Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!
WHY DOES REVIVAL TARRY ?
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1. EVANGELISM is so highly commercialized.
The answer is simple enough— because evangelism is so highly commercialized. The tithes of widows and of the poor are spent in luxury-living by many evangelists. The great crowds, great lines of seekers, great appreciation by the mayor, etc., are shouted to high heaven. All get publicity—except the love-offering!
Preachers who have homes and cottages by the lake, a boat on that lake, and a big bank balance, still beg for more. With such extortioners and unjust men, can God entrust Holy Ghost revival?
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2. CHEAPENING the Gospel.
Revival tarries because of cheapening the Gospel. We now have church hymns played strictly to dance tempo on our sacred records and over the radio, as well as in the churches. We have the precious blood of Jesus set to ‘‘boogie woogie’’ time. Imagine! We have the Holy Ghost syncopated!
The evangelists today are very often prepared to be anything to anybody as long as they can get somebody to the altar for something. They call out: ‘‘Who wants help? Who wants more power? Who wants a closer walk with God?’’ Such a sinning, repenting ‘‘easy believism’’ dishonors the blood and prostitutes the altar. We must alter the altar, for the altar is a place to die on. Let those who will not pay this price leave it alone!
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3. CARELESSNESS
Revival tarries because of carelessness. At the altar, too little time is spent with those souls who come to do eternal business. The evangelist is happy seeing his friends; and while sinners groan at the altar, he is drinking in the rich cream of men’s praises. Thus America and England are strewn with spiritual derelicts, confused and confounded.
4. FEAR
Revival tarries because of fear. As evangelists, we are tight-lipped about the spurious religions of the day, as if there were more than one name whereby men must be saved. But Acts 4:12 is still in the Scriptures—‘‘there is none other name under heaven.’’ To the modern preacher, does this seem tinged with bigotry?
Wesley saw the doors of the English churches closed against him, and Rowland Hill says of him, ‘‘He and his lay-lubbers— his ragged legion of preaching tinkers, scavengers, draymen, and chimney sweepers, etc. But Wesley feared neither men nor devils.
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5. WE LACK URGENCY IN PRAYER
Revival tarries because we lack urgency in prayer. A famed preacher entered a conference the other day with these words, ‘‘I have come to this conference with a great burden for prayer on my heart. Will those who will share this with me, please raise their hands; and let none of us be hypocrites.’’ There was a good response. But later in the week when a half night of prayer was called, the big preacher went to bed. Not much of a hypocrite! Integrity has passed away! All is superficial!
The only power that God yields to is that of prayer. We will write about prayer-power, but not fight while in prayer. A title, undeniably true of the Church today, would be ‘‘We Wrestle Not!’’ We will display our gifts, natural or spiritual; we will air our views, political or spiritual; we will preach a sermon or write a book to correct a brother in doctrine. But who will storm hell’s stronghold?
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6. WE STEAL THE GLORY THAT BELONGS TO GOD.
Finally, revival tarries because we steal the glory that belongs to God. Listen to this and wonder: Jesus said, ‘‘I receive not honour from men’’ and ‘‘How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?’’ (John 5:41, 44). Away with all fleshly backslapping and platform flattery! Away with this exalting of ‘‘My radio program,’’ ‘‘My church,’’ ‘‘My books!’’ Oh, the sickening parade of flesh in our pulpits: ‘‘We are greatly privileged, etc.’’
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