Do We Know What Revival Is?

Brian Edwards, in his book, Revival! A People Saturated with God writes that there are two or three generations that know nothing about revival. Edwards goes on and says that fewer the people there are to know and talk about revival, the less likely it may occur.

However, he writes, we must not forget that true revival is always the work of a sovereign God.

Let us work hard in prayer that fire from heaven will come to our churches.

Every Moment Counts

I am reading The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This evening I read the following: "Every moment and every situation challenges us to action and to obedience" (pg. 78).

It does not matter what we are doing. What matters is that moment is lived for the glory of God.

I am back in Omaha

Good Morning:

I am back in Omaha after spending two weeks at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, MA. It was my final residency for my Doctor on Ministry of Degree. All that is left now is the completion of my thesis-project.

Bryan

Prayer for Revival in Boston

Last Sunday, I attended church at Tremont Baptist Church. There has been worship services in this renovated theatre since the 1840's. People like S.D. Gordon, D.L. Moody, Billy Sunday and Billy Graham have preached in the church. Charles Dickens and Abraham Lincoln have both addressed the church.

After the service this past Sunday, a lady there told me that every Wednesday at noon, people gather to pray for revival. Three people began this prayer time, and the number has increased to around 80. These are people from the area who long to see God pour out his Spirit.

80 people are praying every Wednesday that God will send revival to the Boston churches. This is an awesome first step to experience revival. Let's pray for Tremont Baptist Church; and let's pray that other prayer gatherings will be formed throughout our nation.

Have a great day,

Bryan

The Cost of Discipleship

Good Morning. Here is another quote from the past to remind us that following Jesus requires our entire being. It is the well-known quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer taken from his book "The Cost of Discipleship"...

"When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die!"

Have a wonderful day. Let us love Jesus with all that we have.

A Great Quote About Reaching People

Daily, I receive, through e-mail, a Christian quote. Below, is today's quote. As you read it, notice how the emphasis is placed on the Christians within the local church...

"The tremendous power of mass-suggestion, which we call the
world, can only be confronted, and its victims cured, if they
are received into a body which is filled with a vivid,
vigorous, and conscious community life of the Spirit.
Individuals are powerless to cope with a power so subtle and
all-pervasive as this mass-suggestion is. If we are to save
and rescue sinners, there must grow up in our Church a Spirit
of Love and Brotherhood, a Christian community-life,
transcending class and national distinctions, as pungent, as
powerful, as impossible to escape as the Spirit of the world.
No Apostolic Succession, no Ecclesiastical correctness, no
rigidity of orthodox doctrine, can be themselves and in
themselves give us this; it comes, and can only come, from a
clearer vision of the Christ, a more complete surrender to His
call and to the bearing of His Cross."

... G. A. Studdert Kennedy (1883-1929), The Wicket Gate
[1923]

I Am In Boston

I am in Boston, MA until March 17. This is my third two-week residency for my Doctor of Ministry degree. I am working on the track, "The Preacher & the Message" under the direction of Dr. Haddon Robinson.

Today in class, Dr. Robinson said: “It is amazing how much you can learn from the Bible if you just read it!”

That is pretty good advice. Becoming saturated with God's word will prepare us for the coming revival.

Have a good evening

Bryan

In the late 1990's Billy Graham spoke to 10,000 itinerate evangelists in Amsterdam. In his final address to them to called for them to possess a holy determination to reach the world for Jesus...

"Let us light a fire of renewed faith to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, to the ends of the earth. Using every resource at our command and with every ounce of our strength. Let us light a fire in this generation that, by God's grace, will never be put out. Let us light a fire that will guide men and women into tomorrow and eternity. Let the Light of the world shine through the whole earth until he comes again."

Our neighborhood, our family, our friends, our enemies, our city, our nation and the world needs Jesus. Let us pray hard that we will both be a fire and lighters of fires for Jesus.

For His Glory!

Bryan

Does it Matter If We Pray Together?

Jim Cymbala, the pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle once said that you can gauge how much the people in the church love Jesus by measuring their commitment to the weekly prayer gatherings. Does it really come down to that? If the prayer gatherings are times when God's people praise him and cry out to him for renewal and transformed lives, then yes, these weekly prayer gatherings do tell us how much we love Jesus.

But it is more than that. Historically, corporate prayer preceded revivals. There is a renewed interest in prayer before revival and it is sustained during revival. Thus, if revival is to come to our churches and communities and cities and nations--then it would be worth our while to put Acts 2.42 into practice and devote ourselves to prayer. It will take courage and determination to do so, but we must do so for revival from heaven to visit us.

Have a great day

Bryan

Do We Lock Our Gaze On God?

Louie Giglio, in his book, "The Air I Breathe [worship as a way of life]" writes on page 101 that it is vital that during worship services we focus our gaze upon God and God alone. The primary reason we are in the church sanctuary on each Sunday morning is to worship Him!

Giglio does admit that our minds do wander on Sunday (Mine does--and I am the pastor!). Nevertheless, we are to work hard to fix our gaze on God the Most High. Scripture meditation and prayer a few minutes prior to the beginning of the service are essential to prepare our hearts and minds.

Praying for Revival

Bryan

Will Revival Come Without Prayer?

Good Morning. The beautiful recent weather in Omaha is over. Freezing drizzle, snow and colder temperatures are on the way. Oh well! God is always good.

Here is a question: "Will revival come without prayer?" The answer is NO

Many years ago, Arthur Pierson, the editor of The Missionary Review, made the following claim: "From the day of Pentecost, there has been not one great spiritual awakening in any land which has not begun in a union of prayer, though only among two or three; no outward, upward movement has continued after such prayer meetings have declined" (quoted in Brian Edwards, Revival! pg. 84).

Thus, we must continue to cry out for revival day and night!

Bryan

Happy Valentine's Day

On this Valentine's Day, we who have the honor of being a husband can be reminded on the apostle Paul's word to husbands in Ephesians 5.25: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

Jesus set the example for us by sacrificing his life for the church. We truly and joyfully live because of his supreme love for us. Thus, we love our wives in a similar fashion--it is about loving and nurturing her as Christ does the church.

What plans do you have for your wife today: a rose? a card? a date? candles and romance? Today is the day for such things. But what about doing the dishes or cleaning a room and fixing something for her.

And as Jesus intercedes for us, we can pray daily for her.

Have a great day

Bryan

Do Our Souls Converse With God?

It is easy for prayer to become routine and lifeless. I certainly have found myself in prayer ruts before. How do we break out of this? I like how the theologian Charles Hodge defines prayer: "prayer is the converse of our souls with God".

According to the dictionary, "converse" means "informal talk." Thus, prayer is our informal conversation with the Lord throughout the day. This is one of the keys to the command in 1 Thessalonians 5.17: pray continually! From the time we wake up to the time we go to bed, we can carry on a conversation with the Lord.

Praying for revival

Bryan

The Steelers Win!

I have been a Pittsburgh Steelers fan since the early 1970's, so it was fun to watch them win their first Super Bowl since 1980. It was a pretty sloppy game as far as penalties were concerned, but a win is a win.

Though it is the "Super Bowl", it is just a game. Yes, I got excited during the game, and I got out of my chair at times (and I ate too much food). Still, it was only a game.

Compared to what truly matters, yesterday's game is nothing. Living for Jesus and his glory is the reason we exist. He is the main thing in all of life.

May His Name be forever praised!

Bryan

Can Slander in the Church Hinder Revival?

Jim Cymbala, pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle charges all the new members of the church to deal with the sin of slander. It doesn't matter if they hear slander or are involved with it themselves. They are to put a stop to it.

Why? Because slander can render a church ineffective.

He says this of slander in the church: "I know what most easily destroys churches. It is not crack cocaine, government oppression, or even lack of funds. Rather it is gossip and slander that grieves the Holy Spirit."

Ephesians 4.29 commands us: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

When slander is on its way out of the church and encouraging words are the increasing norm, then the church will more and more reflect the image and heart of the Lord Jesus

Bryan

Steve Hawthrone on Correct Praying

What is our prayer life like? Mine certainly has room for much, much improvement. In the 2006 edition of Seek God for the City, Steve Hawthrone, Director of WayMakers writes...

"In drastic days, pray great things. Our tendency is to pray just enough to get by; to restore the status quo of our personal circumstances. But when dramatic and perilous times fall upon us, this is the very time to pray beyond ourselves. This the time to lift our vision toward marvelous chnages God is bringing as He brings glory to His Son" (page 1).

Now is the time to pray for great things. Are you praying for your city? I am lifting up the city of Omaha, Nebraska.

For Jesus Alone!

Bryan

Love Jesus Supremely

Good Morning:

I grabbed this off another blog site: http://www.268blog.blogspot.com/

And whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

So, today...
Love Jesus supremely.
Engage culture with excellence.
Stay connected to the community of faith.

This is great encouragement for us as we live for the glory and praise of Jesus.

Bryan

Does Our Love for God Have Competition?

It is easy to say that we love God. We can even quote the scripture that commands us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength. But do we? I know that I do not always love the Lord as I was created for. Augustine prayed this words:

He loves Thee too little
Who loves anything together with Thee,
Which he loves not for Thy sake.

All that we have are gifts from God; and all that we do is for his glory. May we delight in the Lord alone, and may everything else be means for further joy and delight in him.

Have a good day

Bryan

The Importance of Scripture During Times of Revival

True, heaven-sent revival will never be short of God's Word. Fervent prayer is vital, but so is the diligent study, meditation and preaching of God's Word. Brian Edwards writes: "All who have been used by God in spiritual revival were diligent in the study of Scripture and the application of the Scripture to their own lives. God uses men and women who submit to his authority. He does not begin revival with those who have no interest in his Word" (Revival! pg. 64).

May our Bibles become worn out and our hearts filled with God's Word

Bryan

The Powerful Prayers of Righteous People

This Sunday, I will preach on the second half of James 5.16: The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

The Greek word for power points to a power waiting to be released. All of us who follow Jesus have the potential to change the environment around us and the world through prayer.

Of course, it is vital that we are righteous. Our Christ-like behavior is linked to unleashing powerful and effective prayers.

Have a great day.

Bryan