Experiencing God

"I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one. So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord." Ezekiel 22:30-31

 

Like many of you, my life has been impacted by the teaching ministry of the late Henry Blackaby. Little did I know when I first walked through the Experiencing God Bible study, that I would one day get to spend time with him when I served as a trustee of the International Mission Board. As a leader on our Prayer First Committee, I had invited Dr. Blackaby to come and lead a Prayer Summit for all of our trustees and executive staff. It was a very special time of getting to know more personally one of my spiritual heroes. As I have pondered upon my faith journey, I realize that many of those who uniquely shaped my life have now departed this temporal life for eternity. Below is a powerful statement concerning revival that Dr. Blackaby wrote quite a few years ago as a foreword to a book on revival. I have edited his words just a bit for this post. I pray that his words will inspire and challenge you to seek Him in these days in which we live...

Our nation stands on the brink of the Judgment of God. Many sensitive leaders believe we may have "crossed the line" and judgment is inevitable. God's people no longer possess a holy fear of God. And when God's people no longer fear Him, they no longer fear sin. When they no longer fear sin, they are of no use to God for the redemption of the nation or the world. God's blessing and often His Presence is removed. I believe we are at this point now.

I grew up in Western Canada, with an awesome sense of the lostness of the nation. When I mentioned my burden to God's people, I would consistently hear, "Don't expect God to do in Canada what He has done in other parts of the world. Canada is different. The people just don't respond the same." My heart would sink, and I would cry out to God, "But Lord, You are the same! Would You not show me and Your people Your heart's desire to bring the people of this nation to Yourself."

God opened my eyes and my heart, and I became aware that my relatives had graduated from Spurgeon's College in London, England, seeing waves of revival constantly. My uncle and aunt were missionaries in China during the great Shantung Revival and sent home glowing letters and pictures of that mighty move of God. Then, God let me pastor in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada during the great "Canadian Revival" in the early 1970's, where I witnessed the Mighty Hand of God at work, first among His Own people, then among the lost. My life was forever changed. I was later asked to direct the office of Prayer and Spiritual Awakening for the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, where I traveled across the nation and around the world bringing the message of Revival. I have seen some amazing moments of a "deep touch of God." But my heart is deeply grieved over what I see among the people of God today, in the midst of an escalating moral and spiritual decline in the nation. This nation is heading toward the judgment of God, and God's people, especially our spiritual leaders, are "asleep," as were the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Now I am sending out an urgent plea, for God's people seem disoriented to God: to His Voice, to His Presence, to His Activity, and especially to His Warnings in the Scripture. They are disoriented to His Word and to His Ways. They are unaccustomed to prayer, the urgent prayer that is needed for Revival. And they are far from the holy people of God He intended us to be, especially in our relationship to Him, and therefore to His people. For these reasons, I offer these urgent pleas:

• Pastors must turn now to an intimate relationship with God, and live holy lives before Him.

• Deacons/elders must return to a vital relationship with God that allows Him to work through them to bring spiritual unity, peace, love, healing and fellowship to God's people.

• Other leaders (Bible study teachers, youth leaders, music ministers, men and women's group leaders) must return to the Scriptures as the absolute necessity of instruction for God's people.

• Denominational workers must return to the heart of God for His people and stop "using His people" for their purposes, and then assist them to "practice everything that I have commanded them."

• Evangelists and missionaries must give attention to the spiritual condition of God's people, to assist them to be holy, as He is holy, so God can fill them with His Presence, Power and Glory, and work through them to touch a lost world with His great salvation.

I am pleading with God to raise up and thrust forth true prophets, who will fearlessly proclaim His message to His people, regardless of the cost to themselves, and it will be costly (Matt. 5:10-12). I plead with God to raise up "spiritual prophets" who long for a display of the glory of God, and not merely "spiritual politicians" who are looking to maintain a comfortable and financially rewarding ministry position.

Now is the time for God's people to (1) return seriously to God's Word, with the heart intention to live it out in life, radically; (2) return to serious, urgent prayer, the kind of prayer that will move the hand of God; (3) a return to the eternal intention of God for the corporate life of His people, as a "royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Thank you, Dr. Blackaby, for being a unique vessel of grace to touch countless lives as you taught us how to Experience God. And I simply say, "Amen, and AMEN!"

 

The Great Awakening

 

"If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves,
and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then
I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14

The Great Awakening: Spiritual Revival in Colonial America is a powerful, yet brief, documentary of the work of the Spirit of God in the very critical, developing years of our nation. Listed below is a synopsis of the incredible truths that I have gleaned from watching this video multiple times. Watch it prayerfully. Watch it together as a family. Show it to your Sunday School class or home Bible study group. And dear pastor, I would encourage you to watch it personally and present it to your congregation. Please read my thoughts and watch the video...

1. Some 100-150 years following the arrival of the Pilgrims and Puritans upon the North American shores, a steep spiritual decline occurred as many of the newer settlers were more focused upon material prosperity available in the New World rather than religious liberty.
2. Established congregations, in a vain attempt to remain relevant among a growing population disinterested in the things of God, began to promote church membership among those who had no experience of personal conversion.
3. The Age of Reason, a cultural philosophy and godless worldview originating in Europe that denied the inspiration and authority of scripture, began to be the accepted viewpoint of those desiring to be associated with an educated and enlightened society.
4. During this time of extreme spiritual decline, a Dutch Reformed circuit riding evangelist began traveling among the wilderness communities of New Jersey and New York, preaching the necessity of the new birth and the accompanying evidences of that birth in the lives of true believers. His ministry was vehemently opposed at the beginning, but his preaching eventually resulted in the mass conversion of both ministers and church members who possessed a "form of godliness but denied the power thereof."
5. William Tennent, along with his son, Gilbert, having a great burden for these newly converted ministers, opened a training school for these men in Pennsylvania that became known as the Log College, as the established Bible colleges and seminaries did not emphasize biblical conversion. Gilbert began to preach a powerful message that would be widely distributed via print in the larger cities entitled "The Dangers of an Unconverted Ministry."
6. These small, flickering flames of awakening were only beginning, and would eventually explode across the developing colonies of America through the preaching and teaching of giant men of faith like Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, John Wesley, and others. Churches and pastors that embraced this work of God witnessed phenomenal growth, while new congregations of Methodist churches were established that followed the teachings of Wesley.
7. As the spiritual fires began to increase in intensity and spread to new areas, fierce opposition began to arise within established churches and denominations. The work of the Spirit of God among the general population through the fiery preaching of anointed men was attacked by those who decried this type of activity. Liberal pastors and denominational leaders labeled the awakening as being too emotional; the awakening evangelists promoted a vulgar gospel demanding personal repentance of sin; and that these types of services were to be completely avoided as they displayed no measure of respectable religion. (Whether you read the Bible or church history, you will always find unregenerate religious leaders vehemently opposing the true work of God's Spirit. Sadly, I have often seen this with my own eyes.)
8. THE DISSENTERS: In the southern colonies, a wave of awakening bypassed the established denominational network of churches, giving rise to an ever-expanding number of laymen who would hold services in their homes and read the printed messages of Whitefield and other preachers. This eventually led to the building of "meeting houses" when the homes of host families were too small to hold the gatherings. This work ultimately led to an experience of church planting, as evangelistic pastors arrived who began to see God establish Bible believing Presbyterian and Baptist churches in the frontier areas of the south.
9. The floodgates of amazing grace were now open from the New England colonies all the way down into the deep south. The radical working of God's Spirit transformed countless lives and saturated communities with bold, Bible believing homes and churches. Without this undeniable work of God's grace, these struggling colonies probably would have never had the vision, nor the faith, to declare independence from the only superpower in the world at that time. The dream of establishing a nation that would embrace a constitutional philosophy of limited government, religious freedom, and the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all citizens was based upon a biblical worldview of personal morality and responsibility. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance” (Psalm 33:12)

I pray that you will watch this brief yet powerful documentary. I pray that you will understand that without a divine intervention of spiritual awakening today, our country will not be able to continue as a shining light in the midst of global darkness. And I pray that you will join me in crying out before it's too late: "DO IT AGAIN, LORD, DO IT AGAIN!" Amen...

https://youtu.be/vELS8e8hATk?si=Mty9Wf31ZXcXOyXP

 

The Monster That We Have Created

"I will build My church, and the gates of Hell 
shall not prevail against it."
Matthew 16:18b

In the classic novel written by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein decided that his ultimate purpose was to recreate life following the horrible sting of death. He assembled a corpse and subsequently brought his creation back across the abyss of eternity. He discovered, however, that what he had done was to create what he called a “fiend;” a “demon;” a “monster.” In the remaining years of his life, Dr. Frankenstein worked to destroy the beast that he had so foolishly and wickedly created.

Jesus was enjoying an intimate conversation with His disciples as they traveled to the tourist area of Caesarea Philippi. They were discussing the religious talk of that day and what others were saying of Him. Listening carefully to His men, He eventually asked them the big question: “But who do you say that I am?” The heart of Peter, that rugged fisherman that we all love and many of us can identify with, was supernaturally moved to answer: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” he boldly proclaimed.

“Oh, friend, you did not come up with that answer on your own,” Jesus replied (my translation), “that kind of response is a word from my Father in Heaven.”

The following statements from the lips of Jesus are those that everyone in ministry should know and love. He spoke of this great confession from Peter as being our foundation for biblical power. He certainly was not naming Simon Peter as the first Pope, nor was He establishing some order of apostolic authority. Jesus was simply saying that the great truth of who He was and is, gives us the empowerment to conquer spiritual enemies in His mighty name. And within this dialogue concerning our possessing authority, Jesus said, “I will build My church.” Thank God that He did not say Peter would build His church. And praise His wonderful name that He did not say that you and I would shoulder the responsibility of building His church. With boldlness and clarity, and without any type of elaborate explanation, he said, “I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH!”

Have it Your Way

  

Over the years, I have become increasingly burdened with the mindset of church leaders that disregard this teaching of Christ. As a result, they labor tirelessly in a vain effort to see their churches grow. When I was in seminary in the early 1990's, church growth was the hot topic on campus, in conferences, and at our annual conventions. This emphasis became so dominant among evangelicals, that a polluted form of humanistic reasoning slowly entered the recesses of our conservative decision-making and now dominates much of what we do at the local church level. And what is this polluted form of humanistic reasoning? Pragmatism.

Now, you might be asking: “What is pragmatism?” It is the philosophy that believes the end justifies the means. In other words, whatever your particular goal is in life, anything and everything is considered acceptable behavior in the pursuit of accomplishing that stated goal. Taken in context of church work, specifically within the emphasis of numerical growth, pragmatism allows us to embrace questionable methods and ministry ideas, all in the name of reaching our target audience and successfully achieving our set goals.

This philosophy introduces the Burger King mentality into the body of Christ, which entices church attendees to come and have it their way. You remember the little jingle, don't you? "Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce; special orders don't upset us, all we ask is that you let us serve it your way!" In order to be successful, churches today build interest by pampering to the fleshly demands of carnal members. Entertainment is often the primary focus, not true biblical worship. Key words like atonement, and phrases like the blood of Christ are purposely ignored. After all, such terminology is considered old-fashioned, divisive, and unimportant to the modern thinker. With entertainment and fresh methodology driving the engine to reach the goal, converts know very little about the ugliness of sin, the necessity of repentance, and the demands of discipleship. As one faith hero of mine once stated in a sermon, “We now have redemption without regeneration, salvation without repentance, justification without sanctification, and Christianity without a cross!” To put it quite bluntly, friend, there is no such animal.

Now this kind of thinking is not entirely new to the church. I remember the stupidity of yesterday, and addressed it already in a previous post, when pastors would display their God-fearing attitudes by swallowing live goldfish on Sunday mornings when some attendance goal was successfully reached, or preaching from the roof, or kissing a pig, or having the deacons throw pies in their faces, etc. (Pulpit Truth: Play Stupid Games; Win Stupid Prizes) Today, however, we have taken pragmatism to a whole new level of absurdity. And why? Because we no longer believe that the “gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation.” Like Abraham and Sarah in the Old Testament, we have lost our confidence in the word and promises of God. Therefore, the logical thing to do is to realize that God needs our help, and then invite that cute, little Egyptian handmaiden to move into the tent with us.

Someone might be tempted to say: "Yes, Jesus said what He said all those years ago. But this world today is a different place with a post-modern worldview. We live among a society that no longer views truth as our grandparents did." (I would whole-heartedly agree with that last statement, but at least our grandparents knew what a woman was!) But pragmatists would argue that we need to do things differently to help Jesus grow His church. They would state that people no longer want a Bible sermon from an authoritative pulpit. (Think of Adrian Rogers at this point, as he was called a "dinosaur" by an instructor at a church planting seminar that I was attending several years ago.) Pragmatists see nothing wrong with incorporating secular songs, dramatic dance, appealing aromas, and cute PowerPoint presentations to be the highlight of their fifteen-minute spiritual dialogues. And the sad reality is that we have multitudes of worldly pastors who will be more than happy to oblige the reasoning of pragmatism. After all, success is giving the consumers what they want, when they want it, and how they want it. Therefore, we absolutely must bring cute Egyptian handmaidens into our tents to appeal to those without a biblical worldview, to keep them coming back, and to maybe one day have the privilege of sneaking the gospel to them through the back door when their defenses are down.

I remember a few years ago being in a service at a large church in North Carolina. Following a few simple introductions, the lights went down, the praise team mounted the stage, multiple strobe lights began flashing, incredibly loud music began playing, and then slowly moving down from the ceiling in the darkness was the largest “disco ball” that I had ever seen. I’m not sure we worshiped, but the people went wild with excitement. Another church I know about had several weeks devoted to using the “American Idol” theme in their services, with the platform converted to look like the highly successful FOX television program. Each service opened with a song voted on and selected by the congregation via social media. One of these was Garth Brook’s wonderful hymn, “I Got Friends in Low Places.” One acquaintance with extensive experience in church planting told me how they played Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Beatles, among others, as their prelude to worship. Now please don’t judge me when I confess I might crank up “Sweet Home Alabama” a little too loud whenever I hear it while scanning my radio, but it doesn’t prepare me to see Jesus in the beauty of His holiness. When a man discovered years ago that I was involved in a church plant intentionally targeting our collegiate population, he testified how their church had implemented elaborate activities to keep this age group continuing to attend. When I asked for an explanation, he said, “Fun and games, man, it’s got to be fun and games!” Another experience I had was observing the antics of overgrown, muscled-bound men who were using incredible feats of strength to do the work of evangelism. I don't believe that they practiced the spiritual discipline of fasting while praying, as they were all too powerfully built to miss many meals. They held everyone's attention while trying to perform certain antics with their huge muscles that normal men could never do, while one of them quoted a verse of scripture entirely out of context. You know the one: "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." It was somewhat like trying to learn spiritual truth from Hulk Hogan. The more I watched, the more sick I felt in my stomach. It was such an unholy carnival of flesh on parade, all done in the name of Jesus, that the Holy Spirit within me wanted to throw up.

Is this the way of Christ? I don’t think so. The Bible says, "Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth." (Psalm 96:9) And the Bible also says, “Whatever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23) When Jesus was once questioned “what should we do so that we might accomplish the work of God?” He responded, “This is the work of God, that you should believe on Him whom He has sent.” The Bible is our guidebook for both our faith AND our practice. I rejected years ago the pragmatic mindset that was often repeated in conservative circles: "We should never change the message in the church, but we must always be changing the methods of the church!" Hogwash was my response then, and it still is today. Reading His word reminds me (therein might be the problem, church leaders who never read His word) that He alone is the architect and builder, the designer and the contractor, and the only eternal head of the church! In this age in which we live we do not need worldly, stupid gimmicks; cute and novel ideas from some social influencer; nor do we need soulish methods implemented by prayerless leaders in hopes of accomplishing some strategic, measurable goal. Away with that kind of carnal foolishness! Today, more than ever, we need Godly leaders who display the love of Christ, who have gained the mind of Christ, who have acquired the courage of Christ, and who now possess the power of Christ to charge forward against the gates of Hell with the gospel of Christ! AMEN! Then, and only then, will we see individual lives, families, and communities touched and transformed for the glory of God.

Welcome to McDonalds

Now before some of you begin to gloat and say, “Yeah, get ‘em Brother Charles! These new seminary boys with soul patches, long hair, and flip-flops need to get right!” YOU need to know something: The monster I see that we have created is a two-headed beast. Not only have we missed the mark by embracing the Burger King philosophy (pragmatism), we have also missed the mark by seeking to implement the McDonalds mindset. Let me explain…

It was during those awkward early teen years that I was foolish enough to order food from Mickey D’s the way I wanted it. I still remember those hateful stares coming from across the counter. Others stepped from the kitchen area to see who would dare suggest something could be ordered differently than designed or approved by Ray Kroc. Everyone seemed upset, including family and friends, because this unheard-of tactic snatched the fast right out of fast food. Through this experience, I learned that McDonalds built its empire on consistency. Everything is the same no matter where a restaurant might be located. A Big Mac made in Alabama will taste just like a Big Mac made in Alaska, which will taste just like a Big Mac made in Arizona, which will taste… Well, you get the picture. 

“What in the world does this have to do with the church?” you might be asking. Well, friend, just as Burger King promotes pragmatism, McDonalds markets traditionalism. Keep it the same, make no changes, don’t rock the boat! Traditionalism is just as much of a monster as pragmatism, and both create confusion and chaos in the church of Jesus Christ. I’ve heard some dumb things in my life coming from the lips of church leaders. Here are four off the top of my head: 

• “Boys, when you get in the pulpit, make sure you have your 1611, or it ain’t God’s word.”

Now I do not want to fire bullets at the most enduring English version of the Bible, the King James Version, but I always wanted to comment to those with this mentality that they themselves are not preaching from the 1611 version, but from the revised 1769 edition. 

• “If it’s not a piano or an organ, it will not be in this church.”

Okay, please show me in the Bible where these two musical instruments are the only ones ordained of God for His glory. By the way, I can show you multiple verses where singers were accompanied by many varied instruments to support and enhance their worship experience.

• “These contemporary Christian songs are of the Devil.”

Oh my, must I even comment on this one? If you do not have access to great contemporary, Christian music, you are missing out on wonderful songs that will touch your heart and lift you into the presence of God Almighty! Don't believe me? Click on this one: https://youtu.be/dhU-Omwg2rU?si=isfdWUEmfWhNLYgM

• “My Brother, you must put on the tie before speaking to the body of Christ.”

I admit, I did not hear this one with my own ears. I learned of this statement from a friend on the mission field in Africa. Men who were to address the church were not to do so without proper attire, which in this case, was a necktie. The missionary laughed and told me about an old, grimy clip-on tie hanging off the pulpit in case someone needed it. Do you wonder where this teaching came from? It probably is based upon the British and American mindset of being properly dressed in order to experience proper worship. The emphasis, therefore, is placed on man’s outward appearance. Is it just me, or do you remember God Himself having to remind one of His men that He does not see as a man sees, for man is impressed by outward appearances, while God looks deep inside at the heart?

Oh, how foolish we are when we embrace tradition to the degree that we miss the activity of God! I well remember the deep, passionate arguments that unfolded when I suggested that the best way to ensure our finishing the worship service by the noon hour on Sunday would be to start earlier. The way some people responded with such misguided zeal, you would think the Bible says: “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God at eleven o’clock on Sunday morning, and only at eleven o’clock on Sunday morning shalt thou worship Him!” 

Please read the following quote carefully. It is worth your attention:

Most of us are familiar with Washington Irving’s intriguing little tale, Rip Van Winkle. Though written years ago, it has a startling relevance for the church today. You will remember that Rip had been slumbering away on a grassy knoll in the Catskill Mountains for twenty years, during which time the thirteen British colonies had become the thirteen, newly formed United States of America. Poor old Rip had slept through the Revolution – and there is the story’s relevance for us today.

The fact that the church is living and attempting to minister in a revolutionary atmosphere should be obvious to all. Everything seems to be in a state of radical change. All aspects of society are in a flux. Foundations long accepted as valid are being shaken. No segment of the so-called establishment escapes questioning. The only certainty appears that nothing will ever quite be the same again. But the most disquieting element of this sociological revolution is that often the “sleeping Rip Van Winkle” of the hour is none other than the church. Christians, who should be on the cutting edge of this changing scene and moving society towards God, are often found slumbering away on some grassy knoll of irrelevance or unrealistic traditionalism while the world all but explodes and fragments around them.

In the light of such a situation, it is vital for the church to come alive to the contemporary social atmosphere and address itself to the problems this revolution precipitates. I do not believe that the church is absolutely dead and in need of a decent burial, as some critics advocate. Rather, it more or less finds itself, at least in some of its institutionalized forms, in the grip of irrelevancy and needs to be awakened and updated. And if God’s people can be shaken from their slumbers and made to see the tremendous evangelistic challenge of this turbulent hour, great things can be done. Moreover, it may just be that the disturbing voices being heard in our world today will be used to awaken the sleepers.

That quote sounds very much like what is being said today in numerous circles in an attempt to awaken the church to relevancy. But those words were written when I was ten years old, having been published in 1972 by Dr. Lewis Drummond while he was teaching at Spurgeon’s College in London. He was moved by the lack of spiritual power and the unwillingness to implement changes in the evangelical churches of Great Britain. Today, that once-great missional church that was used of God to exalt Christ around the world is nearly a spiritual wasteland.

What is God’s word to the church today? It is a very simple one: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent… He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” The philosophies of pragmatism and traditionalism both lead to empty, vain religious activity. Jesus said that He would build His church. Trust Him to do just that, and then be amazed at what He can accomplish. Amen!

The Assembly of the Dead

"Why do you seek the living among the dead?" Luke 24:5

 

Two angelic messengers asked this powerful question to those fearful women who had made their way to the tomb on Sunday morning in order to ensure that Jesus had a more proper burial. But the One they believed needed appropriate spices added to His grave clothes, had already walked out of His borrowed tomb. The sting of death had been swallowed up in victory, and His glorious gospel was about to embark on a global tour that continues to change lives around the world - Amen!

I remember several years ago, while traveling in itinerant ministry, how the Lord led me to only speak on these weighty subjects of biblical revival: a continual lifestyle of repentance, personal humility revealed through brokenness, and the need to be emptied of self and filled with the Spirit in order to accomplish the eternal work of God. As I was obedient to what I believed was His will, I noticed how few church members wanted to hear these truths. Although He gave me great liberty and fresh anointing to preach His word, the responses during these meetings were always the same: personal indifference and corporate unconcern.

Knowing that I was doing what He required of me, I began asking for a demonstration of His mighty power at work in and among His people. There were times when I wept at how callous the hearts of church members were to God's truth. Easter season was approaching at that time, and I was re-reading the gospel accounts of this most blessed event, when I saw Luke 24:5 in a whole different light. As I had been burdened to pray for a work among God's people, desiring to see church members repent of their sin and renew their love for Jesus in order to experience abundant life in His grace, God seemed to ask me: "Charles, why do you seek the living among the dead?" In other words, why are you looking for a demonstration of the abiding life of Christ in those people who might be considered religious, who wear a Baptist label, yet remain spiritually dead?

Alarming statistics are once again moving me when I read that we have some 13.5 million Southern Baptists on our church rolls, but on any given Sunday just 3.6 million of those members will be actively involved in the life of their church. This means that only about 25% of members actually attend, while the other 75% rarely see the need for worship, fellowship and discipleship. Now I understand that some certainly have legitimate reasons for non-participation, but this would only represent a very small minority. Most are absent because of illegitimate excuses! They are not enthusiastically involved in the life of the church because they don't want to be. Which reminds me of another verse: "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that they were not of us." 1 John 2:19

We need to experience an awakening among the membership rolls of our Southern Baptist, as well as other evangelical, Bible-believing churches. The lost in our communities will not be interested in the gospel of Jesus Christ until they see a demonstration of His life in those who name His name, and especially in those who proclaim His name! In October of 1740, the great evangelist George Whitefield said, "The reason why many congregations have been so dead, is because dead men preach to them. Oh, that the Lord may quicken and revive them for His own name's sake! For how can dead men beget living children?" I was stirred recently when reading this testimony by a devotional writer concerning a man named Brett: "It was a natural step for Brett to attend a Christian college and study the Bible. After all, he’d been around people who knew Jesus his whole life - at home, at school, at church. He was even using his college studies to prepare himself for a career in Christian work and ministry. But at the age of twenty-one, as he sat with the small congregation in an old country church and listened to a pastor preach from 1 John, he made a startling discovery. He realized that he was depending upon his own understanding and the trappings of his religious traditions, and that he’d never truly received salvation in Jesus Christ. He felt the Lord tugging at his heart that day with a sobering message: “You don’t know Me!” That very day, Brett repented of his sin and placed his faith in Christ alone. Today, his deep passion for Jesus and His marvelous salvation is no secret. It comes through loud and clear every time he steps behind the pulpit and preaches the word of God."

Please join me in praying for a heart breaking, sin killing, life changing move of God's Spirit within our convention, and in our churches, beginning in our pulpits! AMEN!!

"A man who wanders from the way of understanding,

will rest in the assembly of the dead." Proverbs 21:16

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have 

forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children." Hosea 4:6

Progressive Salvation

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith
into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
Romans 5:1-2

The word 'progressive' used today in a cultural, educational, or political setting is not looked upon favorably by a conservative like me. So, when you look at the title of this Bible study, you might question my sanity. No, beloved, I am not talking about some liberal type of religious experience that has no saving merit. But I do want us to consider this important subject using the historical meaning of the word progressive.

Before this word was hijacked by certain radical elements of our society, the word simply meant to move in a forward, methodical motion; or to proceed in steps, continuing steadily by measurable increments. Embracing this definition and thinking biblically about salvation, one might believe that nothing about gaining a right standing with God through the Lord Jesus Christ would be considered progressive. And that belief would be mostly correct, but not entirely. Let me explain using theological terms that you should be familiar with...

• REGENERATION, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It might take years, or only a few moments, for a person to fully experience this unique and divine activity of grace. As the work of conviction leads a person to a saving knowledge and relationship with Jesus Christ, they are wonderfully, supernaturally, personally, instantaneously, and eternally saved. HALLELUJAH!
• JUSTIFICATION is a legal term found in the scriptures whereby God, in His gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness, declares all sinners who repent and believe in Christ as being perfectly righteous, completely holy, and eternally pure. This work of grace brings the believer unto a relationship of overwhelming peace with God, as justification means that God looks upon those who have been saved and He sees the sinlessness and righteousness of His Son. Therefore, the holy eyes of God look upon us just as if we never sinned.  HALLELUJAH!
• SANCTIFICATION is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life. Sanctification is related to personal holiness. Abiding, learning, obeying, and maturing in holiness as a believer is another aspect of God's amazing work of grace. It is His will that we bear fruit, which speaks of our inner character being displayed through our outer conduct in a way that brings glory to the One Who has saved us and is transforming us. HALLELUJAH!
• GLORIFICATION is the culmination of our salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed. The Bible clearly states that one day all of those who have experienced regeneration, or the new birth, will enter into the presence of the God Almighty forever. Amen! For most of the saved throughout the ages, that entrance has been realized via the doors of death. In the future, a wonderful event will unfold that will usher countless believers into His presence at one glorious moment of time, which is called the rapture. No matter the details concerning the process of our glorification, it is a promise of God that will one day be fulfilled to all of the redeemed. HALLELUJAH!

Now, let's look at those important terms that are firmly associated with regeneration in a little different light...

• Justification: This is my POSITION in Christ - because of His sacrificial death on the cross and my oneness in Him, I am saved from the PENALTY of sin!
• Sanctification: This is my CONDITON of becoming like Christ - because of the Holy Spirit living and working in me, I am being saved from the POWER of sin!
• Glorification: This is my EXPECTATION of being like Christ - because of His promise to one day take me where He is, I will be saved from the very PRESENCE of sin!

Great and marvelous truth, is it not? It certainly is, yet the reason for this devotional and its title is based upon the reality of personal experience with vast numbers of unregenerate church members. Who are these people? They are the ones who claim a type of salvation experience that dismisses God's work of sanctification. They claim to be saved and on the way to Heaven, but they give no evidence to support their claims. Therefore, they embrace the principles of justification and glorification (though they would never use these terms because they have no idea that they exist or what they mean) while denying the reality of sanctification. Listen friend, if someone testifies of being saved and on their way to Heaven, they should consistently display a 'progressive' salvation that reveals a sustained spiritual growth in measurable ways. This does not mean that we reach a place of sinless perfection in this life, but it does mean that others should be able to observe spiritual fruit in our lives, which proves the reality of the inner working of the Holy Spirit within us. Jesus said, "You will know them by their fruits... Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit... Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them."

"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." 1 John 2:3-6

Where's the Desire for Revival?

 

"So continuing DAILY with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread
from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity
of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord
added to the church DAILY those who were being saved."
Acts 2:46-47

I have been re-reading several classic books on the subject of revival over the summer, as well as some that have been recently published concerning this very important issue regarding the people of God.  Any committed and compassionate follower of Christ realizes that the current political climate, along with the hateful rhetoric of unbelievers toward anyone with a conservative viewpoint, is a sign of God's judgments being fulfilled. I believe that if we do not experience a Heaven-sent revival among the body of Christ, we are only beginning to see the tip of the iceberg of what awaits us in the days, months and years to come, as vile and vicious God-haters strengthen their grip on our nation. Church history, however, reveals that when God moves in mighty power among His people in revival, it culminates in an incredible awakening that ushers multitudes into His kingdom. The result is a dramatic change in the spiritual and moral condition of a people, and the intensifying judgment of God is postponed as multitudes begin to seek Him and His saving grace.

The Book of Acts is looked upon as the pinnacle of truth concerning the experience of revival and awakening in and through the body of Christ. No blood washed believer should be able to read this book without a tear in their eye, a longing in their heart, and a cry in their voice that says, "Do it again, Lord, do it again!" The breathtaking testimony of what God was doing begins to avalanche on the great Day of Pentecost. Thousands were brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and they quickly identified with His death, burial, and resurrection through their obedience of baptism. As God worked, the city of Jerusalem was shaken with His presence. These new believers had such an appetite for God's word and a longing for His presence, that the Bible says they gathered DAILY to worship and fellowship with one another. The testimony also reveals that as the body of Christ was filled with His Spirit, God was awakening and saving men and women on a DAILY basis. Wow! What an awesome revelation of God working in an incredible way! Praise His Name!

It was about twenty years ago that I was privileged to preach at a First Baptist Church in one our most notable towns in north Mississippi. The pastor had previously served in the ministry of evangelism for several years while living in another state. He and his wife were so gracious in their inviting Tammy to join me for this special Sunday evangelistic event. As they treated us to lunch, he shared a deep burden on his heart. "Charles," he said, "please give me your opinion on a matter. I have shared many testimonies of my experiences as an evangelist and have dropped occasional hints that we should set aside a special time to seek the Lord in an old-fashioned revival meeting. Whenever I approach this subject, however, many of my key leaders voice their opposition to such an idea. 'Bro. Tom,' they say, 'we love you, but please don't ask us to come to church several nights in a row. We are an extremely busy people, and we just don't have time today for those kinds of services that were so prominent just a few years ago.' What do you think, Bro. Charles?"

I immediately opened my Bible and read these verses from the Book of Acts. "Pastor, here's what I believe: The early church so longed to encounter the presence of God corporately, that they could not endure a twenty-four-hour period without assembling together. They desired to worship Christ and to share a witness of His love and grace with those who might join them in this special season of divine blessing. And their desire was to experience this TOGETHER!" I believe the key word is desire. This is something that they wanted to do; they were not forced to gather daily. i know that coming together every day to fulfill an obligation of attendance is not going to mature someone to become a super-saint. However, when church members display their desire to AVOID coming together on a DAILY basis, even if for a brief period of time, that shows a very real and deep problem of their own spiritually immature condition.

It has amazed me over the years how many churches never utilize those who have been called into the ministry of evangelism. Some choose to neglect this gift because of an unfortunate experience in the past with someone who was not a man after God's own heart. Others, however, simply do not consider using those with special gifts of revival and evangelism because they believe less is more. In other words, those events placed on the calendars of the past will not be considered today, because our folks are very busy people with very demanding schedules. I believe that we as church leaders have simply coddled to the demands of mostly carnal members. Not only do we not dare suggest some type of revival campaign, but now the trend is to eliminate Sunday evening services as well. After all, families today rush to and fro from school and work to fulfill important obligations all over the community, so let's help them out by asking less and less of their time, focus, and energy when it comes to the things of God. Amen? Or, oh my?

We cannot force the Spirit of God to work, and putting an event on the church calendar does not guarantee His presence and power. However, if the heart of our churches does not look something like the heart of the church revealed in the Book of Acts, longing to be together in order to experience Him, something is terribly wrong. And the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.

"Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him;
And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."
Isaiah 55:6-7

Play Stupid Games; Win Stupid Prizes

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

I will never forget the morning that I received wonderful, scriptural advice from an older pastor and dear friend. It was not only good advice, but a loving rebuke as well, one that I desperately needed. For some reason, he and I were the only ones in our carpool on that Tuesday morning headed to the Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary campus in Memphis, Tenn. As I was unusually quiet, Bro. Mike asked me if I was feeling alright. When I assured him that I was fine, he asked about my family, and I told him that everyone was feeling well. 

"Bro. Charles," he said, "if you and your family are all doing good, how about the church? I can tell that something is bothering you. Is everything okay at the church?"

"Well, to be totally honest, I'm very disappointed in what happened at the church. I had challenged our church to break a numerical goal of having 100 in Sunday School for three consecutive Sundays, and I would preach the morning sermon off of the roof. We had over 100 in the previous two Sundays, but this past Sunday, we fell just short." (Just to give some context, when I first arrived at this church, we ran around twenty in Sunday School. Within eighteen months, we were averaging 80-85, but had seemed to hit an invisible ceiling that I desperately wanted to break through. I had seen a pastor's photo preaching from the roof of his church when his congregation succeeded in hitting a numerical goal in our state paper several weeks before, and I thought that would be good challenge with an unforgettable result. Not only could I get my photo in the Mississippi Baptist Record, but I could also submit it to the New Albany Gazette as well. Then everyone would know that New Oak Grove Baptist Church in Union County, Mississippi was led by a real man of God! LOL)

After a few moments of thoughtful silence, my friend replied, "Bro. Charles, quit pouting about not preaching from the roof, and get in God's pulpit and preach the truth." As I heard these words, I began to feel my face flush with anger. In my mind I thought, "You say one more word to me, Mike Sledge, and I'll grab your steering wheel, jerk this car over to the shoulder of the road, and whip your butt in this highway ditch!" That's what I thought, I'm very ashamed to admit, but the words never came out of my mouth. We were both silent for the rest of the commute.

Arriving on campus, I was so frustrated that I skipped my eight o'clock class and went to the prayer chapel. It was in this little room that God broke my heart. He broke my heart over my inner response of intense anger at my friend, and He broke my heart over the ridiculous challenge that I proposed to my people, as it was nothing more than a vain attempt to have a spotlight shining on me because our church accomplished some numerical goal.

Since this idea didn't originate with me, I'm sure that many others have performed similar, stupid stunts. Let's gather a big crowd, or collect a big offering, and I'll preach from the roof; or I'll swallow live goldfish; or I'll eat a habanero pepper; or I'll let the children throw pies in my face; or we'll rent a dunking tank and the deacons, the staff, and I will take turns being dunked in water. Hallelujah - God most certainly will be impressed with us! Don't you think so?

Now let's be honest, too many times we focus upon the trivial and foolish when we vainly attempt to perform the assignments that God has given us. As He has placed upon my heart a renewed vision of countless souls around the world, across our nation, and in our communities hurting, suffering, and dying, He has also renewed my burden over the reality of so many of our churches playing stupid games. I recently posted via social media about one of our larger churches in America beginning their worship service with their husband-and-wife pastoral team coming out on the platform dressed as Woody the Sheriff and Bo-Peep from the Toy Story movies. She tried to sound as if she had a southern accent. It was hellish. As I attempted to continue to watch it, my heart seethed. Why the shenanigans? Why the foolishness? Why display such childish stupidity in the name of Jesus? WHAT'S WRONG WITH US? People are going to HELL, people, wake up already and let's be THE CHURCH!! The Bible says that we "are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation." (1 Peter 2:9-12)

I've had enough of the pie throwing, roof preaching, goldfish swallowing, pepper eating, water dunking, and prancing around on stage like cartoon characters church services. Where are the displays of personal and corporate HUMILITY, BROKENESS, REPENTANCE, and CRYING OUT in utter desperation unto the Lord for REVIVAL and AWAKENING? Where is the true man of God who will "Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins"? (Isaiah 58:1) Oh how we need MEN of God to lead the CHURCH of God to walk the HOLY PATHWAYS of God in order to experience the FULLNESS of God! A-MEN!!

In closing, allow me to return to my seminary days for a moment. A cassette tape was being passed around of a message that the late evangelist/revivalist Vance Havner had preached in a chapel service at a Bible college in Kentucky. I was blessed to listen to the message several times before giving it to a fellow student. I certainly wish I would have thought about making a copy for myself, but I didn't do it. Bro. Havner was preaching on accomplishing God's ministry through the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit. He ended his message with this personal testimony: "I was recently at a church and with a pastor that I had never met before. It was a large imposing edifice that was abuzz with excitement for our opening service of a revival campaign. The pastor escorted me to a chair on the platform and whispered in my ear that he had to exit for a moment in order to fulfill a promise to his people. As everyone was finding a seat, one of the staff members finally approached the pulpit, welcomed everyone in attendance, then happily announced that a numerical goal had been met that morning. And as promised, the pastor and deacons were prepared to celebrate in a way that few would ever forget. As he said those words, the doors opened up in the rear of that large auditorium and the deacons began coming down the aisles throwing confetti into the excited crowd. As they made their way toward the front, another deacon stepped out of the middle doors with a rope, leading a donkey into the building with a clown upon it's back. The clown had a candy bag with him in order to throw sweet treats to the standing and cheering worshippers. As they got closer to me, I was finally able to recognize the face of the pastor. But being of such advanced age and dim of eyesight, I had trouble determining if the pastor was the clown, or the jackass."

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."