exodus 3, God appeared through a burning bush -- burning but not consumed. In exodus 19, it seemed the whole of Mt Sinai was on fire. “Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire” (vs. 18). When fire burns, smoke will be rising from it. When the fire of God is burning in us, the presence of God will be evident. You’ll see the smoke that signals His presence. Shelton Smith

How to Live is Very Important.
Paul said, “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (I Thessalonians 5:22). “The confusion of living! There is confusion today about what we should do and what we shouldn’t do. Yet the Word of God is very clear: “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” Live for Christ. That’s for every one of us—no compromise at all. We live by the Word of God. We live by the Book. We live by the indwelling Holy Spirit. He’s in you, child of God; and if He’s in you, He’s there to cleanse your life and direct your life and empower your life. The Holy Spirit indwells you, and we live by this indwelling Holy Spirit.” (Lee Roberson)

Choose Wisely, Choose Excellence.
A. The quickest way to stall revival is for the revival-hearted people of God to suit up with the UCGN crowd -- the Unaspiring Christians Going Nowhere. Choose your revival alliances with great care -- it‘s not quantity but quality that you are looking for. Beginning with only a few common but extraordinary men Jesus turned the world upside down.
B. “Death and sorrow will be the companions of our journey; hardship our garment; constancy and valor our only shield. We must be united, we must be undaunted, we must be inflexible.” (Winston Churchill)

What Does Our Commitment Look Like On Paper?
To humble the pride of man, to exalt the grace of God in salvation, and to promote real holiness in heart and life. We are committed to the Scriptures as the only Guide for faith and practice.

Go Into the Highways and Byways.
Never before in history have so many people in a nation lived so well as we have. Righteousness has exalted us, but now, without revival, we are sliding into reproach. But revivals in the past began in the common people, by a saturation of the society with Gospel tracts. Pamphlets with a clear call to repentance were sown widely by concerned believers. [author unknown]

Pray for a man of God with priorities, to touch your revival.
Un-knocked-upon Doors: Tragedy of Our day..
“How many houses in your town have never once had a soul winner on their doorstep? No Christian ambassador has ever rung the doorbell. No Gospel tract or flyer has been placed in the door? How many of the people behind those doors will be in the morgue an din Hell before next week?” (Shelton Smith) 

      Don’t believe the lie that they’ll get saved one way or another.

[]  Lord, help us to stand and be counted.
[]  Fire us up, stir our hearts, not by our might but by Your power --
[]  Give us Revival, O Lord …
     in our own hearts,
     in our homes,
     in our schools,
     in our churches,
     in our nation !!!

Paul Sought to Stir Up Timothy.
A. "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands." (2 Timothy 1:6)
B. Paul, writing to young Timothy, was saying,
"Timothy, you have been saved. Timothy, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. Timothy, God has called you into His service. Timothy, I place my hands upon you as a token of God’s call. Now, Timothy, stir yourself up and do what God asks of you."
C. Here is a picture of a fundamentalist by the name of Paul writing to a young fundamentalist preacher by the name of Timothy. Both believed the Word of God, believed in God and Christ, and were saved and called of God.
D. In I and II Timothy he kept on exhorting him:
   (1) "Endure hardship as a good soldier.…Study to shew thyself approved."
What was he doing?
   (2) The very thing we have to do.
      (a) If we don’t stir up people, move people, we have failed.
      (b) If you can preach Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night, and no one is stirred to go out and do what God says, you haven’t done much.
      (c) Paul was doing this at all times.
      (d) He wrote to the Christians in the church at Rome, at Corinth, at Philippi, at Ephesus, in the same manner—to stir and move and shake them.
E. Folks don’t want to be shaken. They would rather sit still. They want to come to church Sunday morning, listen to you for an hour, get up and walk out the door, go home and eat dinner, and forget about what you said. They want to come back Sunday night, maybe, and listen again, go out and forget what they heard.
   (1) They don’t want to be stirred. But to do what God asks, we must stir people.
   (2) Moses had that in his mind when he said, "…beware, lest thou forget the Lord" (Deut. 6:12). He was stirring them up, and we must do the same. Today fundamentalists need to be stirred.
F. There are things that ought to stir us. We ought to be stirred by sin. This is a wicked day, immoral day, loose day, dirty day. Radio, television, magazines, books—everything is turning people away from God. The sin of this day is deceptiveness. It is a day of shadows, and that should trouble us all.

                                                                     When Priorities Are Right.
A. The man who succeeds spiritually has his priorities right.
B. He actively seeks to let God have absolute rule and control over his life above all else.
C. He applies the standard of God in his choices:
   [] The spiritual over carnal;
   [] The eternal over temporal;
   [] God’s will over man’s will;
   [] Commitment over convenience.
D. The rewards for such righteous choices? Peace and comfort and the abandonment of debilitating worry about things to an all-powerful, trustworthy God.
(Dr. Curtis Hutson)

Priority No 1. Pleasing the Heavenly Father.
A. Jesus’ only motivation in life was to please His Heavenly Father.
(1) “I do always those things that please Him.” (Words of Jesus at John 8:29)
(2) “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent ME, and to finish His work.” (Words of Jesus at John 4:34)
B. Dear friend, humanly speaking, no one would want to suffer that kind of punishment (what Jesus suffered), that kind of physical pain and suffering. But Jesus being the Son of God wanted to please His Father whom He loved. And being the Son of God, He wanted to obey His Father. And you should too.

Priority No 2. Preaching (Sharing) the Gospel Effectively.
“Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be My people, and I will be their God.… And David My servant shall be king over them; and they shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe My statutes, and do them … Moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and I will My sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel , when My sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.” (Ezekiel 37:23)

Priority N. 3. Sincere and Persistent Soul Winning.
“And Blessed is He, Whosoever Shall Not Be Offended in Me.”
(Luke 7:23)
(1) “And they (the disciples) departed, and went through the towns, preaching the Gospel, and healing everywhere.” [Luke 9:6]
(2) If you are sitting in a church whose overriding ambience is being kind and compassionate, remember that Jesus commanded His followers to “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel” or similar at least six times in the New Testament.
(3) He never once said, “Go ye into all the world and love the people…” or “… and be kind to the people,” or “and show your compassion to the people…” All of these are God-given virtues of enormous value and application but they are not our purpose. Could it be that your church has taken an easier road, the one of least resistance, where professing Christian men and women can find a comfortable niche in the world, a world we‘ve been commanded to be separated from?
(4) Isn’t being nice to people pretty easy (and often convenient) compared to going out and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them? Jesus Himself said there is a wide gate and a narrow gate, and we are to enter in at the narrow gate.

Priority No 4. Let There Be A True Spirit of Revival.
A. “There is death where there is no revival. The exalted Lord accused the Church of this in Revelation 3:1. “I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” This describes a Christian religion without a living substance. It is useless. A church without revival becomes detached from the Lord and exists without content or direction.” (Wim Malgo)
B. “We’ve talked this week about the contemporary church, which we think is foolishness. When we listen to what God says and when the breath of God is breathed on us, purging, cleansing, directing, and giving us instruction, and we pay attention, that kind of foolishness shouldn’t appeal to us. When we feel the will of God effected in our lives, we don’t want the soup diluted; we want it strong and powerful.” (Dr. Shelton Smith)
C. “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 Chronicles 7:14)
D. Some call this a wake up call. There is a Biblical principle that goes like this. When things really get bad, it brings an uprising. History has shown us that red hot revival soon waxes and then wanes and folk become casual; then looseness and carelessness set in. That usually leads to drifting in standards and principles. The great old hymns of the faith and good Gospel songs get replaced with rock and roll bands and loose dress standards. Next comes the drifting from Bible doctrine, followed by an emphasis on social ministry rather than carrying out the Great Commission, soul winning and missions emphasis. This is followed by social drinking, dancing, sin, and debauchery. Then comes riot and revolution!! When wickedness gets to the point that abortion, homosexuality, immorality, drunkenness, and corruption prevail in government, the shock waves set in and people head back to church and to their knees in prayer. In the past it has been called “an awakening.” We can have revival. Some of our great revivals have come out of our worst of times. There may be a silver lining in the dark clouds overhead, for it seems like a good time to heed the words of the prophet. (Tom Wallace, the Baptist Bread)
E. The Bible says that as Noah hammered away on the construction of the ark, he was a “preacher of righteousness.” He did not even know what rain was, but he trusted God and worked at revival in the most wicked days of earth’s history.

Priority No 5. A Quickening By God’s Word; a Revival Must !!!
A. We have to hold to that (the blood).
B. We’re living in a tough day, a confused day. It’s confused by radio, television, newspapers, magazines, books.
C. Everything is confusing.
   (1) There’s confusion in Washington, D.C.
   (2) It’s badly confused!
   (3) But New York City and Chicago, anywhere you go, there is the same thing.
   (4) People are confused, and they’re searching; they’re seeking; they’re asking.
D. My friend, we must give them what God says from His Word. They must hear the Word of God.
(paragraphs A-D are by Lee Roberson)
E. A true revival is a quickening according to God’s Word, not according to some man’s magnetism or eccentricity. A talented evangelist may swoop down upon a community and make a stir by sharp, striking sayings, draw large crowds, lending more glory to the evangelist or preacher than the Lord of Glory. 

Priority No 6. The Right Heart Attitude.
“I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones? What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets? What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it? What if we flipped through it several times a day? What if we used it to receive messages from the 'text'? What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it? What if we gave it to kids as gifts? What if we used it as we traveled? What if we used it in case of an emergency? What if we upgraded it to get the latest version? This is something to make you go...hmmm...where is my Bible? In Christ alone.” (author unknown)

Why We Need Revival In Our Time !!
(Based on a piece by Dr. Shelton Smith.)
When we are no longer Spirit-filled, we need revival!
When we are no longer excited about the work of God, we need revival!
When our pulpit rings of our own sentiments and endeavors and not the works of our Savior, we need revival!
When we allow carnality to be the norm in our life, we need revival!
When we can find other things to do on Sunday, even one Sunday, and have no twinge of conscience about it, we need revival!
When we are bored at preaching time, we need revival!
When we carry no Gospel tracts, give no witness and never win a soul to Christ, we need revival!
When we can spend our tithe at the mall and assume it’s all right, we need revival!
When we lose our song and the joy is gone, we need revival!
When we sit, soak and sour week after week, we need revival!
When we can analyze everything and everybody, but yet we ourselves do nothing, we need revival!
When the number of pats on the back far outnumber the works of Christ and the people’s passions are more interesting than the Lord’s, we need revival.
When personal and church priorities keep shifting, and church ministries bear little fruit, we need revival.

God Will Allow No Rival.
“If God were to allow any rival, He would not be God. No one is equal to Him. Nothing can compete with Him. He is the ultimate Reality, the Supreme Person, the infinite and eternal Lord. He is a jealous God. This means that he will allow no rival in the affection of His people. He is jealous of their supreme devotion, because this is for their good. God will not accept divided affection, faith with reservations or worship without sincerity and single-heartedness. If God is to be God for us, He must become so real and so worthful to us that He becomes all in all to us, in all our thinking and in our feeling. (Points of Emphasis)

     The Lord said, “Hyman, what are you trying to do with those people?”
     “Lord, I was trying to straighten them out.”
     “Son, let Me straighten them out.”
     I have left them almost alone ever since.
     (Hyman Appelman, great evangelist, early 1900s)

Submission
O Lord, my best desire fulfill,
And help me to resign
Life, health, and comfort to Thy will,
And make Thy pleasure mine.
     Why should I shrink at Thy command,
     Whose love forbids my fears?
     Or tremble at the gracious hand
     That wipes away my tears?
No, rather let me freely yield
What most I prize to Thee;
Who never hast a good withheld,
Or wilt withhold, from me.
     Thy favor, all my journey through,
     Thou art engaged to grant;
     What else I want, or think I do,
     Tis better still to want.
Wisdom and mercy guide my way,
Shall I resist them both?
A poor blind creature of day,
And crush'd before the moth!
     But ah! my inward spirit cries,
     Still binds me to Thy sway;
     Else the next cloud that veils the skies
     Drives all these thoughts away.
( By William Cowper)

The Church Has Let Down It’s Guard.
A. “The church -- no matter it’s name -- is a band of believers, not keeping house for Christ, but multiplying for Christ.” (Dr. Len G. Broughton)
B. “There is death where there is no revival. The exalted Lord accused the church of this in Revelation 3:1. “I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” This describes a Christian religion without a living substance. It is useless. A church without revival becomes detached from the Lord and exists without content or direction.
C. We need the courage to stand up to the world -- and all the churches that are in league with the world ! “In Bible times men expected to suffer for Christ when they went out to have a revival. We should expect the same kind of opposition
now.” (John R. Rice) 
   (1) The church has swerved when she begins to be very honorable in the eyes of the world. She must still be cast out, must still be called evil, must still be despised, until that day when her Lord shall honor her because she has honored Him -- shall honor h, even in this world, in the day of His appearing. (Spurgeon)
   (2) There are still some very fine churches in our land who are faithful to their calling and their roots, but they are getting scarcer and scarcer while the great “milquetoast and puffery” churches have surged onto our vista in unprecedented numbers. The Bible makes a very good case for us being in the last days, and Jesus told us to be watching. Watch ye therefore.

They Followed After Vanity (inflated pride).
“And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them: and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger: for they served idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. … Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God. … and they followed after vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them …” (2 Kings 17:11,14,15)

[]  "The devil is a smart guy; he’s been praying on this old world for six thousand years. He never gets appendicitis or peritonitis or cancer; he’s always Johnny-on-the-spot." (Billy Sunday)

We Need to Raise Up More Stephens.
Stephen was a very young man, had the face of an angel, told people about perishing in Hell without Christ, pleaded with them to get saved. We need to raise up more Stephens, and rid our pulpits of these brash young hypocrites that think they know it all and can hurl vitriol every time he’s brought under Holy Spirit conviction through the infallible Word of God. (adapted Carl McIntire) (Acts Chapter 7)

[] We can never evangelize the world until the evangelized become evangelists. (Punch Lines)

Discovering the Promise !!
Standing on the promises of Christ my king,
Through eternal ages let his praises ring.
Glory in the highest I will shout and sing:
Standing on the promises of God.
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Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail:
Standing on the promises of God.
(Chorus)
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Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call.
Resting in my Savior as my all in all
Standing on the promises of God.
( Chorus)
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Standing, Standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior.
Standing, Standing:
I’m standing on the promises of God.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

                         God’s Plan of Salvation.

1. What does God want you to do? “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12) 2. How can you believe? “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)
3. What can you do to show that you believe?

You can sincerely pray this prayer - or another prayer from your own heart - and tell God that you accept His Son as your Savior. Lord, I know that I am a sinner. Please forgive me for my sins and help me to turn from them. I know I deserve Hell for my sins. But I believe that Jesus died to pay for my sins and to take the punishment for me as my Substitute. I accept Him now as my own personal Savior. Amen.

“And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

We are Independent, Fundamental, Bible-believing, Gospel preaching Baptists. We adhere faithfully to the King James Bible and accept it as God‘s authorized and preserved version of His Holy Word. We stand up to say “Yes” to the things God loves, and “No” to the things God hates. We believe in personal and ecclesiastical separation, revival, and soul winning. We accept without reservation that all Christian work is an inseparable tandem of loving the brethren and speaking (and acting upon) the truth of Scripture. We believe that God the Holy Spirit leads us in arriving at truth through the Scriptures for all matters of faith, doctrine, and work.