I REALLY WANT YOUR HELP.
No, I am not asking for money, nor am I asking for invitations to preach. There are 2 questions that are uppermost on my mind these days, and I seek your wisdom and counsel, whether they are the promptings of the Holy Spirit or simply the wandering thoughts of someone who many may say has passed his prime.
1. Can we expect to see revival in our generation ?
2. How can I live in the light and hope and Christ’s soon return ?
The group of ministers I meet with each week has been asking the question for about 9 months “where will the church be in our area in 10 years time” ? On every side there is a decline in church attendance, there seems little emphasis or desire for Christian character, there is little desire to evangelise. There seems to be a “Remnant Mentality” that those of us who are left will somehow “Hold the fort” and we even seem to be struggling !!!!!!
We are very aware that we can seem to interpret the scriptures in different ways, and it is so easy to take a verse in isolation to prove the point we are trying to make. I was interested to read only yesterday in “Charisma News” that Billy Graham’s son Franklin is praying for the next great awakening. I am encouraged that our local church has commenced a corporate prayer meeting (monthly at the moment) to pray for change and growth and revival. We have all heard of great revivals in the past. It is said Wesley’s ministry saved Britain from the same type of revolution as took place. in France. We thank God for William Booth and the Salvation Army that stirred England over 100 years ago, one of the leaders of that day said “the way we are going all of England will be save by the end of the year”. One hundred thousand were saved or came back to the Lord in 1904 in Wales. How can one forget the Hebridean Islands revival in Scotland. Just over 100 years ago there was not one church building in South Korea, now around 50% of the population are Christian in that once Buddhist nation. Can God do it again ?????????????????????????????/
The Spanish named Australia “The great Southland of the Holy Spirit” but there have only been small pockets of outpouring around the nation. Is there a date on such scriptures as:
We have not because ask not.
Ask and keep on asking.
If my people who are called by my name,
And the list go on and on.
I want to believe if we lay hold of these promises, and with a God given determination continue in faith we can see an awesome turning and returning to the Lord. Have we got it too easy in this “Lucky Country” or can we see an earth shaking Holy Spirit revival in our day ?
WHAT DO YOU THINK ???? HOW DO WE DO IT ?????
The New Testament writers all seemed to live with the thought that Jesus would return in their lifetime, and this seemed to help them live the way God wanted them to live and yet continued to fulfil the great Commission.
Now two thousand years later Jesus has not returned. We never hear preaching about it, we need to work on developing our career, bringing up our family, buying a house and paying off a mortgage. Yet John says (1 John 3.3) He that has this hope (of Christ’s soon return) keeps himself pure. How can I live in this dimension, fulfil all my personal and family responsibilities and have long term plans, and live with the thought “He could come today”. Is this possible? is it practical ? Can it be done ? Does the Lord ask us to do things we cannot fulfil ???
We know our God is NOT the author of confusion, so most of us just work hard at our family and personal responsibilities and hope it will all work out in the end. I feel there MUST be an answer, that is practical and spiritual but not WEIRD.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ? DO YOU HAVE AN ANSWER TO THESE DILEMMAS ?
PLEASE RESPOND, AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. I AM REALLY LOOKING FOR ANSWERS FOR MYSELF AND TO THE THOUSANDS WHO READ MY BLOGS.
