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 Is There Hope For Revival In Darkening Days? -moore


[b]Is There Hope For Revival In Darkening Days?[/b]
[i]by W. C. Moore[/i]

The wreckage of civilization is around us! Disobedience in the homes, godlessness in the schools, crime on the streets, immorality in society, corruption in the government, even apathy and hypocrisy in the churches. The world is in crisis!

What Are Born-again Christians To Do?

“Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matt. 24:12). The fact that now iniquity does abound and that the love of many shall wax cold--does not mean that you and I must be among that “many” whose love has grown cold toward our blessed Lord!

No! It is a direct challenge and a warn ing to us to stir up ourselves to take hold of God and press toward the mark as never before and to continue to have faith in God regardless of how dark things look. (Isa. 64:7; Phil. 3:7-14; Mark 11:22-26).

“Perilous Times” – A Call Not To Retreat Or To Retrench But Rather To Advance!

Thank God for the privilege of living in a time of such peril and danger as we face today. It is a day of opportunity. The darker the night, the more need of the light.

Might we live such radiant lives, with our lights blazing for God, that when other real Christians see us they will thank God and take courage! (Acts 28:14,15).

We are not called to shut our eyes to the hideous facts all around us or to bury our heads in the sand, ostrich-like and hope for the best, or to get panicky and seek to run away from the whole terrible situation. The Lord calls us to be witnesses unto Him right out among the people (Acts 1:8).

God is not asking His true people to hide away from earth’s troubles in some mountain stronghold. Let’s get our lights out from under the bushels of fear, unbelief, unconcern for the perishing multitudes all around us (Matt. 5:14,15). Jesus says, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).

Let the light of God’s love, and the assurance of the great salvation wherewith He has saved us, and the light of unswerving devotion to the Lord we love and trust--so shine before a frightened and frustrated people that they; too, may turn unto God!

Persecution

We need to know how to act under persecution. The Lord has told us what our attitude should be and how we should do when we are mistreated. When persecution comes because of our stand for God and for righteousness, instead of bemoaning our fate, being sorrowful, pitying ourselves, going around trying to get someone to sympathize with us and instead of murmuring and complaining, here is what our Lord says:

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake...Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven...” (Matt. 5:10-12). See how the apostles reacted to persecution—“rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:40-42).

Pray For Revival!

One extremely important duty and challenge to Christians living in these darkening days--is to pray earnestly, perseveringly, faithfully, believingly for a great sin-convicting, soul-saving, Holy Ghost Revival—worldwide, upon “all flesh” as our glorious Lord has promised for the “last days!”

“In the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh” (Acts 2:17). This prophecy of the Prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-32) began to be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, but the prophecy has not been completely fulfilled even yet.

The fact that God has promised a thing does not mean that we are to just sit down, listlessly and wait for it to come to pass. No! His wonderful promises are not given to stifle but rather to stimulate prayer. “Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquired of…to do it (Ezek. 36:37).

This is God’s plan for the human race (Matt 6:9-15; Matt. 7:7-11). “Let your requests be made known unto God” (Phil. 4:6). “Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to everyone grass in the field” (Zech. 10:1).

Christian friends, you and I have tremendous opportunities, great responsibilities in these days. We have light. Let us walk while we have the light, lest darkness come upon us (John 12:35). I do not want to fail God, do you?

The very fact that we in this dark day have had such great light makes us all the more guilty before God because we have failed to walk faithfully and wholeheartedly in all the light God has given us. “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” (Luke 12:48).

See The Rainbow On The Storm Clouds!

God is the God of the miraculous. His ways are not our ways (Isa. 55:8-13). God’s promise to Abraham was indeed to be fulfilled that he should have a Son and heir, but Isaac was born when Abraham was “as good as dead” (Hebrews 11:8-12).

When the glorious Lord, the miracle-working Son of God, was crucified between two thieves, and the disciples were scattered, was not that an hour of midnight gloom and unutterable defeat—to all appearances—for the followers of Jesus? Yet in about fifty days thereafter, the great revival burst forth on the day of Pentecost! Thousands of Jews were saved before judgment fell on the Jewish nation, and they were for a time cut off and the Gentiles grafted in.

The religious leaders among the Jewish nation at the time of Christ’s first advent were mainly responsible for His crucifixion (Acts 3:12-15; Matt. 27:15-25). And today, sad to say, many religious leaders among the Gentiles are untrue to the Lord Jesus Christ.

But since God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), let us sincerely believe Him to send a great “last day” revival and save multitudes from among the Gentiles before He cuts off the Gentiles, sends fearful judgments upon them, and grafts Israel back into His favor (Rom. 11:1-32).

Although we today live in one of the earth’s darkest hours since Calvary, let us believe God to send yet another mighty Pentecost and save multitudes from among the Gentiles just as He saved thousands from among the sinning Jewish nation.

God’s Faithful Few

Of all the many thousands among the Jewish people that Jesus had ministered to, taught, miraculously fed, healed--we only have a record of about 120 who “continued with one accord in prayer and supplication” after His departure to heaven. The Gift of the Holy Ghost, the Pentecostal outpouring, was surely to come, but the faithful remnant had to continue in prayer--until! (Hosea 10:12; Acts 1:14,15; Acts 2:1-7).

Will you, will I, set our faces (Isa. 50:7; Dan. 9:3) and stir up ourselves to take hold of God (Isa. 64:7) and pray through until God comes and rains righteousness upon us (Hosea 10:12) and as He has promised (Joel 2:28-32) pours out His Spirit upon all flesh and saves multitudes from among the Gentiles for His glory? (James 5:7).

“And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily” (Luke 18:7,8).


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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2006/11/11 14:21Profile
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Joined: 2006/5/22
Posts: 2680
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 Re: Is There Hope For Revival In Darkening Days? -moore

Quote: Will you, will I, set our faces...

Will we? Will we pray through?

We all see what is going on around us, yet the Church seems pretty dismisive of it.

The ugliness of sin is so loud, yet the scathing indifference of the Church matches the world's ugliness.

Stir ourselves? We need to. What other hope do we have execept, the Lord Jesus Christ?

Lord, revive your Church, and soon.

God bless.

 2006/11/16 10:16Profile





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