A PROGRAM REGARDING REVIVAL ON TV ... AGAIN!!!

Sometime back i posted this thread ...A PROGRAM REGARDING REVIVAL ON TV!!!https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=2190&forum=40#16100Every time i get a little weary, God sends a confirmation for me to keep on believing what i hear Him saying ...Well this Sunday i caught a new installment of this prior program (One Nation Under God) that was even more in depth about what Revival was and is, it's history, the problems that the (American) Body of Christ is in crisis with right now, and the need for us to all get together via the Book of Joel and seek God anew for another great outpouring of His Spirit ... Saints we are on the brink of the greatest Revival but for some reason we just can't find within ourselves the courage to jump ... so God's gonna have to push us into the pool!For the life of me i find it very difficult to understand why if we know our problems, and biblical solutions, why it actually takes us so long to do it?! ... Why do we have to keep talking about it adinfinitum and nauseum? ... Why don't we just voluntarily do what we know needs to be done? ... REPENT!!!

I'm repenting. Are you repenting? :-D

Yes Spitfire i am repenting more and more, holding every thought captive, and attempting to let nothing slide that i'm instantly convicted of ...But what i mean is a collective repentance ... i long to see the day when pastors and preachers actually do get between the porch and the altar and cry out to God ... i'm longing for collective solemn assemblies of saints on hands, knees and faces seeking His face and feet, with no thought of His hands ... i know that's what God wants, or He wouldn't keep impressing it on me to tell preachers so ... Do most listen? ... Yes, patronizingly so ... Have any done it? ... Nope! ... So i've come to the conclusion that most think it below them to voluntarily heed Joel chapters 1 &2 ... Perhaps a further stage of the locust is needed, as is happening at my church ... Money's drying up ...

But what i mean is a collective repentance ... i long to see the day when pastors and preachers actually do get between the porch and the altar and cry out to God ... i'm longing for collective solemn assemblies of saints on hands, knees and faces seeking His face Us too, Rahman. Us too.I'm convinced it can't happen in a typical American church. Look around... who's willing to lay aside the planned, canned program if the Holy Spirit should speak? Who's willing to notice 'did God show up today or was He offended?' No... the church service must go on. Because the service itself has become etched in stone, and has taken the place of God. I can't imagine my persecuted brethren in China wasting time in meaningless jokes, stories, announcements, performances, etc. They are filled with fire and God shows up at their meetings. That's all they care about. And all we should care about, too, IMHO. Hoping for that very thing,Mrs. Fred

I'm convinced it can't happen in a typical American church. Look around... who's willing to lay aside the planned, canned program if the Holy Spirit should speak? Who's willing to notice 'did God show up today or was He offendedThey are there in some cases, but there is so much pressure coming from those who want a "mamby pamby" Christianity (with a little "c") that it is difficult to sustain a move of God. Ministers who feel like they are hearing from God in ministering repentance are in the shadow of those who prefer cheap grace and false love and all these other things that are killing us. Many ministers don't want to challenge the security of the believer, because they want people to feel at peace concerning their salvation. This is fine if you are right with God, but what about someone living in blatant sin? I have been told that if you tell people they are sinners- they will sin and if you tell them they are doing good- they will do good. They believe what you tell them and then do what you say. This is way false, but it its the mindset of what we are dealing with. Solemnity is not an option. That's too negative. We need a light hearted happy and positive atmosphere. Not too much weeping or tears unless they are tears of joy. The people around me that I admire the most are locked up in this mindset in a generation that is so lukewarm- that it is a wonder we had not been spewed out all ready. I then have to guard myself against judgmentalism. understand my thinking, my first reaction to those who so blunt the edge of the sword in this generation is that there is compromise in their life. I feel like they must be sinning and therefore promote a false love to the people, because they appear compassionate, when in reality their conscience is smitten and they are overcome with timidity. Maybe I am wrong in this regard, and I need to repent of the thinking. I simply can't see how a person cannot see that the Church and its preachers need to repent. They are past time needing to repent.

I then have to guard myself against judgmentalism. understand my thinking, my first reaction to those who so blunt the edge of the sword in this generation is that there is compromise in their life. I feel like they must be sinning and therefore promote a false love to the people, because they appear compassionate, when in reality their conscience is smitten and they are overcome with timidity. Maybe I am wrong in this regard, and I need to repent of the thinking.Ain't that the rub. Is it because of the 'fear of man'? Or the fear of God that compels which way to approach? Seems easy to get backed into a corner so to speak. To get past the 'offense's' to the heart of the matter, to truth and reality.Too harsh, too soft, too humanistc...Too much stinking thinking... :-( To be more like Jesus.Yeah, I am repenting to. Of much, cowardice, being silent when I should speak and probably more importantly the opposite... :-? The paradox it seems is that true repentence leads always unto true joy and peace. Just as easy to get stuck between the two.Two bit's from the two bit... :-P

The people around me that I admire the most are locked up in this mindset in a generation that is so lukewarm- that it is a wonder we had not been spewed out all ready. I then have to guard myself against judgmentalism. understand my thinking, my first reaction to those who so blunt the edge of the sword in this generation is that there is compromise in their life. I simply can't see how a person cannot see that the Church and its preachers need to repent. They are past time needing to repent. Guarding ourselves against judgmentalism that's very important because we're going to be judged by the standard that we judge others. I oftentimes wonder how can we all be spiritually sleeping when this deep work of repentance must be done. But my focus needs to be on my own heart and any sin that the Holy Spirit reveals and on intercession for others, not their sins.It is amazing that we haven't been spewed out of God's mouth but simply because judgement hasn't fallen doesn't mean that it's not coming. In His mercy, let's repent and as my pastor says "If you don't where to start repenting, start repenting there."Repentance is a lifestyle and something we must continuously do. I used to think of it as a one-time deal. Yeah, I repented 20 years ago.... That's because I had a hard heart and wanted an excuse to enable me to continue living my life as I wanted to.

Repentance is a lifestyle and something we must continuously do. I used to think of it as a one-time deal. Yeah, I repented 20 years ago.... That's because I had a hard heart and wanted an excuse to enable me to continue living my life as I wanted to.I'm not sure why I didn't repent. I think I didn't know what true repentance was. I thought repentance was being sorry or hating that you did what you did. I didn't realize that repentance was actually exalting God to his rightful place in my life. Today I was meditating on Gideons' question posted on another thread, How do you humble yourself? I think real humility and real love and real repentance are all just about the same thing. Phillipians 2:3-8 says,"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory;but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 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 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 man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.This is what I was thinking about today. You remember that old song by Bob Dylan, You're Gonna Have To Serve Somebody? We are going to abide in a kingdom, the only question is, which one? Will it be the kingdom of God or the kingdom of self? In every kingdom, there is a king who must be obeyed. If we are going to be men in God's kingdom, then we must do as Jesus did,"And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death..." Jesus came to earth to bear the sins of all mankind. That was his purpose. If we are going to abide in the kingdom of God, we must do that also. We don't just repent somewhere in time for ourselves, but we take responsibility for everyone else, as well. The way I see it, if I'm not going to do that, then God has no reason to let me live. Jesus said, "I do only those things I see the Father doing." He had no other purpose. May that become true of you and me. :-D

But my focus needs to be on my own heart and any sin that the Holy Spirit reveals and on intercession for others, not their sins...Repentance is a lifestyle and something we must continuously do. I used to think of it as a one-time deal. Yeah, I repented 20 years ago.... That's because I had a hard heart and wanted an excuse to enable me to continue living my life as I wanted to.Yes, there needs to be something of a daily repentance and cleansing for us to fulfill our duty as a royal priesthood. Basilea Schlink speaks to this in the following excerpt from her booklet titled The Royal Priesthood;...in 2 Chronicles 30:27 we read, "Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven." In other words, their prayer of blessing was answered. This is emphasized because previously their priestly prayers of blessing had not been granted.Scripture says, "Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you so that he does not hear." (Isaiah 59:2). From this we see that there are prayer hindrances. Unless these are removed, our prayers will not reach God, and our priestly ministry of blessing will lack power.How was it that the priests in 2 Chronicles 30 had such spiritual authority! Earlier on in the same chapter we read, "The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves" (v. 15 RAV). Through repentance and cleansing, the prayer hindrance which for years had denied them spiritual authority was removed.How far we have drifted from the biblical norm! I, too, must confess there was a time in my life when I thought that the main point was being faithful in my daily intercession and then my prayers for others would be heard. I knew that I had been saved by Jesus Christ and that, in Him, I had received the forgiveness of sins, once and for all. But I knew nothing of a daily cleansing. I thought there was nothing wrong with my life, and so I was confident that my pryers would be answered. However, in Revelation 1:5,6 we read that Jesus "loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father." And, as the Old Testament illustrates, coming before God as a priest means having clean garments and clean hands each time one enters the sanctuary for prayer. Woe to the priest who appeared with unclean hands and garments before God to perform his ministry of prayer at the altar! This is why Scripture says, "Worship the Lord in holy array." Without cleansing, we cannot come before God's throne, without cleansing, we lack authority.In Christ,Ron