A Message From God: Does The Bible Teach About Revival?

Posted: 2014-12-03 14:01:32 by: David Nelson

A Message From God:

Does The Bible Teach About Revival?       By David Nelson      11-25-14

What is revival? Is the idea of revival mentioned or taught in the Bible? It seems to be an old, worn out word, revival. Some churches have one week of revival meetings each year. Other churches may be seeking for a “move of God,” that people will notice and say, “Look, God is doing something at their church, they must be having ‘revival!’” There were many well-known and well documented revivals in Church history after the completion of the Bible. But were there any revivals in the Bible or does the Bible teach about revival? Will God just send a revival when He decides or do we have any part in seeking for a revival? According to the Bible what will it look like if it comes?

First let me lay a little ground work for what I believe are characteristics of a true revival and then we will go to specific verses and passages of the Bible to see how they fit.

When God sees that His people (either Israel or the Church) have drifted away from Him, have backslidden, are not close to Him as they once were, are doing things against His will or are neglecting to do the things He wants, then God may allow troubles to plague us, or allow us to experience a spiritual leanness. God may then warn us or raise up a Judge, a King, a Prophet or other spiritual leaders to call us back to Himself.

Before a revival begins there will be a new and growing desire to seek the Lord more, and a desire to experience more of God. We will want God to return to us, and for us to return to Him. He may be calling us to repent and restore what we had in times past, when we had a closer walk with Him. We will be deeply convicted that we have fallen away from Him.

When a revival begins it will be characterized by God coming closer to His people, He will reveal His will and Himself more, revelational truth may come forth more, prophetic words, there may be heightened worship, praise, rejoicing, singing, perhaps some miracles or extra-ordinary happenings from the Lord, and the presence of the Lord will be much more intense than at leaner times of the past.

Now, let us look at some verses and passages of the Bible. In Acts 3:19 it says this, “Repent and turn again that your sins may be blotted out so that there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.” Should we not want a season of refreshing from the Lord? Yes, I want more of God’s presence, I want to be closer to the Lord, I want God to send His refreshing upon me. But this is not yet a corporate revival. In the book of Judges there were five Judges who were raised up by God to bring His people back to the right path. The children of Israel were overcome by foreign powers and the “children of Israel cried out unto the Lord in their distress and the Lord sent them a deliverer.” (For instance, the Midianites or Philistines were oppressing them and God raised up the Judges Gideon and Jephthah to deliver them). “We have sinned, we have served Baal, we will put away the strange gods and return to the Lord our God.” (A very excellent book written many years ago by a man named Ernest Baker entitled “Revivals of the Bible” has been a great source of encouragement to me, and from time to time I will quote from this book). In I Samuel 7:3 the prophet Samuel says to the people, “If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods…, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve Him only, and He will deliver you out of the hands of the Philistines.” Eli (the high priest) and his disobedient sons were serving as priests, “and the correct service of God was being neglected and was in disrepute.” “The people began to look for the Lord, they became conscience of his absence, there was a power and blessing that they once enjoyed that was now missing.” (Chapter 3 in “Revivals of the Bible”).

There were five cycles in the book of Judges, “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes,” then the people together realized they needed the Lord again and usually some spiritual leader would gather the people together and speak to them (convene an assembly). An example from I Samuel would be, “Samuel gathered all Israel to Mizpah.” There are times when God wants to speak to all the people together.

My first example of a taste of revival in the Bible was a one-day visitation of God to a corporate gathering of His people. God wants to be in the midst of His people, He wants to be close to them, He wants to speak to them. He loves the least of us to the greatest and He wants to come near to us and dwell with us all, leaving no one out. In Exodus 19:4 God said, “I have carried you from Egypt on Eagle’s wings unto Myself.” I want to meet with you all, I want you to hear Me and see more of Me. I will come to you at Mt. Sinai and speak to you but you must be ready to come near to Me. If you are not ready you may die in  my presence. Just like someone who might come into the Holy of Holies with an irreverent attitude might die in the presence of God’s holiness. Not because God is mean but because He wants our hearts to be ready to meet with Him. He is awesome, great, and holy! So God said to the people to prepare their hearts for 3 days, wash their clothes, husbands and wives were to abstain from each other for 3 days and be ready to come near to God. Do not go past the border of the mountain lest you come too close and die. So we must want to meet with God, we must be excited and prepare ourselves. Later the people were so afraid when God came that they said to Moses, from now on Moses, you talk to God and we will hear but we don’t want God face to face. God wanted to come close to meet with them, it was His idea, it was the way He wanted to do it, but the people said we would rather do it our way. We want a buffer between us and God, we want a human King rather than have God be our King. God said to Samuel, “They want a King? Don’t be sad Samuel, it is not you whom they reject but it is Me that they reject from being King over them.” (I Samuel 8:7)

So, what does God do? There is always a remnant that wants more of God. Who will come up on the mountain, who wants to be with Me, says the Lord? In Exodus 24:1 God said to Moses “Come up to the Lord,” you and certain others I will name (plus 70 elders), come up on the mountain. These were willing to go up, they wanted more of God (whatever the cost), these went up to meet with God. They saw the God of Israel upon a pavement of transparent sapphire. These saw God and they ate and drank with God. (I Samuel 24:10,11) Do you think you would ever forget that day as long as you live? Would Peter and James and John ever forget their time upon the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus? God wants us to see more of Him, He wants to draw near to us and for us to draw near to Him. He wants to be seen and heard and show us so much. Who will go up to be with God? When God comes down to us and we go up to Him this is the beginning and a taste of revival.

Where else do we see the beginnings of revival in the Scriptures? Remember how we said in the beginning “ ground work” section, when God sees that we need to get closer to Him He raises up a spiritual leader or leaders to speak through to wake us up. The Laodicean church in the book of Revelation was luke-warm, they had lost their first love (perhaps like the Ephesus church), they were backslidden but thought they were doing great and needed nothing. They were naked and dirty, they needed to repent and turn back to God for healing, they were like a sickness in Jesus’ stomach to be soon spewed out if they didn’t come back to God.

Now let us look at some revivals in the Bible that lasted for weeks with their afterglow lasting much longer. We will be looking at five Kings in I and II Chronicles, David, Solomon, Asa, Hezekiah, and Josiah who all experienced revivals.

In I Chronicles 13:1-5 David called out to all the people of Israel to gather together to carry the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. When they all came together they played music with all their might with singing and many kinds of musical instruments. In I Chronicles 15 music groups were established that eventually played 24 hours a day, music and prophetic songs. (I Chronicles 16:37-43 and 25:1-31) When they carried the Ark to David’s tent it was with joy, with shouting, and with David whirling around and playing music (I Chronicles 15:25-29). II Samuel 6:14-16 adds this, “Then David danced before the Lord with all his might (he was leaping and twirling about before the Lord). Those (like Michal, Saul’s daughter) who hate revival or who despise the “new things,” will find fault or try to stop the work of God, but there will be a remnant who have been seeking God and whose hearts are ready and prepared, they will accept the move of God (like the maidservants  of verse 22 who David says, will honor what God is doing). It was under the anointing of God and before the Lord that these “out of the ordinary” things took place, and David said, even more undignified things will come to pass as the Lord brings them forth (verses 21 and 22). And those who hate or despise the revival of God will be spiritually barren and blind to God unless they too repent. (As Michal was blind spiritually and barren physically till her death (II Samuel 6:23). This was the gathering (revival) to bring forth the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. There was much spiritual revelation, prophetic insights (from prophets David, Gad and Nathan), music, singing, joy and extra-ordinary things took place.

When Solomon built the house of the Lord (the Temple) he also brought the Ark of the Covenant from David’s tent to the Temple. There was singing and musical instruments (II Chronicles 5:12-14), and when they came to the point where they worshipped as one then the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud of glory so that the priests could not stand to minister, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God. Then Solomon prayed to dedicate the Temple and when he finished, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the Temple (again). And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house. And all the people bowed down and worshipped when they saw the fire and the glory. (II Chronicles 6:1-42 and 7:1-3)

About 50 years after these events (three kings after Solomon) King Asa began to reign. About 10 years into his reign the prophet Azariah came to Asa and all Judah saying, for a long time you have been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law. (II Chronicles 15:1-3) So Asa got rid of the idols and he gathered all Judah and some other territories together, and he entered into a covenant that they should seek the Lord with all their heart and soul (II Chronicles 15:8-15). And they all took the oath with shouting and trumpets, rejoicing at their oath to seek the Lord with all their heart and soul, and the Lord was found by them. Just like the people of Asa’s day “do we have to be brought a good deal lower before any great blessings of the Lord can come? Do we need a long spell of disastrous events because the spirit of the people is not yet in deep enough humility before the Lord?” “If there is no great turning to the Lord we will probably see more troubles. But there is nothing on God’s side that necessitates chastisement, it is only human perversity that makes trouble a preliminary to blessing.” (Chapter 4 in “Revivals of the Bible”) My belief is that God is ready to be sought and found when we make our hearts ready and we are hungry for more of Him.

Well over 100 years after Asa, King Hezekiah reigned. In the 1^st year of his reign Hezekiah opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them and he commanded that the rubbish be carried out of the Lord’s house. He realized that the Lord’s curses were on them because they were not serving the Lord correctly. Hezekiah said, it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord. (II Chronicles 29:3-11) Then Hezekiah reinstituted the Tabernacle of David revelations by the prophets of David’s day (singing, music and instrument ministry) (II Chronicles 29:25-27). Some of the Levites were more diligent in consecrating themselves than the regular priests (as is usually the case, that a remnant has been kept and prepared by the Lord for revival while the regular leaders were not ready for it). (II Chronicles 29:34,36) And there was rejoicing, because God had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly. (God was moving upon the people to create this event) Letters were sent out to invite all to the revival but many laughed at the couriers and mocked them, but some (a remnant) humbled themselves and came. (II Chronicles 30:1-12) The hand of the Lord was on the people of Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the King and the leaders at the word of the Lord to come to Jerusalem. This was a two week plus revival with the afterglow lasting for some time.

Who will prepare their heart to seek the Lord, these broke forth with great gladness praising the Lord every day, singing, with loud instruments. (II Chronicles 30:18-21) And instead of one week for the Passover feast (as is normal) they agreed to keep the feast another 7 days with gladness. They did not want to stop the great flow of refreshing coming from the Lord’s presence. So there was great joy in Jerusalem, there had been nothing like it since the time of Solomon. Their worship and prayers ascended to heaven, and I might say heaven and the Lord came down to be in their midst. (II Chronicles 30:26,27)

King Josiah’s revival took place about 100 years after Hezekiah’s. The high priest Hilkiah found the “dusty” book of the Law (it had not been read, I’m sure, for some time) and it was brought to King Josiah and read to him. Josiah was struck to the heart concerning what God required and all the wrong they had done. Curses and troubles were to be upon those who disobeyed God. So Josiah said, we must inquire of the Lord, go find a prophetic voice to tell us what we should do to be forgiven and please the Lord again. They found Huldah the prophetess. She said to King Josiah, much trouble will come but you Oh King, because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself when you heard the words of the Law, you also tore your clothes and wept, you will be blessed and not see these calamities during your reign (your lifetime). (II Chronicles 34:8-28) Then Josiah made a covenant before the Lord to follow the Lord and keep His commandments. And he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin stand with him in this covenant. And Josiah commanded them to keep the Passover in Jerusalem and he reinstituted the Tabernacle of David music revelations. (II Chronicles 35:1-4,15) Again there was no Passover celebration as great or like this one, since the days of Samuel, none of the Kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept (it was greater than Hezekiah’s because Hezekiah’s was as great as Solomon’s, but you had to go back before Solomon to Samuel to find one as great as Josiah’s).

Are these revivals? Was Pentecost at the birth of the Church a revival? Pentecost had extra-ordinary happenings, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit and tongues of fire.  The saints of the Church had great joy, met together every day, were of one heart, were dedicated to prayer, and miracles took place regularly. They were a very happy bunch and very close to the Lord for quite some time.

Well it is time to wrap this up. Yes, there were other revivals in the Bible, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Zerubbabel (in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah). One of them was even called a revival. (Ezra 9:8) In all of these people were returning to the Lord, people were willing to meet every day for many days. Are we willing to hear the Word of God for 4 hours, then worship for 4 hours, and even stand out in the cold rain for hours weeping and worshipping? (Nehemiah 8:3, 9:3, and Ezra 10:9) These things came from a hungry people, a people seeking more of God, a people who pushed to get closer to God. God will miraculously and powerfully come to us if we return to Him. But do we want it? How bad do we want it? Do we think that we don’t need it like the Laodicean church, do we hear anyone calling for it? God is waiting, He doesn’t have to punish us to get us to revival, He has always wanted it, He wants it now unless we feel we have enough of God and we don’t want any more. Oh Lord, please create in us a hunger for you, draw us to Yourself, do not leave us in our mediocre leanness, we will come up, You are calling us up, and You will come down and be with us and stay with us and dwell with us. Here is a good quote from “Revivals of the Bible,” “What place does God’s work (revival) take in our hearts and minds? How much strength do we devote to forwarding God’s work? Does it occupy our thoughts to any great extent? If these questions are answered honestly we shall soon discover why we have not yet seen a revival. We expect God to work hard but we don’t work hard (or give much effort). Have we wearied ourselves at all working for revival, then maybe God will notice and will work too.” (Chapter 10 in “Revivals of the Bible”)

I am so thankful that God has given truth and revelations about revival for our day and for this hour in the Church. May Your Word, Lord, change us. May we make our hearts ready to welcome You. It does not matter what you call it, a revival, a reformation, an awakening, a return to the Lord, a move of God, repentance, it has happened many times in the Bible and many times in Church history. And it can happen again where a remnant chooses to return to greater and better days with the Lord.

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There Is Nothing That The Lord Wants More Than This

Posted: 2014-11-11 09:03:45 by: David Nelson

There is Nothing That the Lord Wants More Than This

Get ready to have your thinking about how to serve God revolutionized! Jesus once was asked this question, “What do we need to do to be doing the works of God?” Jesus’ answer was not so much doing but it was, “Believe in the One God has sent (that is Jesus Christ Himself).” How is it that we are to believe? Are we to believe what He said and did while Jesus was here on the earth? Are we to believe that He died on the cross for us to pay for our sins and that He rose again from the dead? Certainly, we are to believe all these things, but there is another meaning here also. We are to learn how to abide in Christ. All of our fruit will come as we learn to abide. (Remember the verses, “Abide in Me (Jesus) and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me…abiding in Me you will bear much fruit but without Me you can do nothing.”) (John 15:4,5) God’s desire is wrapped up in you, your abiding, and the fruit that will come as a result. Was that not what the Father had in His Son Jesus, one who would do nothing from His own initiative, ideas, or desires but only that which He heard and saw from His Father? Is this easy to do? In my years of learning to abide in Christ, it does take some effort and seeking of the Lord but it is so essential! And so, I would like to explain and show how we must very carefully try to listen and obey God with a pure and undiluted desire, and never go back to thinking that we must do things for God that were not given us as directed by His Spirit.

The Bible, God’s written Word, is the most perfect writing and guide for us. But the Word without the Spirit is a dead letter by itself. (II Cor. 3:6)  “True religion” is described in the Bible as a person doing such things, helping orphans, giving to the poor, visiting people in prison, etc. You may do these things every day, once a week, or once a year but how do you know how much or how often you are to do these things? (not to mention all the other good deeds listed in the Bible) Righteous living and righteous actions are not to be belittled, but how do we know what to do and when? If we are led by the Spirit God will show us what He wants each individual to do each day. He will have different tasks for each one of us. Here is a good verse, “The complete righteousness of the law (all things God has said are good for us to do) will be fulfilled in those who walk according to the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:4) We are to abide in Christ, listen to the Spirit, God will show us what to do each hour, each day, and we should do nothing more or nothing less than what the Spirit shows us (the Word being our guide to right thinking and right doing). That is how Jesus lived, “I do nothing on my own authority, but only what I hear and see the Father doing.” And this is how He wants us to live. One example of Jesus doing only as the Father guided Him is when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick. Jesus did not go to visit the sick or go to heal him. He waited a few days, and when He heard from God it was time to go to Lazarus (Lazarus had now died), it was to raise him from the dead, not just heal him. Another example is the man who had sat by the Temple gate every day for many years (who had been lame from his mother’s womb), he was healed by John and Peter in the book of Acts. Jesus, I’m sure saw this man many times sitting by the Temple gate as He walked through it many times, but the Father did not want Jesus to do it but John and Peter later. Jesus listened to the Father and did not heal him and John and Peter listened to the Spirit and did heal him. This also must be our finest and purest goal, to hear and obey as the Spirit directs. We will fulfill all righteousness (helping the poor, helping orphans, visiting people in prison (as the Lord shows us when and how to do each of these and more). Maybe our ministry will be 3 years like Jesus or John the Baptist or maybe it will be 50 years, but each thing we do will be ordered by the Lord. Notice Moses, a certain kind of training for 40 years, then 40 years in the desert, then a different kind of work in his last 40 years.

Does this all seem a little shocking or does it seem to be an extreme idea? But let me go a step further, what I have said is just the beginning idea to grasp to begin this new walk with the Lord. Remember, we are to begin with this idea as our first and foremost goal no matter what we have done before or what we have been taught before. This will all lead to a complete revolution! A revolution in your prayer life and a revolution in what you have thought about how to serve God. Jesus wants you to have an intimate relationship with Him (an abiding like nothing you have ever known before), so that you will accomplish all that God has called you to do on this earth. You will learn about love like you have never known before. How can we come to really love God with all our heart and desire, He wants us to learn more about how much He loves us, and how can we love others in a way that we have never known before and is God’s greater goal for the Church?

Yes, there are some deeper insights ahead for us and some great revelations if we will walk through some of the things I have shared above.

Every person in the Bible needed to listen for God’s voice and do as they were directed so that they could accomplish what God put them on the earth to do. Abraham heard from God and did what He said, Moses heard from God and did what He said, the Apostle Paul heard from God and did what He said, each person was to walk close to god and hear His voice. But look at the life of Enoch, did he write a book, did he do miracles, what did God tell him to do? As the title of this writing states, “There is nothing that the Lord wants more than this,” what does the Lord want from us? He wants a relationship with us, not based on doing but on learning all that He wants to teach us. He can use one person for a time and then use another to accomplish His will. He can put our ministry on hold for a while just to teach us some important life lessons or develop our character. What did Enoch “do” that made him so precious to God that he did not die a natural death but God took him? What kind of walk did Enoch have with God that his whole life could be summed up in these words, “He walked with God and he pleased the heart of God?” It is so important to God our close walk with Him, we will learn a lot, we will become the precious work of art God wants us to be, all the fruit we are to produce will come from that close abiding, we will have the rich relationship with the Lord that is His true goal for every one of us.

Now, this may sound so simple and so easy, but it is not simple. Sometimes it is not easy to trust God when He has nothing for us to do right now. It is not easy to learn about love for others, it may take some stripping down of your ideas so that God can show you how to love. It may not be easy when you thought prayer times and service to God were one way and you had to un-learn so much to go God’s way.

Let me close with these thoughts. If you look carefully at the life of Abraham (one of the greatest servants of God and the father of our faith) you will see in 14 chapters of Genesis (chapters 12-25) it is recorded that God spoke to Abraham about 8 times. In his whole life (175 years) God probably spoke to him many other things, but everything God said to him is not recorded in the Bible, only the 8 times recorded. (Example: the first word was for Abraham to go from his country to a new place that “I will show you.” (Gen. 12:1-3) So Abraham left Haran, not knowing where he was going because God spoke to him.) We must desire for God to speak to us in our day and do only what He says. Can we write down 8 things that the Lord has said to us specifically like God did with Abraham? Are we clearly hearing what God wants us to do? Everyone in the Bible heard clear things that God wanted them to do, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Jesus, Paul, etc. We must have and keep this attitude and goal clearly and purely in our hearts.

What else did God say to Abraham but let us note only what is recorded in the Bible? (Two more examples are in Gen. 12:7  and 13:14-17, the final word recorded in chapter 22 when the Lord wanted Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering). Yes, Abraham did what the Lord asked him to do but more than anything he believed God. Much of his life he did not see the promises of God come to be, he did not see his descendants become as the stars of heaven as yet. He believed God and this was counted to him as righteousness. So, we are back to, “What must we do to be doing the works of God?” “Believe in the one that God has sent (believe in Me).”         

Each one of us will have our own walk with the Lord and our own unique path. Sometimes we may have to go some years of just learning how to love our own family and learn the deep lessons of what love really is. We will be glad to learn how to pray and how to do only the things God says to do. But it is for God to decide what things we must go through to learn His ways, to form His character in us and to become the exquisite work of art He is creating in each of us for His glory. I for one have decided (as hard as it is sometimes) to listen for God’s voice and become somewhat like Enoch of the Bible. Hopefully God will one day say to each of us, “You walked with Me, I was able to teach you rich things, you pleased My heart, well done My good and faithful servant, enter in to the joy of your Lord.”       

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The Story of Your Life

Posted: 2014-02-02 11:02:13 by: David Nelson

The Story of Your Life   by David Nelson   (1-29-14)

In the last few months I have thought about a story, a play, a movie that I have seen several times. I will tell you the name of the story later in this writing but maybe you will guess what it is before I am through? Here are some observations and thoughts I have had from hearing this story. See how it all has to do with the story of each one of our lives.

It does not matter whether you are called to serve God at 10 years of age, 20, 40, or 80, what matters is that God can use you for His purposes and that He can accomplish all that He desires to accomplish through you. When your work on earth is done and He has directed your life and gifts for everything He wants to do you can be satisfied that you have done all that He has planned for you.

Sometimes we may spend many years going through various trials or you may even feel that you have “not been used” fully. It is not clear to you as yet God’s plans or purposes for you? Why have you had to go through so many trials? But we must trust in Him and these promises, that He said He would never leave us till the end of the world, that He would guide us by His Holy Spirit every day and lead us into His paths of righteousness for His name sake, that He always loves us and is always in control, and we must learn to trust Him completely and trust His guidance of our lives even when things make little sense to us.

Some may develop in their spirits a bitterness or an anger over the hard things that God has allowed them to go through. But could it be that our Lord is more concerned about the development of our character, He is changing us that we might become more like our Lord, and that He is not as much concerned about how much we have accomplished? The Lord wants to create more patience in us and more compassion, more kindness and more of the fruits of the Spirit. How He does this may be sometimes painful as we weather through life changing experiences.

There was a man who came to the Lord when he was about 40 years old. He had only experienced pain and hate and a brutal prison life for the last 20 years. When he was released from prison at 40 years of age a Minister gave him a word from the Lord, that his life was claimed for God, to serve the Lord for the rest of his life. That his soul was saved and that he would now be blessed by God. This man struggled to believe, “God wants me? I am nothing! All I have ever known is pain and hate, how can I believe that God loves me and has claimed my soul for Himself?” But he did give his life to God and God blessed him over the next 10 years of his life. The Lord gave him a very good job, money, good success, much respect  he felt that there was changed by God, this man always tried to help others, poor beggars on the street, anyone in need because he had been hated and abandoned he now wanted to encourage those who felt abandoned like he had felt. And because God had blessed him so much he wanted to bless others in need. One day he helped a lady who was down and out, living in poverty in the dregs of society, she had an 8 year old daughter (no husband) who was being cared for by a couple who ran an Inn. These Inn-keepers were dishonest, down and dirty, and had been mean to her daughter but the lady sent as much money as she could each week to help them support and take care of her daughter. One day the man saw the lady in her plight (not knowing that he was partly to blame for her hard situation, she was fired from the factory he owned, when he might have been able to prevent it), she was also quite ill, but he pledged to take her to a hospital and take care of her life from now on, and also find her daughter and take care of her too. As he carried her from the wretched place she was in to a hospital he felt that there was a new calling being birthed in him that the Lord wanted him to do.

This lady had a dream that her life was going to be good and happy and imagined for herself the best things that any normal lady could hope for herself. But her life turned out to be pretty miserable and much different than she had hoped for. Her dreams and hopes were broken and had not come into flower but she still hoped and dreamed a little that maybe things would turn for the better some day. Her dreams were broken but abandoned completely, she still had a little hope.

Isn’t this true of many others also? People all around us, maybe even we ourselves have had a dream for our lives that has not yet come to be. Maybe the Lord’s purposes for us have come to pass to some extent but is there more for us so that our lives will fully accomplish all God has planned for us? Will some or all of our hopes and dreams for ourselves come to pass?

And so this man (let us call his name Jean Valjean from the story “Les Miserables”) watched over the lady at the hospital (let us call her name Fantine) but she was getting worse with each passing hour. In the last hours before she passed away Jean Valjean assured her that he would look for and find her young daughter (let us call her name Cosette) and care for her as a father, and that the little girl would never want for anything again for the rest of her life. The lady (Fantine) now knew in the last moments of her life that God in heaven had sent this kind man to care for and raise her daughter so she could die knowing that the daughter she loved so much would be in good hands.

Could this be the one thing in life that Valjean was called to do, to be a father and a mother to this little girl? He was 50, he would not have a wife in the future (because of various circumstances to be mentioned later), but he would find this little girl and fill her life with love and care. Suddenly a great love and purpose came into his life too.

Now, it is 10 years later, Cosette has become a beautiful 18 year old and he is now 60 years old. He has loved her, protected her, educated her, but he is now realizing that he is getting older and that one day he will pass on and she naturally will be attracted to some young man and he can’t keep her forever.

(Also, Valjean’s whole life from the time he was 40 till he was 60 he has had to run from the law because he had to break parole and change his name to start a new life, become successful, and raise Cosette. This is a theme in the story I did not explore with you for the sake of time, but Valjean’s run from the law his whole life and the hardships this caused him made it much more challenging to raise Cosette. Valjean was always on edge that he would be sent back to prison. Was it fair of the law to think he was a bad man and to follow the letter of the law, what about mercy and forgiveness and that his life had changed? The tension between the strictness of the law in the person of the police inspector Javert pursuing Valjean his whole life, in opposition to the ideas of mercy and forgiveness can clearly be seen throughout the story of “Les Miserables” if you should see the entire play or movie. How hard it was to raise Cosette on the run, to not be able to tell her the truth for so long, and how thankful Valjean was at the end of his life to have accomplished all he did for God through such hardships.)

When Valjean sees that Cosette is falling in love with a young man (let us name him Marius), the father struggles over this. It is hard for him to let go of the daughter so precious to his heart. The young man (Marius) is part of the people’s revolt in Paris during the French Revolution (early 1800s). He is in danger for his life as he works with others to fight for freedom from poverty against the French government and its soldiers. But he and Cosette are still in love.

In one particular battle in the streets of Paris our 60 year old father (Jean Valjean) is able to see the battle conditions and the danger to the young man Marius. And so with a struggle still in his heart Valjean prays for Marius. Valjean had always prayed his whole life whenever he faced hard decisions (since he was saved 20 years ago). He has always wanted to do the right thing, the kind thing, to help people, and now he must let go of his daughter and ask God to save Marius, to keep him alive, and bring him home to his daughter, will the Lord have mercy and do this for his daughter? Then it so happened that Valjean found a way to be close to a battle in the streets of Paris where all the revolutionary fighters were going to be slaughtered and killed and the young man Marius was there too. Marius was badly wounded but the 60 year old Valjean carried him to safety and saved his life.

Happily, some months later, Marius married Cosette. But  Jean Valjean had fallen sick and was soon about to pass on to be with the Lord himself. On Cosette and Marius’ wedding day they went to see their sick father (Jean) who was such a hero to them both. Jean Valjean now knew and felt in his heart that his time had come and he was ready to be with the Lord. They all knew that he had done such a great thing in raising and caring for Fantine’s daughter (Cosette), had brought her out of misery, had saved Marius for his daughter at the risk of his own life. Jean Valjean had helped and been kind to many people in his life. He was a shining light of the love of Jesus. All would be well now, the two married ones were launched and he had done all the Lord had for him to do, he was satisfied, and then Valjean passed on to be with the Lord. This is the story written by Victor Hugo entitled “Les Miserables.”

There are many other beautiful themes that run throughout the story that I have not gone into, but I chose a few truths to share with you. At the end of the movie as Jean Valjean had passed on from this life he was greeted lovingly by others who had gone on before who had also completed their purpose in life before him. It was also said, “He who has loved a person has seen the face of God.” Jean Valjean had learned after 40 years of hate how to love others because of the great change God had wrought in his life. He also had accomplished (through great hardship) all of God’s purposes and plans God had for his life. When all was accomplished he and the Lord were ready for him to go home to be with Lord he loved, longed to be with, and faithfully served.

A beautiful quote that I saw just the other day but I did not get a hold of the author or the exact wording, said this, “A music symphony is like a person’s life, do not judge the value or beauty of a symphony till you have heard the whole thing including the very last notes. Likewise, do not judge the value or beauty of any person’s life until they have completed all their tasks including their last day and their last hour.” (And you may have to hear God’s side to fully understand)

So many times I have noticed that the last minute or even the last few seconds of a movie tie everything together and fully express the real meaning of the story in the movie. Often too we will be surprised and pleased at how well the whole story makes sense and causes us to see the whole picture of our lives when it is all finished. God has a plan for each of us, He is the master craftsman and artist who has been forming our character and leading us in all His purposes and our accomplishments so that in the end it will be, “Well done, My good and faithful servant, you were faithful over a few things (you have done all I needed and desired), enter now into the joy of your Lord.” (Matt. 25:21)

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"The Eight Names of God"

Posted: 2013-11-27 16:10:47 by: David Nelson

The Eight Names of God, Is God Really Like That?     By David Nelson     11-21-13

I would like to take you through these eight names of God but not really in the order they appear in Scripture. I would like to present a picture of God’s character and His excellent love towards us.

In Exodus 17 Moses held the rod of God up over his head as he stood on the top of a hill.  When he held it high the Amalekites were defeated by Israel below the hill, but when his hands drooped down the Amalekites prevailed over Israel. At one point Moses grew so tired that he had to sit down on a rock and have two of his best leaders hold up his hands one on each side till the going down of the sun. (Ex. 17:8-15) And finally there was victory over the Amalekites. Then Moses built an altar and called its name, THE LORD IS MY BANNER (JEHOVAH-NISSI). One way to look at this is Lord being like a great flag on top of a hill proclaiming that the hill belongs to the Lord, that He is over us, that He is the great leader of His nation. The flag or banner represents that we are devoted to Him alone. He is like a banner over us of great beauty and majesty. But He is invisible and cannot be represented by any colors or words or physical representation. He is over us and we look to Him at all times and we together need each other as we keep honoring Him alone and raising Him up and recognizing and giving praise to Him.

In Psalm 46:7 it says that THE LORD OF HOSTS IS WITH US and He is our refuge (JEHOVAH-SABAOTH). He who rules angels, rules the stars, rules the elements, and who rules the hosts of heaven, He is on our side. (from www.holybible.com, Eight Redemptive Names of God) We can take refuge in Him, in Him we are safe, He is our ally. If God is for us, who can be against us? (no one will have a chance to prevail over us, no army can beat one person with God by his side). Woe unto those who fight against us, they shall flee like smoke when He gives the word to scatter them. (PS. 68:1,2) He is our protector, the Lord of hosts is with us.

In Ezekiel 48:35 it says that the City of God with its 12 gates (each gate named after the 12 tribes of Israel) will be named from that day, THE LORD IS THERE. (JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH) Is God not with us every where we go, He is omnipresent? The Lord has said to us, I will never leave you nor forsake you. He is “there” for us. He will always be “there” for us. He knows what we need before we ask. He knows. He knows each of us. In Is. 60:19,20 the Lord will be our light 24 hours a day, there will be no need for the rise or setting of the sun, no need for the moon, the Lord will be our everlasting light. In Rev. 21:3,4 it has always been God’s desire for us to be where He is and for He to be where we are. Behold the tabernacle of God is with us and He will dwell with us, God Himself will be with us and will be our God. (sitting in His lap as He wipes away every tear, all our fears and problems).

In Psalm 23:1 it says that THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD I shall not want. (JEHOVAH-ROAH) Our Shepherd tenderly leads us, loves us and will keep us safe. He is our feeder, our keeper, our companion, our friend, our pastor, and our herdsman (from www.holybible.com, Eight Redemptive Names of God)

In Jeremiah 23:6 it says that the Lord will gather the true remnant, He will give us shepherds (after His own heart) to feed us, and He will give us a righteous Branch from David, a King, and His name will be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (JEHOVAH-TSID KENU). If we were to say this Jehovah name in English it sounds like Jehovah sit canoe (it kind of makes you think of sitting in a canoe). The Lord Jesus, who is our righteousness, who is our strength, who is our salvation, our forgiveness from all sins, picture  Him for a moment sitting with us in a canoe made for two, He is at the lead, with paddles in hand, he will never sink, we are safe till the end of time together with Him. (Of course, the Hebrew is not saying all this, but doesn’t it give you comfort to know that Jesus is everything to us and that He is guiding us to the end?)

In Judges 6:11-24 it says that Gideon was hiding from the Midianites and that he was troubled about the future of Israel. Then the Lord appeared to Gideon but Gideon was not sure who he was. When Gideon realized that he had seen the Angel of God face to face (probably an epiphany of Jesus Himself), he feared he would die. But the Lord comforted Gideon when He said to him, Peace be with you Gideon, do not fear, you will not die. Isn’t it amazing that God would say to us too, Peace be to you (David or your name), and all your fears like the waves of the sea would be still. And so Gideon built an altar and called it THE LORD IS PEACE (JEHOVAH-SHALOM). The Lord is our perfect peace, our perfect rest, He is kind to us, He comforts us and relieves our fears.

In Exodus 15:22-26 it says that Moses brought the people of Israel a 3 day journey into the wilderness but that they found no water. When the people came upon bitter waters at Marah they complained, and Moses cried out to the Lord. The Lord then showed Moses a tree and he was to cast it into the waters, and the waters became sweet.

Then the Lord said to Moses, if you heed my voice, do what is right, and keep my commandments I will put none of the diseases on you which I put on the Egyptians. For I am THE LORD WHO HEALS YOU. ( or I am THE LORD YOUR HEALER) (JEHOVAH-RAPHA). We too can claim this good promise of the Lord if we sincerely are seeking to follow Him. Doesn’t it sound good to say the Lord is my Healer!

Finally in Genesis 22:14 it speaks of Abraham who was asked by God to do a hard thing, to offer up his precious son Isaac. At times too we are asked by God to do very hard things or to bear hard things. But God will give us strength and provisions to do what He asks. At the last moment as Abraham was obeying God he saw a ram caught in a thicket by the horns, and so he did not have to offer his son Isaac. A sacrifice was provided for Abraham. When God did this for Abraham he called the place THE LORD WILL PROVIDE (JEHOVAH-JIREH). The Lord has provided Jesus as a substitute offering for us so that we do not have to die and be separated from God forever because of our sins. God will always make a way giving us strength and provision to do His good will. This is His name forever THE LORD WILL PROVIDE. He has said, “I am at work in you both to desire and to do My good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:13)

Isn’t the Lord good to us! Is He not kind, compassionate, patient, loving, always present, always knowing what we need, and giving us good things, always guarding, protecting, providing? The Lord is always there for us, He will be with us through our whole journey in the canoe, all the way to the end, always leading. He speaks peace to all our worries and turmoils. He even said He would heal us when we are sick. Can we trust in Him and believe all these good things about our Lord? He wants us to. He wants us to know that this is what He is like.

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"Is God Really Like That? Chapter 3

Posted: 2013-06-19 20:08:53 by: David Nelson

Chapter 3, When The Lord Reaches Out to Those Who Need a Word    by David Nelson    4-10-13

A few weeks ago I heard a short sermon by Joel Osteen that touched me. In the Bible there were 3 people mentioned that the Lord pursued that were hurting and He gave each a word of encouragement. It helped me to know in a fresh and new way what God is like and that by knowing more of His character we might know Him better and even be more like Him.

Of course, God has time for everyone and I’m sure He looks at each person with such compassion and care as though they were the only one alive. But notice how He treated 3 specific people as it is recorded in the Bible. Look at how confident Peter was and how zealous for the Lord he was, always speaking and doing the zeal of his heart for the Lord, and I am sure that he really meant everything he said. At the last supper with all the 12 disciples present Jesus said, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night….” Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You I will never be made to stumble.” Then Jesus said to Peter, “You will deny Me 3 times this night before the rooster crows twice.” Then Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You I will not deny You.”

But I think Peter was afraid to die later that night when he was in the high priest’s courtyard. He faced a situation where he didn’t know how weak he would become. Two different girls said to Peter, you were with Him, but he answered, I do not know what you are talking about and the second time with an oath he said I do not know the Man. A final man said, you are one of His disciples, but Peter cursed and swore, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed and the Lord turned (his head) and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered what the Lord had said, and he went out and wept bitterly. (Matt. 26:31-35 and 69-75, also Lk. 22:61)

Sometimes the Lord turns His head to look at us with love and compassion when we fail and immediately desires to forgive and restore us. But our hearts are hurting so bad and we feel the weight of our sin and failure. What a triumph when Jesus rose from the dead but before Peter had news of that he was feeling pain and sorrow and confusion at the weakness he had shown. When Jesus rose from the dead an angel had been instructed by God to say this to the women who came to the grave, “He is risen! He is not here….But go, tell His disciples-and Peter- that He is going before you into Galilee, there you will see Him, as He said to you (at the Last Supper). Later the Lord spoke with Peter on the beach at the sea of Galilee and helped him to know He believed in Peter and had good things for him to do.

God knows how we feel every minute of every day, He knows our name and the right encouragement we need, He remembers us and what we need to lift us back up again. Go tell Peter that I still want him and love him and count him as my dear friend still.  After all the pain, a word of encouragement from the Lord! How broken hearted the fiery, passionate heart of Peter must have felt being down in the spiritual dumps, and then to hear, the Lord is alive and he is calling your name, He still loves you! How faithful, and forgiving and compassionate is our Lord!

Now let’s consider the disciple Thomas. So many things were happening on that Sunday the 1^st day of the week when Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene early in the morning, He appeared to the two disciples travelling to Emmaus later that same day (Matt. 28:8,9 and Lk. 24:13), then that same day (Sunday) at evening time (Jn. 20:19) Jesus came into the locked room without the door even being opened and appeared and talked with His disciples. All of them were there except for Thomas.

Now we have to remember, all through the four gospels as word was coming forth that Jesus was alive, word from angels to some and word from Jesus Himself, the disciples were really not believing what they heard. It says that in the Bible quite a few times. So for Thomas not to believe what they said about seeing the Lord is not so surprising. The disciples had not been believing the women when they had not seen the Lord as yet.

But the Lord knew Thomas needed encouragement. Thomas’ heart was low too, he was not believing and he was not happy as yet. Jesus knew the heart of Thomas needed a touch. I believe Jesus made a special trip back to the disciple’s room just for Thomas. Eight days later the Lord came to the disciples again when Thomas was there and He turned to Thomas to encourage him. It may be noted that Thomas is reputed to be the apostle that brought the gospel to India.  Our God reaches out to us, He calls our name, He lifts our hearts back up. He knows what we need and He comes to us.

Finally consider the woman at the well. Normally Jesus and His disciples would go to Galilee by travelling East toward the Jordan river, down the mountains and then turn North along the Jordan valley to the Sea of Galilee.  But Jesus said, “I must needs go through Samaria.” (Jn. 4:4) This is not the normal way to go to Galilee from Jerusalem, the Samaritans did not like very well the Judean Jews and the Jews did not very much like the Samaritans. You could say that that the Jews judged the Samaritans as lower class and not respectable in their understanding of Jewish Holy customs and laws. But Jesus knew there was one lady He was to see and encourage. We don’t even know her name. She was a Samaritan, a woman, and she had been married 5 times, broken marriages, and was now living with a man and not married. She had quite a few strikes against her and she probably did not feel good about herself (as well as all the talk about her behind her back). She had failed, but God loved her and knew he wanted to use her. She needed a touch from God and encouragement. God reaches out to those who are hurting and He will make a special trip through hostile territory just to encourage and bring a word to one person.

The disciples were surprised that Jesus was even talking to a woman (they were thinking to themselves, “Why are you talking to her?”) (Jn. 4:27) When Jesus spoke many things to her she really believed in Him and she got lots of men to come out and see Jesus. Jesus was feasting and delighting in His time of helping her. He said to His disciples, “I have food to eat  that you know not of, my food is to do the will of the Father and do His work.” (Jn. 4:32-34) Many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Jesus because of the woman’s words and even more who came out to see and hear Jesus believed. And Jesus stayed for two more days and gave them all more of His word. The Samaritans said to the woman who God encouraged and used, we have believed because of your words and also because of His words and we know that this is indeed the Messiah (who is to come), the Savior of the world. (Jn. 4:39-42) What a revival!

 Our God reaches out to the broken hearted and encourages them. He knows each one and will make special trips just to minister to one and give them the encouragement they need as if they were the only one He was thinking of.  The Lord knows your name and He will come to you so that you will accomplish the plans He has for you. It is encouraging to me to get to know more what God is like, and to learn to know more of His character. Hopefully we will learn too to be more like Him and do the types of things He does. He can lead us to help others find their destiny.

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"Is God Really Like That?" Chapter 2

Posted: 2013-06-19 20:03:10 by: David Nelson

Chapter 2, Waiting Upon The Lord     by David Nelson    3-8-13

Do you want to be used more by God? You may believe that you have a lot to give to help others but you have been waiting upon the Lord as to how and when you will be used to a fuller extent. You may have tried many things thinking that by these ideas and actions more will be done for the Lord (even believing that the Holy Spirit has guided you). It may be true that what you have done has been good in the Lord’s sight, but you are still hungry to be used more, and that your “greatest” days are ahead.

Do you still feel frustration? Have you asked the Lord countless times, “I know I can help others, how can I do it, right now few seem interested in my help?” Jesus warned us that the world and even many in the church would become more cold and distrustful. (Matt. 24:10,12) You may feel, “How can I do your will more Lord, how can we get into the revival that we all are longing for, where are the results from our work and the “break-throughs” we have been looking for?”

Here are some encouraging words for you that have helped me have peace in these times of uncertainty. The Lord has used you and I in the past in ways we cannot see, and He often hides the good we have done from us to create more humility in us, which He treasures. There may come a time when we will be needed in some greater works for the Lord but He wants to be sure we will be broken and ready (even though we may have partly given up in our long waiting, with just a sliver of hope left).  Picture, if you will, a retired hero (one who lived in the old west, accurate with a gun when he needed it). He now lives in a little house and most of the world has forgotten who he is. But now God has called on him to make one last stand against an evil band of thugs who have been terrorizing the whole territory or state he lives in. He has been prepared his whole life for this time to stand up and be God’s hero again.

And so, when we go to prayer, we must love God and trust Him and have our eyes on His love and perfect wisdom toward us, that even if He has nothing for us to do or He delays so long “our moment” (which really is His moment, for His glory, and it is His timing), that we are so frustrated with waiting for “our time”, that we can hardly stand it anymore! Maybe there never will be that “moment” or that final “gunfight” for “our” glory, which really is His glory. If we can constantly, every day, give ourselves up to the Lord and say with a pure heart, I love you Lord no matter what you do regarding me, I will do your will if you will just give me the insight as to what, and then also give me the desire to do it, plus the strength. But if nothing comes, then I am content to be in you, you are my reward, I will wait and trust forever, for this will please your heart Oh Lord.

The Lord is dealing with each of us in some similar ways but we are all going through some different things also. Each of us is a different work of art among all God’s extraordinary creations since the beginning of time. And so, there may only be a few answers for you here.  God may not answer all your questions either, but I am sure He loves our trust and our leaning into His bosom when nothing makes sense.
Also, we should never lose our desire to be used by God. Always tell the Lord, “I am still here, whenever you need me, please let me know.” God is well able to let us know what He wants clearly if our hearts are right and waiting on Him. He said that He would guide us by His Spirit. Don’t ever lose your desire to be used by God or your desire to do His will. And if your desire seems to have diminished then ask Him to blow on the embers of your desire to increase the fire again. The Lord has said in His Word that He is at work in us both to desire and to do His good pleasure, and so we say, please keep working in me and create Your desire and Your doing through me!
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"Sounding The Alarm Over Moral Decline In America And The World"

Posted: 2013-02-27 22:14:25 by: David Nelson

Sounding The Alarm Over Moral Decline In America And The World   By David Nelson    2-6-13

What are the sins of America and the world? What is God’s mind and heart and what is the truth, how are people changing what God says is true and saying the opposite of what He says is acceptable and good?

Satan wants the world to value the opposite things that God values. God wants us to keep our eyes on what He loves and keep valuing the pure things of God and hating evil things.

I am not planning to discuss every sin in our present society but I will give you some important examples, and I’m sure you will be able to think of many other issues. Some of the issues I will talk about are: men’s and women’s roles, the sin (as the Bible states) of a man having sex with another man or a woman having sex with another woman, same sex “marriages”, a woman wanting to be like a man or a man wanting to be like a woman, witches, mediums, and astrology, and anything in our clothes or appearance that speaks of rebellion or lawlessness.

What has gone wrong in our world today? Each of us should take a stand on what is against God and His ways and turn away from the growing evil that is coming before our eyes every day.

Before I begin let me qualify everything I want to say with this, all sins are serious with God (not just the ones I am pointing out). We all are in the same “boat” of sin and we all need His mercy and forgiveness. God loves every person and longs for a close relationship with every person no matter what sin plagues them. He is calling all of us to repent and be saved and to be close to Him. There are other sins not mentioned in this writing that may be more repugnant to the Lord, abortion, pride, bearing false witness, gossiping tongues, etc. But what I will say in this writing is very important and I feel must be said.

Every day our eyes and ears see and hear things that are not of God. There was a man in the Bible named Lot. Every day the things that he saw and heard in the city he lived in vexed his heart (he lived in either Sodom or Gomorrah or in a nearby city in the valley). (II Pet. 2:7,8) He was troubled at what he saw and heard because it was the opposite of what God loves. It was repugnant to Lot’s mind and heart because he saw what God hated too. Today, whether it is through the TV or other means, we see and hear things that shock us and sicken our hearts.

Whether we are 40, 50, 60 or older we may remember a day when there was not as much evil in the world as there is today. Things seem to be getting worse and worse, farther and farther from God’s ways. In the Bible there are at least two instances where things got so bad upon the earth that God destroyed many people. One time was when God sent a flood, during the time of Noah, and the Lord destroyed every person and animal upon the earth except 8 people, and at least two of every animal on Noah’s ark. In another instance in the Bible God destroyed the cities and people of a certain valley which included the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. There was such a stench of evil in God’s nostrils of man’s sins that He could not tolerate it upon the earth any more. (Gen. 6:5,6 and Gen. 13:13 the wickedness of man was great in the earth, God was grieved in His heart, man was exceedingly wicked and sinful) One of the sins that God could not tolerate was Sodomy. Sodomy is known as the sin of a man having sex with another man. (see Gen. 19:4-13 and Lev. 18:22-30, You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination. Do not defile yourself (or your land) with any of these things. And so I will visit the lands and nations who have done these things to punish them, and the land will vomit out these inhabitants.)

This writing is to show how repugnant sin is to the Lord and how it should be to us also. The way things were 50 years ago or even 25 years ago it seems there were less blatant, out in the open sin that we could see. Much was hidden so that our eyes could not see it on TV or movies or in the newspapers.

What kind of things do we see today that the Lord has clearly said, “This is wrong, this is sin, if you see it it should vex your heart and spirit as impure as it does God’s heart?”

We should not think that only “old people” are offended, it is just that they have seen a world that had less blatant sin paraded about. “Younger people” may have seen more sin in their shorter lives and may think that the world has always been this way. They may even say, “What is so bad about that?” Even Christians, young or old, can be hardened by the effects of sin that is all around us. But true Christians who have tried to stay close to the Lord whether young or old who have the Spirit of God at work in them should feel in their heart of hearts that something is wrong.

If we become more and more lax about what God values we will more and more lose our way and wander from the truth. If we keep our values close to God’s truth He will keep us strong and deliver us from the errors and lawlessness that is growing. Just like Lot was vexed in his heart daily by the wrong things (sinful things) that he saw and heard and God delivered him and whoever would listen in the cities that God destroyed, God will deliver us too. Some of the people Lot spoke to thought he was joking, they did not take him seriously, they did not accept what he was saying and they were destroyed by God because they did not depart from Sodom and Gomorrah.

Now let’s talk about the issues I mentioned above beginning with the roles of men and women. If we look first just in the natural we see (generally speaking, not true in all instances) that men tend to be taller than women, they are somewhat stronger, they have deeper voices (women have higher voices generally), for a long time men had shorter hair and women longer hair, they each wore different kinds of clothes (so that usually you could tell a man from a woman by the clothes they wore), at least it has been like this in the world for a long time. Also, people have first names that reflect either a boy’s name or a girl’s name. (Remember the song by Johnny Cash “A Boy Named Sue”? The name Sue has not normally been a name parents would name their boy). Just reflect for a moment on our present society when it comes it comes to the example of strength and men normally being stronger than women, women are not on NFL football teams nor do men’s teams play women’s teams professionally in football. Men do not compete with women in professional tennis either. Our society has not come to the place in the area of strength that women are equal to men even though some women may individually be stronger or faster than some men.

Now let’s leave the natural comparisons and look at some Bible verses. Some of these verses may be familiar to you and they are controversial but let us see if we can see more from God’s perspective and think carefully about these things. Also remember, it is not just verses that will convince us how God feels (for we can discuss and debate about these things for a long time) but the Spirit of God (with the Bible verses) will give us wisdom too. The Spirit of the Lord will guide us into all truth. This is the only way that I see younger people, who have seen so much evil in the world, coming to know which evil things around them are wrong. We should know the Bible verses and feel the vexing of the heart of God in His Spirit which is in us. In the Bible it says that it is a dishonor for a man to have long hair and for a woman to have short hair. (I Cor. 11:3-16, specifically verses 6 and 14) Perhaps there is a certain way that women ought to have feminine looking hair and men have masculine looking hair? How is that to be done? However it is done the Spirit of God will show each of us what is right for ourselves and when we see it in others. Also, it is an abomination for a man to wear what pertains to a woman or for a woman to wear what pertains to a man (Deut. 22:5). When we see sinful (against God’s ways) we should turn away our eyes, not accept it, not let it get into our spirit, not think lightly of it, but it should vex us and we should turn away our eyes.

Also, women are not to have spiritual authority over men (I Tim. 2:11-15). There are two reasons given in the Scriptures for this statement, one, because man was created first and then woman, and two, Adam was not deceived (by Satan) but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. Women can have prophetic gifts and speak things from God even in church services. When they do we should hear and give heed to what God is saying. I believe women can also share lessons they have learned from God or give testimonies and we can learn great things from both men and women. But it is our responsibility also (for men and women) to weigh what is being said to know if it is from God or not. There were women prophetesses in the Bible (Old and New Testament). But women are not to have authority over men or be official leaders of men without male oversight. Women in history like Joan of Arc may have heard from God and given direction from God like a prophetess but they were not official spiritual leaders without men. Gifted men, I’m sure, in every time period of history and in every culture God has always had available to guide the Church.

Now concerning homosexuals, lesbians, and same sex “marriages”, God, when He destroyed Sodom, Gomorrah, and other cities, hated the sin Sodomy (men having sex with other men), and He did not want to look on it any more. It is the sin of men having sex with men, and women having sex with women that God and we (as His servants) do not accept. (Lev. 18:22, it is an abomination) When you see someone on TV for instance who openly says they are doing that sin, that is when it is appalling to us to want to watch them, listen to them, we are vexed that they are openly sinning and so how can we accept that? It is the sin in their bedrooms that we say is not OK. Some might say that it is private what they do in their homes, but they are openly saying it is OK. What if people were on the public TV saying I kill people but know one has caught me yet and I want to entertain you? Or, I have sex with little children but no one has caught me yet and I want you to like me and listen to what I say? That is no different than saying, I am a man who has sex with other men and I want you to appreciate and like me and listen to me? We are to love all people no matter what they have done, and we can forgive all people as God is willing to forgive us of all sin. But sin is sin and it should bother us if people are sinning, continuing to sin, and proclaiming that it is OK.   

As for same sex “marriages”, men can have close male friends and women can have close female friends but having sex with each other is wrong Scripturally. And two men or two women joined together are not a marriage in God’s eyes. God made male and female to be joined together in marriage, to become one for life (when they decide to marry). The Bible even says that it is not natural for men to have sex with men and women to have sex with women. (Rom. 1:26,27)

Now concerning the things mentioned above and some issues we still have to talk about, it should bother us when we see sin. What I mean by this, in one sense we should not look upon sin. This really is meant in a certain way, for God does not want to look upon sin but of course in one way He does “see” everything. Lot and his wife and his two daughters were not to look back at Sodom and Gomorrah burning (but Lot’s wife did look back and she turned into a pillar of salt). Lot was vexed in his heart when he saw sin. In the New Testament it says that we are not to invite uncleanness into our homes (sometimes meaning heretical teachings and sometimes meaning idols or other ungodly things). We are not to eat with people (claiming to be Christians) with unclean teachings or life styles or “fellowship” with them. (I Cor. 5:9-13, II Cor. 6:14, and Eph. 5:11-12) Please understand, we are to be very loving and compassionate and forgiving. Even Jesus ate with sinners, Gentiles, prostitutes, and criminals to help save them, but we are to pluck them out of the fire and be careful not to be dragged down into their sins. God will show each of us the right balance. But if we see a witch looking into a crystal ball giving someone advice on TV we should not watch. If we see or hear people talking about astrology’s for those born in certain months and them giving advice we should not hear or consider such things, for this is the advice of demons and not God’s voice. (Deut.18:9-14, do not listen to them, do not consult with them, and I Sam. 28:5-7 (Saul seeks advice from a medium)). God is serious about having us stay away from demons and witches led by demons. Please realize that there is a principle here that we must learn from the Spirit of God, this not just legalism accomplished by our own reasoning. The Spirit of God will teach us how to be safe and when we should turn away and run from sin, and when we should face it and defeat it.

In young people (and even people in their 30s and 40s) we are seeing a trend too. Messed up hair (on purpose), holes in clothes (faded or paint splattered) (you can buy them that way), pants on men or boys are hanging down that normally should be pulled up, shoes untied, metal piercings through tongues, lips, noses, ears, tattoos or scars on arms, faces and legs, defiant looks and sneers. God says in His Word you should not pierce your skin or make markings on it. (Lev. 19:28) Mothers say to their sons, please comb your hair, please pull up your pants, please tie your shoes. But the attitude is, “I can do what I want, I will not listen, I will not obey any authority.” It used to be if we saw someone with unkempt hair that they either were from a mental hospital, or someone who doesn’t care or is rebellious. Or maybe you are seriously depressed and you don’t care how you look. There is so much that we see today in people’s appearances that might at first shock us but that we are slowly getting used to “anything goes.” And the more we get used to things that shock us the more that the next thing somebody does must be more bizarre to get noticed. Are people needing to join the parade of “freaky” looking people to be “new” or “cool”? Are we seeing a rebellious youth (looking like rebels) wanting to appear like they defy all authority, I will have no one over me, with unkempt appearance and scowls on their faces. It says in the Scriptures that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. (I Sam. 15:23) Even it says in Deut. 21:18-21 that a stubborn and rebellious son who will not listen to his father and mother though reproved much, that the evil should be put away from the people of Israel by stoning. Satan just loves to make the people of this world the opposite of what pleases God.

Regarding lawlessness, there is a spirit of lawlessness that is increasing in the world. (II Thess. 2:3-12, the falling away comes first, the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, the lawless one will come (antichrist), etc.) Could there be a growing attitude today that you can break any law just don’t get caught? The main thought being laws don’t apply for everyone all the time, you are the judge whether you should do it or not, if it doesn’t hurt anybody it is OK not to obey it. The Bible says there will be a growing lawlessness which means society without laws, do what suits you.

I have tried to make it clear what we should do as true Christians dedicated to following the ways and heart and character of our God and our Lord Jesus Christ. I’m sure we will not become cookie cut copies of each other, but there will be a holiness and purity that we will see in each other that will spring from the guidance of the same Holy Spirit in each of us. God will show us the difference between what is holy and what is common (or unholy), and He will teach us to be holy as He is holy. Our eyes are the gate of the body and we should guard these gates with the seriousness of God and diligence. I hope this writing has helped you and reminded you and given you some direction to keep going on the straight and narrow way with the Lord. Let us fight the good fight and keep going to the end and see Jesus and hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant, enter now into the joy of your Lord.”

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"Is the Lord Really Like That?"

Posted: 2013-01-26 21:52:42 by: David Nelson

Is The Lord Really Like That? If So, We Should Never Worry Again. (by David Nelson, 1-24-13)

The other day I picked up one of my wife’s devotionals and I read this letter from God, “My daughter (or, My son), When you feel like giving up, cast (all) your cares and burdens upon Me. Rest in My arms, trust Me to take care of all that concerns you. Lift up your eyes to the Heavens, for I am your help. Call on Me and I will restore you. Hope in Me, for I am here. From your Father (p.12) and, “Dear child, Dream big dreams. Many of your dreams are My dreams for your life. I share your excitement for the future and I have big plans for you. I have held them in My heart since before you were born. I want to see them become reality as much as you do. Trust Me to fulfill My plans for your life. I have a path in mind for you to follow. (My own thoughts: If you get too far off, don’t worry, I will never leave you or forsake you, I am your shepherd, I want you to hear Me, you are My sheep, you will know My voice,  I will guide you back into the right path.) Trust and follow Me on your journey. With Me, all things are possible…only believe. From God” (p.14) (From the book, “A Pocketful of Promises for Women” Published by Honor Books, no author given). (Over 100 love notes from God plus other quotes and Bible verses).

After I read this I said to myself, I’ve always thought these things and taught them but it almost sounds too good to be true! Is the Lord really like that? If so, we should never be worrying, ever. I’ve always taught that God wants to be our friend and He wants to be very close to us. In this book’s Introduction it says, “When you find a person who knows you, understands you, and loves you when you’re not at your best (this is very good, this may be your wife or husband or best friend). But God wants to be that friend to you. God will comfort you, He understands you, He has given you promises and He will keep those promises forever.”

I believe it is true that God has plans for us and that some of the dreams that we have for ourselves God has put into our heart. And as we walk through this life He delights in seeing His plans for us and our dreams unfold (come true) just as much as we do.

“Wait upon the Lord”, is a principle often taught in Scripture. Does wait upon the Lord mean, don’t act till you hear from the Lord, don’t go this way or that but wait to see what the Lord wants or to see how He directs? Some people in the Bible acted on their own and some even had “good” intentions. When Saul could not wait for the prophet Samuel to come but sacrificed animals to the Lord on his own, he could not wait. In Acts 16:7 Paul and Silas tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. Then in a vision they saw a man of Macedonia say come over and help us. They then concluded that they were to go there. In Acts 18:6 Paul was very frustrated with the Jews in Corinth and said, “From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” But then the Lord came to Paul in a vision (vs. 9) and said, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.” And Paul continued there for a year and a half teaching the word of God among them. I think Paul wanted to leave and have nothing more to do with them. But he needed to get the Lord’s direction. When Peter thought 3 booths should be built on the Mount of Transfiguration the Father Himself spoke, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, Hear Him.” You are not to do what you think but you are to listen to the Son and follow Him. Jesus called out to His disciples, “Follow Me.”

Examples of people who waited on the Lord are Moses when he waited 40 years in the wilderness  before he received his burning bush commission. (clear direction from the Lord). Both Jesus and John the Baptist waited till they were 30 years old to begin their earthly ministry. Joseph was forced to wait 13 years (from the age of 17 to 30) till his earlier dreams came into fruition.

In Proverbs it says many times that the Lord will guide our steps. In one verse it even says that our mind will not completely understand why the Lord allowed our feet to go the way they did, but that the purpose of the Lord will be established. (Prov. 16:9, 19:21, 20:24) (“A man’s steps are of the Lord; How then can a man understand his own way?” “There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.”) The Lord will guide our steps, the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth, the Holy Spirit will show us what to do. Can we learn to listen, can we wait till we hear, do we know when He speaks, do we know and hear His voice? Jesus said, I do nothing on my own initiative but only what He (the Father) says. Jesus said to us, “You can do nothing without Me.” Unless the Lord builds the house (we are to be guided step by step with Him) those who labor labor in vain who build it.

David Wilkerson once said that he had done many things that the Lord never told him to do. Would it be better to do only what the Lord says or should we do some of our own things also? Our own things may seem to work a little but sometimes they don’t work at all.

At one time some people came up to Jesus and said, we want to do the works of God, what must we do to be doing the works of God? It seems I have said the same thing to God, Lord I want to do the works you have for me! This is a good desire, but Jesus said to these men, believe in the one that God has sent. It is not activity or results that are key, but believe in the Lord, walk with Him, He will show you what to do.

In Is. 30:15 it says this, For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “ In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” “But you would not. And you said, No, for we will flee (rush off) on horses (to engage the enemy)—Therefore you shall flee away!” You will rush off on your own and find disappointment.

To be fair, I am sure there are people who would have possible rebuttals to the teachings above. Sometimes people say, God helps those who help themselves or if you do everything you can God will do what you can’t do. Others might say, God can’t steer a boat that is not moving, you need to move your boat forward then God can steer with the rudder. Paul did this when he tried to go into Bithynia, God closed one door and opened another. Hasn’t God given us a mind to figure things out and He will do the rest? We might try our “many plans” (Prov. 19:21) and find out which one or even a different one that the Lord wants. We are to cooperate with God, we do our part and He does His part. Are these ideas what God wants? Please let me know what you think, is there a better balance, I want to learn more what God is like and how to walk with Him better.

I am enjoying at this time a trusting of the Lord to fulfill His purposes for me. I am desiring more than ever to hear His voice and follow more closely where He leads. I too am wanting to build His house only as He directs and have a life that will more clearly reflect only His plans and His dreams for me. Our God is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He didn’t just start a work in us and if we fail, His plans fail. But He is the Finisher and He completes our lives, He will finish the work of art and dreams He started in each of us.

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Our meetings are good enough?? (word given 10-3-12)

Posted: 2012-10-20 19:29:48 by: David Nelson

A word came to me (David Nelson) 10-3-12 as my wife and I were leaving Perryville, MO after attending some meetings there. Concerning going to church gatherings or meetings: 

Our meetings are good enough??

Here is the initial word I heard and thought maybe was just for me, but then I have come to realize that the Church at large needs this word:

If it (a church meeting) isn’t enough for you, it is not enough for God.

If you are not satisfied, God is not satisfied.

Our God is more than enough. He is more than, “ I am just satisfied.” If in our hearts we want more (from our church gatherings), then what we are doing isn’t enough. If we are not satisfied yet, it is because He wants more, has more, it isn’t good enough for Him, He is not done, He is not satisfied with our meetings. Yes, there is a degree of walking in a rest with God, but do we feel our meetings are good enough?

Do we know and feel in our heart of hearts that God wants more, that He will send more if we seek Him, because we are hungry for more?

You may say on an individual level that you are hungry for more spiritual vitality for yourself, more refreshing from above for yourself, more spiritual accomplishments and closeness to God and spiritual insights for yourself. But God says, I want to show the world who I am, if you love Me you will keep my words and commands, this commandment I give to you, love one another with My love. Get together, be one, see what more I want to do. Do not be satisfied with what was yesterday, it is not enough for you, it is not enough for Me, there is much more, what has been before was for yesterday but I am more than that, it is not enough today, you want more, I want more, I am more than enough, I am more than just satisfied, I am running over the top. Do not desire things for you alone (at an individual level only), but desire more for all of you together for your meetings. It is My goal, My plan, My desire for My Church to be together with more than ever before!

Remember, it is not good enough for you, it is not good enough for Me, says the Lord.

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Chapter 4 The Tabernacle of David (Last Chapter of "Drawing Near To The Fire Of God")

Posted: 2012-10-10 12:21:37 by: David Nelson

Chapter 4      The Tabernacle of David

Why would I have my 4^th message be on the subject of the Tabernacle of David? Of all the subjects important to God, the Church, and the world, at this time, why this? Let’s go to the book of Acts to see why this is such a key subject. In Acts 15:14-17 Peter was speaking to the other apostles and elders and defending why Gentiles (people of other nations) were now being allowed to become members of the Church. He said in verses 16 and 17, “God will rebuild the Tabernacle of David which has fallen down, He will rebuild its ruins and will set it up again so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, so that all the Gentiles who are called by His name will be drawn to the Lord, and the Lord will do all these things.” At a certain time, “after this,” God will set things in order again.

In Acts 3:18-21 it says, “God foretold everything about Jesus through all His prophets and He has now fulfilled each thing that He said. When you are converted and your sins are blotted out and you repent, then times of refreshing will come from the presence of the Lord and Jesus will return. But heaven must keep Him till the times of the restoration of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”

I will now show you in the Old Testament what the prophets have said, what is the Tabernacle of David, why must it be set up again, how will it draw the world (those called to be saved) and the remnant Church back into their purpose, what are the times of refreshing, and what are the “all things” that must be restored before Jesus comes back?

First let us look at the heart of David and the place assigned to him to host the presence of the Lord, David’s tabernacle. This is not Moses’ tabernacle even though it was built from a heavenly pattern. And it is not Solomon’s Temple that God is most concerned about. God has His eyes on a heart that will do all His will. He has His eyes on the time when there will be shepherds after His own heart (who God Himself will train and mentor). David had a tender heart. He immediately repented when the prophet Nathan said “You are the man” who stole, killed, and ate the “only sheep” of the poor man (Bathsheba’s husband Uriah).  (David murdered Uriah to have Bathsheba as his wife). David’s heart smote him when he cut off the skirt of Saul in the cave. David said, “I should not have touched the Lord’s anointed.” When David was given a huge number of animals to sacrifice he insisted on paying for them, he said, “I cannot sacrifice to the Lord what has cost me nothing.” David’s heart troubled him concerning Goliath and God’s honor, as Goliath was dishonoring God, and though everyone else was afraid, David said, I must charge out against great odds for the honor of God. David also represents the prophetic, and songs, praise, prayer, and sincere devotion to God (remember the Psalms David wrote). David had a desire to be careful to do all God’s will and not compromise or be sloppy in the will of God like King Saul was. Saul, more than David, represents playing politics, being a successful business man, doing things without God, like many of the churches today do. God says, I have none like David, a man after my own heart who will do all my will. And so, when David wanted to make a place for the ark of the covenant   (which included the mercy seat, that represents the presence of God), he had a tent set up for it with no veil between God and the people. God has always wanted to come close to His people, to meet with them, that they could see Him and hear Him and know Him.

So, let us see how David brought up the ark to the place where his tent would overshadow and protect it. In II Sam. 6:12-23 we see in verse 12 the word gladness. God is going to give us greater gladness in His presence than we have ever known before. And David danced with all his might  before the Lord. Just like David, we today will go beyond what we have done before because the Spirit of the Lord will be upon us. In verse 16 David was leaping and whirling before the Lord as the unction of the Holy Spirit was upon him. But Michal, David’s wife, didn’t like what she saw, she didn’t understand it. Michal said in verse 20 that the maids of David did not understand what David was doing either, and that they were ashamed of him too. But David said, “It was before the Lord (in His Spirit and His presence) that I did these things, therefore I will continue to play and do music like this, before the Lord.” And I may even do crazier and wilder things than this (as the Lord leads), and people will be even more amazed and blessed (if they have ears to hear and eyes to see the Lord). And you are wrong about the maids, they knew this was from the Lord and they recognized that I was under the anointing of the Lord (as you (Michal) could not see clearly that this was from the Lord). And so Michal was barren and desolate from that day forward till her death (because she became hardened to hear or see the Lord’s work).

Then David and other prophets (Gad, Nathan, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, etc. (I Chron. 25:1-31 and II Chron. 29:25-27)) heard from the Lord what they were to begin doing in the Tabernacle. There were to be many anointed musicians and musical instruments, and prophesying with the music, songs from the Lord, and this was to be done 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For many years the practices God wanted in His Tabernacle were forgotten and neglected after David’s life. But 100 years later with King Hezekiah and 200 years later with King Josiah the practices of David were remembered again and reinstituted for a brief time. And even more years later with Ezra and Nehemiah there was a brief revival (Neh. 8:1-9 and Ezra 9:8-9), and at the time of the book of Acts, and even now (in our time) these truths are to be re-instituted again (as the Tabernacle of David is to restore all things back to the way God wants). In II Chron. chapters 29 and 30 concerning King Hezekiah, it repeatedly tells of those whose hearts were right and of those who had kept their hearts right through barren times, so that they would be ready when God calls for a “Feast.” These will come when God calls, those who are ready will say yes to God’s call. As it says in I Chron. chapter 29, we must carry out the rubbish, what God doesn’t want in His Church anymore, all the fleshly and man-made things. (II Chron. 29:5)

It is our time to serve the Lord correctly with a close relationship with Him and with prayer (II Chron. 29:10 and 11). It is the time for music that has been composed in heaven and comes down to us in anointed words, music, and instruments, as all the prophets from David’s time (including David) saw and proclaimed from God. (II Chron. 29:25-27) We must have willing hearts and keep ourselves from the world (verses 31-34), for the regular priests had not kept themselves pure (too much compromise in the churches today).

God will cause us to rejoice more than ever before, and God will bring it about suddenly in His perfect time. (II Chron. 29:36) We will all say, Look what the Lord has done! No man will get the credit, we will see the Lord alone. God will do things in His time (Passover was not done at the proper time, on the proper dates (II Chron. 30:3)). It doesn’t matter if it is the right meeting time (7:00 P.M.), God will do things 24 hours a day. It doesn’t matter if it is Sun., Wed., or Fri., God will do things when He wants 7 days a week. It doesn’t matter if it is a scheduled revival, God will have a never ending revival (In II Chron. 30:23 they kept the Passover feast an additional 7 days). This is unheard of. The Jewish people were to keep the Passover on the proper dates always! You were not to keep it more than 7 days, you were never to keep it an additional 7 days! The Jewish people were always careful to do things as God prescribed because God was very specific about the way He wanted things done. You were not to change God’s Word! It would be like saying we are going to have Sabbath on Saturday and Monday this week, or we are going to have Sabbath every day for two weeks! We just don’t change things like that. But when God says it is time for heaven to come down, then we will have non-stop revival that God Himself has started and that He will be directing completely. We have not done it the way God wants for a long time (II Chron. 30:5), and we will be mocked and laughed at by those who don’t walk close to Him (II Chron. 30:10).

We might not be completely ready for God to come (II Chron. 30:18). And we might not be completely worthy, but our hearts are right, and Hezekiah prayed for them that God would make a dispensation and accept us into His heavenly courts. God heard this intercessory prayer of the Holy Spirit and accepted us in. God will heal us through prayer. (II Chron. 30:12 and 20)

Have we prepared our hearts to seek the Lord? Are we ready to seek the Lord? The Lord is making us ready (everyone who prepares his heart to seek the Lord will be atoned for in God’s sight (will be “at one” (atoned) with the Lord). (II Chron. 30:18,19) We will be taught and come to know more the truths we need to know for our time. (II Chron. 30:22) There will be greater gladness than ever before (and loud sometimes too). Such great joy and anointing that there had been no meetings like these ever before (nothing like this). (II Chron. 30:21,26) Our praise, prayers, and voices reached up into God’s dwelling, into heaven, and we experienced walking in heaven with the Lord while here on earth in the Lord’s meetings. (II Chron. 30:27)

In II Chron. 34:10-19 king Josiah (maybe 100 years after king Hezekiah) found the dusty book of the Lord ( what they had of the Bible so far) in the Temple that was now being repaired, and it may not have been read or touched for many years. When Josiah heard the words of the Lord’s book read out loud he tore his clothes and said, We must inquire of the Lord about this. And so, Huldah the prophetess came to Josiah and said, Thus saith the Lord to Josiah (there will be much trouble for the people and this place in the future) but as for you king Josiah, because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself when you heard God’s word, you tore your clothes and wept before your God, you will be blessed! Then the king decreed (II Chron. 34:31,32) I will make a covenant with the Lord to serve Him diligently and I command all others to make a stand with me. So Josiah also kept the Passover feast and they did as David and the other prophets had commanded in earlier days with music, singers, instruments, etc. (The Tabernacle of David again in II Chron. 35). Again it was said, there had been nothing like these meetings since the days of Samuel the prophet (the times of David).  Revival meetings, they said again, like never before!

But as I explained in Chapter 2  of this book (Corporate Revival) the people of God in general always seem to say No to God’s revival except for a remnant. (Matt. chapters 21, 22, and 23, etc.) In II Chron. 36:15,16 it says, I always send warnings to you by My messengers. But you have always cast away My messengers and mocked them. And so the wrath of the Lord keeps rising the more you walk away till you walk away one last time, till there was no more remedy.

In Jer. 6:16-20 it says this, stand by the roads and look and ask for the old paths (the Tabernacle of David must be set up again) where the good path is and walk in it (walk with Me), with Me you will find the rest you are looking for. There will be a remnant that will say Yes, the Scriptures say so, there will be a Bride, there will be a Church built by our Lord Jesus Christ. But many will say, “We will not walk in your path,” even though God set watchmen over them saying listen to the sound of their trumpets and warnings, they said, “We will not listen.” (Jer. 6:16,17) God says in verse 20 what you are doing is not acceptable. So we (the remnant) by His grace will have His revival. To God be the glory for what we can see He is already beginning in the earth! Let’s join together for this!  

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