Help For The Hurting

 HELP FOR THE HURTING

“Jesus wept.” - John 11:35

Death is never a welcome guest at any home. It produces an expression of our rawest emotions. Death leaves scars that remain the rest of our lives. Yes, the pain may subside over time, but the scars remain.

The fact is that none of us are immune to death. If we live any length of time at all, we will face the grim reality that our closest friends and family members are mortal. Sometimes the most difficult reality is facing our own mortality.

Jesus knew about grief. He had a close friend pass away. When Jesus arrived at Bethany, Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days. Jesus ministered to the grieving sisters, Mary and Martha. It was during this visit that our Bible records the shortest verse in Scripture, “Jesus wept.” During our times of grief, it helps to know that our Lord is no stranger to tears. He knows about sorrow and grief.

As we read the story of Lazarus in John chapter 11, we should receive help and comfort, knowing three things are true:

1. JESUS SEES OUR GRIEF

First of all, Jesus sees our grief. He knows about each tear we cry. He knows when we have a broken heart. He is aware of our deepest pain. Our Lord saw the grief of Mary and Martha. He was aware of their pain. He was there for them when they needed Him the most. He is here for us when we face times of tragedy, trials and tears.

2. JESUS SHARES OUR GRIEF

Secondly, Jesus shares our grief. Jesus wept along with Mary and Martha. The psalmist wrote, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” The writer of the book of Hebrews wrote, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Notice that the Lord can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He shares our grief. He is not a cold dictator in heaven. Instead, the Lord cares deeply about His children. He is touched by our tears. The psalmist wrote that God keeps our tears in a bottle. Jesus shares our grief.

3. JESUS SHOWS US GRACE

Finally, Jesus shows us grace. Jesus showed grace to Mary and Martha in their time of grief. Grace is God's unmerited favor. Grace is the mercy and blessings that God freely gives to undeserving people. Jesus showed grace to Mary and Martha by providing them with His presence. He was there for them. He is here for us during our time of grief. He stands by us during our pain. He is there for us when we weep. Others may not be able to help us when we hurt, but the Lord is present. Secondly, He showed them grace by providing them His promise. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” We have this promise today! Jesus performed a miracle that day in raising Lazarus from the dead. But what is a greater miracle, raising a dead person back to life so that he will eventually die a second time … or … raising a person from the dead so they would never die again? The latter is more impressive than the former. A resurrection that brings immortality is the promise that Jesus gives to everyone who believes.

It could be that you are currently going through unspeakable pain and grief. You may be walking the dark valley of loneliness and loss. If so, let me remind you that Jesus sees your grief. He shares your grief. He will show you grace.

Look to the Lord and receive the peace and comfort that only He can provide.

Getting Personal About Revival

 GETTING PERSONAL ABOUT REVIVAL

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” - Psalm 51:10

Have you ever heard yourself sing? I heard a recording of my singing recently and it wasn't nearly as good as I thought. In fact, it sounded awful. I was flattening notes, had a nasal tone, a crackling voice and was getting ahead of the beat. Yet the more I listened to it, the more it grew on me … like a fungus. Yep. It was terrible. Hearing myself sing is like fingernails on a chalkboard. It is an humbling experience. I must have been the one the Lord had in mind when He said, “Make a joyful NOISE...” Even though I never considered myself a good singer, I didn't know I sounded THAT bad! Recordings don't lie, though.

Our lives can be just like my singing. Most people think that things are going well, until they are exposed to the mirror of God's Word. When they see their lives as God sees them, they realize how bad things really are. That is why we need good Biblical preaching, so we can discover the truth and seek the help we desperately need.

The reason most people aren't passionate about revival is that they don't think they need it. They think that revival is for others. Revival is for the church drop-out or the “carnal” church member. They think they are doing fine. They don't need some meddling preacher interfering with the smooth life they're enjoying. Yet such people need revival the most.

Revival is a personal matter. Yes, we are praying for revival at the church. We are yearning to see believers ignited with a spiritual passion once more. Yet revival really starts with you. It starts with me. God works on each of us individually. A personal response is required. It is possible to see your church experience revival while you remain cold and indifferent. It is possible to see others feast at the table of grace while you remain hungry. It is one thing to be an observer, it is another thing to be a participant.

The key is to simply get alone with God and His Word. It is important to set aside quality time to meet with the Lord. In the solitude of those moments, the Lord uses His Word to do a deep work in our hearts. More than likely, there is more work required than you realize. This requires a depth of humility that few are willing to offer. Most would rather have a band-aid approach to life, a quick, superficial solution to their problems. That's why most people will never experience true revival. They are satisfied with their situation and only seek a slight improvement of things so they can maintain their level of comfort.

Personal revival can be messy and unnerving. When God exposes layers of deceit and sin, it can be painful. Acts of repentance are humbling and difficult. The result, however, is an intimate walk with God that few enjoy.

David's repentance is a classic example of personal revival. When he was confronted with his guilt, David prayed for mercy. Psalm 51 is his prayer of repentance. Among the things he prayed for, David asked, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” He didn't pray for better circumstances, he prayed for a clean heart. We tend to pray about our problems when the greater need is for us to be cleansed and brought closer to God. We need cleansing on a regular basis. You take a shower (or bath) more than once a year, don't you? You take a shower on a regular basis because you need it!

Most Christians think they only need a spiritual cleansing at conversion. Certainly God cleanses us at conversion. Yet as believers, we need to take a spiritual bath regularly. The dirt and grime of the world tends to stick to us. Additionally, our own sins and bad decisions bring additional stains that require cleansing. Think of personal revival as a special time of cleansing and renewal.

How long has it been since you had a heart-to-heart chat with the Lord and specifically addressed the sins of your life? It is possible for others to see the dirt in your life while you remain blind to it. Certainly, God is acutely aware of it all.

Yes, it was a shocking revelation to hear my voice on a recording. There's not much hope that I can improve my singing ability very much. However, as God shows us the dirt and junk in our lives, it is possible for this to be changed. Yet it requires our willingness, surrender and obedience.

I can't force others to repent. Neither can I produce revival at my own church. But there is one thing I can do. By God's grace, and with His help, I can experience revival in my own life. I won't be satisfied with anything less.

What about you?

Awakening Or Revival?

AWAKENING OR REVIVAL?

“Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city." - Acts 8:4-8

When Philip preached in Samaria, great things happened. People heard and heeded the Word. Lives were changed. Miracles took place. The Scripture states, “And there was great joy in that city.” Wow!

What if this happened in your hometown? What if it happened to an entire region or country? Actually, that is exactly what we need. While others seek political or social change, I am praying for a spiritual change to take place here in my region … and right here in the United States.

Do we need a revival or an awakening? The answer is that we need both. There is a difference between a revival and an awakening. A revival is a divine move of God among His people, typically at a local church. An awakening is a wide-spread move of God bringing many sinners to saving faith in Christ.

The colonies actually enjoyed a spiritual awakening in the 1730's and 1740's. Historians refer to it as the Great Awakening. God used the preaching of men like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield to reach thousands of souls with the Gospel. A second Great Awakening occurred around 1800 and a third in the 1850's.

Our churches need a fresh move of God. We need revival. Typically, genuine revival produces mass evangelism which often results in an awakening. A revival that never penetrates the four walls of a local church will never last and it is questionable whether it is really revival at all.

When churches experience revival, refreshed believers boldly take the Gospel into the community and beyond. The same Spirit who brings revival also fuels revived believers into becoming effective evangelists. When the community and region gets stirred by the Gospel, the local churches are invigorated by this, causing revival to continue.

We need revival in our churches. We need an awakening in our communities, our region, our nation and across the world. The United States used to be the greatest missionary-sending country in the world. Now we've become one of the largest mission fields. When Christians experience revival, they realize that they are missionaries right where they are. Homes, communities and workplaces are ripe harvest fields in dire of need of missionaries like us. May God raise up an army of believers to penetrate this world with the Gospel!

A genuine revival is rare these days. Our nation has not seen a spiritual awakening in my lifetime. We need both a revival and an awakening.

I want to see revival in my lifetime. I long to see a spiritual awakening occur in this nation. I am tired of the status quo. I am frustrated with the spiritual apathy that is prevalent in America. I am sick of seeing churches compromise with the world rather than impacting the world. I am saddened to see so many churches closing their doors. It is heartbreaking to realize that over 150,000 people die daily, many of them without Christ. Meanwhile most church members seem to be playing games at the foot of the cross.

Our problems are obvious to see, but the solution requires a miracle. The only hope for this world's woes is the person of Jesus Christ. Only He can revive our churches. God is the only One who can take lukewarm church members and set them aflame with revival. It takes a mighty move of God to revive the cold churches in our communities. This is something we can't produce. Only God can provide it. It begins with people like you and me. We need to get serious about spiritual matters and seek God passionately for revival and an awakening.

Today is a good day to begin.

Ruin Or Revival

 RUIN OR REVIVAL

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” - Isaiah 5:20

Our world is in a mess. The news headlines remind us of this fact every day. It would not be an understatement to say that our nation is facing judgment because she has embraced, encouraged and endorsed sin. Isaiah wrote, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil.” Sadly, that describes our nation today. Notice that God declares “woe” unto such people.

In the Old Testament, prophets were given the unpleasant task of preaching a message of judgment to nations. Israel was not exempt from the message of doom. As a result, God-ordained prophets were abused and tortured because of their faithfulness in preaching God's message. In spite of the “positive message” from false prophets, the prophecy of judgment actually occurred.

I am not a prophet or the son of a prophet. However, it is my firm belief that there is no political solution to our nation's spiral descent into destruction. Apart from a miracle of God's grace, our nation is doomed.

There are many “feel-good,” preachers who, like the false prophets of old, refuse to warn of bad news. While it is true that the Christian message is good news, it can only be fully appreciated in the light of the bad news. Only when unbelievers realize their guilt before a holy God will they really appreciate the cross and God's marvelous gift of eternal life.

Although we are commanded to spread the Gospel, our message does not negate the reality of judgment. When a nation proudly follows the path of Sodom and Gomorrah, the same judgment that fell on those two cities will certainly come to such a nation that embraces their sin.

There is only one hope for America. Only one. The people of America need to honestly admit their guilt and desperately seek God for mercy. Is this possible? Let me give you an example of a city that did this. Nineveh was an evil, wicked city. God sent Jonah to preach to them. His message was not a self-improvement, self-motivation sermon. Instead, he preached the message that God gave him. In forty days, Nineveh would be destroyed.

Surprisingly, this wicked city believed the message and repented, including the king! As a result, God had mercy and spared them.

This story gives me hope for our land. We need more preachers to preach the uncompromising truth of Scripture. We need to get serious about our situation. Let me put it bluntly. We are in a desperate situation … yet the American church seems oblivious to this fact.

I invite you to join with me in doing three things:

1. PRAY

If these are desperate times, we need to act like desperate people. We need to pray for America. We used to sing, “God bless America,” but she is not on blessing grounds today. Instead, we should pray, “God have mercy on America.” Pray for the American church to be revived. Intercede on behalf of the lukewarm church members. Pray for a mighty spiritual awakening to come to our nation. Pray for our leaders. If the king of Nineveh could repent, so can our leaders. We need to pray desperately because this is a desperate situation.

2. PREACH

Next, we need to faithfully proclaim the Gospel. Warn sinners to flee from the wrath to come. We need to point lost souls to Jesus. People need to hear the truth. There is good news and we need to spread it. If Christians got serious about sharing the Gospel, God would change this country! Lester Roloff once said, “If you want to save America, get America saved.”

3. PREPARE

As we pray and preach, we should expect a hostile response from the devil. Prepare for spiritual warfare. Put on the whole armor of God each day. Stand on the promises of God. America is worth fighting for. Souls are worth fighting for. As Christians, we fight on our knees, fighting spiritual battles with spiritual weapons. We shouldn't be surprised when persecution comes. The devil is a dirty fighter. We can't afford to get complacent or lazy. Too much is at stake.

I'm not giving up on America. Yet it may be that I'll never see a spiritual awakening in my lifetime. Perhaps America has gone too far. At the very least, I want to go to my grave fighting against the devil every step of the way. I want to finish well, living for the glory of God, preaching the Gospel and winning souls. Or as the late evangelist, Bill Stafford once put it, “I want to die with my boots on.”

What about you?

Revive Us Again

REVIVE US AGAIN

“Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” - Psalm 85:6

I confess that I love old hymns. While I enjoy new songs, I also have a passion to keep hymns alive in the church. Someone once said that a good hymn is theology set to music. I couldn't agree more! Recently, the congregation at our church sang this grand old hymn:

Revive us again,

Fill each heart with Thy love;

May each soul be rekindled,

With fire from above!

If there has ever been a time that revival is needed in the America church, it is right now. We need a fresh move of the Spirit in congregations across our land. There is a dire need for God to do a mighty work in our hearts and lives. The Church should be making a powerful difference in our world. Instead, the world is making a woeful difference in our churches.

We need something more than paved parking lots, new choir robes and the latest programs. We need the power of God like never before.

There are many signs that indicate our desperate situation. When we consider facts like decreasing church attendance, increased heresy, the high divorce rate among believers, hypocrisy in churches, and apostasy that is so rampant, we know that revival is needed today.

In this message, I want to be crystal clear about revival. First of all, we are going to consider what revival is not, then we explore what revival really is.

1. WHAT REVIVAL IS NOT

There are many misunderstandings about revival. Most church members have a wrong concept about revival.

First of all, revival is not about extra meetings. Sure, you can dedicate a series of weeknight services and call it revival, but that does not guarantee that revival will arrive that week. For many people, “revival meetings,” are just extra church services and nothing more.

Secondly, revival is not primarily about conversions. Obviously, evangelism is highly important, but it is not revival. Most churches “schedule,” a revival with the desire of seeing souls saved during the special services. They want to see numerical growth. Some believe that scheduling revival services is the quick way to gain new members. If conversions do not occur during a series of “revival” services, some think that the extra services were a failure. While it is true that conversions are the often the result of revival, revival is not primarily about seeing souls saved.

2. WHAT REVIVAL IS

Revival is about God's people getting right with Him. Revival is about seeing Christians repent of worldliness, sin and compromise. Revival is a sovereign move of God among His people, drawing them closer to Him. Revival is a season of refreshing, the downpour of God's mercy on the dry, parched church. We need revival showers to sweep away our spiritual drought.

Real revival changes lives. If you want to have revival, but also maintain the status quo, you misunderstand what revival is all about. Revival is all about change. Our churches have too many Pharisees who look for others to change, but never seek to change themselves. Revival is about God changing me.

Revival begins on an individual basis, but spreads like fire. Oh, that our lives, families and churches were engulfed with revival fire today!

When revival comes, apathetic believers are set ablaze with spiritual passion. When revival arrives, the church become evangelistic (and yes, this leads to the salvation of souls). Revival brings renewed desire for holy living. Revival leads people into deeper levels of obedience and love. As Vance Havner once put it, “A revival is the church falling in love with Jesus Christ all over again.”

Be aware of this. An evangelist cannot produce revival. A genuine revival cannot be organized. Revival is a move of God. It is a divine work that only He can do. However, we can pray and prepare for revival. We should present ourselves to the Lord as candidates for revival. G. Campbell Morgan once said, “We cannot organize revival, but we can set our sails to catch the wind from Heaven when God chooses to blow upon His people once again. ”

Set your sails today. Perhaps the breeze of revival may come our way today!

Kill The Snake

 KILL THE SNAKE

“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” - Romans 8:13

I was cutting weeds with my weedeater recently, when I noticed something moving where I had just been cutting. I looked back and saw the back half of a copperhead snake slithering away. He darted back in an area where I couldn't reach him. I wish I could have killed it. I hate snakes!

Evangelist Billy Sunday once said, “One reason that sin flourishes is that it is treated like a cream puff instead of a rattlesnake.” He is right. Sin is very much like a poisonous snake. First of all, like a snake, sin is deceptive. Most snakes blend in with their surrounding, making it difficult to spot them. Secondly, like the pit vipers here in the mountains where I live, sin is deadly. Copperheads and rattlesnakes are dangerous vipers and should be treated seriously.

One of the reasons the American church lacks power is because of sin. Sin is condoned. Sin is excused. Professing believers practice secret sin and then pretend to be spiritual on Sunday. One sign of genuine revival is the repentance of God's people. These days, most church members expect sinners to repent, but they never intend to do so themselves.

It is one thing to encounter a pit viper in nature, it is another thing to deliberately bring one into your own home. When we allow sin to continue in our lives, we've unleashed a pit viper in our lives.

If a man is home with his family and sees a copperhead snake move behind a couch, does the man simply lean back in his recliner and say, “Out of sight, out of mind”? Does he wishfully hope that the snake will find its way out of the house? Absolutely not! For the sake of his family's health, as well as his own, he will do everything possible to locate and remove the dangerous reptile right then. He won't go to bed until the snake is gone.

That is how we should deal with sin. Paul wrote, “... if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” The “deeds of the body,” that Paul writes about are sinful deeds. The word, “mortify,” means to kill or slay. As Puritan John Owen once wrote, “Be killing sin or sin will be killing you.”

Is there a sinful snake on the loose in your life? Be assured that you, your family and others will be harmed. Perhaps there is a whole den of snakes on the loose in your life. How do we exterminate the snakes of sin?

1. ENACT A HEALTHY FEAR

I have a healthy fear of snakes. I don't faint or panic when I see one, but I am acutely aware of the danger. When it comes to sin, we tend to underestimate the power of sin and overestimate our ability to deal with it. We need to understand the nature of sin. We should treat sin seriously. Furthermore, we should hate sin. We should hate sin just like we hate snakes. Jesus was commended by His Father because He loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Let's do the same.

Furthermore, we need a healthy fear of God. The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. These days, there aren't many sermons about fearing God. Perhaps that is why our churches are in a mess. People don't fear God like they should. The writer of the book of Hebrews said, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” When we fear God, we tend to treat sin seriously.

2. EMPLOY A HELPING FRIEND

In some areas, snake infestation requires the aid of an animal control specialist. Well, we have a specialist who can help us get rid of the snakes of sin. Our text says, “but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” Notice this is “through the Spirit,” that the deeds of the body are put to death. You and I are not able to rid ourselves of the snakes. We need a professional. The Spirit is our helper. He is our friend. A sword can easily sever the head of a snake. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. It is the weapon that Jesus used on the mount of temptation. Let's use it ourselves and watch this sword slay the serpents in our lives.

3. EMBRACE A HOLY FUTURE

Snakes reside where there is food. If you keep the grass and weeds trimmed, snakes tend to stay away. Snakes enjoy devouring mice and ground squirrels. They love blackberry vines, where small birds come to dine. Clean up the area and you often rid yourself of snakes. The same is true of our lives. Come to the Lord and experience His cleansing. Cooperate in the sanctification process. Keep your heart and mind clean. The snakes will have a harder time entering a clean area. Get clean and stay clean.

We need to treat sin seriously. We need to go into attack-mode and take drastic action. If you found a rattlesnake in your home, you'd take drastic action, wouldn't you? That's how you need to respond to sin.

Take drastic action.  By the power of the Spirit, kill the snake of sin!

What's Happened To Our Singing?

WHAT'S HAPPENED TO OUR SINGING?

“How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?” - Psalm 137:4

Whatever happened to congregational singing in our churches? Occasionally, you'll find a church with lively singing, but most churches have anemic congregational singing. Musical accompaniment can easily drown out the voices of the congregation because so few are singing. Why is that?

You'd think that Christians would be excited and thrilled at the opportunity to sing. We have a reason to sing! When we got saved, the Lord placed a song in our hearts. In Psalm 40, the psalmist wrote, “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.” When God delivers you, there is an overwhelming desire to sing about it!

Sadly, this is missing in our churches. Why has the singing diminished so much?

Part of the problem is the consumer mindset that many members have. They don't come to participate, but receive. They tend to judge a service by what they get out of it. They want others to sing to them. They want to be entertained. They want the message to be short, yet inspiring. They want to leave feeling better about their lives. Of course, that is not how church is meant to be. As believers, we should gather to worship. We are not there to worship ourselves, but God. As such, it is not what we get out of the service, but what we put into the service that matters.

I think there is another issue that is keeping people from singing. It mirrors the problem Israel had when they were in Babylon. Their captors requested that the Jews sing one of the “songs of Zion.” Instead, the captives responded, “How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?” Like the Jews, many in our churches won't sing because they no longer have a song. The devil has robbed many Christians of their song. Do this describe your life?

When Israel was in Babylon, they had no song to sing. Today, the Babylon of our sinful society has infiltrated the lives of believers, robbing them of their song. It is good to get Christians out of Babylon. It is even better to get Babylon out of Christians.

King David was a musician and songwriter. Yet there came a time when he lost his song. In Psalm 51, he prayed, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.” He had lost his song. Let us learn a lesson from David. The only One who can restore a song is the One who gave it in the first place. Instead of trying to work up a song, cast yourself before God and ask Him to restore your song. Don't be content with a life void of heavenly music. Don't moan the blues when you could be singing the songs of Zion. Seek the Lord above for the song you've lost.

For the captive Jews, they couldn't sing a note when they were far from home. Brethren, this world is not our home. We have a home not made with hands. When we get home, we will participate in the greatest concert ever. I don't have much of a singing voice here, but I will over there. Heaven will be a place of glorious music. We will sing for an audience of One. Our voices will never tire. Our joy will be complete. Every believer will have a song. A song of love. A song of praise. I can't imagine how great the singing will sound over there. It is exciting to know that I'll get to join in the singing!

I think it is time to emphasize singing once more! This is one thing we can do on earth that we will get to do in heaven. Let's consider this life our practice session. The One we will sing to in heaven presently enjoys our praise here on earth.

So let's praise Him in song!