Tuesday, March 28, 2006
QUOTES ON PRAYER AND REVIVAL
"I would rather train twenty men to pray, than a thousand to preach; - A minister's highest mission ought to be to teach his people to pray." -H. MacGregor
"We Christians too often substitute prayer for playing the game. Prayer is good; but when used as a substitute for obedience, it is nothing but a blatant hypocrisy, a despicable Pharisaism...To your knees, man! and to your Bible! Decide at once! Don't hedge! Time flies! Cease your insults to God, quit consulting flesh and blood. Stop your lame, lying, and cowardly excuses. Enlist! " - C. T. Studd
“The chief danger of the Church today is that it is trying to get on the same side as the world, instead of turning the world upside down. Our Master expects us to accomplish results, even if they bring opposition and conflict. Anything is better than compromise, apathy, and paralysis. God give to us an intense cry for the old-time power of the Gospel and the Holy Ghost!” -A. B. Simpson
“Oh, to realize that souls, precious, never dying souls, are perishing all around us, going out into the blackness of darkness and despair, eternally lost, and yet to feel no anguish, shed no tears, know no travail! How little we know of the compassion of Jesus!" - Oswald J. Smith
"He can do all things who prays well. All soul-winners have conquered on their knees. Wherever the secret of prevailing prayer is found, something supernatural will come to pass." - G. F. Oliver
"The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church...grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church. He is disturbed that the corporate prayer of the Church no longer pulls down the strongholds of the devil." - Leonard Ravenhill
"The history of missions is the history of answered prayer. From Pentecost to the Haystack meeting in New England and from the days when Robert Morrison landed in China to the martyrdom of John and Betty Stam, prayer has been the source of power and the secret of spiritual triumph."-Samuel Zwemer
"This much is sure in all churches, forgetting party labels; the smallest meeting numerically is the prayer- meeting. If weak in prayer we are weak everywhere." - Leonard Ravenhill
"Wherever the Church is aroused and the world's wickedness arrested, somebody has been praying." – A. T. Pierson
"The missionary church is a praying church. The history of missions is a history of prayer. Everything vital to the success of the world's evangelization hinges on prayer. Are thousands of missionaries and tens of thousands of native workers needed? ‘Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He send forth laborers into His harvest.’" – John R. Mott
"We give ourselves to prayer. We preach a Gospel that saves to the uttermost, and witness to its power. We do not argue about worldliness; we witness. We do not discuss philosophy; we preach the Gospel. We do not speculate about the destiny of sinners; we pluck them as brands from the burning. We ask no man's patronage. We beg no man's money. We fear no man's frown…Let no man join us who is afraid, and we want none but those who are saved, sanctified and aflame with the fire of the Holy Ghost." – Samuel Chadwick
"The Church gives more time, thought, and money to recreation and sport than to prayer." – Samuel Chadwick
"Let methods be changed, therefore, if necessary, that prayer may be given its true place. Let there be days set apart for intercession; let the original purpose of the monthly concert of prayer for missions be given a larger place; let missionary prayer cycles be used by families and by individual Christians; let the best literature on prayer be circulated among the members of the Church; let special sermons on the Subject of intercession be preached. By these and by all other practical means a larger, deeper, wider spirit of prayer should be cultivated in the churches." – John R. Mott
"The Church has not yet touched the fringe of the possibilities of intercessory prayer. Her largest victories will be witnessed when individual Christians everywhere come to recognize their priesthood unto God and day by day give themselves unto prayer." – John R. Mott
"If added power attends the united prayer of two or three, what mighty triumphs there will be when hundreds of thousands of consistent members of the Church are with one accord day by day making intercession for the extension of Christ's Kingdom." – John R. Mott
"Revival is the assemblies of God manifesting the oneness of the membership in the mystical, supernatural body of Christ, delivered from denominational bigotry." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the saints of God agonizing on behalf of lost souls going to hell." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the people of God living in the power of an ungrieved, unquenched Spirit." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the child of God desperately in love with his glorious Savior and Lord." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is living the Christ life in the home." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the heathen saying, "The Lord hath done great things for them" (Psa. 126:2). – James A. Stewart
"Revival is Zion travailing in spiritual childbirth." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the Church of God as a conquering army putting to rout the hosts of hell." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is torrents of living water flowing out of the individual believer." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the beauty of holiness adorning the saints." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the recognition of the ministry of insignificant members of the body, and deliverance from idol worship of the more prominent members who are in the limelight." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is restoring the years the locusts have eaten." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the people of God constrained, gripped, overmastered, and overwhelmed by the love of Christ, so that they are feverishly restless to win souls for Christ." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the whole assembly powerfully and passionately winning lost souls to Christ." – James A. Stewart
"We Christians too often substitute prayer for playing the game. Prayer is good; but when used as a substitute for obedience, it is nothing but a blatant hypocrisy, a despicable Pharisaism...To your knees, man! and to your Bible! Decide at once! Don't hedge! Time flies! Cease your insults to God, quit consulting flesh and blood. Stop your lame, lying, and cowardly excuses. Enlist! " - C. T. Studd
“The chief danger of the Church today is that it is trying to get on the same side as the world, instead of turning the world upside down. Our Master expects us to accomplish results, even if they bring opposition and conflict. Anything is better than compromise, apathy, and paralysis. God give to us an intense cry for the old-time power of the Gospel and the Holy Ghost!” -A. B. Simpson
“Oh, to realize that souls, precious, never dying souls, are perishing all around us, going out into the blackness of darkness and despair, eternally lost, and yet to feel no anguish, shed no tears, know no travail! How little we know of the compassion of Jesus!" - Oswald J. Smith
"He can do all things who prays well. All soul-winners have conquered on their knees. Wherever the secret of prevailing prayer is found, something supernatural will come to pass." - G. F. Oliver
"The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church...grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church. He is disturbed that the corporate prayer of the Church no longer pulls down the strongholds of the devil." - Leonard Ravenhill
"The history of missions is the history of answered prayer. From Pentecost to the Haystack meeting in New England and from the days when Robert Morrison landed in China to the martyrdom of John and Betty Stam, prayer has been the source of power and the secret of spiritual triumph."-Samuel Zwemer
"This much is sure in all churches, forgetting party labels; the smallest meeting numerically is the prayer- meeting. If weak in prayer we are weak everywhere." - Leonard Ravenhill
"Wherever the Church is aroused and the world's wickedness arrested, somebody has been praying." – A. T. Pierson
"The missionary church is a praying church. The history of missions is a history of prayer. Everything vital to the success of the world's evangelization hinges on prayer. Are thousands of missionaries and tens of thousands of native workers needed? ‘Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He send forth laborers into His harvest.’" – John R. Mott
"We give ourselves to prayer. We preach a Gospel that saves to the uttermost, and witness to its power. We do not argue about worldliness; we witness. We do not discuss philosophy; we preach the Gospel. We do not speculate about the destiny of sinners; we pluck them as brands from the burning. We ask no man's patronage. We beg no man's money. We fear no man's frown…Let no man join us who is afraid, and we want none but those who are saved, sanctified and aflame with the fire of the Holy Ghost." – Samuel Chadwick
"The Church gives more time, thought, and money to recreation and sport than to prayer." – Samuel Chadwick
"Let methods be changed, therefore, if necessary, that prayer may be given its true place. Let there be days set apart for intercession; let the original purpose of the monthly concert of prayer for missions be given a larger place; let missionary prayer cycles be used by families and by individual Christians; let the best literature on prayer be circulated among the members of the Church; let special sermons on the Subject of intercession be preached. By these and by all other practical means a larger, deeper, wider spirit of prayer should be cultivated in the churches." – John R. Mott
"The Church has not yet touched the fringe of the possibilities of intercessory prayer. Her largest victories will be witnessed when individual Christians everywhere come to recognize their priesthood unto God and day by day give themselves unto prayer." – John R. Mott
"If added power attends the united prayer of two or three, what mighty triumphs there will be when hundreds of thousands of consistent members of the Church are with one accord day by day making intercession for the extension of Christ's Kingdom." – John R. Mott
"Revival is the assemblies of God manifesting the oneness of the membership in the mystical, supernatural body of Christ, delivered from denominational bigotry." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the saints of God agonizing on behalf of lost souls going to hell." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the people of God living in the power of an ungrieved, unquenched Spirit." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the child of God desperately in love with his glorious Savior and Lord." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is living the Christ life in the home." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the heathen saying, "The Lord hath done great things for them" (Psa. 126:2). – James A. Stewart
"Revival is Zion travailing in spiritual childbirth." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the Church of God as a conquering army putting to rout the hosts of hell." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is torrents of living water flowing out of the individual believer." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the beauty of holiness adorning the saints." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the recognition of the ministry of insignificant members of the body, and deliverance from idol worship of the more prominent members who are in the limelight." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is restoring the years the locusts have eaten." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the people of God constrained, gripped, overmastered, and overwhelmed by the love of Christ, so that they are feverishly restless to win souls for Christ." – James A. Stewart
"Revival is the whole assembly powerfully and passionately winning lost souls to Christ." – James A. Stewart
Friday, March 10, 2006
Have We No Tears for Revival?
Have We No Tears for Revival?
"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." (Ps. 126:5). This is the divine edict. This is more than preaching with zeal. This is more than scholarly exposition. This is more than delivering sermons of exegetical exactitude and homiletical perfection. Such a man, whether preacher or pew dweller, is appalled at the shrinking authority of the Church in the present drama of cruelty in the world. And he cringes with sorrow that men turn a deaf ear to the Gospel and willingly risk eternal hell in the process. Under this complex burden, his heart is crushed to tears.
The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church, grieved at the blindness of the Church, grieved at the corruption in the Church, grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church. He is disturbed that the corporate prayer of the Church no longer pulls down the strongholds of the devil. He is embarrassed that the Church folks no longer cry in their despair before a devil-ridden, sin-mad society, "Why could we not cast him out?" (Matt. 17:19).
Many of us have no heart-sickness for the former glory of the Church because we have never known what true revival is. We stagnate in the status quo and sleep easy at night while our generation moves swiftly to the eternal night of hell. Shame, shame on us! Jesus whipped some money changers out of the temple; but before He whipped them, He wept over them. He knew how near their judgment was The Apostle Paul sent a tear-stained letter to the Philippian saints, writing: "I have told you often and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ" (Phil. 3:18). Notice that he does not say they are enemies of Christ; they are, rather, the enemies of the cross of Christ. They deny or diminish the redemptive values of the cross. There are many like this today. The church of Rome does not stand as an enemy of Christ; it traces heavily on His holy name. Yet it denies the cross by saying that the Blessed Virgin is co-redemptive. If this is so, why was she not also crucified? The Mormons use the name of Christ, yet they are astray on the atonement. Have we tears for them? Shall we face them without a blush when they accuse us of inertia at the Judgment Seat saying that they were our neighbors and an offense to us, but not a burden because they were lost?
The Salvationists can scarcely read their flaming evangelical history without tears. Has the glory of the evangelical revival under Wesley ever gripped the hearts of the Methodists of today? Have they read of the fire-baptized men in Wesley's team? Men like John Nelson, Thomas Walsh, and a host of others whose names are written in the Book of Life; men persecuted and kicked in the streets when they held street meetings? Yet as their blood flowed from their wounds, their tears flowed from their eyes. Have the Holiness people set a guard at the door of the beauty parlors lest any sister should enter to get her hair curled, while a block away there is a string of prostitutes trying to sell their sin-wracked bodies with none to tell them of eternal love? Do the Pentecostals look back with shame as they remember when they dwelt across the theological tracks, but with the glory of the Lord in their midst? When they had a normal church life, which meant nights of prayers, followed by signs and wonders, and diverse miracles, and genuine gifts of the Holy Ghost? When they were not clock watchers, and their meetings lasted for hours, saturated with holy power? Have we no tears for these memories, or shame that our children know nothing of such power? Other denominations had their Glory Days of revival. Think of the mighty visitations to the Presbyterians in Korea. Remember the earth-shaking revival in Shantung. Are those days gone forever? Have we no tears for revival?
LEONARD RAVENHILL
"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." (Ps. 126:5). This is the divine edict. This is more than preaching with zeal. This is more than scholarly exposition. This is more than delivering sermons of exegetical exactitude and homiletical perfection. Such a man, whether preacher or pew dweller, is appalled at the shrinking authority of the Church in the present drama of cruelty in the world. And he cringes with sorrow that men turn a deaf ear to the Gospel and willingly risk eternal hell in the process. Under this complex burden, his heart is crushed to tears.
The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church, grieved at the blindness of the Church, grieved at the corruption in the Church, grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church. He is disturbed that the corporate prayer of the Church no longer pulls down the strongholds of the devil. He is embarrassed that the Church folks no longer cry in their despair before a devil-ridden, sin-mad society, "Why could we not cast him out?" (Matt. 17:19).
Many of us have no heart-sickness for the former glory of the Church because we have never known what true revival is. We stagnate in the status quo and sleep easy at night while our generation moves swiftly to the eternal night of hell. Shame, shame on us! Jesus whipped some money changers out of the temple; but before He whipped them, He wept over them. He knew how near their judgment was The Apostle Paul sent a tear-stained letter to the Philippian saints, writing: "I have told you often and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ" (Phil. 3:18). Notice that he does not say they are enemies of Christ; they are, rather, the enemies of the cross of Christ. They deny or diminish the redemptive values of the cross. There are many like this today. The church of Rome does not stand as an enemy of Christ; it traces heavily on His holy name. Yet it denies the cross by saying that the Blessed Virgin is co-redemptive. If this is so, why was she not also crucified? The Mormons use the name of Christ, yet they are astray on the atonement. Have we tears for them? Shall we face them without a blush when they accuse us of inertia at the Judgment Seat saying that they were our neighbors and an offense to us, but not a burden because they were lost?
The Salvationists can scarcely read their flaming evangelical history without tears. Has the glory of the evangelical revival under Wesley ever gripped the hearts of the Methodists of today? Have they read of the fire-baptized men in Wesley's team? Men like John Nelson, Thomas Walsh, and a host of others whose names are written in the Book of Life; men persecuted and kicked in the streets when they held street meetings? Yet as their blood flowed from their wounds, their tears flowed from their eyes. Have the Holiness people set a guard at the door of the beauty parlors lest any sister should enter to get her hair curled, while a block away there is a string of prostitutes trying to sell their sin-wracked bodies with none to tell them of eternal love? Do the Pentecostals look back with shame as they remember when they dwelt across the theological tracks, but with the glory of the Lord in their midst? When they had a normal church life, which meant nights of prayers, followed by signs and wonders, and diverse miracles, and genuine gifts of the Holy Ghost? When they were not clock watchers, and their meetings lasted for hours, saturated with holy power? Have we no tears for these memories, or shame that our children know nothing of such power? Other denominations had their Glory Days of revival. Think of the mighty visitations to the Presbyterians in Korea. Remember the earth-shaking revival in Shantung. Are those days gone forever? Have we no tears for revival?
LEONARD RAVENHILL
Thursday, March 09, 2006
PRAYING EVEN WHEN THE WORDS DO NOT COME EASILY
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE SO LOW THAT YOU CAN'T FIND THE WORDS TO SAY? SOMETIMES THAT IS WHERE WE ARE AT. WE HAVE BEEN BEAT DOWN SO LOW BY CIRCUMSTANCES AND SITUATIONS THAT WE HAVE JUST ABOUT GIVEN UP. WE ON OCCASION ARE AT THE POINT WHERE WE WISH THAT GOD WOULD TAKE US OUT OF THIS WORLD SO WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO FACE WHAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH. SOME DAYS ALL WE CAN IS CRY, OTHER TIMES WE JUST GIVE OUT GROANS THAT CANNOT BE UTTERED LIKE ROMANS 8 TELLS US. EVERY TIME I AM IN THAT SITUATION I FIND THAT THE LORD IS SO FAITHFUL TO ENABLE ME TO PERSIST AND NOT GIVE UP. HE SUSTAINS AND STRENGTHENS ME. AND THE HOLY SPIRIT BRINGS BACK TO MY MIND THE PROMISES OF GOD THAT SPEAK TO WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH. GOD THE FATHER TRULY RESPONDS AS A FATHER AND IS THERE TO PICK ME UP AND CARRY ME ON. YES, SOMETIMES I FEEL I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY, BUT THOSE HAVE SOME OF THE MOST AMAZING POINTS IN MY LIFE BECAUSE OF HOW THE LORD DOESN'T GIVE UP ON ME. I AM THANKFUL THAT HE IS PATIENT AND LOVING TOWARDS ME. I THANK YOU LORD THAT I CAN APPROACH YOUR THRONE WITH BOLDNESS.
PRAYING EVEN WHEN IT SEEMS TO NOT WORK
IN OUR FAITH WALK, WE ALL SEEM TO GO THROUGH TIMES WHERE OUR PRAYERS SEEM NOT TO WORK. DO WE ABANDON THEM BECAUSE OF THE SEEMING SILENCE THAT ECHOES FROM HEAVEN? OR DO WE PERSIST AND PRESS ON EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS LIKE NOTHING IS HAPPENING? I THINK WE HAVE ALL BEEN AT THAT POINT SEVERAL TIMES IN OUR CHRISTIAN LIVES. LET US NOT FORGET WHO IS ON OUR SIDE, THE GOD OF CREATION, THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE, THE ONE WHO SAID "LET THERE BE LIGHT." WE MUST LET THE CREATIVE POWER OF OUR GOD WORK IN OUR LIVES, EVEN THOUGH LOOKING THROUGH OUR NATURAL EYES IT SEEMS THAT NOTHING IS HAPPENING. WE MUST CONTINUE TO SEEK THE LORD WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND AND HE WILL BE THERE FOR US AND ENABLE US TO NOT GIVE UP, EVEN THOUGH OUR NATURAL MAN IS TELLING US TO GIVE UP. LET US LOOK UNTO JESUS, THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH.
AS CORRIE TEN BOOM SAID, "FAITH SEES THE INVISIBLE, BELIEVES THE UNBELIEVABLE, AND RECEIVES THE IMPOSSIBLE." IF WE COULD ONLY LEARN TO OPERATE WITH THAT KIND OF FAITH IN OUR LIVES, I THINK WE WOULD BE AMAZED AT WHAT THE LORD WOULD ACCOMPLISH THROUGH US IF WE WERE ONLY WILLING TO BE WILLING TO UNDERTAKE WHAT HE DIRECTS US TO DO.
AS CORRIE TEN BOOM SAID, "FAITH SEES THE INVISIBLE, BELIEVES THE UNBELIEVABLE, AND RECEIVES THE IMPOSSIBLE." IF WE COULD ONLY LEARN TO OPERATE WITH THAT KIND OF FAITH IN OUR LIVES, I THINK WE WOULD BE AMAZED AT WHAT THE LORD WOULD ACCOMPLISH THROUGH US IF WE WERE ONLY WILLING TO BE WILLING TO UNDERTAKE WHAT HE DIRECTS US TO DO.
