Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
WHEN GOD STEPPED DOWN (THE HEBRIDES REVIVAL)
In the year 1949, in a small cottage by the roadside in the village of Barvas, there lived two elderly women, Peggy and Christine Smith. They were eighty-four and eighty-two years old. Peggy was blind and her sister was almost bent double with arthritis in her back. Unable to attend public worship, their humble cottage became a sanctuary where they met with God. To them came the promise: "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground," they pleaded this day and night in prayer. One night Peggy had a revelation, revival was coming and the church of her fathers would be crowded again with young people! She sent for the minister, the Rev. James Murray MacKay, and told him what God had shown her, asking him to call his elders and deacons together for special times of waiting upon God. In the same district, a group of men praying in a barn experienced a foretaste of coming blessing. One night as they waited upon God a young deacon rose and read part of the twenty-fourth Psalm: "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord." Turning to the others he said: "Brethren, it seems to me just so much humbug to be waiting and praying as we are, if we ourselves are not rightly related to God." Then lifting his hands toward heaven he cried: "Oh God, are my hands clean? Is my heart pure?" He got no further, but fell prostrate to the floor. An awareness of God filled the barn and a stream of supernatural power was let lose in their lives. They had moved into a new sphere of God realization, believing implicitly in the promise of revival.
When the movement was at its height, Peggy sent for Duncan Campbell, asking him to go to a small, isolated village to hold a meeting. The people of this village did not favor the revival and had already made clear they weren't getting involved. Duncan explained the situation to Peggy and told her that he questioned the wisdom of her request. "Besides," he added, "I have no leadings to go to that place." She turned in the direction of his voice, her sightless eyes seemed to penetrate his soul: "Mr. Campbell, if you were living as near to God as you ought to be, He would reveal His secrets to you also." Duncan felt like a subordinate being reprimanded for defying his general. He humbly accepted the rebuke as from the Lord and asked if he and Mr. MacKay could spend the morning in prayer with them. She agreed, and later as they knelt together in the cottage, Peggy prayed: "Lord, You remember what You told me this morning, that in this village You are going to save seven men who will become pillars in the church of my fathers. Lord, I have given Your message to Mr. Campbell and it seems he is not prepared to receive it. Oh Lord, give him wisdom, because he badly needs it!" "All right, Peggy, I'll go to the village," said Duncan when they had finished praying. She replied, "You'd better! And God will give you a congregation." Arriving in the village at seven o'clock they found a large bungalow crowded to capacity with many assembled outside. Duncan gave out his text: "The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent." When he had finished preaching, a minister beckoned him to the end of the house to speak again to a number of people who were mourning over their sins: among them, Peggy's seven men!
Duncan Campbell said there was as many as six-hundred at the church when he went back that night. He struggled getting to the pulpit because of the vast numbers of people at the altar and in the floor laying prostrate weeping out to God. Someone came to him telling him that there were about two-hundred or so at the jail, looking for someone to explain the terrible feeling of conviction that had overwhelmed them. Over a hundred had bolted out of a dance because of the power of God. And you must remember there was no advertisement of what was going on (no radio, newspaper, internet, phone, etc.); people just came. There was no explanation for what was going on, other than the supernatural power of God. Duncan Campbell said all down the side of the road, on his way to the jail, people were kneeling, crying out to God for Him to save them! That's revival!
The Hebrides Revival didn't start with a preacher; it didn't begin with a big name evangelist. It began in the hearts of two elder women who loved God and were deeply concerned with the spiritual condition of their community! It began in the hearts of some working men who were seeking God in an obscure barn. You can move the hand of God too, but it will require more than just an occasional "polly-wanna-cracker" prayer that has no heat and no heart. You may have to do like the Smith sisters and start praying from early afternoon until two and three in the morning, but it will be worth it when it comes!
Let's pray for revival!
Pastor David Lamb
MASTERING YOUR MOTIVES
In most areas of life we can get by with ignoring our motives, but when it comes to our walk with God, there is no escaping it: they are vitally important. Our motives will determine whether we spend eternity in heaven or hell. Motive will determine whether God answers our prayers or not. Really, in the spiritual realm, our motives will determine everything.
Let me get to the crux of the matter. The Bible says in Colossians 3:17, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
Why? Because Colossians 1:16 states, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, AND FOR HIM:”
Everything that exists (time, space, and matter) exists for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. The heavens and the earth were created by Jesus and for Jesus. Revelations 4:11 states that even you and I were created for Jesus’ pleasure. 1John 2:12 tells us that our sins are forgiven, not for our sakes, but for Jesus’ sake. That’s right! God didn’t forgive you of your sins so you’d feel better about yourself; He forgave you of your sins because it pleased Jesus. This can only mean that everything we do in this life must be done in the name of Jesus and with Him in mind.
Listen carefully. We must guard ourselves from humanism. Humanism is a rationalistic system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. You may say, “I don’t attach prime importance to human matters. I’m so heavenly minded I’m of no earthly good.” Well, let’s see about that. I know you want your husband, or wife, and children saved, but why? So your life will be better? So that your husband/wife will be kinder to you? So your child will respect you more? I’m sure that some of you are sick and want God to heal you, but why? Is it so you can feel better when doing your housework; so you can sleep better at night; or is it so you can be a greater soul winner for Christ? Is it so you can be a more effective soldier in God’s army? Now, I’m not saying that it is wrong to want to be healed in order to feel better in your everyday life, but it is wrong when that is your primary motive. Most people are doing nothing for the kingdom of God and, more or less, want God to heal them so they’ll feel better while continuing to do nothing for the kingdom of God.
I am reminded of a story concerning two Moravian missionaries who were consumed by a great burden for a particular slave island. The slave master that owned the island and the slaves on that island hated Christianity and would not allow a preacher to come there. Two young Moravian boys sold themselves to that slave master in order to preach to the slaves on that island. They went knowing they would never see their families and loved ones again. They went knowing that they would die as slaves. Why do you think they did such a drastic thing? Is your mind thinking upon the slaves right now? Buckle your seatbelt! That’s humanism: a rationalistic system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters! Fortunately, those two Moravian missionaries weren’t humanists. As their boat sailed away, they called out, “May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering.” Their primary motive for surrendering their lives into slavery was their unwavering conviction that Jesus paid too great a price for those precious souls to allow them to die and go to hell. Their primary motive for selling themselves into slavery was their love for Christ, not their love for people.
Why do we do the things we do? Why do we say the things we say? What motives are behind our actions? Humans can be the most selfish, self-centered creatures on the planet and it is motive that determines whether they are self-serving narcissists or selfless Christians living and breathing to please Jesus.
Would you like to know why so many sinners come to the altar and leave exactly like they came? Motives. They come to the altar for no other reason than they want God to make their lives better. For them to get saved, they must see Christ and the manner in which they have rebelled against Him. Their hearts will have to grieve for transgressing His law. Their hearts will have to be more concerned about how they’ve trampled the blood of Jesus under foot than they are their own predicament. God is no spare tire! Christ will be Lord of all or Lord not at all! All for Christ!
Please, ask yourself: Why do you pray? Why do you go to church? Why do you memorize the Bible? Why have you chosen the friends you spend time with? Yes. Ask yourself those questions regarding every facet of your life. Why do you do the things you do?
If God will grant me the gift of brevity, I’ll quickly conclude this blog entry. Please, pay attention to the manner in which you pray. Do you spend most of your time worshiping God; praying for others; or asking God for blessings upon yourself? When you go to church; do you go with a testimony, a song, a piece of money, etc., to bless others, or do you go primarily to get blessed? Do you even think about it before you go? What was the primary subject of your prayers; the kingdom of God or your own personal welfare?
The reason I write this blog entry–Lord, I pray it’s not humanistic–is Christ wants you. I also want you to draw closer to Christ. I want you to be blessed. I want your prayers to be answered. And in order for you to be truly blessed; and in order for your prayers to be answered, you will have to die to yourself. Your life will have to be wrapped up in Christ and what pleases Him. In Luke 14:26, Jesus said: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” You must die and live only for Christ. After all, He is worthy.
What do you think will move the hand of God quicker: praying “God, save my husband/wife/child. Jesus died for them and they’ll be a mighty witness for you”; or “Lord, save my husband/wife/child. I can’t take this anymore”?
What do you think touches the heart of God more; what do you think would cause Him to be more willing to heal you; praying “God, heal me. I can’t take this pain anymore”; or “God, heal me so I can go into the highways and hedges to bring souls to Christ; to glorify Him in all I do”?
Now, just saying these things won’t move God, He knows your true motives. Christ’s glory must be your primary concern. Christ’s kingdom must be the driving motive of everything you engage in. Not what’s best for you; what’s best for God.
Monitor your motives. God may or may not move when you call out for yourself, but when you call out for Jesus’ sake heaven will come to attention.
Pastor Lamb
DISAPPOINTMENT: OVERCOMING THE TROAS' OF LIFE
The word “disappointment” is comprised of 2 parts. First, there is the pre-fix “dis-” which means: reversal, negation or lack, removal or separation. The second part is the word “appointment” which means: an agreement to meet, engagement. So we see the word coming to life. It is a reversal of an appointment. It is a lack of appointment, or a removal of an appointment. Webster says the word means: to fail to fulfill the expectations or wishes of. So, as you can see, we've all experienced disappointment: having hopes and dreams shattered! And if you're there now, this message is your's!
I am reminded of an occurrence in the life of the greatest Christian preacher that ever lived – the Apostle Paul!
Let’s read Acts 16:7, 8 very carefully:
Ac 16:7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.
This verse is simply stating that Paul’s heart was set on going to Bithynia. If you are familiar with his life and the circumstances of this experience, you know this was his dream. Bithynia was the richest province in all of Asia, but somehow circumstances prevented him going there. Instead, he ended up in Troas, a place he despised, had no interest in, and in which he could see no future.
This has happened to a lot of people. We set our minds and hearts on some Bithynia, and then we end up in Troas.
You must understand that God had a perfect plan for Bithynia, Troas, Paul and we can’t leave out Peter. Because, later, Peter would go to Bithynia and bring a great revival. As a matter of fact, the epistle of 1st Peter was addressed to Christians at Bithynia.
2Co 2:12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,
It wasn’t God’s will for Paul to go to Bythinia because he had a greater work and another door open for him in Troas.
He visited Troas at least 3 times. On his second missionary journey to Troas, he saw the vision of a "man of Macedonia," who appeared to him, saying, "Come over, and help us." It was because of this vision in Troas we have the 16th chapter of Acts, which consists of Paul and Silas, the jailer, the earthquake, and its subsequent revival.
At his third recorded visit he tarried only a week; at the close of which he miraculously raised Eutychus from the dead!
Consider the following stories: In Boston, outside of the Old Trinity Church, stands a statue of one of the greatest preachers that ever lived, the Rev. Phillip Brooks. Phillip Brooks always desired to be a school teacher – that was his Bithynia. Though he wanted it bad and tried hard to achieve it, he failed at it miserably. His Bithynia was denied him, but in his Troas he found immortality.
The Citadel, one of the most famous books ever written was wrote by a man named A. J. Cronin. A. J. Cronin was a medical doctor who grew so sick that he had to give up his profession. He ended up in a little town, despondent, defeated, and unhappy. He began to write, but he decided his writing was so poor that he took it and threw it in the garbage can. Later, he reluctantly retrieved the pages he had written and eventually they were published. His Bithynia was the practice of medicine, but had he stayed there, we would never have heard of him. His Troas was writing.
Perhaps some of you have heard of the famous writer Sir Walter Scott. His dream was to be a poet. That was his Bithynia. But if he had succeeded there, we would never have had such novels as Waverly, Ivan Hoe, Kenilworth, Old Mortality, and Rob Roy. Being disappointed as a poet, he was forced to write prose in which he became world renown.
Likewise, Paul’s Troas, his disappointment, brought about the establishment of the Christian faith in Europe. Had he gone to Bithynia, it is very possible we would never have heard of him or his faith.
Finally, I am reminded of the preacher whose church bought him and his wife tickets to go on a luxury cruise. Just a few days before they were scheduled to leave, his wife became deathly sick. At first, he grieved over his wife's sickness, but soon saw the providence of God in it ... he had missed the maiden voyage of the Titanic!
So, if you've been denied your Bythinia, rejoice, your destiny lies in Troas! You can’t wait for Bithynia! You must move on to Troas! There’s a miracle waiting there for you
David Lamb
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
THE MAGNETISM OF THE ALMIGHTY
After having preached dozens of times from Jesus' trilogy of parables (the sheep, silver, and prodigal son) in Luke chapter fifteen, it aggravated me when I realized that I had never really considered the context of those parables. I mean, what provoked Jesus to utter them? And who was He talking to? The answers are shocking, but they are what they are and it is what it is!
Lu 15:1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
The setting was probably a hillside or market place, but the actual location doesn't really matter. What does matter is that He was surrounded by a multitude of sinners, the outcasts, the riffraff of society. They were not heckling Him. They were not threatening Him. They had come to hear Him speak! There was a magnetic pull about Him. They could not stay away from Him. They found something in Him they had not found in any other person.
There was also a group of Pharisees there. The Pharisees were the super-duper religious that had fallen into the ditch of performance based religion (legalism). Jesus' comfortable acceptance of sinners angered them to the core. The Greek word for "receiveth" ("he receiveth sinners") implies that Jesus was intimate with them, or very tender with them; He held them close. The Pharisees couldn't understand this. They couldn't comprehend why Jesus desired to hang out with sinners! And they couldn't figure out why sinners would want to hang out with Jesus. They thought no teacher of religious things should be associated with such people. The rabbi was to be above such filth. Had He been ripping them to shreds they would have been cool with it, but He wasn't. He was loving them, laughing with them, and crying with them. He held their children. He blessed their mothers. He healed their sick. He spoke to them like they mattered. He handled them in a manner that they knew, without any doubt, He loved them and cared about what they were going through.
You must understand, the Pharisees had mastered the art of destroying the poor and outcast, but here was a man that enjoyed their company. They destroyed anyone that didn't look and think just like them, but Jesus didn't seem to even notice those differences existed. He received them. He loved them just like they were. Insomuch, He was in His element when He was with them. He was comfortable with them. He spent so much time with them the Pharisees started making nasty accusations against Him like those we find in Luke 7:34 where they called Him a friend of publicans and sinners! DID YOU HEAR THAT? THEY CALLED HIM A FRIEND OF SINNERS! HOW DARE THEY! He was much more than just a "friend of sinners"! In Luke 19:10, Jesus His primary purpose for coming to this earth was to SEEK and to SAVE the LOST!
Please, don't forget that the Pharisees were the religious crowd. They were the super spiritual. They were the elite. They were the little gods that made up their own doctrines and beliefs! The unadulterated Word of God wasn't good enough for them; it wasn't holy enough; it wasn't strict enough, so they added to it! And anyone that didn't adhere to their strict extra-Scriptural standards were sinners! They thought to be holy was to be a repellant of anything unholy. They thought the Word of God was merely an instrument of separation and rebuke. Yet there sat the God-man, the holiest man that had ever lived, surrounded by hundreds of SINNERS! Prostitutes lay at His feet, weeping! They washed His feet with their tears and dried them with their hair (Lu 7:38). Blind men screamed over top of multitudes, trying to get heaven's attention! Women with life threatening issues pressed their way through crowds to touch Him! Demoniacs lay at His feet, worshiping Him! This was who He was! He drew the lost, the broken, and the damaged to Himself like a magnet and the Pharisees hated Him for it. So, take note! It was the Pharisees and their harsh attitudes that had provoked Jesus to speak the three parables found in Luke fifteen!
And before I move on, just know that the Prodigal Son was not the principal target of Jesus' discourse in Luke fifteen. It was the elder son (the Pharisee) who stood on the outside of the Father's house while the younger son (the prodigal) was being restored on the inside of the house!
Not once did Jesus rebuke a sinner. Every single rebuke uttered from His holy lips was directed at the church going religious crowd. Isn't that interesting? Isn't that eye opening?
MODERN DAY PHARISEES
I have spent a considerable amount of time hanging out with Pharisees. I have been one most of my Christian life and birds of a feather tend to flock together.
You can recognize a modern day Pharisee a mile away. They add to the Word of God; the Word all by itself isn't good enough. Like little gods, they go to the pulpit and say things like, "I know the Bible doesn't say this is a sin, but it's still wrong. Because I think ..." The modern day Pharisee puts a greater emphasis on external holiness than they do internal purity because the external is easier to achieve and actually hides the lack of the other. In the modern day Pharisee's church, you don't have to be right, just look right. The modern day Pharisee actually boasts about having a small congregation. It is a trophy to them. They put notches on their belt buckle every time they run a Jezebel out the back door! "Bless God, I know we don't have a big crowd, but it's only because we preach the Word of God gun barrel straight and so tight you can hear it squeak! People don't come here because they can't handle real gospel preaching."
That seems to sound good to some people, but I find it perverted and, to be candid with you, insane. Think about it for a moment! We're supposed to believe that the gospel is what causes people to reject Christ, shun their churches, and go to hell? I know that Bible preaching will cause some people to walk away, but ninety-nine percent of everyone that comes in contact with us? Didn't Jesus command us to go into all of the world preaching the gospel, making disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19-20)? Why would He tell us to make disciples of all nations, yet equip us with a tool that brings about the opposite effect? Why would He send us on a mission to reach the lost knowing we were doomed for failure before we began? He wouldn't. Jesus attracted people and Jesus was a gospel preacher. In fact, Jesus is the gospel!
Luke chapter fifteen wasn't the only place that people flocked to hear Jesus preach the GOSPEL! In the fourteenth chapter of Matthew, Jesus got on a ship and went across a lake to encamp in a desert place. He was trying to find some solitude. The people were so desperate for Him they ran around the massive lake and met Him on the other side. Five thousand men, not counting women and children, sat in the burning sun without food or water just to hear the holiest man that ever lived preach about the kingdom of heaven! The same thing happened in the fifteenth chapter of Matthew, except this time four thousand men, not counting women and children, camped out in the hot sun for THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS without food or water! Some scholars say there were as many as 30,000 at either of these events! The following verse sufficiently describes the spirit of these scenes:
Mt 15:30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:
Well, I could go on and on, but the facts of it are you're going to find this truth everywhere you look in the gospels! Jesus attracted people! You will also find this truth in the Acts of the Apostles. Everywhere the saints went, great moves of God came. Three thousand were saved in Acts chapter two. Five thousand were saved in Acts chapter four. By the time we get to chapter five, there were so many people getting saved the writer simply used the word multitudes.
The problem isn't holiness. The problem isn't clean living. God commands His people to be holy! God commands us to be distinct from the world! And the problem certainly isn't the gospel! The problem is Jesus isn't in the church and He fo sho ain't in the pulpit! If He were, He'd draw people to Himself. If He were, people would come from everywhere and sit in the most uncomfortable environments to hear His words. Wake up! We are Laodicea. While we shout and dance and celebrate our holiness, He stands outside the door, knocking, looking for someone to recognize they are poor, blind, naked, wretched, and have need of everything. No! No! No! It isn't holiness driving people away, it's hardness! It is arrogant fools that think they are God, but are actually very small, little, haughty men who destroy men and tear down the kingdom of God! Let us turn from our sins, pray, seek the face of God, and humble ourselves under His mighty hand. If we will, He will heal our lands again!
Jesus attracts people, do you? Does your church? Does your ministry? Does your life? If not, you need to repent! You need to ask God why? And then you need to make the necessary changes!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
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