Saturday, September 13, 2008

Last Days and the need for real Revival

My Associate Pastor Sent this out yesterday and indeed it is a challenge to us all in these last days!!!

Dear Emmanuel Family,

As your Associate Pastor, friend, fellow worshipper, and children's quiz coach, I have felt an urgency for us as a church. Not only do I believe our revival is crucial to our future as a church but I'm deeply concerned that it will be vital to our future as Christians! We are living, by all evidences, in the worst time of deception the world has yet known. I'd venture that 99% of America's population is quite satisfied with that because if a deception is sucessful, the people don't even know they're deceived. Many of the great priorities and principles of our once godly culture have been turned upside down in the last 80-90 years. I'd estimate 95% of the population of our churches are very comfortable with the status quo as well. Many "successful" churches provide a club-like atmosphere with status and entertainment; but, how little they resemble biblical Christianity!
Friends, in the culture of the freest nation in the world, we find it acceptable to spend only one or two hours a week when it's convenient in church. That, in and of itself, says God and His Church are a very low priority out of a 168-hour week. There are members of cults out there who give 18+ hours per day to their false leaders. The New Testament church met daily! Each day! Would you call a person who shows up two hours per week with his unit a good soldier? How about a mom or dad who only spends one or two hours per week for their family? Would a good professional fireman or policeman give only one hour per week? NOT!
But, at least our revival is five services in four days...a minor attempt at New Testament Christianity for our day. Furthermore, it's been four years since our church has been able to provide revival services for our spiritial and eternal good.
Urgent! Desperate appeal! Sometimes, in less than a day, Satan easily snatches away the seed (Matthew 13:19-21) that we pick up on Sunday. Thus, it's very difficult to establish a spiritual, biblical foundation for maturity in our lives; and, with deception the worldwide norm, we seldom, if ever, realize the crucial nature of these issues.
Folks, like the ultimate terrorist, Satan has no concern for us or our eternal spirits. In fact, he'll do anything to assure that we miss God's full will and, thus, spend an eternity in the unimaginable torment of the lake of fire!! (Rev. 20)
We desperately need more spiritual time, study of God's Word, and Christian-focused fellowship. Thus, revival is only one opportunity....but a vital one. You can expect maximum and surprise demands on your schedule this week because Satan doesn't want you to have even one chance at Christian revival in any form. My plant told us Wednesday we'd be working twenty straight days---first time in 13 years. Fortunately, I'd scheduled vacation for this week of revival. These scheduling conflict issues are not actually from your job or family or extra activities; but, the enemy of our souls is trying to marginalize revival. Resist! Fight! "Stand firm" is the frequent admonition of scripture to us! In eternity it will seem such an infinitesimal thing to put God first for these five services. Yet, they could be the key to our deeper spiritual lives and, thus, assuring heaven!
Anticipating revival with you..............Pastor Galen

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