ANOTHER One Seldom Mentioned Reason Why We May NEVER SEE Revival

THE FIRST THREE CHAPTERS OF REVELATION find Jesus Christ addressing seven      letters to seven churches.   We can learn a lot from these letters.   They seem to      have a three-fold application.   1) They are letters to real-live churches existing at that time; 2) they have a personal application to you and me, and 3) they have a prophetic application.   For example, it is commonly agreed that the last letter, to the Church of the Laodiceans, prophetically describes the average church in these last days. Keep that in mind as you read the following:    "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.   So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.   Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:" Rev. 3:14-17. For the most part, Bible-believing churches in the United States today are more prosperous than those early churches.   Comparatively speaking, most churches in this country are sitting on enormous assets.   Add to that the relative "personal wealth" of every member, and we too can easily say, "I am rich, and increased with goods[.]" However, one also can't deny that with all our prosperity we are not accomplishing what we ought to for God.   That is why Christ could just as well be describing us when He said, "thou art lukewarm[.]" WHAT DOES THE LORD MEAN BY HOT? Human nature being what it is, the average church member today will read Christ's rebuke and assume that their church is at least somewhere between hot and lukewarm. We deceive ourselves by thinking we only need minor improvements.   But let's forget our self-deceiving definition of hot.   When the Lord says hot, He means HOT as in those early churches in the Book of Acts.   After all, can you point to any other churches that did more for God in a short amount of time?   Compared to those churches, can we honestly say we are hot, or anywhere near it? However, there was hope for the Laodiceans, there's also hope for us.   Christ told them to "be zealous therefore, and repent."   (Rev. 3:19)   We must take heed and do the same, modeling ourselves after those early churches, and practice some of the very things that made them hot.   For example, in Acts 5:26-29 we find those early members being rebuked by "the authorities" for witnessing to others.   The Bible says, "Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them....before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.   Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men."   Interesting, isn't it, the boldness they had?   They didn't hold back or hesitate.   These early members were more afraid of offending God if they didn't witness, than offending other people . . . . . . UNLIKE SOME OF US TODAY!

PETER'S RESPONSE TO THE COUNCIL reveals what motivated him and those early      disciples.   It also says a lot about their perspective.   They were missions minded, seeing themselves as strangers and pilgrims left on this earth to carry out a mission--the spreading of God's Word. "Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?" Mat. 15:12 When it comes to religious matters, we live in a world that is easily offended--but then again, so did the early church members.   Unlike us, however, they didn't cater to the world's sensitivity.   They didn't painstakingly analyze to death the person they were going to evangelize.   We don't find them calculating the best time, determining the best approach, rehearsing the best opening line, discerning where the lost person's "head was at," reserving the ideal place, only to conclude that since the timing was not right, it would do more harm--by possibly offending them--to give them the Gospel.    They had a boldness that naturally supported their claim that they were on a rescue mission from God.   They didn't send mixed signals.   Their belief, that most were unknowingly on a greased slide to Hell was matched by their sense of urgency and willingness to possibly offend in order to save a lost soul.   May God help us obtain the same perspective. How Can this Possibly Hinder Revival? Perhaps we don't realize the sins we commit when we "give in" to the world.   You may not realize it, but when we back down from witnessing because of what a man MAY think, we are blantantly ignoring what God WILL think.   That is why Peter said, "We ought to obey God rather than men."   On another occasion, we read, "And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.   But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye."   Acts 4:18-19 Let's face it, sinful man doesn't want to hear that he is a lost, hell- deserving, hell-bound sinner that can't save himself and therefore must repent.   Yet, this is exactly what he needs to realize before he can even call upon Christ to save him.   Naturally, such a message may very well offend him--why do we act surprised?   If we soften the message, or forego warning him because it's "not the right time and place," we would be hearkening to men instead of God.   That, my friend would, be a definite sin.   Yet, there are other sins behind holding back. HYPOCRISY--if Hell is as real as we claim, how can we not warn them in spite of possibly offending?   Would any of us not wake up someone in a burning house for fear that they might get upset?   Our urgent claim coupled with our reluctance to offend sends mixed signals--they don't coincide.   One unsaved person has even been known to ask, "If salvation and Hell are as real as you Christians claim to be, why don't you all quit your jobs and become evangelists?"   (Makes you wonder, doesn't it?   Ironically, the early church members did just that!   Could we ever be as hot as they were?) FEAR--To hold back because we are afraid to offend is a sin, as is any fear in the Christian life.   Ironically, if you read the Great Commission carefully, we find we have all the reason in the universe NOT to fear.   "Then the eleven disciples went away into

Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.   And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.   And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.   Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.   Amen."   Mat. 28:16-20 Notice that some disciples were doubtful.   (Sounds like some of us today!)   Why were they doubting?   Perhaps they still questioned whether He was the risen Christ and not some ghost pulling a cruel joke.   Or perhaps it had to do with Christ leaving them to fret alone in a world that hated them.   Whatever the case, Christ eased their doubts (and ours) by promising that, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.   Go ye therefore..."   That "therefore" ties the Great Commission with all the power we would ever need to accomplish the monumental task lying before us. What do we have to fear then?   God backs us up all the way.   God is surely more powerful than any man!   "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."   (1 John 4:4)   "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."   Heb. 13:6   (See also Matthew 10:28) LACK OF FAITH--possibly the "worst" revival-hindering sin behind our wrong perspective is the lack of trusting God.   All the pre-planning we do prior to witnessing comes from taking our eyes off the all-powerful support God has promised us and placing them on ourselves.   The fear that smothers our boldness comes from practicing self-preservation--TOO MUCH FOCUS ON SELF.   "What will they think of ME?"   "How will they react toward ME?"   "Will they be offended, and get mad at ME?"   "Will they think I'm a nut?"   "Will I do the cause of Christ more harm than good if I don't approach it the right way?"   Me, me, me, I, I, I, and on and on it goes. The Battle is Really Spiritual The sad irony is that many times we fear what man will do as if it's man we are really battling.   Yes, the wicked, deceitful heart opposes God.   And, yes, it is man's rationale that gives us fits sometimes.   But, in the end, the real battle is spiritual.   The Bible says "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."   Eph. 6:11-12    The early, hot church never lost sight of the fact that God was working behind the scenes providing all the support they needed.   They knew, "the battle is the LORD'S" (1 Sam. 17:47).   They had the right perspective.   Why do we act like we have to evangelize this whole world in our own power, while relying on our own resourcefulness?   As long as we do that, self-preservation, with its fear of offending, kicks in.   The Bible promises, "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."   1 Th. 5:24 Please consider what you've read.   As long as we cater to man's feelings instead of God's will, we may never see revival.   God wants us to exercise the same dependency on Him while trying to reach the lost as we did when we got saved!   "Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" Gal. 3:3

IF you were to die today, are you 100% SURE you would go to Heaven?   The Bible says YOU CAN BE SURE (1 John 5:13). BUT FIRST, you must realize that what keeps you from going to Heaven are your sins, because: "...your iniquities [sins] have separated between you and your God," Isaiah 59:2. In fact, in God's eyes YOU ARE A SINNER: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23. SECONDLY, you must realize that there is NOTHING you can do to save yourself and earn Heaven: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."   Eph. 2:8-9   Baptism, good deeds, church membership, self-righteousness are all examples of good works that cannot save you, because: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he [Christ] saved us," Titus 3:5. THE ONLY WAY you can get saved is through Jesus Christ.   He said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."   (John 14:6)   THAT'S WHY: "...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."   (Rom. 5:8-9) THEREFORE: You must REPENT (change your mind); admit that you are a Hell deserving sinner and can't save yourself.   And call upon Christ, and Him alone, to save you.   "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [REPENT], and shalt believe in thine heart [TRUST] that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."   Romans 10:9 SEND THE LIGHT P.O. Box 815   Fargo, ND 58107

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