Lord Invade our Prayer Meetings

If you want to know how popular the Church is - go there on sunday mornings.
If you want to know how popular the Preacher is - go to the church on sunday evenings.
If you want to know how popular God is - go to the Prayer meeting.

- Leonard Ravenhill

Where are the martyrs?

I guess the reason why the coming of the Lord is delayed is found in the book of Revelation. Read ch6 : 9 - 11. Here the souls of the martyrs are asking the reason for the delay and the answer is given in verse 11. It says that the number of martyrs to be slaughtered have to be completed. The second coming is delayed because not enough people have died as martyrs for Christ. It is us who are delaying His coming. Enough martyrs haven’t been martyred. Enough people have not laid down their lives for God. It’s the battle cry. Why is our victory delayed? Enough people haven’t laid down lives for Christ. Have we become comfortable here. Have we diluted the Gospel to such an extent that the same world, that hounded the 1st century Christians to their graves, is not offended by us (supposedly following the same Christ) today. Why is that? Have we compromised our lives? Have we compromised our message? The first martyr was a deacon (Stephen). He was not even an apostle. He was not a missionary. He was a deacon in the church. Where are the deacons who would preach untill they are stoned. What are we doing today? Where have we gone wrong?

Preoccupied with Public Opinion

We are very often preoccupied with what others would think of us. We are afraid of Public Opinion. More often than not this gets us down. We could dream heroics for God but when it comes down to doing it we are paralyzed with fear of public opinion. One reason why we still walk the streets of mediocrity is that we are afraid of public opinion. Did Noah worry about public opinion? Did Isaiah wear shorts when he was commanded to preach naked? Did Jeremiah shy away when he was asked to wear a yoke on his neck as accessory to his pulpit attire? Paul says the world is crucified to him and he to the world (Gal6:14). Do not confirm to the pattern of this world (Rom12:2). If the world is crucified to you, you wouldn’t care what your friends think of you for praying all the time. You wouldn’t care what the people would think if you shared Gospel to them. You cannot beat mediocrity confirming to the world. You have to be radical. You have to let go of your inhibitions. You have to be branded crazy. Jesus was. The world’s opinion doesn’t count on the final day. Think eternity.

Let’s pray that our reputation dies today and has a funeral. Unless we die to ourselves and yield like a mass of clay on the potter’s wheel we will not be of any good.

Preoccupied with Pedigree

We are preoccupied with our pedigree. Our pedigrees go to the trash once we come to God. There’s Moses fresh from the Ivy League Egyptian University brimming with confidence who was asked to spend quality time in wilderness tending sheep. Paul inspite of his Jewish pedigree was the apostle to the gentiles.

Moses had to shed his 'prince' identity. Paul had to give-up his Hebrew-of-Hebrews identity. What you had been does not matter to God when you come to him. Where you had studied doesn't count. Your area of expertise would add up to nothing. Your pedigree goes to the trash.

Our identity is not what we are and what we have done. Read Exodus 3: 11, 12. Moses asks God why of all the people he was selected to bring His people out of Egypt. Look at God’s reply. He says “I will be with you…”. He does not talk of Moses’ pedigree. He does not talk about his training in the palace or knowledge of the wilderness or his striking personality that impressed midianite girls or his muscles that killed the Egyptian. Nothing matters. All that matters is that we surrender all to God. He’d throw our credentials and certificates into the trash and then cleanse us and use us. Our identity is in HIM only.

Let’s look at the greatest apostle of the New Testament – Paul. Paul was the right candidate for preaching to the Jews. Look at his resume’ – Born of the tribe of Benjamin, Circumcised on the eighth day, Hebrew of Hebrews, a student of Gamaliel, a Pharisee, legalistically faultless, had connections in the top places… He’d be definitely hired if they were hiring for the post of ‘apostle to the Jews’. Along with this he had the passion to reach the Jews (Rom11:13, 14). But God had other plans. He was not accepted in the synagogues Acts9:23. The disciples were not friendly until Barnabas vouched for him. Even in Jerusalem they tried to kill him Acts9:29. Only when he left was there a peace in the Judean Church Acts9:31. Paul’s ministry started from the time he accompanied Barnabas to the Greeks in Antioch. Paul had to give in to God’s plan and only then he would be used.

If we are pre-occupied with our past and pedigree we’d still trod the paths of mediocrity. We'll be limiting God. We have to comprehend the fact that God doesn’t operate the way we do. Henry Varley challenged once “ The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him” If only we’d give up our ideas and give in to God’s. Paul had to go through that. Moses had to stomach that. And what fine instruments they were turned to. Let's come a clean slate.

For God's Sake Let's Grow Up!!

We need to grow up out of our crib. We need to upgrade to solid food. We cannot be spoonfed all along. At some stage we need to leave the crib and crawl. Most preachers today don't kindle the nest. And the church is fat and obese in the nest with wings that have never been execised. We have been saved (though most are superficial). Our calling, when we become christians is to be Holy (ICor1:2). We don't realize that since we are still dazed in our superficial, often emotionally manipulated salvation. We don't pray in the spirit. That's one reason why we keep sinning. Because a praying christian will stop sinning. And a sinning christian will stop praying. Once we establish a connection with God through prayer, then we'll be nudged by the Holy Spirit if any sin hinders that connection. In this way we keep the connection going. In this way we'll stop sinning. I guess we'll have to grow out of the 'worship song' crib that we are accustomed to in our churches. Today the church is content in getting to sing a good worship song and go high emotionally on sundays and then go back to their sinning ways. Pathetic piety. You ask an youngster why he/she goes to that particular church you'd hear them answer "the worship is good". This sums up the state our churches are in today. First lets learn to get out of the crib and then we'll learn what's 'worship'.

Preoccupied with Personality

One of the critical things that happen when a man surrenders to God is the breaking down of his personality. When we come to God he wants us to shed everything including our personality. He'd break our personality so that His Glory is revealed in us. What a privilege to be a vessel that reflects His Glory. He cannot operate unless we give him the controls on everything. There was this guy who wrestled with God… one Jacob. Jacob had an awkward limp in his gait after that encounter Gen32: 31. Then there’s Paul who was blinded at the encounter and his eyes was one problem he carried to his grave (as said by some historians). Then there’s Moses fresh from the Ivy League Egyptian University who was asked to spend quality time in wilderness with some sheep. Jeremiah had to preach wearing a yoke on his neck once. Isaiah had to go stripped and barefoot for 3 years (Isa20). Read Galatians 4:14, Paul talks about his illness as a nuisance to his hosts (some believe that this illness was his poor eyesight that he carried to his grave). I’m tempted to believe that it was the result of his meeting with God on the road to Damascus. God breaks and makes us soft enough to leave His fingerprints.

Dear Lord break me today, my personality and all;

Here I am, heeding your call.

We are compromised!!!!

We are caught camouflaging instead of confronting. Instead of preaching we are pleasing. We are caught selling prayer keys and prayer oil rather than praying. We are fishing in the bathtub. What a ridiculous bunch of clowns we have become. Our pulpits rely on antics and gimmicks rather than the Holy Spirit fire. Our churches rely on LCD projectors and electric guitars instead of praying deacons and firebrand preachers. We are interested in challenging rather than changing. We have replaced Eternity with prosperity. We have replaced happiness for Holiness. We have made stupid substitutions. We are doomed.

I want to pray like Jonathan Edwards "Lord stamp eternity on my eyeballs..."

Paul's Lifestyle

What a contrast between our lifestyle and Paul's.
IICor 6:4-10
4Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Dear Lord, scale off the desires of prosperity in us. Replace it with eternity. I pray like Jonathan Edwards did "Stamp eternity on my eye balls".

Gloried in Tribulation.

David Brainerd gloried in his tribulation. I quote him from his journal

"...such fatigues and hardships as these seem to wean me more from the earth and I trust will make heaven the sweeter."

O Lord, I'm ashamed of myself and my empty, hipocritcal life. How often I fall and often I do it willingly. Save me O God from this life of stinking mediocrity. Burn my pride on my broken altar. Deal with my earthly desires. Knead me till I'm soft to mould. Break the edges and scrape the rust. Break me untill there's left no more of me. Untill I humbly say with Paul "for me to live is Christ and to die is gain".

Oh, the bitter shame and sorrow
That a time could ever be
When I let the Saviour's pity
Plead in vain, and proudly answered:
"All of self, and none of Thee."

Yet He found me: I beheld Him
Bleeding on the accursed tree;
Heard Him pray, "Forgive them, Father,"
And my wistful heart said faintly:
"Some of self and some of Thee."

Day by day, His tender mercy,
Healing, helping, full and free,
Sweet and strong, and oh, so patient,
Brought me lower, while I whispered:
"Less of self and more of Thee."

Higher than the highest heaven,
Deeper than the deepest sea,
Lord, Thy love at last has conquered:
Grant me now my soul's desire,
"None of self and all of Thee."

Where are we heading?

Hyderabad blasts
Communal riots - (Gujjars and Meenas)
Murder and Rape - (Call centre employee)
Kidnapped and Killed - (Mumbai school kid)
Child trafficking - (Teachers in Delhi)
Rape and Cannibalism - (Pandher and Surender)
Jailed - (Film stars)

All these in a very short time. Where are we heading? Who is responsible for the moral climate of the country? I'm sure it's us - The Church. The salt and light of the world. What a shame on us. While the country is speeding to hell we are comfortable and cozy in our cushioned pews. The pulpit is ice cold. Guess we need to cut out the Air conditioner. We need to set the pulpits on fire. Out with materialism and humanism that has dimmed our minds and hearts.

We have got our formula wrong. We are getting comfortable in our transit itself. Too early. We celebrate over superficially so called 'saved' souls in our humanistic evangelistic meetings. We may end up embarrassed on the final day when our works are quality examined in fire.
Lord prepare us for greater things.

Ravenhill - Burning!!

To watch some soul stirring sermons which were brought out by agonizing and unction. Ravenhill's very voice rings with a tinge of unction, his eyes are moist with agonizing, his aching body is still waiting to witness the mighty visitations of God in these videos and audio clips.

http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuXpEz34TY8

Revival or Funeral

I have been hearing Leonard Ravenhill for the past week from sermonindex.net and am greatly blessed. What a burning soul had he. The church in South India is dead. Either its getting an extra dosage of the materialistic prosperity or it is sunk in traditions and ceremonies. The pulpit is ice cold with icicles at the edges. After hearing Ravenhill the trip to local chruch is even more painful. It is ridiculous that the majority have jumped on the humanism bandwagon. We either need a revival or a funeral. People are content with the way the worship leader takes them to an emotional realm with the slow music and antics.... The mainline preachers are making the pew comfortable and hence are bringing judgement on themselves. Its time we had a prophet of God among us. Lord send us a John the Baptist. We are undone....