THE HOME STRETCH ... ARE YOU READY FOR IT?

                                         THE HOME STRETCH!
                  ARE YOU READY FOR IT?

I write today because my heart carries a heavy burden. I will be brief and straight to the point.

We are in the home stretch now. I believe you and I are the generation that will see the coming of the Lord. For some, that is a glorious thing, but for the vast majority, that should be the most frightening thing that could be said because they are not ready for what is about to take place in America.

Eschatologically, I lean toward the pretribulation rapture doctrine. This is the idea that the church will be called out of this world into heaven with Christ before the last 7 year period of tribulation and wrath described by Daniel and John the Revelator happens. But this doctrine has seemingly caused men to rest, to be at ease in Zion. They seem to think that nothing tragic can happen in this country. That we will live life in the fast lane and be raptured out of our paradise into God's paradise. This merely reflects the image of their spiritual condition: loose, fast, and not concerned with the eternal. 2000 years ago our Christ told us to lift our heads, watching and praying for His coming, that we would not enter into temptation! Paul, John, and James wrote in a manner that lets us know that they were expecting the Lord to return at anytime, but the vast majority of people today are not watching and praying for His coming. They are so consumed and have such a love affair with this world, they are probably just a little disappointed with the idea of heaven and being with Christ for eternity.

Please, read the words of the Apostle Paul:

2Ti 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE HIS APPEARING. (stress added by author) 

I want to warn you, if you are not loving, looking, and praying for His appearing, you will be caught off guard. The crown is laid up exclusively for those that "love His appearing".

A dear friend of mine, a very humble man of God, told me the following occurrence. He was staying at a church that had an evangelist's quarters and was sleeping there instead of his RV. About two or three that morning, the Spirit woke him, impressing upon his heart the need to go out to his RV and pray. As he knelt, the Spirit came upon him--he was not sure if it was a dream or a vision. When he came to himself, he heard the voice of the Lord saying, "The church is not ready for what is coming upon America".

For years, David Wilkerson (founder of Teen Challenge) prophesied of a horrid calamity that will come upon America. The following is a quote from one of those prophesies:

"AN EARTH-SHATTERING CALAMITY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. IT IS GOING TO BE SO FRIGHTENING, WE ARE ALL GOING TO TREMBLE - EVEN THE GODLIEST AMONG US. For ten years I have been warning about a thousand fires coming to New York City. It will engulf the whole megaplex, including areas of New Jersey and Connecticut. Major cities all across America will experience riots and blazing fires—such as we saw in Watts, Los Angeles, years ago. There will be riots and fires in cities worldwide. There will be looting—including Times Square, New York City. What we are experiencing now is not a recession, not even a depression. We are under God’s wrath."

Not too long ago, I read a report that Porter Stansberry, founder of Stansberry and Associates Investment Research firm (one of the world's largest), put together (www.endofamerica22.com). He warned investors to avoid Fannie and Freddie, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, and General Motors years before each of them went bankrupt. Their research firm also, with pinpoint accuracy, predicted the financial crisis of 2008. Stansberry is now predicting a complete financial collapse of the United States monetary system. He is predicting that looting and rioting will take place in major cities. He believes there will be arrests on an unprecedented scale, and marshal law, enforced by the U.S. military. We will be taken back to the horse and buggy days!

In light of the economic crisis we already face, it is estimated that over 1,000 banks will close over the next two years (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHhewdxQ6CY). Marc Faber, author of the Gloom, Boom and Doom told CNBC on Tuesday, he foresaw the stock market going into meltdown soon and expects stocks to lose 20 percent of their value (http://www.cnbc.com/id/49802535). The financial collapse appears to be already happening.

These are just a couple of the many predictions and/or prophesies that have been given concerning America over the past few years.

Brothers and sisters, I am nothing. I am a nobody straight out of no where, but I must warn you. A very dark and trying time is coming upon this country. A day like we've never seen before and 99% of the church is not ready for it; they will be caught off guard.

It will require more than living an external standard of Christianity. It will require more than going to church and shouting and dancing and leaping in the aisles. We must repent of our sins. We must put off the world. We must come out from among it and be separate (2Co 6:17). We must burn the mid-night oil. We must fast like never before. We must pray that God rend the heavens and come down. We must see revival. Preachers, you must become the gospel you preach! You must be the man of God!

It is possible that we could be approaching one of the greatest moves of God this country has every seen! Where sin abounds the grace of God will abound even more! But it isn't going to come through the prayerless, lukewarm Church! The church must be on fire!
God bless you.

David Lamb, Sr. Pastor of Revival Tabernacle of Richmond, KY

THE CHURCH NEEDS TO TAKE HER PLACE

THE CHURCH NEEDS TO TAKE HER PLACE

I laid down last night with perfect peace of mind. The overwhelming feeling that this country has reached a condition that is amazingly ripe for REVIVAL has overtaken me more so than ever before. The darker the night the brighter the light will shine. AMERICA is the greatest country in the world, but she is wicked. Sin dances in the streets and the "saints" hide in the corner of the church. 


Homosexuals put on massive parades and celebrate their "pride" in every major city in the country and the "saints" hide in the corner of the church ashamed to speak the name of Christ. Men who have no prayer life want to discuss how this election has destroyed our country. NO! Prayer-less, burden-less, worldly minded "Christians" are destroying this country! Men who would rather talk about the darkness and never build fires are destroying this country! Silence is destroying this country! A church that is more interested in being entertained than changing the world is destroying this country! I want REVIVAL! WE CAN HAVE REVIVAL, BUT IT WON'T COME WITHOUT US PAYING THE PRICE!

In 2Ch 7:14, God said, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." PRAYER, RIGHT LIVING AND EVANGELISM WILL MOVE THE HAND OF GOD! THE HAND OF GOD CAN MOVE THIS COUNTRY! -- Pastor Lamb

A BURNT OUT MINISTER IS IRRELEVANT

A BURNT OUT MINISTER IS IRRELEVANT

I've been reading staggering statistics about clergy burnout. Statistics revealing how depression, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are incredibly high among clerics. Did you know the life expectancy of a minister is much lower than the average person? 1,500 clerics leave the ministry every month. Why? I know what some will say, "They're hirelings. They don't pray. They don't love God. Etc." I'm sure that's true way too often, but that's not always the case. And those that readily say such things usually aren't pastors or, if they are, have a congregation of 8 people.

We are living in a different world than the men of old. Did you ever consider the fact that John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, Charles Finney, G. Whitefield, J. Edwards, Praying Hyde, General Booth, David Brainerd, Livingstone, Seymour, McCheynne, A. B. Simpson, etc didn't have access to phones, planes, cars, internet, email, text messaging, etc? If the congregation got a hold of them it was on Sunday or via horse and buggy. And if your preacher was a circuit rider ... you DIDN'T get a hold of him.

They didn't have to compete with cell phones, ipads, ipods, television, radio, internet, Hollywood, etc. People weren't gospel hardened and entertained to death. People didn't expect the preacher to cater to their every whim because they couldn't cater to their every whim. I compare that with a hundred phone calls and text messages a week (literally), hundreds of emails and Facebook messages, and the continuous expectations of the clergy being at all places at all times thanks to speedy vehicles. Today's pastor is on call 24/7! And because of today's technology, the pressure to perform is crazy. John Wesley attributed his long life to taking naps as often as he needed. (If today's cleric takes a nap someone rings the door bell and accuses them of being lazy and sleeping all day.)

But, concerning the men of old, they had revival and we, for the most part, do not. They spent most of their time praying, reading, and preaching. Their greatest stress came from wrestling with God, not men.

They understood that the church belonged to God, not them. They understood that counseling can never take the place of the unadulterated preached Word. They understood that the hard hearted and stubborn laity sitting in the pews were lost and in need of conversion and not to be reckoned as church bosses.

Let's spend more time in prayer and the Word, talking to God about men; and less time answering text messages and counseling people to do what we've told them a hundred times from the pulpit.

If you're tired, sleep. If you're on the verge of burning out, shut your phone off, take a few days off, spend time with God and your family. Learn how to say "NO".

Don't let your wife suffer because you're ministering to another man's wife and don't have time for her. Don't lose your kids trying to save other peoples kids. If you burn out you will wreck yourself and then be irrelevant anyway.

Don't allow anyone to push you beyond your capacity. And ... remember it all belongs to God. He's the husbandman. Let the divine stay up all night. Let the omnipresent be every where at all times. Let Him be responsible for HIS church. You? Just do what you can. 

Pastor David Lamb of Richmond, Ky