IS IT THE LAST DAYS ? OR CAN WE BELIEVE FOR REVIVAL ?

William Booth, the founder of The Salvation Army stated “I consider the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Spirit, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell”.
Sadly, his words are coming to pass before our very eyes, each of these points could be developed here, but I believe they are self explanatory. We can fool ourselves that  there are some great churches in our nation, but the majority of churches are not growing, so the actual percentage of practicing believing Christians is reducing each year. It has been said that the Christian church is always but one generation from extinction, or like fire it will slowly die unless it is fed.
We are living in a generation where believers see all these signs that William Booth has mentioned, but we do not seem concerned enough to do anything about it, I wonder if it is demonic deception? What do you think?
The present day mentality is “we pay the Pastor  to build the church, it is not our responsibility”. Let me quote William Booth again.
Not called did you say? Not heard the call, I think you should say.
Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonised heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face -whose mercy you have professed to obey-and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul  and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world. The Salvation Army just last month celebrated their 150 anniversary and they are still seeking to go for souls and the worst of humanity.
If we are being deceived, we need to pray “Lord open our eyes to see the world as you see it”. For it will only be in that place of prayer will we begin to feel the heartbeat of God for a lost and dying world. This will then challenge us to fulfil the great Commission by every means possible.
May we stop playing at church, and seek to be an authentic New Testament church in the 21st century.
On Sunday last our Interim Pastor preached his last sermon as he concludes his ministry amongst us,(we welcome our new Resident Pastor next Sunday), and he quoted the late great A.W. Tozer who said. “Without the ministry of the Holy Spirit, 95% of what the early church did would have ceased. He went on to say that if the Spirit were removed today, 95% of what we do in the modern church would continue unabated!
What a sad indictment on the modern church that we can go through all the motions  of church life without the Holy Spirit, except to mention Him in the Benediction at the close of the service.
What did the Holy Spirit do in the early Church
1. Caused ten of thousands to respond to the claims of Christ
2. Revival came throughout the known world
3. The sick were healed
4. The demon possessed set free
5. Missions were born through the Apostle Paul
6. Believers were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit
So, what is the challenge to us.
1. Do we just “Hold the fort”  waiting for Jesus to return ?
2. Do we ask the Lord to open our eyes afresh ?
3. Do we repent and return to our first love ?
4. Do we start praying for revival, and let it start in us ?
There are signs everywhere that the Lord’s return is ever closer, but, the promises of God are still Yea and Amen in Christ, We can believe for revival in our day, but are we will willing to pay the price ???????
This blog is a clarion call to every believer, I am sure personally convicted that I can do so much more to see His kingdom come. I do trust this blog has challenged you, would you respond and say you will pray with me, and do all you can with the Holy Spirit’s aid  to see revival come.