DEADn
Feb 2, 2014
Came across this in charismanews and thought it would be a good topic for this board.
Came across this in charismanews and thought it would be a good topic for this board.
"Revival has died in Europe and America because the children of evangelical revivalists have forgotten about the exploits that God did through their parents, who were the instruments of these great evangelical revivals in these two continents," Shehu said.
"For there to be a revival again in these nations, there must be a remnant that will pray for it. The remnant in these countries in USA and Europe must pray for revival to take place. We see so much evil, not only in these countries, but all over the world because revival has died long ago," Shehu continued.
While there is a testimony for God to be borne by us to any one, it is certain that we shall not be hurried from the land of the living.
The Lord's prophets shall live on in the midst of famine, and war, and plague, and persecution, till they have uttered all the words of their prophecy; his priests shall stand at the altar unharmed till their last sacrifice has been presented before him.
No bullet will find its billet in our hearts till we have finished our allotted period of activity,
"Plagues and deaths around me fly,
Till he please I cannot die:
Not a single shaft can hit,
Till the God of love sees fit."
The LORD hath chastened me sore. This is faith's version of the former passage, "Thou hast thrust sore at me; "for the attacks of the enemy are chastisements from the hand of God.
The devil tormented Job for his own purposes, but in reality the sorrows of the patriarch were chastisements from the Lord. "Chastening, Jah hath chastened me, "says our poet: as much as to say that the Lord had smitten him very severely, and made him sorrowfully to know the full weight of his rod.
The Lord frequently appears to save his heaviest blows for his best beloved ones; if any one affliction be more painful than another it falls to, the lot of those whom he most distinguishes in his service. The gardener prunes his best roses with most care. Chastisement is sent to keep successful saints humble, to make them tender towards others, and to enable them to bear the high honours which their heavenly Friend puts upon them.
But he hath not given me over unto death. This verse, like the thirteenth, concludes with a blessed "but, "which constitutes a saving clause. The Psalmist felt as if he had been beaten within an inch of his life, but yet death did not actually ensue. There is always a merciful limit to the scourging of the sons of God. Forty stripes save one were all that an Israelite might receive, and the Lord will never allow that one, that killing stroke, to fall upon his children. They are "chastened, but not killed"; their pains are for their instruction, not for their destruction.
By these things the ungodly die, but gracious Hezekiah could say, "By these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit." No, blessed be the name of God, he may chastise us, but he will not condemn us; we must feel the smarting rod, but we shall not feel the killing sword. He does not give us over unto death at any time, and we may be quite sure that he has not done so while he condescends to chasten us, for if he intended our final rejection he would not take the pains to place us under his fatherly discipline. It may seem hard to be under the afflicting rod, but it would be a far more dreadful thing if the Lord were to say, "He is given unto idols, let him alone."
Even from our griefs we may distil consolation, and gather sweet flowers from the garden in which the Lord has planted salutary rue and wormwood. It is a cheering fact that if we endure chastening God dealeth with us as with sons, and we may well be satisfied with the common lot of his beloved family. The hero, restored to health, and rescued from the dangers of battle, now lifts up his own song unto the Lord, and asks all Israel, led on by the goodly fellowship of the priests, to assist him in chanting a joyful Te Deum. - Spurgeon on Psalm 118:17,18
The people of God are not to expect immunity from trial because the Lord surrounds them, for they may feel the power and persecution of the ungodly. Isaac, even in Abraham's family, was mocked by Ishmael. Assyria laid its sceptre even upon Zion itself. The graceless often bear rule and wield the rod; and when they do so they are pretty sure to make it fall heavily upon the Lord's believing people, so that the godly cry out by reason of their oppressors.
Egypt's rod was exceeding heavy upon Israel, but the time came for it to be broken. God has set a limit to the woes of his chosen: the rod may light on their portion, but it shall not rest upon it. The righteous have a lot which none can take from them, for God has appointed them heirs of it by gracious entail: on that lot the rod of the wicked may fall, but over that lot it cannot have lasting sway. The saints abide for ever, but their troubles will not.
Here is a good argument in prayer for all righteous ones who are in the hands of the wicked. Lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. The tendency of oppression is to drive the best of men into some hasty deed for self deliverance or vengeance. If the rack be too long used the patient sufferer may at last give way; and therefore the Lord puts a limit to the tyranny of the wicked.
He ordained that an Israelite who deserved punishment should not be beaten without measure: forty stripes save one was the appointed limit. We may therefore expect that he will set a bound to the suffering of the innocent, and will not allow them to be pushed to the uttermost extreme. Especially in point of time he will limit the domination of the persecutor, for length adds strength to oppression, and makes it intolerable; hence the Lord himself said of a certain tribulation, "except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."
It seems that even righteous men are in peril of sinning in evil days, and that it is not the will of the Lord that they should yield to the stress of the times in order to escape from suffering. The power and influence of wicked men when they are uppermost are used to lead or drive the righteous astray; but the godly must not accept this as an excuse, and yield to the evil pressure; far rather must they resist with all their might till it shall please God to stay the violence of his persecutor, and give his children rest. This the Lord here promises to do in due time. - Spurgeon on Psalm 125:3
"Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive shall fail,
and the fields shall yield no meat...yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation" Hab. 3:17.
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High,shall lodge under the shadow of the Almighty. I will
say of the Lord, He is my refuge, and my fortress; My God, in him will I trust" Ps. 91:1, 2.
"My strength and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever" Ps. 73:26.
Regeneration. It stands out in the story and in the history of every revival that has ever taken place in the long history of the Christian Church. In other words, everything about a revival emphasizes the activity of this sovereign God. He is intervening. He is working. He is doing things...
- Martin Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) on Revival (page 57)
Unfortunately media headings are often alarmist in their wording and they tempt us to look at the dark clouds rather than the glory of a miracle-working God. For that reason I almost avoided this thread. However, I did browse through the link (something I don't often do) I was encouraged by this quote:
A new generation of Israelites had to experience the miracle of the crossing of the Red Sea at the Jordan River to enable them know God's miracle in the lives of their parents
On the other hand, it is only if we are solely dependent on the work of man to bring revival that we have reason for gloom.
DEADn, I am interested in how this article impacted you yourself. We cannot interact with this pastor or the nebulous masses of unrevived Americans - but your presence and sharing from your heart can be a blessing to us all!
Diane
26-Jan-2014\t
An Opportunity Comes To Another Generation\t
Carter Conlon\t\t\t
\t
January 26, 2014 - The promises of God must supersede what we see with our natural eyes. We must not abandon faith for human reasoning and carnal strategies. We are to move forward in faith and believe God’s promises are backed up with God’s power so we can lead another generation into the supernatural.
This discussion is locked.