WILL YOU GET DESPERATE FOR CHANGE?

You may have seen the pictures on Facebook of a preacher asking the question of a congregation “Who wants to see change”? every hand went up. In the second picture, the preacher asks “Who wants to change”? NOT ONE HAND WENT UP !!!!!!
I have the awesome privilege of meeting with a group of Pastors each week for coffee and fellowship. For over 2 years now we have been asking the question “Where will the church be (in our town) in ten years time? These men all love God and are serving the Lord well in their various ministry responsibilities, we have come up with many reasons that have brought us to this place of decline which is evident right across the Body of Christ here in Australia. There are the exceptions in the  mega churches that are seeing growth and people coming to faith, sadly much of their growth is transfer growth, overall there is little plundering hell and populating heaven happening.
I am 75 and can’t help but think of the past.
Before Sunday sport was introduced there were many Sunday Schools with a 1000+ attendance every Sunday. Consequently there was a “God consciousness” in the community.
Every Evangelical church had a Sunday night Gospel Service, with people regularly coming to faith.
It was the era of the Mass Evangelists like Billy Graham, who’s ministries shook cities. I was saddened to read just today that Cliff Barrows (an essential member of Billy’s team) went to be with the Lord yesterday. I wrote last week “Where have all the Evangelists gone”? as virtually none have raised up a successor.
There have been numerous emphases over these last 50 years, like praying for people for physical and emotional healing, of being set free from demonic powers, and so on, but all almost pandering to the consumerism of this generation, all “bless me” stuff, and no emphasis on the power of Intercession and the need for every believer to be a witness and a soul winner and a disciplemaker.
I guess the sad thing is this that what  is expressed in the Facebook pictures, we want to see change, but we don’t want to change. We complain and tut tut about
Same sex marriage,
Little emphasis on character which has produced a generation of Christians who often partake excessively of alcohol, who see no problem with sleeping around, that cursing and swearing is now somehow acceptable for Believers.
Preaching with little of the Word of God

AND AGAIN THE LIST COULD GO ON AND ON.

We know God is Sovereign, He is not surprised at the state of the Church today, will God supernaturally bring about change without the cooperation of the Church? I don’t think  so. Will He find faith on the earth when Jesus returns????

We have heard many sermons over the years on the topic of prayer, my personal definition of prayer is:

THE INTIMATE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN TWO LOVERS.

Does the Church and every believer need to fall in love with Jesus, “the lover of their soul”AGAIN, return to the Word of God, and start claiming the promises of God regarding revival and the nations. I want to suggest a prayer to pray

LORD MAKE ME DESPERATE FOR YOU AND FOR CHANGE IN OUR WORLD.

I don’t think we are going to get desperate unless we ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking until the Lord answers prayer. Then we learn to maintain that desperation, the women on the Scottish Hebridean Islands prayed for 20 years to see change and then revival broke out.

James tells us “the effectual fervent prayer avails MUCH

Paul tells us to PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.

There is increasing opposition today regarding Christian values and truths. GOD COULD SEND PERSECUTION that will drive the Church to its knees.

I don’t know the complete answer to our predicament, but PRAYER IS AN IMPORTANT AND ESSENTIAL KEY.

I sure do not want to have to experience persecution (like so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Middle east have been experiencing), but God’s purposes will be fulfilled in the earth. Will you pray with me please “LORD MAKE ME DESPERATE AND CONTINUE TO HANG IN UNTIL THE BREAKTHROUGH COMES amen,

Pease let me know if this blog resonates with your heart.