Doing a quick survey of revival movements in the recent past (300yrs) I found a disturbing fact and a couple of interesting ones,
First almost every single "great awakening" or sweeping revival started with men dedicated to prayer for their area, their nation, their family faithfully.
Second, in the process of the awakenings it was not one man or preacher but several who contributed.
Third, that these preachers and evangelists preached the Gospel. Sin and Hell, Christ crucified with no apologies, very little fanfare and absolutely NO punches pulled. They preached of a judgment to come, the wages of sin are death, and Jesus as the only way out.
The last great "awakening" was in the early 20th century. 100 yrs ago.
We have had good men of God stand in the gap (revival), but not a mass return to Christ (Awakening) since then. Why?
Jonathan Edwards preached a vivid image of Hell. Billy Sunday preached sin, D.L. Moody preached a God of love and Judgment. Charles Spurgeon was an orator extraordinaire who used words like we use a camera to show the way.
Why must it be the men to lead the way? God appointed man as the Spiritual leader of the family. All starts with the family. We may go to work, church, sporting events. We may run businesses or governments but everything starts in the home and the man is God's appointed leader. He is the one who on Judgment day will stand and give account for his actions, his lead in the home.
The men of this nation need to stand up and be godly men. They need to be principled men. They need to be sturdy men, not afraid to speak of love, damnation, sin, judgment, and reconciliation.
Eph_5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Eph 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
Why must it be prayer to lead the way?
2 Chronicles 7:14
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 is our talks with God. Notice I said talks, which means a conversation. We tell God our cares and concerns, and then we listen to His. We learn of His Will, our hearts meet together and plead for a revival a work of greatness that is so desperately needed. We pray for His Glory, His Honor that our nation returns to a saving knowledge of Christ,
Men meeting with God, women praying for the same.
Dedication.
Fear of Souls going to a real eternal Hell.
Where the flames never die, thirst never quenches, the worm never dies.
The realization that they will never know if we do not tell them.
The realization that we can do nothing without God;s Spirit moving.
The realization that one day we will stand and watch fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, sons, and daughters cast into Hell, damned to eternal torment because we did not do all we can.
There must be a great awakening in this nation, or we are all to blame. It is not going to happen just because we hope so, it is not going to happen by osmosis.
It will only happen when God's people with a concerted effort prays, seeks His face.
It will only happen when we have a desire so strong for souls that we, as Billy Sunday did, weep for souls.
First almost every single "great awakening" or sweeping revival started with men dedicated to prayer for their area, their nation, their family faithfully.
Second, in the process of the awakenings it was not one man or preacher but several who contributed.
Third, that these preachers and evangelists preached the Gospel. Sin and Hell, Christ crucified with no apologies, very little fanfare and absolutely NO punches pulled. They preached of a judgment to come, the wages of sin are death, and Jesus as the only way out.
The last great "awakening" was in the early 20th century. 100 yrs ago.
We have had good men of God stand in the gap (revival), but not a mass return to Christ (Awakening) since then. Why?
Jonathan Edwards preached a vivid image of Hell. Billy Sunday preached sin, D.L. Moody preached a God of love and Judgment. Charles Spurgeon was an orator extraordinaire who used words like we use a camera to show the way.
Why must it be the men to lead the way? God appointed man as the Spiritual leader of the family. All starts with the family. We may go to work, church, sporting events. We may run businesses or governments but everything starts in the home and the man is God's appointed leader. He is the one who on Judgment day will stand and give account for his actions, his lead in the home.
The men of this nation need to stand up and be godly men. They need to be principled men. They need to be sturdy men, not afraid to speak of love, damnation, sin, judgment, and reconciliation.
Eph_5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Eph 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
Why must it be prayer to lead the way?
2 Chronicles 7:14
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 is our talks with God. Notice I said talks, which means a conversation. We tell God our cares and concerns, and then we listen to His. We learn of His Will, our hearts meet together and plead for a revival a work of greatness that is so desperately needed. We pray for His Glory, His Honor that our nation returns to a saving knowledge of Christ,
Men meeting with God, women praying for the same.
Dedication.
Fear of Souls going to a real eternal Hell.
Where the flames never die, thirst never quenches, the worm never dies.
The realization that they will never know if we do not tell them.
The realization that we can do nothing without God;s Spirit moving.
The realization that one day we will stand and watch fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, sons, and daughters cast into Hell, damned to eternal torment because we did not do all we can.
There must be a great awakening in this nation, or we are all to blame. It is not going to happen just because we hope so, it is not going to happen by osmosis.
It will only happen when God's people with a concerted effort prays, seeks His face.
It will only happen when we have a desire so strong for souls that we, as Billy Sunday did, weep for souls.
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