The Power of Obedience

"Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late - and how little revival has resulted? I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it simply will not work.  To pray for revival while ignoring the plain precept laid down in Scripture is to waste a lot of words and get nothing for our trouble. Prayer will become effective when we stop using it as a substitute for obedience." - A. W. Tozer

"A revival is nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God." -Charles Finney
 

Enemy of God

What part of James 4:4 don't we understand?

"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."  (NIV)

"You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God." (NLT)

"Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."  (NKJV)

"You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way." (The Message)

No matter how you say it, God's people and His church are committing adultery with the world. Do we think that God is just going to sit back and allow that? It's hard for me to imagine that God is looking the other way. He sees it all. It is time for repentance in our personal lives and especially in the life of the church. By engaging in questionable activities, the church is leading many away from God and into sin. There will be a price to pay!

Interfering with the Holy Spirit

"Do not quench the Spirit."  1Thessalonians 5:19

Have you, or someone you know, ever tried to comfort a person who was under conviction by the Holy Spirit?  Maybe you said something like this:" You don't have to feel bad--God has forgiven you." Maybe you've even heard a pastor say a similar thing during a time of invitation. Our natural inclination is to comfort them--it's uncomfortable seeing someone in distress--but is that the godly response? It's the Holy Spirit's job to convict people of their sin. He is doing His work, who are we to interfere? Many times, when we try to stop people from hurting, we quench the work of the Spirit in their lives. God cannot bring revival without true repentance. We need to get out of the way.

Idols II

"Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty."  Zechariah 4:6 (NIV)

"If revival is being withheld from us it is because some idol remains still enthroned; because we still insist in placing our reliance in human schemes; because we still refuse to face the unchangeable truth that, 'It is not by might, but by My Spirit."  These words were spoken by Canadian missionary, Jonathan Goforth who, in the early 1900's, brought a great revival to northern China. They could not be more true today. Our idol can be our own self-reliance, our confidence that we can make things happen.

Why is it we would rather do almost anything than pray? Let us organize a meeting, write a "how to" manual, preach a fiery sermon--anything but pray! Prayer is humbling--we come to God acknowledging that He has the power, not us. It means relying on the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work, rather than our own capabilities. We usually have to wait for results and we DO NOT like to wait. In our culture, waiting is synonymous with doing nothing, yet God teaches us in times of waiting. In the spiritual realm, it's prayer that moves the hand of God.

Idols

 "Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the LORD will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.' Therefore say to the people of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!"  Ezekiel 14:4-6 (NIV)

What does it mean to have idols in your heart? It means that there are things in your life that you love more than you love God. Many of us are not even aware of them--what or who could we possibly love more than God? They have become such a part of our life that we don't see they are in direct competition with God for our time and affections. Sports, shopping, children, grandchildren--all seem like good things until you have to choose between them or God. If God has asked you to do something and you repeatedly put Him off to do other things, chances are you are an idol worshipper. If we worship something or someone other than God, we will obey that call rather than the call of God.
As we pray for revival, God wants us to be totally set apart for His purposes--this leaves no room for idols. Ask God to show you the things that compete with His call on your life. Make a list. Add to that list as The Lord shows you. If we will allow Him, God will help us to turn from our idols and turn back to Him.
"If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them."  James 4:17 (NIV)

Whitewashed

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."  Matthew 23:27 (NIV)

Hypocrites! Jesus exposed the very people that should have been set apart for God. They looked good on the outside, they knew how to act the part. But the one who searches the hearts of men could see right through them and it wasn't pretty.  Could he be talking about us? Are we guilty of trying to appear better than we really are? Do we spend most of our time trying to make ourselves look good to others when the part of us that really matters, our heart, is "full of hypocrisy and wickedness"?  How can we expect God to answer our prayers for revival under such conditions? 1Samuel 16:7 says," man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." He is one person we can't fool!

God's Perspective on World Affairs

"The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you.  Psalm 33:10-22 (NIV)

Understanding the Times

Wisdom from Vance Havner:
"The children of Issachar had understanding of the times and knew what Israel ought to do (I Chronicles 12:32). With all the news media of today there is plenty of knowledge of the times, but little understanding. Such understanding will not be gained from news analysts and political experts. It must be based on God’s Word and it produces a practical knowledge of what “Israel,” God’s people, ought to do. We must know the times, we must understand them, and we must know what to do."

Pray Like Daniel

"I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: "O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke on your authority to our kings and princes and ancestors and to all the people of the land."
"Lord, you are in the right; but as you see, our faces are covered with shame...O LORD, we and our kings, princes, and ancestors are covered with shame because we have sinned against you."
"But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him. We have not obeyed the LORD our God, for we have not followed the instructions he gave us through his servants the prophets."
"O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and your city bear your name." Daniel 9:4-10,19 (NLT)

Wrath and Mercy

"LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy."  Habakkuk 3:2 (NIV)

Throughout the Bible, we read of the mighty works of God on behalf of His people. He didn't stop there, however. More recently, the great revivals of the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries have been well documented. God still lives and moves among His people. He tells us in the Book of James that "the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." As in the day of Habakkuk, God's people today deserve wrath. But we can also pray like Habakkuk, that in His wrath, He will remember mercy.

I Never Knew You

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV)

These may very well be the saddest verses in the New Testament. Some of us, some of our loved ones, are deceived in believing that we are in right standing with Jesus--the one to whom we must one day give an account. There are people who call Him "Lord" who will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Maybe you sit next to them in church on Sunday. Some have even prophesied and done miracles in His name--but that does not guarantee their salvation. What is the evidence of an authentic relationship with Jesus? Our obedience says that we know Him, and are known by Him.  Read what God says through Jeremiah:

"Thus says the LORD: 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;  let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.  Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NKJV)

The Middle Road

"There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death."  Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV)

It seems that there has been an oversight. God forgot to mention, in the book of Matthew, that there is another road that people can travel. If the narrow road is too confining, but you're just not comfortable on that broad road, try the middle road. You can learn all about it in this brief video from Francis Chan.

 http://youtu.be/ZQj6rEvQb44

The Narrow Road

"But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."  Matthew 7:14 (NIV)

This statement scares me. Most people in this world, it seems, are not interested in finding the narrow road that leads to life--they prefer that broad, comfortable road that leads to destruction. Why is that--what's wrong with the narrow road? For one thing, it must take some work to locate it because only a few "find it". Once you get there, you have to stay on the path--there's no room for wiggling or wandering off-- God wants you to follow His directions. It can be a lonely path--there is no large crowd of travelers sharing the journey-- but you are never alone because the One who cleared the path is walking with you.

The Broad Road

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." Matthew 7:13 (NIV)

God says we have two choices in this world--two roads that we can follow--which way do we go? Even though He tells us up front which road to choose, the wide gate is still the popular choice. Why is that? There's lots of company on that road--many have chosen to travel on the broad road. It's easy to just follow the crowd. You're not confined on the broad road--plenty of room for every belief and philosophy of life. There's lots of freedom--everyone is pursuing their own selfish desires--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
If you find yourself wandering aimlessly with a large crowd of people, you might want to check your GPS.You won't find God on the broad road--He doesn't go there and He doesn't want you to go there either, because it leads to destruction.

Light in the Darkness

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them." 1John 2:15 (NIV)

Whether it's gross disobedience or incomplete obedience, it's still sin. These sins--big and small-- keep us (and the church) from being effective in today's world. Jesus said we are to be in the world, but not of it. We are to be the light in a world that is getting darker and darker. To be holy is to be set apart for God's purpose. If we have the same appetites and desires as the world, we have nothing to give. People need to see something different about us--that we love God enough to follow Him and obey Him--that we do not love the world or the things of the world. We find our satisfaction in Him. Most of the people today are trying to fill an empty place in their heart with things, and things never satisfy. We can show them the better way.

Day of Prayer

Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation:

"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
 We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from sin and Set us free.
Please. Come back and rule our nation, be number one in our nation.
Amen!'

Partial Obedience

"Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa's heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life."

 2Chronicles 15:17 (NIV)

Asa's obedience to God was almost perfect, but not quite. He failed to tear down the places of idol worship that had been used by previous kings. Our obedience matters to God--it should be instant and complete. In My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers put it this way:

"Beware of ever thinking, "Oh, that thing in my life doesn't matter much." The fact that it doesn't matter much to you may mean that it matters a great deal to God. Nothing should be considered a trivial matter by a child of God...You say, 'I know I am right with God--yet the "high places" still remain in your life. There is still an area of disobedience. Do you protest that your heart is right with God, and yet there is something in your life he causes you to doubt?"