The FORGIVEN!

“I’ll never forgive him!” “I can’t forgive!” How often I have heard other people make these statements. They have been through some horrendous pain that has left a gaping wound and multiple scars in their everyday life. They somehow feel that refusing to forgive, refusing to put the pain into the hands of the only One who can really help them heal, will somehow justify their statement. We have all experienced some kind of pain in our lives. Some have experienced abandonment, while others have experienced abuse of the worst kind. Others have been bullied, and intimidated until their spirits were crushed. They want the pain to cease. They want the person who wounded them so badly to change. They stand alone, hoping, wishing, dying on the inside. But nothing ever seems to change. Even God seems not to notice. What’s a Christian to do?


CHANGE

One of the most valuable lessons I have learned in life is that I cannot change anyone. Only God can change someone’s heart, and He can only do that if they allow Him to do it. As much a I might want to change the behavior, the thought patterns, or even the future relationship—nothing that I can do will guarantee their change—except prayer. Even then, prayer has a way of changing us rather than others. Sometimes we want God to change. But God never changes. He is ever the same. His very nature is marked by His unchangeable character—His immutability. Malachi 3:6 tells us “For I, the LORD, do not change…” He is the One who will continue to be faithful, even if all mankind is faithless. He will continue to love, even when we feel unlovable. When we allow bitterness and anger to build in our hearts, He continues to love us anyhow. He does not love the sin in which we often choose to wallow. But He does love His child. Though God never changes, there is one person that can change—YOU. You can choose to change your attitude about those who hurt you, about the God who seemed to abandon you. Your attitude colors the whole world around you. Those with a wound often carry a boulder on their shoulders. It weighs them down, hinders everything they do. It influences everyone in their lives. That boulder is like a bag of rattlesnakes. They wonder where they can leave it, yet they continue to carry it into every day of their lives. Change must come. It begins with putting Christ in full charge of all of your life. We say we have given Him our heart, but we often don’t give him our mind, or our bodies. We hang on to just the parts we want to control. He tells us to give it all to Him, and we grip that bag of rattlesnakes a little tighter. We know that God wants to control all the uncontrollable things in our lives, yet we tend to hang on to the things we think we can change, as if we deserve the credit. We want to be right. We tell ourselves, “We deserve it!” But the tighter we hang on to our unforgiving attitudes, the more we deserve all the pain we get. God cannot and will not violate our strong and sometimes childishly stubborn wills. He is like the prodigal’s father, who knew the mistakes his son was making by taking his share and leaving home before he should. He knew that a hard lessons would be learned. But he stood there, gave the boy the money, and watched him go down the road while his own heart must have been breaking. He waited, and waited and watched and watched….and one day his faith was rewarded. He longed for his child, and that desire caused him to look longingly down the road, watching for the return of the wayward child. God is like that father. He did not scold the son...he did not lecture him. He did not demand repayment of the money squandered. He ran to him with open arms. He took his coat and put it around his shoulders, put his own ring in his finger and he called him “Son” again. Earthly parents who are at odds with their children do not always behave that way. They want to continue to parent them. They want to show the wayward one they were wrong. It’s silly how we do that. When we make mistakes and learn from them, we know we made the mistake. Forgiveness looks beyond the sins of the past, and accepts the individual just as they are. God does that for us. We don’t deserve forgiveness. We often can’t forgive ourselves. We tend to be hardest on “me.” But there are lessons to be learned, and the prodigal son while still in a far country, had a sudden revelation. Why starve to death, when you can go and work for the finest employer in the land...Father—not as a son, but just as a hired hand.

HUMILITY!

It is the beginning of forgiving yourself. It is the awakening to reality. Yet how often we want God to do the humbling. He can’t do it. We must humble ourselves. “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.” (James 4:10) How do we do this? By sincere repentance. Real humility comes when we choose to do the very thing that we hate to do—submit. Submission to God means total yielding of every area of our lives—our past, our present and our future. We fight submitting because it means that we are no longer in control...God is. But what better place to be—in His hands. He knows the future. He knows the pain. He knows all about our relationships. He knows the deepest hidden secrets in our hearts that we have never told another soul. He knows how to fix everything that is broken and make it like new. He is the one who totally forgives, and acts like it never ever happened. But family—well, that’s another thing. The prodigal’s younger brother who now owned all the rights to his Father’s remaining wealth, was shocked by the forgiving Father. He was jealous of his brother. Family may not respond like God does to us. But how should we respond to them? How did Jesus respond to those who hurt Him? “Father, Forgive them, for they know not what they do….” (Luke 23:34) Jesus knew the wicked hearts of those who crucified Him. He was not like many of us who as children were sometimes forced to say “I’m sorry,” when in our hearts we knew we were not sorry one little bit. We were play acting to appease our parents. Sometimes we carry forward into our adult lives those little pantomimes, and we say we forgive on the outside, but inside we are just waiting for the right moment to seek revenge. Jesus never pretended. Jesus, from His wounded heart, chose to deliberately forgive. Why? He knew the consequences of unforgiveness—sin, separation and death. He would have failed in His divine mission. He did not fail—He forgave!

This year, as you meet with family and friends during the holidays, take a moment in the privacy of your home and kneel before the God who chose to forgive you. Then choose to forgive those who have hurt you. It demands obedient hearts. He will walk with you into the most painful moments and put peace in your heart. If there has been a wall dividing hearts, take the adult step of offering your repentance and saying those two little words “I’m sorry” and “Forgive me”. If you want to truly experience God in your life, forgive. You can chase revivals, seek out the prophets and evangelists, have others lay hands on you, but if you do not forgive, God can’t forgive you. Unforgiveness causes all kinds of grief, including sickness, unanswered prayer, and broken relationships with God and man. “Don’t grieve God. Don’t break His heart. The Holy Spirit moving and breathing in you is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for Himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted. Make a clean break with all cutting, back biting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:30-32 TMB) J. Johnson

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Praise reports and prayer requests…..

Pray for revival! Pray for those who are struggling with forgiveness.

Pray for the Johnsons as they seek a new place of full time ministry...a church that needs strong leadership. Pray for grieving families who have lost loved ones.... Pray for Pastors, Evangelists, Missionaries, and Teachers. Pray for US Army Chaplain Steve Maglio

Pray for those needing a healing touch in their bodies: H Johnson (having back surgery Nov 1 recovering nicely) T Johnson (still having pain from her heart problems) J Deike (cancer) D Barth (cancer), J Brandon, (cancer) D Sherwin (cancer), L. Gardner (cancer). Pray for those dealing with chaos, anger, abuse, temptations and carnal sinful habits. Pray for the nation, for the President, for our service men and women, for Israel, for the unsaved, and don’t forget to Praise and thank the Lord!

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Dear friends,


We have enjoyed a ministry opportunities in October in southern IL. Had a wonderful time in the presence of the Lord. Please pray that more doors of ministry will open for us in the days ahead. Please continue to pray for us as we seek God’s placement of our ministry. We are so thankful and so appreciate each of you who take the time to pray and write. God bless you all! God is faithful and we anticipate great things in the future… …Serving the Master

Dave & Joyce

For Such A Time....

Why are you here? What did God have in mind when He made you? What does He have planned for your destiny? These are all questions we often ask ourselves in various times of our life. As a teen, we often have no idea what the future holds, what God has planned for us. We ask, and we seek, and we knock...and when a door opens, we walk through. All too often we find our lives wrapped up in a seemingly endless parade of mundane events that flow from a day to a month to a year. Be fore we know it, life has seemed to pass us by. We wonder has there been a time when we have fulfilled that destiny God has had planned for us?


I remember singing a song at church when I was younger, and perhaps you know it too: “I’ll go where you want me to go dear Lord, O’er mountain or plain or sea. I’ll say what you want me to say dear Lord. I’ll be what you want me to be.” I knew God had a plan for me. I just walked daily in His plan and He unfolded that plan one day at a time.

Too often today, we plan our lives, we make our schedules, we choose our path. We fail to consult the One who opens and closes doors. I sometimes wondered if Hadassah had done that, what would the world be like today? Who is Hadassah? You will recognize her other adopted name in the Bible, Esther. Young Esther found herself living in a foreign land, experiencing the first anti-Semitic persecution in history. She was an Jewish orphan, living with her cousin when the king called for all the most beautiful women in the land to be gathered for his selection of a new queen. She became a candidate. Her poise and beauty would carry her into the position of becoming the new queen of Susa, wife of Artaxerxes also known as Xerxes. Esther’s wise relative, Mordecai reminded her, that perhaps God had called her to this position “for such a time as this”. In that moment of crisis which demanded she risk her very life to save the Jewish people, she chose to stand by faith in the presence of the King, unsummoned, ready to die if he rejected her. Had she chosen anything else, not only would she have died, since she was Jewish—-but all the Jewish people would have been annihilated from Ethiopia to India. Today, there would be no Israel. A huge part of the population of New York, Florida, and California would not exist. You would not be wearing blue jeans which were invented by Levi Strauss in 1873. Ladies would not be able to carry lipstick which Maurice Levy invented in 1915. We would not have contraceptives, or the laser, or even a remote control, all of which were invented by Jewish people.

We’ve all seen the famous Christmas tale entitled” It’s a Wonderful Life” where George Bailey discovered what life would have been like if he were never born. He learned to rejoice over the little things in his life that made a huge difference. When you look at your life, you may wonder, “How have I made a difference?” Instead, I challenge you to think of someone who made a huge difference in your life. Write them a note and thank them! If God is the One who made a huge difference in your life, then take some time to thank Him for all He has done in your life. Tell someone about it. Give God glory! Perhaps your testimony now is —for such a time as this!

We live in trying days, to be sure. Oil is pouring into the gulf destroying the beautiful shoreline, and the livelihood of many who rely on the gulf waters for their income. Volcanoes are pouring out chocking ash, hindering air traffic. Mexico is drowning in the blood of drug trafficking wars. People all around us are in despair over the national economy, the immoral state of the nation, and the declining spirituality in the church. What are we as the people of God to do about it all? May I suggest we look again at Esther? How did she handle her crisis? Did she throw up her queenly hands in despair? Did she go hide in her royal palace? What does the Bible tell us? "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." Esther 4: 16. So we see that her first response was to mobilize God’s people to prayer and fasting. She made sure that those in her ‘household’—her maids, also fasted and prayed. This was her destiny. She was called into the palace for such a time as this! She risked death to save herself and her people. For three days, prayers went up to God. God listened. Like any miracle God performs, it is filled with incredible timing. There was the building of a gallows on which Haman intended to kill Mordecai. There was a sleepless night in the bedroom of the king, and the discovery of the unrewarded Mordecai who had saved the Kings life. Then the banquet and the request...and for such a time as this Esther was there.

What is God calling you to do for Him today? Is it to call your family to prayer, or to lead your church into a time of preparation for revival? The enemy is out there, ready to kill, steal and destroy the people of God. The church is gasping for a fresh breath of heavenly revival. The community and the world is looking for a hero. Who will be Esther to them? Everyday you have an incredible influence on the people whose lives you touch daily. Your spouse looks to you for encouragement and spiritual guidance. Your children look up to you for an example and a reason to learn. Your neighbors are watching how you respond to life’s crises. Your co-workers will follow a leader who emulates the love of God. No matter what horrible experiences you are facing today, God has called you to the place where you are “for such a time as this…” If you are facing marital strife, face it with God at your side. If you are financially overwhelmed, remember that God is the source of all that we need. See Him for a solution. If your children are wandering from God, lay them at the foot of the cross in prayer and let God go to work on them. If you are overcome with fear, rest in the gentle arms of the Good Shepherd, who loves His sheep. You are not alone. Elijah the prophet thought he was all alone, but God has preserved a remnant of Godly people who, when the time was right, would once again stand strong for God. Elijah was chosen, for such a time as this.

You may feel too young, unable to accomplish much, or so old, that there’s not much left you can do. God still has a plan for you. He uses Daniel’s to stand strong in the lions den and David’s to stand before the giant. Old or young, it means nothing to God. God uses empty vessels who are willing to be used for His glory. Unemployed? God always has a job opening for those willing to be His servants. Look around you! What needs to be done? Who can you help today? What has been neglected for too long? Take on a new task, a new responsibility and serve the King. Esther did. She may have been afraid, but as she realized that her own life was also in the balance, she stepped up to the plate and risked it all. What are you willing to risk today?

Missionaries on the field are risking their lives to tell the story. In some countries Christians are being expelled and sometimes killed for their faith. Here in the comfort and ease of living in a democracy, we complain about the littlest things while others are risking it all to serve the Lord. What bothers you today? Is it the lost who do not know the Savior? Is it the church that has lost is focus and vision? Is it a family that has become so engrossed in carnal pleasures that they have forgot about God and eternity? Is it a neighbor who is filling his or her life with drugs and alcohol? These things bother me...and I want to serve my King for such a time as this!

J. Johnson

Pleasing God

It doesn’t seem to come naturally to human beings...we all want to do what we want to do. We don’t like to consult first with others. We make excuses that ‘it’s the American way….!’ I remember the old TV commercial that said…”Mother...I’d rather do it myself.” We pride ourselves in our accomplishments and our self sufficiency. And all too often, we find ourselves trying to do things our way, only to end up in frustration and failure. We want to please God, but too often we want to please ourselves and others first.
The Apostle Paul struggled with this too. It is an age old problem. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. (Romans 7:15) We all want to do it right! But we often fail….yielding to the carnal and sinful flesh. We want to be pleasing to God, but we continually struggle, day after day. It sometimes seems like everyone around us is doing just fine...but we falter. What is it that makes the difference?

1. Recognize that you sin. You are not alone in this. Sin is a problem common to the entire human race. We were born in sin. Sin is not unique to just you. It is a problem that each person must confront and deal with in the way God prescribes. Too often we don’t talk about sin. Pastors today in ‘sensitive’ churches, tend to paint a rosy picture of life, filled with people who just make ‘mistakes’. God calls it sin! Sin is a big problem that will hinder your spiritual life and prevent you from entering the presence of a holy God. Each man, woman, boy or girl must come to grips with the sin habit. Those who fail to deal with their sin will never enter His holy presence.

2. Overcomers are rewarded. God provides incentives. He rewards us with so much when we decide to please Him instead of ourselves. “What rewards?” you may ask. The Bible is filled with the rewards that await those who choose to please Him….heaven, (John 14:1-4) help (John 14:15-17) love (John 14:23) fruitfulness (John 15:5) joy (John 15:11) and all the promises of God.

3. Live your life as if God were standing by your side. There are Bible heroes who were noted as being men and women who pleased God . First of all we think of Enoch. He pleased God so much, that the Bible tells us ‘God took him’ (Hebrews 11:5). What was it about Enoch that pleased God? It was his faith...that resulted in actions...And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Heb 11:6) It takes faith to serve God diligently, believing in His existence so that it affects every waking moment of your life...causing you to seek Him daily.
King David, although he sinned, he was also a man who sought God. Whenever David sought God for the problems he faced, God blessed his kingdom. But the moment David started doing things on his own, (counting the troops), he trusted in his own ability instead of God’s ability. That’s when failure came. That’s when sin conquered. He learned from his failure and spoke wisely from that lesson….I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. 1 Chron 29:17. It is getting harder to find people of integrity… people who will do the right thing, even when no one is watching….people who go the extra mile, people who refuse to bow to the carnal culture around them. But those kind are God pleasers!
Solomon started out well., for in 1 Kings 3:9-10 we read Solomon’s request. 9 Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom.
If that were you, and God asked you what you wanted in life, how would you do? Most folks would ask for money or lands or tangible things...but Solomon wisely asked for the intangible...an understanding heart. That pleased God! While God rewarded him with wisdom and wealth, Solomon later failed because he forgot to continually seek God.

4. Love the Lord with all Your Heart. We know this is one of the two great commandments that Jesus spoke of. Yet to make it personal and do it daily is a daunting task. The Psalmist said…’the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.’ (Psalm 147:11) People have their hopes in so many things today. Some hope the stock market will rise. Others hope to find a kettle of gold at the end of the rainbow, via the lottery. Some hope for a great successful career. Others hope to meet that special someone who will solve all their problems in life and put stars in their eyes. Loving the Lord does not mean you can’t have nice things, or be successful. It does mean that you put Him first in everything. When we do, He promises that all the other things we long for will also be satisfied. He is the source of our fulfillment. He is the hope and joy and love of the believer. When we love Him the way He wants us to, everything else just falls into place. How many young couples have married, thinking that their partner will bring them happiness, only to discover shortly thereafter, that they married a sinful human being, just like themselves. They divorce, trying to find that perfect someone, only being disappointed again and again. That’s what happens when our hearts look to mankind to make us happy when God designed us with an emptiness that only He can fill. If you are struggling in your relationship today, start loving Him again, and then begin to treat your loved ones as if they were Jesus...loving them unconditionally, serving them with gladness of heart. A Christ-centered heart is a happy heart, and pleases God and man. In fact you do more than please God...you delight Him!

5. Make Humility the Norm. There is nothing more obnoxious than being around someone who is arrogant. It’s like living with a skunk. You can’t wait to make an exit. (Psalm 51:16-17) ‘You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.’ God is consistent...although He asked for sacrifices...He did not delight in them. What gets God excited is a broken and contrite humble heart….one willing to admit their sin, willing to come to God when the going gets tough...willing to listen and obey. Lots of folk go through the motions...do all the right things...give to the right causes… but they look for the glory...they want the attention. God looks for those who seek no glory and honor.
So are you pleasing God? It’s not an easy assignment. But the more you do it, the easier it gets. It comes real easy when you fall in love with Jesus all over again. Look at what He has done for you! Remember what He has saved you from!
I have always endeavored to please God with my life. It has been an interesting journey. Each day is a new experience in pleasing Him. As I daily get to know Him more, I discover new secrets of who He is. That’s the way it is when you are in love. Each day is a new adventure...seeking to know Him more...spending time in His presence...listening to His still small voice...and then walking throughout the day in obedience.—no matter what others think.
If you are reading this today and the heavens seem like brass...like nobody is listening….start by searching your heart. Repent of anything that has come between you and His awesome presence. Clean the slate. Start fresh. Then begin loving Him. Tell Him how much you love Him….instead of what you need. Open your heart to Him. Imagine yourself entering His throne room, as He beckons you to come closer. Bow in His presence and get real with Him. No more pretend. No more lies. Nothing between! You are His delight!
It will no longer be said to you, “Forsaken,”
Nor to your land will it any longer be said, “Desolate”;
But you will be called, “My delight is in her,”
And your land, “Married”;
For the LORD delights in you…
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So your God will rejoice over you.Isaiah 62:4-5
Take some time today to be in His presence...and bring Him pleasure.
J. Johnson

Another Great Awakening?

Is it time for another “Great Awakening in America? We have seen the transitions in the church from the Charismatic Movement of the 1970’s to the mega churches of the 21st Century, yet whenever we begin to discuss the state of the church with fellow believers, they all seem to say the same thing… they are hungry for a real move of God. Some don’t even know what that means. If you have never experience a genuine heaven sent move of God, one that resulted in repentance and prolonged change in both the church and the individual, you do not know what you are missing.
Years ago, as a young man, Rev. Martin Luther King wrote a paper in college entitled "An Appraisal of the Great Awakening" in which he looked back over those who influenced the coming of the first Great Awakening to the New England states in the 1740’s. He wrote… “The gradual decline of emotional fervor was also a factor which led to the Great Awakening. Religion had become unemotional, with a type of preaching unconducive to revivals and conversion.” While people had come to America to experience a freedom of religion, they soon began to organize their religious world and as they made more and more rules and guidelines for their faith, they settled into a passive routine of worship that lost it’s passion and power. It took the shaking and controversial ministries of men such as Theodore Frelinghuysen, the first revivalist, and George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards to turn the spiritual tide in America. Rev. King felt that the factors that led to the need for revival were (1) the failure of organized religion to reach the masses (2) the gradual decline of emotional fervor and (3) a breakdown in moral standards. The church today is certainly making a valiant effort to reach the masses today with the advent of the electronic media available to churches and ministries. Yet there is still a segment of society that seems stuck in the ‘religiosity’ of the past, going through the meaningless motions that their parents and grandparents did. Some faiths have controlled their congregants using fear, that if you should dare to go to another church, you will not go to heaven. Such false doctrine is certainly not Biblical, yet is very controlling.
Then there are those who have been taught that faith and religion is strictly an intellectual approach and that emotionalism has no place in genuine faith. That approach is also not Biblically based. Jesus himself expressed great emotion. The disciples were emotional evangelists who proclaimed their faith with such boldness that they often were arrested and martyred for their faith. Emotions play a key role in the staying power of our faith and determination to follow through on our beliefs.
The breakdown of moral standards is the most outstanding factor that proceeded the First Great Awakening. When people tend to live their faith in such a way that they begin to just go through the motions, they also tend to slowly let slip all the Biblical guidelines for morality and holiness. This kind of religion is a powerless one, in which they try to lean on their own abilities, rules, regulations and church standards, rather than on a personal love relationship with God Himself, and His Son, Jesus Christ. Love is a strong motivator. In the New England of the 1700’s there was a growing trend towards drunkenness, sexual looseness, and a mockery of those who believed in God. Today, our culture is not much different. The ‘politically correct’ culture has pushed Christianity into the unpopular category, and those who complain are considered intolerant. In reality, it is the immoral culture that has become intolerant. Christians are expected to tolerate the minority homosexual culture, but the minority culture is never pressured to accept the majority—Christians. While it is labeled a hate crime to speak against the gay community, it’s just fine for the gay community to bash the Christian community. The immorality of our 21’st Century culture has grown out of balance with the majority of the population. . Mike Craven, in an article on Crosswalk.com states...This generation sees what many are only recently coming to realize; the Church is in a pathetic state of decadence and decay. It is, to a large degree, fragmented, watered-down, and retreating from cultural relevancy. Biblical and theological ignorance, cultural apathy, and social indifference are a plague upon the American Church and what passes for Christianity in many circles is often a mere shadow of historic orthodox Christianity or worse, something altogether different.
What will it take?
Some thought that the revivals of the ‘90’s would bring the long awaited revival to America sweeping the nation with a new ‘Great Awakening” But many of those revivals have come and gone, and nothing has changed. The very phrase, ‘great awakening’ seems to suggest a state of slumber and apathy as being prevalent in the society that needs to ‘wake up”. Today, it will take more than preaching from vibrant mega-churches to stir the hearts of a nation. The thing that seems to control our emotional switches today is money. We are willing to get passionate about our finances. We want a government that will keep the finances flowing. Politics seems to major on the economy. Where once Christians voted on the moral standing of a candidate, today they tend to vote more on the financial promises. But when those promises fade into meaningless rhetoric, perhaps America will finally be ready to turn once again to God. When man fails, God prevails.
It will take the humiliation of a nation that has become so self-reliant rather than God-reliant, to experience a position of readiness for revival. Revival is more than just lots of people going to church. It is more than just fiery revivalists, passionately proclaiming a message. It is more than organizing and intellectually understanding the church. A true Great Awakening will be more than America has ever experienced in the past. It will be a “God-thing.” When God sets up a revival, nothing man can do will stop it. In the early church days, the disciples knew what it was like. God moved in sovereign ways to cause the church to grow. The result was mild mannered disciples became voices that would not be quieted. They suffered persecution, pain and martyrdom. Yet they were willing to pay the price to obey their Lord. They had no mega-churches, no web-sites, no media campaigns, no festivals, no programs, to kid’s ministries, no denominations. They just had men and women, who had met with God, who had experienced his transforming presence, who felt His powerful hand upon their lives. They knew their God. They knew His Word. They knew his voice. They knew their purpose. Daily they walked as if He were to return that very day. The power of the Holy Spirit became their best friend, as they let Him flow through their lives, healing the sick, raising the dead, speaking to the lost in power and conviction. They met house to house, preached wherever they had an audience, prayed wherever there was a need and turned the world upside-down for God.
What will it take today?
God still needs these kinds of men and women. He never sent angels to do the job. He commissioned mankind. God seeks men and women who will follow in the footsteps of the Master, willing to ‘take up the cross’ identifying with the shame and curse, yet determined to do what must be done to bring the gospel (good news) message to a world that does not even know it needs it. Begin today where you are. Look around you and see a need. Let God move through you to minister to that need. God did not call pastors to go into all the world… he called people. He chooses to use ordinary folks to do the extraordinary works of God. You are never to old or too young to serve Him. There is nothing that can stop the man who yields himself totally to God. Such a man or woman will have to live lives of holiness before God. They will need to know His voice, and know how to obey. If God should choose to bring a Great Awakening to this country once again, each of us must find ourselves in a place of humility, repentance and sensitivity. There will be a passion for souls that will drive you. Money will not move you or deter you. You will be grieved by the immorality around you. That grief will move you to action .
The one factor that believers often forget when new teachings come across the pulpit or airwaves is that while man continues to struggle to find new ways to make himself acceptable to God, God never changes. He is the One Rock in our cultural storm. We dare not drift from the Rock. While many voices may call us, many reassure us that there is hope in other things, we must cling to that which has a secure foundation, tried and true. While some will try to reinterpret the Word of God to suit their new theologies, we must stay close to his Presence, His Word, and His eternal truths. That next great awakening will come, but not until mankind realizes that in this clay dwells nothing good. All our reliance and hope comes from an Almighty God in whom we can trust and place our faith. When our eyes are on God alone, we will see Him as He is and what a wondrous revelation that will be!
J. Johnson