I always try to help people see that there is so much more than what we are experiencing and so much more greatness to uncover.  We’re missing the greatness of what God can actually do by settling for what we want Him to do.  I really sense that we have limited the Holy Spirit so much that we don’t even believe we need to see some radical changes.  We don’t think we need any more of God because He is simply enough for what we need.  May I suggest that we have been lulled into a deadly sense of security, well-being and apathy and that instead of settling for what we think is “great” we should actually dig deeper, push harder, and pursue Jesus with more zeal than we ever have?

Byron Paulus, President of Life Action Ministries, wrote this in Michael Catt’s book “The Power of Surrender”:

“The connection between surrender and revival is not new.  It is as old as the history of revival.  The hope of revival today is not lying in some new initiative but an old one.  It rests in every heart that fully trusts the Reviver and surrenders every ounce of their being to the control of the Holy Spirit.

“Unquestionably we can say there is no hope apart from revival.  But the exciting news is that we can say with even greater confidence – there is no hope like revival!  Throughout history it has proven to be the one thing that produces the most change in the shortest period of time.  It is our only hope; it is our only hope as a country.  And it is the hope of the nations.”

The big question here is this…DO WE WANT IT?  By what I hear, see and what others are showing me and telling me, the majority of people would say no.  We don’t want revival.  Churches don’t want it because they think things are going great!  Pastors don’t want it because great is good enough and they don’t want to rock the boat.  We are comfortable with the way things are.  We don’t want the radical change, the deep hunger, the relentless desperation and the broken and humble repentance that revival brings.  We don’t want God to come and do something even greater like touch hardened hearts, change rebellious minds, melt stubborn pride and transform corrupt sinners.  Fact is that that all gets too messy, too intrusive, too uncomfortable and demands too much.  Many “Christians” that I know are deeply threatened by this and look for the closest exit.  Why do we settle for anything less?

Michael Catt continues, “Everything inside us resists change.  Our ego resists anyone else sitting on the throne of our lives.  Our spirit rebels at another person calling the shots.  Our bodies are afflicted with inertia, preferring to remain at rest.”  Please read this next line carefully…We, the Church, are at a critical hour.  It has become urgent now.  God is ready and willing.  The devil is pushing and fighting.  Yet so, so many Church going people are sitting back, watching the show, enjoying the view instead of rising up with armour on and penetrating deep into the enemy’s camp.

In Matthew 16:18 Jesus declares the famous truth about the gates of hell not prevailing against the Church.  But I believe many translations give a misleading understanding of what that looks like.  The Message paraphrase puts it best when it renders Jesus’ words this way, “This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.” That’s the Church, not defensive sitting back protecting itself from satan’s onslaught.  No!  That’s the Church on the offensive, going in hard, fighting strong, moving in power and plundering what the enemy stole.  Awake and alert.  Bold and courageous.  Prayerfull.  Powerful.

C’mon Church, let’s go deeper!  Let’s go harder!  Let’s go with such force that satan has no hope!  Let’s not settle for our empty definition of “great” and remain sleeping in a false sense of contentment, but rather let’s rely on God’s Greatness and pray, seek Him and cry out for a show of His mighty power in revival.  Only by Him coming in revival fire will we see the world’s delusion of great break off us and the reality of the what the Church is made to be shine and be revived!  We are at a critical hour.

I really sense God calling us to re-evaluate how we “do” Church and ask some serious questions about what it is we are actually promoting and striving to achieve.  I know, because I’ve been there and God had to break me and it hurt.  I had to repent of what I had made His Church into and humble myself to admit I was wrong and seek real change.  We haven’t got it right yet, but we are asking the hard questions…does our Church Service elevate man, entertain the crowd and is it too safe? OR, is Jesus the main attraction and His gospel the main message and do people get to genuinely meet the Living God in a life-changing encounter, AND do we give room for the Holy Spirit to move and take over?

Anyway, watch this video and you’ll see what I mean…

The problem then arises when we approach our Christian faith with the same set of expectations and demands.  We carry this same attitude into the Church and then wonder why there is no Church that gives us what we want.  As a result we hop from Church to Church looking for the most comfortable, easy, convenient and least demanding environment so that we won’t be bothered and expected to give of ourselves.  After-all don’t they know it’s all about me?  During the years I have met countless Christians where convenience is the major focus of their commitment to the Church body and to Christ Himself.  Anytime a great call for higher living is given they look around for the nearest exit never to return again.  I guess by now you can tell that I have a serious holy discontent with this issue.

I tend to take Jesus’ words literal and when it comes to His call to holiness and radical commitment, I still think He means what He says and says what He means.  Jesus was never vague about what He expected from His followers and He continues that through to us.  Remember when He said that we are to deny ourselves?  What about when He said that to follow Him includes taking up your cross, which means that dying to self and identifying with Jesus’ death is expected?  I am sure you can’t forget when Jesus said that loyalty to Him must come before that shown towards family.  What about the classic when He said that we are to share in His sufferings?  It doesn’t help when people like Paul take it seriously and then show that it is possible.  Remember Paul’s memorable declaration that he has been crucified with Christ and that he no longer lives but Christ now lives in him?  C’mon, there is nothing convenient about any of that!

That type of Christian life contradicts what the majority of preachers today promote.  Instead we hear that the blessings and abundant favour of God makes our life awesome.  We hear that to be prosperous is a sign of your position in God’s family.  We are told that we are royalty and above the troubles of this life.  We are encouraged to always smile and keep on declaring that we are “more than conquerors!”  We are taught to demand that satan comes under our feet and expect everything around us to come into submission because after-all we have divine authority to shape the life we want.  We avoid suffering, repentance, humility, brokenness, travailing prayer, intercession, tears, sorrow and a contrite heart.  We don’t dare admit that we struggle and we are pressured to put on a brave face with a smile and walk in faith.

I’ll never forget when I first heard a pastor preach about his personal struggles, bouts of depression and constant fight against discouragement.  He shared that his faith is not always strong and he too suffers from doubts.  He gave us an insight into how he questions his calling often and finds it hard to stand under the relentless attacks from our ruthless enemy.  He spoke of how God tested him with fire and how he wondered if God really cared.  He then honestly spoke of the moments when God came through and how much it meant to him and how precious God’s grace had really become.  What I appreciated most was the real life observation that to follow Jesus wholeheartedly and honestly is to live a very inconvenient and self-sacrificial life.  There is nothing glamorous about it.  Self-denial is hard and takes years to come to terms with.  The flesh constantly screams against the demands of the gospel.

When we are awakened to the true nature of our Christian faith it then opens us up to the abundance of Jesus’ grace, mercy and love.  You come to Him empty and free from your selfish demands and wants.  You come to Jesus searching for meaning instead of always blessing.  You come to Him desperate to be made holy and stop chasing the delusion to always be happy.  You discover a joy unspeakable, one that is not affected by external circumstances and wavering emotions.  You find that Jesus’ standards are high but His power is sufficient.  Self slowly dies and your spiritual nature rises to rule.

So when it comes down to it I really want you to know that Convenient Christianity is a cheap imitation of the real thing.  Don’t settle for it.  Read the Bible and see the life Jesus promises and then honestly compare it to life you are living and being taught.  Don’t take my word for it, let God’s Word show you.

In it you will find articles from Rob, myself and Daniel Lyne about holiness, revival and prayer.  Also included are books published through Ministers To the Lord Ministries and other great resources.  I am sure that if you subscribe to this free e-zine you will be blessed in a mighty way.  We aim to publish the e-zine every 2 months and hope to see it spread across our nation and beyond.  I believe the heart and purpose behind this project reflects a current need in our churches and one that seeks to unite hearts with a common heartcry for revival.  Simply put, we want to see The Reviver contribute to revive your soul, your church and your nation!

We would love to read your feedback and if you have any suggestions to make it better we will seriously consider it as we want this to grow and be refined.  Any submissions of comments, articles, stories of interest etc. will also be considered and determined by the editor.

What is exciting about The Reviver is the potential to connect like-minded Christians across our nation and the world.  The principles of revival call for a united effort and the more people we have praying for it the greater the hope to see a mighty move of the Holy Spirit.

TO SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE REVIVER’ PLEASE VISIT OUR SUBSCRIPTION PAGE AND FILL IN YOUR DETAILS.  Alternatively you can access these details on this website by going to “The Reviver” tab above, our CityEast Church’s website or MTL ministries direct.

Some of you right now will jump up and come to the rescue with a rapid solution, thinking that your current reality is what poor me is missing.  Some of you will tell me to get over it because this is normal and I need to learn to settle and get used to it.  Some might tell me to not be so dramatic and not set myself up with such unrealistic expectations.  But then there are others of you who know this disturbing question all too well.

The revivalist at heart carries this uneasy sensation of knowing there’s more of God to experience and more of His power and presence yet to perceive and it haunts us.  We struggle to align the God of the Bible who is mighty in power, actively reviving His people to achieve His purpose for His glory with the current state of His people, the Church of today.  I mean, didn’t He say that He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)?  So why the discrepancy?  Why am I tormented by this so much lately that anything short of His manifest presence seems like a cheap imitation of the Real Thing?  Why does the “church-as-usual” mentality seem to bother me deeply and stir within me such dissatisfaction of how things are?  Is it me, or is God behind this?

Now let me make this clear, I know that the problem doesn’t lie with God.  He didn’t just pack up and leave out of frustration.  He didn’t change His mind, His heart or His purpose.  He is still the same as He was when He created all things, walked with Moses and humbled Himself by becoming the suffering servant and Saviour of the world.  So the problem must rest elsewhere.  Well, we need look no further than in the mirror…the reflection of God’s people should tell us that we are the kink in the hose and the reason for the confusion.

The sad and troubling reality is that we have not seen revival on the scale of the Welsh or the Hebrides revival’s in over 100 years.  But the same God who moved there and then is the same we worship today.  God is still able to come down and totally shake up and transform an entire region, even an entire nation.  He is still able to reach the hardest, most stubborn and rebellious person with an outpouring of love that very few can resist.  God is still in the business of revival, but why are we not seeing it today on such a miraculous scale?  Is God bound by geography?  Is the Mighty God restricted to move in revival just in the old days?  Have times changed that much that we don’t need Him to show up like this anymore? On the contrary, we need God more than ever.  The Church has never been in such dire need of God’s reviving presence than today and I fear that if we don’t stop and have a serious look at what we’re doing and how we’re doing it, we will give the Holy Spirit good reason to pass us by.

But this haunting feeling is nothing new.  The prophet Isaiah recorded a heartfelt outcry in Isaiah 64 that truly resonates within me.  I can feel his desperation, his agony and urgent plea.  Look at these tormented words;

Isaiah looked at the state of Israel and was deeply troubled at why God was silent and why their circumstances were still unchanged.  He describes it as a wilderness, a place of desolation, burned and ruined.  With a heart for God and with a tormenting pain Isaiah was moved to turn to the Almighty for a solution, a change, a breakthrough.  I can hear the deep groaning in his soul as he cries out, “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down…” In other words, “O God, rip open the heavens and come down and shake us up and revive us!”

Why am I making such a desperate plea?  Firstly, it has now become urgent and we don’t have time to play church games and get distracted by the “me” gospel that has damaged much of the church today.  I get so burdened when I hear Christians speak from such a self-centred perspective.  It pains me to see Jesus being shoved from the centre of our existence to a peripheral add-on when we feel like it.  I believe that God is grieved by His Church and the desolate, barren state of what was once so alive and so powerful.  To see His people more committed to happiness than holiness would break His heart because He warns us of how futile that pursuit is.  To see His people pursue power, prestige and influence above the pursuit of Jesus Christ would hurt God so deeply because it mocks His Son’s sacrifice.  Has Jesus become a stranger in His own House?

Instead of taking hold of God we have taken hold of the world and the line of separation from the Church and the world has become so blurred that you can rarely tell the difference anymore.

Are we disturbed by this?  Do our hearts cry out because there is something seriously wrong with this picture?  Are we asking any meaningful questions?  I can’t shake this, I can’t take this any longer…I am haunted by what we have become.

Michael Catt, in his recent book titled, “The Power of Surrender” calls us to seek answers and not settle for this.  He pleads, “If God is withholding His favour, we need to plead for Him to open the doors of heaven.  If we are headed for judgement, we need to wake up.  Our only hope is for God to come down now!  We need divine visitation that changes the spiritual landscape.  The favour of God is our only hope.  The presence of God is our greatest need.  The power of God is what we lack most.”

I feel those words deep within me as my heart yearns for revival to sweep up the mess we have made and for God to do what we have hoped for for generations – to embrace His real and manifest presence – God dwelling with His people in power, in glory and shaking the nations bringing countless people into His kingdom.  But something has to change.  Church can’t go on with business as usual anymore.  We need to ask…Is this all there is?  If God doesn’t invade our lives and churches soon we will sink too far.

Will we become radical saints that are totally sold out to see Jesus take His place of honour and His Church come alive with His power?  Will we surrender our ideas, agendas and opinions so that the Holy Spirit can have room to do what He came to do in the first place?  Will we release control?  Will we give Jesus the love He longs for and make it all about Him and His mission?  I don’t know about you but I am praying for this urgently and out of pure desperation.  I have been haunted by this for too long, something has to change and it starts with me and it starts with you.

I pray that as you read this blog post that the Holy Spirit will stir within you a deep longing for more of who He is and what He wants.  That a growing dissatisfaction will erupt within you so that you are driven to prayer in search for God and the answers He alone possesses.  I pray that a fire will be set ablaze within us so that we conform to Jesus’ intended design and function of the Church that He is building.  The winds of change are coming…and may we, His people, move where He desires.  Revival is not a new word or a sudden trendy topic of discussion, it is the need of the hour and I pray that Jesus’ people unite to pray to God for the greatest outpouring of His Spirit this world has ever seen.

There’s a reason I can’t shake this…God is stirring and moving to bring revival.  Can you hear His footsteps?

A few of us gather early most mornings to pray for the church, our community, country, and above all, that God would once again pour out His Spirit upon His people. We are a sinful, messed up bunch, that desperately need God to strip us of ourselves, and reshape us in a way that glorifies Him. Once again, prayer this morning was nothing short of ‘Amazing’! Such an incredible feeling of God moving in power amongst us, and sharing His love, and pain with us.

Day by day, God is opening our eye’s to see the state of our life’s, and where our ‘treasure’ lies. We are a stubborn people, but we are beginning to realise that we’ve been missing something. As one said in their prayer this morning, “You [Jesus] didn’t die on the cross, just so that we would sing a few song’s, listen to a sermon and put some money in the bag. You died for more than just that”.

Confronting isn’t it!

Early last week I was moved by a plaque on “The Memorial Cross” at Mt Macedon.  It read, “To those brave men and women who gave their lives for their God, their King, and their country. May we be found worthy of their sacrifice“. Wouldn’t it be great if all ‘Christians’ felt the same towards Christ’s sacrifice?  I can only imagine what the church would look like, and the power it would have. How Beautiful.

I came upon this article by Pastor Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church in America and it really moved me in much the same way the plaque on that cross did. I know it’s long, but please, read through it, you won’t regret it.

Die With Your Boots On

Mark Driscoll

Preaching Pastor at Mars Hill Church

Of course some have reacted very positively and when revival is mentioned their eyes light up.  Just today I met a lady from another church whom I had given a number of copies of “God’s Heart Cry For Revival” by Rob Cartledge to and I could hear it in her voice and see it in her eyes that she has got it as do those in the leadership team of her church.  That is very exciting as I can see that God’s preparation for revival is spreading wider.

I recently stumbled across a blog by Bill Muehlenberg called CultureWatch.  He gives some great insight into various trends and issues of the day.  What I have found most encouraging has been his insight into revival and this one in particular I’d like to share with you.  Below is Bill’s blog titled “A Few Thoughts on Revival”…

A FEW THOUGHTS ON REVIVAL – By Bill Muehlenberg, published 18/11/08

As we study church history, we learn of exciting outbreaks of revival and renewal which have had profound global impacts. Today Christians rightly long to see similar moves of God’s spirit as well. We all desire to see God move in new and dynamic ways. We long to see God’s people renewed, the lost converted and society turned upside down for the Gospel. Yet I sometimes wonder whether we are doing all we can to see God’s spirit break forth in Australia. Is our desire for revival matched by a willingness to pay the price for revival? Are we really willing to make the necessary sacrifices to see revival erupt here?

Sure, in one sense revival is the result of the sovereign work of God. It is his work, and we depend on him to move on our behalf. But in another sense, there are things we can do as well to help bring about revival. An earnest and heart-felt seeking after God would be one such thing, along with a willingness to pray and seek God and cry out to him for a spiritual breakthrough in our land.

Of course most churches have organised prayer groups and the like, and intercessory prayer groups are increasing. But usually those praying, fasting and seeking God for revival are few and far between. While there are many morning prayer meetings and the like, the are usually sparsely attended.

Now I am certain that most Christians, if asked whether they would like to see God break forth in marvellous revival, would respond in the affirmative. Yet for all our interest in, and hope for, revival, it seems very few Christians are willing to take the necessary steps to see it birthed. While I realise that revival is generally due to the sovereign move of God, a study of church history indicates that concentrated passionate prayer is often the means by which revival breaks forth.

That such prayer is so noticeably absent in most churches today is a sure sign of our spiritual impoverishment. My hope and prayer is that Australian Christians will develop a desire and a thirst for revival, and for the most important means to procure such revival: prayer.

What does revival look like?

If a revival were to break out in Australia, what would it look like? Let me seek to paint a picture for you.

Newspaper headlines regularly discuss the revival. The Australian, The Age, The Courier-Mail and The Sydney Morning Herald, for example, often spend several pages each day on the revival, with daily listings of converts. Words of new praise songs are reported, along with maps of where the revival is raging. Media personalities such as Kerry O’Brien devote much time to stories of the revival, and are personally touched by it. Current affairs shows such as 60 Minutes spend most of their time discussing the revival. Numerous journalists experience conversion, and hostility to Christianity in the media is greatly reduced. Media magnates like Rupert Murdoch can only find good words to say about the revival.

The police report that jails are emptying out, streets are quiet and little police work is necessary. Crime is way down, and gambling, drinking, drug abuse and other previously common vices are cut in half. Sex shops and porno theatres are closing down. The large casino parking lots are no longer filled with cars. Many police devote their time to singing in choirs or helping out at church services.

Federal and State Parliaments are often closed, because so many politicians are involved with or observing the revival taking place. Parliamentary prayer meetings have increased in number and size. Federal leaders, opposition leaders, and most MPs and Senators attend regular prayer meetings.

The working class is especially touched by the revival, with blue collar sectors like the Western suburbs of Melbourne becoming new Bible belts. There are far fewer strikes, and tensions between unions and companies have greatly lessened.

Many young people and children are saved, with many of them taking active roles in leadership, evangelism and worship. Churches often double and triple in size, with many new church buildings being built. Whereas congregations of a thousand or more were rare before the revival, now they number in the hundreds right across Australia. Many denominational barriers have come down, and remarkable unity is experienced.

Many of the large sporting facilities like the MCG or the GABBA sit empty, partly due to lack of interest, and partly due to so many athletes converting to Christ. People like Chris Judd, Lleyton Hewitt, Stephanie Rice, and Ricky Ponting now spend most of their time holding evangelistic crusades and attending prayer meetings.

Major Australian entertainment figures such as Hugh Jackman, Kylie Minogue, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman and Elle MacPherson are no longer much interested in entertainment, but are devoting their time, money and talents to Christian ministry.

People from all over the world have come to Australia to see for themselves the mighty work of God taking place. The tourist industry is experiencing a major boost in visitors, and extra flights have had to be set up to accommodate the large influx of visitors. Christians and churches throughout the world are encouraged, refreshed and blessed by the revival taking place in Australia.

Will revival happen here?  Is this ridiculous?

Lest anyone think that all of this is the product of an over-ripe imagination, or a bit of wishful thinking, let me say that the above description is the exact equivalent of what took place during the great Welsh revival of 1904-05. That revival impacted the whole world, and its effects are still being felt today. For example, the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles, which helped to give birth to the modern Pentecostal movement, was touched off by the sparks of the Welsh revival.

When we read of such exciting revivals in the past, we can only say, God do it again. If revival is the desire of our hearts, let’s help to make it a reality. One sure way to help see revival to break out in Australia is to pray it through. If your morning prayer meetings are only attended by a handful of people, ask God to put a burden on his people to become a praying church. For as church history clearly reveals, a praying church is a church that will experience revival. And revival is clearly the need of the hour, not just in Australia, but around the world.

What were your thoughts when reading Bill’s description of revival in Australia?  Did it seems absolutely ridiculous to even suggest such changes and transformations?  Hey, God has done it before so why not ask Him to do it again!  God knows we need it.  I guess that’s what revival does, it breaks all stereotypes, logical thought and common practice.  It is God baring His holy arm and flexing it to bring radical change.  I don’t know about you but I am praying this through with increased passion and expectation because I know my God is greater than our small faith and His heart cries for revival more than mine does.  Why would we settle for anything less?

As I was preparing for the recent sermon, I was intrigued by Jesus’ words from Luke 8:18, “consider carefully how you listen” (NIV). In our day of cell phones, emails, Facebook, Twitter, and the like, it seems as if everyone is speaking, few are listening, and even fewer are listening attentively and well. Yet here Jesus does not tell us to improve our communication skills, but instead to hone our listening skills so that we might better hear God through those who teach us and speak into our lives. While considering this command from Jesus Christ, in God’s providence, I stumbled upon the following exhortations from arguably one of the most famous preachers of the 18th century regarding how to listen to a sermon. I pass them along in hopes that they are helpful.

How to Listen to a Sermon by George Whitefield (1714–1770)

Keys for getting the most out of what the preacher says

Jesus said, ‘Therefore consider carefully how you listen’ (Luke 8:18). Here are some cautions and directions, in order to help you hear sermons with profit and advantage.

1. Come to hear them, not out of curiosity, but from a sincere desire to know and do your duty. To enter His house merely to have our ears entertained, and not our hearts reformed, must certainly be highly displeasing to the Most High God, as well as unprofitable to ourselves.
2. Give diligent heed to the things that are spoken from the Word of God. If an earthly king were to issue a royal proclamation, and the life or death of his subjects entirely depended on performing or not performing its conditions, how eager would they be to hear what those conditions were! And shall we not pay the same respect to the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and lend an attentive ear to His ministers, when they are declaring, in His name, how our pardon, peace, and happiness may be secured?
3. Do not entertain even the least prejudice against the minister. That was the reason Jesus Christ Himself could not do many mighty works, nor preach to any great effect among those of His own country; for they were offended at Him. Take heed therefore, and beware of entertaining any dislike against those whom the Holy Ghost has made overseers over you. Consider that the clergy are men of like passions with yourselves. And though we should even hear a person teaching others to do what he has not learned himself, yet that is no reason for rejecting his doctrine. For ministers speak not in their own, but in Christ’s name. And we know who commanded the people to do whatever the scribes and Pharisees should say unto them, even though they did not do themselves what they said (see Matt. 23:1–3).
4. Be careful not to depend too much on a preacher, or think more highly of him than you ought to think. Preferring one teacher over another has often been of ill consequence to the church of God. It was a fault which the great Apostle of the Gentiles condemned in the Corinthians: ‘For whereas one said, I am of Paul; another, I am of Apollos: are you not carnal, says he? For who is Paul, and who is Apollos, but instruments in God’s hands by whom you believed?’ (1 Cor. 1:12; 2:3–5). Are not all ministers sent forth to be ministering ambassadors to those who shall be heirs of salvation? And are they not all therefore greatly to be esteemed for their work’s sake?
5. Make particular application to your own hearts of everything that is delivered. When our Savior was discoursing at the last supper with His beloved disciples and foretold that one of them should betray Him, each of them immediately applied it to his own heart and said, ‘Lord, is it I?’ (Matt. 26:22). Oh, that persons, in like manner, when preachers are dissuading from any sin or persuading to any duty, instead of crying, ‘This was intended for such and such a one!’ instead would turn their thoughts inwardly, and say, ‘Lord, is it I?’ How far more beneficial should we find discourses to be than now they generally are!
6. Pray to the Lord, before, during, and after every sermon, to endue the minister with power to speak, and to grant you a will and ability to put into practice what he shall show from the Book of God to be your duty. No doubt it was this consideration that made St. Paul so earnestly entreat his beloved Ephesians to intercede with God for him: ‘Praying always, with all manner of prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and for me also, that I may open my mouth with boldness, to make known the mysteries of the gospel’ (Eph. 6:19–20). And if so great an apostle as St. Paul needed the prayers of his people, much more do those ministers who have only the ordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit. If only all who hear me this day would seriously apply their hearts to practice what has now been told them! How ministers would see Satan, like lightning, fall from heaven, and people find the Word preached sharper than a two-edged sword and mighty, through God, to the pulling down of the devil’s strongholds!

This excerpt is adapted from Sermon 28 from The Works of the Reverend George Whitefield. Published by E. and C. Dilly, 1771–1772, London.

Thank you Mr. Whitefield!!!  The article’s language and structure might be old, but I am sure we can all get the main ideas of what he wrote.  I’ll never forget a pastor’s response to a lady who came up to him one Sunday after his sermon.  She said, “Thank you, that was a very good sermon”.  His response was, “I guess we’ll see.”  He answered very wisely because the true test of a great sermon is how the recipients apply it and give it flesh in their daily lives.  To simply preach for entertainment or to add knowledge to the already spiritually overweight Christians does not produce life-change.  Preaching without application wastes everyone’s time.  But when we all approach the preaching of God’s Word with an expectancy of divine impartation and transformation, it is then that the miraculous happens and lives are changed for good.

So here’s a call to all preachers…preach knowing that God empowers the words and fills them with His supernatural purpose.  Preach with passion because we have the most powerful and earth-shaking message known to man.  Preach with love because without it your sermon becomes a performance.  Preach with conviction because if you don’t believe it, neither will they.  Preach with faith, expecting the Holy Spirit to break strongholds and shatter pride.  Preach with focus, making sure Jesus is always the Hero and is the one who gets the glory.  Preach to make it count, as if that will be the last sermon you will ever preach.  Preach with humility because you don’t deserve this gift and privilege.  Preach with the end in sight because Jesus will hold you to account for the souls in your care.

As the preacher faithfully does his bit, the listener is also called to participate.  To the listener I would say this…re-read this blog and live it!

This picture leaves me in awe.  To see the Church rise out of the mess and mire of the world and become the bright beacon of hope and salvation that she was born to reflect, is nothing short of mesmerising.  In our current mid-week study “Preparing the Way for Revival” by Ian Malins, he quotes a great description of revival by the legendary Martyn Lloyd-Jones who describes what is central to the Holy Spirit coming in revival power.  Read this and let this vision capture your heart,

“It is an experience in the life of a church when the Holy Spirit does an unusual work…Suddenly the power of the Spirit comes upon them and they are brought into a new and more profound awareness of the truths that they had previously held intellectually, and perhaps at a deeper level too.  They are humbled, they are convicted of sin, they are terrified at themselves.  Many of them feel that they have never been Christians.  And then they come to see the great salvation of God in all its glory and to feel its power.  Then, as a result of their quickening and enlivening, they begin to pray.  New power comes into the preaching of the ministers, and the result is that large numbers are converted.”

Why wouldn’t you want that?  Why would so many reject the call to pray and prepare for revival when this is what God wants more than any man or woman ever could?

I long to see Jesus have His place of honour and prominence in His Church and His Gospel penetrate the darkness regions.  I long to see countless lives humbled and brought low by their sin as they collide with a Holy, Loving God.  I long to see the Churches come alive with a passionate zeal for Christ and His cause.  And I long to see this revival flood out of the Church, down High Street and into the unsuspecting people of our towns and nations bringing them into deep, authentic repentance.  I long to hear their cries for mercy as they fall before Almighty God in genuine surrender and be washed by His grace and forgiveness.  To see evil shut up will be sweet indeed.  I am really looking forward to seeing the prayer gatherings be full of people and full of life.  Imagine that!  I crave the thick and tangible presence of God which dispels all evil and disarms all opposition.  I hunger for more than what we are experiencing now and I am desperate for the Holy Spirit to be poured out with such power that to love Him and serve Him is irresistible.  I hold on to this vision as it has flows from God’s very own heart cry.

But what can get disheartening at times is that it often feels so lonely holding on and waiting for God to do this.  In the dark, early mornings of prayer it feels like we’re so isolated from the rest of the world and times of doubt make us wonder if we’re the only one’s hearing this.  The fruit is scarce, the signs are minimal and the labour is hard, but the faith is still in Christ and His transforming power.  But what encouraged me greatly is that when we feel so alone in this and it seems no one else cares much for revival, God gives hope.  I read an e-mail description about a conference currently going around Australia.  Read these words and imagine the impact they had on me:

Like never before the stirrings of the spirit realm over 
Australia are getting the attention of believers around the 
world. As each month passes it seems more and more agree that 
Australia is in a season of visitation and outpouring.

These meetings are birthed out of a significant prophetic word 
and an inner witness that NOW is Australia’s time!!!

Ok, so it’s becoming obvious that we’re not the only ones hearing this call.  God is surely up to something here and what a few of us have sensed is God’s will for His Church is actually a shared vision of revival.  Could it be that we are at the beginning of the next great awakening?  Could we be on the verge of seeing God manifest His presence with such power than no one can stop Him?  I’m ready?  Are you?

I just received the new DVD documentary from Darren Wilson and his Wanderlust Production company titled, “Furious Love”.  This is the sequel to the hit DVD titled “Finger of God” which amazed audiences with its world-wide search for miracles and stories of God’s pervading power to change lives.  In this new DVD one cannot help but be overwhelmed at how God’s love shown through God’s people has no comparison and no opposition that can stop it’s power.  The viewer is taken into some of the most evil and darkest regions of the world where satan and his hordes steal, kill and destroy.  But in the midst of this deep darkness the light of Jesus shines brightest.  In this footage we meet some radical Christians that are not content with comfortable or predictable Christianity.  Their actions of love bring such inspiration that when witnessing these divine acts of God’s love you cannot help but well up with tears of joy, conviction and challenge.  It is a strange set of emotions that overcome the viewer as God uses this medium to test the extent of His love expressed through our individual lives.

What is most refreshing is that these “lovers” of God who become God’s vessels of love to the hurting, ignorant and destitute break all barriers that the religious establishment has tried so hard to erect.  You see, our “religion” has shut us out from those who need Jesus most – the sin-sick and hurting.  To see a young Christ-follower reach out to a “lady-man” trans-sexual prostitute with a hand of hope would be despised by the legalistic crowd who uphold religious purity above love.  To see a brave woman of the faith reach out to one of the “brides of satan” with a love that is so undeserving would send the religious elite into a frenzy of self-preservation.  It is such people as these, who go to where most of us would never consider, that have front-row seats to the greatest drama the world has ever seen – God’s outrageous love!

Today, we put so many restrictions on our love.  You’ve probably voiced or acted in light of these yourself, I know I have – “I’ll love you IF you act how I expect.”  Or, “I’ll love you IF you give it back”.  Or what about this one, “I’ll love you IF you don’t interfere with my life too much”. And then the classic, “I’ll love you WHEN it’s convenient for me”.  Is that really loving God’s way?  It is love based on performance with a huge set of rules and regulations?  Not God’s outrageous love.  His love sets no limits.  His love cannot be switched on and off depending on His mood.  His love breaks through the hardest of barriers set up by sinful man.  His love never gives up, let’s up or puffs up.  Starting to sound like 1 Corinthians 13 isn’t it?

But what is most encouraging to me is that God’s love “…never ends.” (1 Cor. 13:8 – esv).  This never-ending quality of God’s love means that no action, no matter how evil and depraved, can prevent God’s love from reaching in and transforming.  This is good news for the most active of sinners.  To see God’s love going where most of God’s people would not dare is really moving because it reveals the radical nature of God.  He is a God not concerned about the expectations that religious man has defined.  He is always the first to break the stereo-type and shock the proud.  God will not let anything or anyone stop His reach to those He loves and for that I am eternally grateful because if He could be stopped I’d be in deep trouble.

I am challenged to the core with the love that I show to those around me.  Is it conditional, hypocritical or self-promotional?  Sadly, yes on all three counts!  I’ve seen the ugly side of my flesh and if you’re honest you’ll see yourself in that picture too.  How I long for God’s divine love to fuel every action, word and thought.  How I crave to be those radical and rare love-givers who are not bound by fearful-boundaries or excuses.  How I pray that the love I show will not be stained by my carnal depravity but rather overcome all sin.  Imagine when we open ourselves to God to first receive His love in its abundance and then be used by Jesus to touch other lives.  Imagine the thrill of knowing that your hand is suddenly God’s reaching out to the outcast.  Imagine the joy of embracing the sinner as they feel the love of God wash over them in healing and saving power.  Imagine the honour of seeing one so far from God be loosed from the chains satan has wrapped around them and be set free to live in Christ.  Is there a greater cause to live by?  Is there anything we are called to that can supersede this mandate?  No way.

So if you get the opportunity to watch “Furious Love” by Darren Wilson from Wanderlust Productions, please do and then get ready for your love-walk to be challenged and your faith increased.  This is God’s outrageous loves in action and whoever is touched by it is never the same again.  As the tag-line on the DVD says, “This Time Love Fights Back”.

But what we are seeing is that these confusions and distortions not only exist on the elite, intellectual level but have seeped into our Churches and are now infecting the common Christian attending your local church.  Men and women professing a faith in God are really not that sure what they believe.  What is even more disturbing is that there are pastors and preachers teaching people about things that they themselves are not convinced of.  I recently heard a pastor share how in a room filled with Christian pastors the answer to the question, “What is the Church”, was met with blank stares and differing opinions.  I mean, if we can’t get that basic question answered by those that lead these churches, then what hope do we have?

As I began to hear some troubling ideas and perspectives and be witness of some massive confusion on major doctrinal points, I asked myself if I really knew what I stand for and would my convictions stand against the doubts and opinions that attack us all.  Something that really gripped me was that if we stand for nothing, we will fall for anything.

In my studies of revival history one reoccurring threat that seems to be repeated is the subtle and cunning attack on Christian doctrine.  In the height of revival transformation certain individuals, who can only be described as wolves in sheep clothing, seek to steal, kill and destroy those that are young in their faith and weak in their theology.  They plant seeds of confusion and throw into question what the church believes and replace it with subtle twists and distortions which are designed to divert the move of God.  Satan’s tactics have not changed in thousands of years and yet there are still churches, pastors and everyday Christians falling prey to his deceptions because the core of what they believe has been compromised.

So in asking God what to do about this, I was led to preach our up and coming sermon series titled, “Doctrine & Life – Knowing What You Stand For”.  This series is in preparation for the vision of revival God has given us and will secure our theology on the truth of the Bible and give us solid footing for when the heretics and false teachers come.  We will cover key doctrines like the Trinity, the Bible, creation, prayer, angels and demons, man and sin, Christ and His life, death and resurrection, justification, sanctification, death, the Church, worship, judgement, heaven and hell etc.  Many of these topics are not addressed in church today and it is time to revive these ancient truths which have upheld the Christian witness for so long.

Of course, such an extensive study and sermon preparation demands help from more seasoned leaders.  Most helpful has been Pastor Mark Driscoll and co-author Gerry Breshears’ book titled, “Doctrine – What Christians Should Believe” and Wayne Grudem’s monumental work titled, “Systematic Theology“.  If you would like to dig deeper into this theme I highly recommend both of these books as they compliment the solid Word of God which shapes our doctrine and theology.  I am so grateful for their endless hours of work and labour to guide us into a clear understanding of these extremely important issues.

So, please join us online or in person from Sunday 30th May 2010 for this empowering and critical sermon series.  Get ready to build your Christian life on what we should believe as the followers of Jesus Christ – without compromise, wavering or shame.  The truth has always been with us and it is not a concept to be grasped but a Person to be worshipped…JESUS.

We see them at the football, at the cricket game and in every lounge room across the world.  This is the idle spectator sitting in the comfort of his/her lazy-boy screaming out judgements to those actually doing something.  I am sure you’ve seen this freak of nature in action, perhaps you’ve found yourself falling into this high and lofty position.  For example, the football team they support plays a bad game and this critic has all of the answers, solutions and game plays that would’ve assured victory.  Or, the umpire makes a bad call and this critic yells obscenities at the TV or in public making their point loud and clear.  Or what about when this critic sits in judgement of every politician, Prime Minister and President ever to exist and declares with the grace of a bulldog, “Ah, they’re all useless.  Give me a go and watch this nation change.”  Really?

But what becomes a great concern is when this “Comfortable Critic” enters the Church and with all of his pomp and self-grandeur starts to make twisted judgements, insensitive statements and seems to have all the answers to why the Church is having little impact.  I’ve heard it countless times, “You need to preach this way and then we’ll see growth”.  Or, “You’re doing it all wrong, we need to change this and that and then it will work.”  Or, “That pastor is such an idiot, if he would only listen to me.”  And then there’s the classic, “They make me sick, I know, I’ll start my own church!”  Problem is, this critic only voices his opinion yet will never, ever, never lift a finger to help and contribute to the change that’s needed.

While those that are following God wholeheartedly and serving as God leads them keep busy, the critic is loud and proud.  While the silent servant is active in worship to Jesus, the critic is busy picking and complaining.  While the humble servant is doing their bit to make a positive difference, the critic is nurturing disunity and discouragement.  The difference could not be more obvious.

I have had my fair share of poor comments made by such critics.  Some have smugly said that the Church is dying and going down hill fast.  Some have said that we have it all wrong and that we are off-track.  Some have even flatly denied God’s hand in what was happening and doubted His very presence.  But what starts to become clear is that there tends to be a common personality running through each comment…the “Comfortable Critic”.  Inactive.  Separate.  Super-holy.  Spiritually arrogant.  Wise in his own eyes.  Puffed up.  Judgemental.  Divisive.

The Apostle Paul had his fair share of these critics.  Probably one of the most effective and influential followers of Christ ever and yet he has never been without the harsh criticisms of the casual onlookers, both in his time and throughout history.  In Ephesians 4:29-32 (ESV), Paul makes some very profound statements.  I am sure these weren’t said without a context that demanded such correction.  Read this;

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

I am sure the critic despises these verses because it calls to account their perverted joy in seeing others put down and struggle.  It speaks against their tendency to cut down the faithful servant who is making a difference the best way they know how.  Such critics actually grieve God with their words of pride and superiority.

I guess we all need to check our hearts and the words that proceed from it on a regular basis.  If we find any sign of this ugly creature living inside of us let’s be quick to repent and change so that our words speak the truth in love and become a source of life for those hearing them.  We can all fall into this trap as we seek to make ourselves out to be bigger than we actually are and we revert to our sinful nature by seeking someone to criticise and put down so that we can be elevated.  Isn’t human nature funny?

Someone once said, “When God closes one door He opens another – but it is hell in the hallway.”  That could not be more true.  Those times of waiting are brutal.  I have had to battle these moments in the past as I have had to endure seasons of heaven’s silence.  You know those seasons when your prayers don’t seem to penetrate the ceiling let alone heaven.  When you’re pleading with God for an answer yet all you are left to deal with is a deafening silence from God.

I remember once I fell on my knees in tears begging God to say something.  I needed His direction.  I needed His guidance and all I got was silence.  That really, really hurts.  I will never deny the fact that these moments rip your heart out and literally dent your faith.  You wonder, you doubt, you battle with destructive thoughts.  It is not a pleasant place to be in.

Another characteristic of this season of silence is the lack of passion and zeal that you once had.  Your spiritual life seems so dry and empty.  You feel you’re just going through the motions and just managing to survive.  I know, I’ve been there, it is horrible.  But my purpose here is not to focus on these moments because if we do we will allow defeat to define us and this is not who we are or where God will keep us.  I want to encourage you to push through because God, your personal loving God, is always faithful, even if He takes, in our opinion, a long time to come.

The words to a Casting Crowns song that has really gripped many across this world is “Praise You In The Storm”.  It speaks of God not coming through as you’d expect but it still gives no reason to stop trusting and praising Him.  The words are as follows:

I was sure by now God You would have reached down

And wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day.

But once again, I say amen that it’s still raining.

As the thunder rolls, I barely hear your whisper through the rain, “I’m with you”.

And as your mercy falls I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:

And I’ll praise you in this storm,

And I will lift my hands

That You are who You are, no matter where I am

And every tear I’ve cried, You hold in your hand

You never left my side

And though my heart is torn

I will praise you in this storm.

That song speaks of a breakthrough.  A breakthrough that goes from our natural response of blaming, complaining and doubting to a faith-filled response of, “God even though I don’t know why this is happening, though I don’t see the end in sight and though this hurts so bad I am making the CHOICE to praise You and worship You because I know You.”

I am not here to give you answers to your dilemma.  I am not here to prevent or alleviate your suffering.  I am not here to rush in and fix your situation, but I am here to direct your thoughts and your heart to the ONLY ONE who can save you.  It is so, so easy to get our focus off Jesus and to the massive mountain in front of us which then casts a long shadow over our faith and hope. Jesus exists beyond the shadow and with one word that mountain can be turned to dust.

There is something we need to understand about this silence from heaven – if we want to step in and mess with it, or try and fix it with our limited understanding and wisdom, we can do more damage than good.  God is doing something in you and for you during these times.  Though you might not see it or appreciate it, God’s silence is actually His preparation for your deliverance. And so I join you eager to see what God is about to do next.

So here are some suggestions what to do when heaven seems silent and your time in the hallway waiting for the open door of relief, seems endless.

1.  REFUSE to accept the role of victim.

A sure way to destroy what God is doing with you is to align yourself with the thinking that you are a poor and pitiful victim that deserves no less and you might as well get used to this as it can’t get better. When the Old Testament Job had received bad news after another in quick swift blows it would’ve been enough to ruin any normal person.  Imagine hearing that your kids were killed, your livelihood and wealth stolen, your workforce killed, your cattle burnt to a crisp because of lightening, and everything you ever knew was suddenly gone.

Look at Job 1:20-22 (ESV) to see how he responded, “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.” Job was a victim yet he refused to act like one. I know this is an extreme case, but if Job could react like that with everything in his life taken from him, don’t you think you and I can survive and thrive through the hard times we endure? It’s amazing what a fresh perspective on things can do for you.

Another thing to consider as you go through the times when God seems more against you than for you is,

2.  RESTRAIN the voices you listen to.

What I mean by that is be careful who you listen to when heaven seems silent because whenever someone goes through something, rushing to the scene are what I call “Fixers”.  A pastor once said, “Sufferers attract fixers like road-kill attracts vultures.” These “Fixers” are the people that think they have all the answers, can fully understand why this is happening, can give you a sermon with 3 points and poem to fix you up and often make you feel worse than before they came.  They tell you what is wrong and push their opinions on you about what to do to fix it.  What troubles me greatly is that such people often come to you with a “word from the Lord” mixed with their own emotions and opinions.  The “Fixers” can cause a lot of damage.

Job’s story is more than just Job battling with the reasons why this turmoil is occurring.  We find his friends that come to the rescue and I say that sarcastically.  They didn’t do everything wrong though.  Read Job 2:11-13 (ESV) what they did right, “Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.”

Sadly their sympathetic silence didn’t last…they soon opened their mouths.  Eliphaz spoke up and explained that Job was suffering like this because of some sin in his life and God was simply disciplining him.  He says to Job in 5:17 (ESV), “Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty”. Really encouraging isn’t it?

This of course was inaccurate and insensitive as Job knew that he was blameless and his relationship with God was right.  We read during endless conversations that follow how Job’s friends were actually destroying him with their words and tearing him down…and here they were thinking they were doing him a favour and helping him – this is a typical characteristic of a “Fixer”.  Be careful who you listen to and don’t be scared to walk away and restrain the “Fixer” from doing even more damage.

The next suggestion I want to give you when heaven seems silent is,

3.  RESPECT the mystery of God.

I can live a hundred lifetimes and I still won’t fully understand and comprehend the magnitude of God and the depth of His wisdom and love for me. He does things that leave me speechless and really make me scratch my head.  One of those things is the church I serve and lead.  I have struggled many times with the way God is building His church.  He has stretched me, shaped me, cut me, twisted me and made me change so many of my beliefs about Him and how He works. I realize more now than ever how much I really am limited by my plans and doing things the way I do.  Yet when I step away and let go it is then that my faith is really tested because I have no control of the situation or it’s outcome and that’s hard for me.

God clearly tells us in Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV), “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Though those verses were written hundreds of years after Job, Job still accepted that truth in his moment of despair.

Read Job 2:10, “…Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” I love how The Message paraphrase puts that verse, “…We take the good days from God—why not also the bad days?”

Read this carefully…The mystery of God eclipses the darkness and the struggle.  In other words, when you allow the Sovereignty of God, which is His all-knowing and all-in-control nature to enter your heart, all you can do is sit back and wait and accept the silence as God’s mystery. Don’t try and figure Him out or let others figure Him out for you…it’s all guess work and assumptions and we can get into trouble quickly by doing that.  There are times in your Christian journey when you just throw your arms up in the air and say, “God I have no idea why this is happening or how You’ll get me through it…but I will wait until You do.”

Then, 4.  RESPOND in protest and prayer.

God is never shocked by your honestly.  He is never offended by your questioning and protest, as a matter of fact He welcomes it.  God loves a bit of gutsy determination to get the best out of Him.  He loves it when we are bold and come to Him with honest, heartfelt questions while still appreciating His holiness and respecting His majesty.

I love Job’s protest and prayers.  They show a man pure before God yet still reverent.  They show a heartfelt and desperate search for answers, not from man, but from God Himself.  Now read Job 13:3, 17-24 (ESV), “But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God…Keep listening to my words, and let my declaration be in your ears. Behold, I have prepared my case; I know that I shall be in the right. Who is there who will contend with me? For then I would be silent and die. Only grant me two things, then I will not hide myself from your face: withdraw your hand far from me, and let not dread of you terrify me. Then call, and I will answer; or let me speak, and you reply to me. How many are my iniquities and my sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin. Why do you hide your face and count me as your enemy?”

Would you dare speak to God like that?  That borders on the line of irreverence.  I can imagine God listening to that and thinking, “It’s ok, let it out.  I know you don’t get it yet but I know you’re struggling with this.  I am listening to you, speak your heart.”

I must add this…be careful that you don’t demand an explanation from God.  Be careful you don’t scream and yell out of unholy anger towards God blaming Him and reducing Him to someone you can control.  I remember hearing a prayer like that from a certain woman and how she was screaming at God and demanding this and that, I felt I had to duck for cover because I was sure a lightening bolt from heaven was just moments away!  God will not tolerate irreverence and arrogance, so let’s be careful what we say and how we say it.

Remember He is God and you are not.  He still deserves respect and honour.  But at the same time, don’t fear telling Him how you feel and how this silence is killing you. Some of my most intimate moments with God have been when I was on my face in prayer and pouring out my heart to God.  Not denying my feelings, but openly telling Him.  You see God already knows before you utter one word, so letting it out is actually for our good, not His.

That leads me to the final suggestion what to do as you wait for God:

4.  REJOICE, your redemption is near!

Time means nothing to God.  By that I mean that He is not ruled by the hours that limit us.  If God takes more than a day to answer us we get all nervous and anxious.  But to God He sees it from the perspective of purpose, not time.

You need to get this…With each groan, each protest, each prayer, each question, each tear, each cry for help God sees, God hears and God works. You might think He is inactive and blocking His ears to you during your silent season, but during it all God is working things out and guiding you along a process of maturity and growth. At the RIGHT TIME God breaks through and in a matter of moments everything changes.  You are faced with who you are as you see yourself in the light of who He is.

Job had that moment of breakthrough in chapters 38-42.  God reminds Job how big He [God] is.  He gets his focus off everything he lost and redirects him to everything he will gain.  Hope is revived and health is restored. Some of you are still waiting for that miracle moment.  And you might be waiting a little longer until God has achieved everything He has for you during this season.  None of it goes to waste as no pain is in vain.

Just like the words in the song I shared earlier, I was sure by now God You would have reached down and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day. But once again, I say amen that it’s still raining.

Are you prepared to worship God even if it is still raining in your life?  Are you willing to go beyond what you see or understand and trust Jesus to calm your storm?  Hey your answer might come today or it might come next month or next year, but still a promise from God exists to those who wait and it is found in Isaiah 30:18 (ESV), “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” And as you wait, worship Jesus because He is worthy regardless of your circumstance.  I really believe that worship sets the scene for breakthrough.

Be encouraged and be wise as you live through what seems like God is disinterested and distant.  Heaven’s silence is not silence at all, it is God being with you, crying with you, feeling every pain and hurt with you.  Though He might not say anything, rest in His arms and let Him hold you.  GOD IS HERE and GOD IS NEAR.

It has been a long time between blog posts and for that I am sorry.  Much has happened since my last one and I have had to deal with some pretty heavy issues as well as a lot of soul searching going on.  I have also just completed a ministry break where I pulled away from all ministry and church related activity to seek God on some big questions.  This time away has been very refreshing, reviving and it has enabled me to refocus on what is going on and what is ahead.

One of the main dilemmas I was facing was the current direction of my preaching and general direction of CityWest Church.  The critics really came out of the woodworks and made their voices heard!  But that’s ok because even in the voices of the critics we can learn some valuable lessons.

So asking God if we are on the right track was a legitimate question, because maybe I’m getting this all wrong and I just dreamed up the idea that God drew nearer than ever before and was calling us to radical holiness.  I often said to the church that this is new for all of us and we are being refined.  Man, is that painful.  But during this renewing God really dug deep and confronted us at the very core of who we are, what we believe, what we want and where we’re going.

I think we are still broken from this process…awesome isn’t it!  Remember, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”  Psalms 51:17 (ESV) Let’s never see the brokenness that comes from God’s inner prodding’s as pointless because it is here that He shapes us, prunes and prepares us for greater things ahead.  Don’t lose sight of the big picture.

Whilst away from ministry God confirmed to me that HE started this, not me.  Sure, we have had to deal with some pretty intense situations and issues, but when our sinfulness and His Holiness collide we will always be hit hard.  He reminded me that His ways are not mine and if it was up to me we would still be going through the motions, keeping the people happy and stuck in maintenance mode.

It was then, in a conversation with my wife Caroline, that it was made clearer.  She said, “Think about it, we have seen people grow in maturity, be humbled, be broken by their sin, quick to repent, crave more of God and the intimacy He gives, pray more, and see lives come to a saving faith in Jesus.  How can this be wrong?”  She’s right.  We are dealing with the issue of the heart and not only filling heads with knowledge that create spiritual fatheads who are void of passion and heart for Jesus.  You see, knowledge is great and necessary but if it doesn’t drop down to the heart it becomes useless.

But what I love so much about what we have entered into is the obvious realisation that we are still too prominent in our lives.  We still occupy too much of the throne and we are still calling the shots.  Think about it, does Jesus really have control or does He have what only you decide to give Him, while you keep the most important bits to yourself?  Can we honestly say with confidence that we desire the same thing John the Baptist desired when he said in John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”?  I’m really not sure.

In a recent article I read about how we view Jesus, the author wrote, “…many Christians [are] being distracted from the path of life by the overemphasis of who we are in Christ, rather than who He is in us. We do need to know who we are in Him, but the key word here is ‘overemphasis’. We will never be changed into who we are called to be by seeing our own glory, but rather by seeing His glory we are changed.”  I think that statement very accurately describes the message of today’s church.  We have shifted focus from Jesus, His glory, His Majesty and His power to how great we are, how favoured and blessed we are and how we are all destined for greatness!  That’s fine, but when we make such statements void of who JESUS is, our pulpits simply become a platform for motivational speaking rather than life-changing gospel preaching.

Sadly what this has done is create a sleepy and powerless church consumed with ‘self’ and Jesus has become a stranger in His own House.  We have more churches, more books, more websites, more conferences, more seminars, more audio files, more resources than ever in history yet we are more ineffective than the Church has ever been.

Why is this?  I think the answer is simple…there is still too much of “me” in all of us.

Please join me in this prayer for help…”Lord Jesus, for years I have done it my way.  Though this is celebrated in the world as a good thing, to You it is sinful.  Please forgive me for making it all about me.  I realise that I cannot be the person You want me to be if I am still calling the shots, so I willingly hand over my rights, my ambitions, my dreams, my desires, my beliefs and my attitudes that prevent You from doing a good work in me.  As You take these things from me, help me to let go and release control no matter how hard I want to hold on.  Help me to trust You more and love You more through the way I live.  I want You to shine and be glorified in this life and see many come to You because of Your love to me and through me.  I want to decrease as You increase and make it all count for something.  Teach me to reflect Your glory and not promote mine.  Teach me to see life through Your eyes and not through my self-centred ones.  Jesus, I love You and You deserve no less.  In Your Name and for Your glory I choose to live, Amen”.

E.M. Bounds in his amazing little book “Power through Prayer” writes,

“The pulpit of this day is weak in praying.  The pride of learning is against the dependent humility of prayer.  Prayer is with the pulpit too often only official – a performance for the routine of service.  Prayer is not to the modern pulpit the mighty force it was in Paul’s life or Paul’s ministry.  Every preacher who does not make prayer a mighty factor in his own life and ministry is weak as a factor in God’s work and is powerless to advance God’s cause in this world”

What is surprising is that he wrote that over 100 years ago.  What is true then is true now.  But what I want to make clear is that this urgent call to prayer is not reserved for the pulpit only, but also the pew.  Our prayer life needs reviving, both publicly and privately.  We all need to understand that prayer-less people are powerless people.

But why are God’s people so resistant to a lifestyle of prayer and seem to be only content with a prayer meeting?  We seem to resist any mention of an increase in passion for prayer and say that that type of prayer is only for those “gifted” in prayer.  Since when?  Since when did praying become a gift for the selected few?  Since when did praying become a cause of tension amongst God’s people?  What must God be thinking when His very own people try to find excuses why they cannot pray together and alone?  Try treating your spouse like that and see how long it lasts!

It goes deeper…what about Paul’s admonition in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to, “pray without ceasing”?  Is he serious?  Something tells me that we have missed the point.  Have we made prayer into a weekly meeting?  Have we reduced the power of prayer into a structured practice of performance, routine and official duty?  Are you willing to ask the hard questions with me and be prepared for the Holy Spirit to take us into the realm of a powerful prayer life?

But what I was really blown away by was Pastor Richard Doherty’s (Melton AOG Pastor) opening Scripture reading.  As you would know by now, we are fired up for revival and are praying hard to see it come to Melton and to our nation of Australia.  But little did I know, we weren’t the only ones in our town hearing God’s heart cry for revival.  What Pastor Richard did was insert our town “Melton” into every mention of Jerusalem and Zion in Isaiah 62 and it rocked my world.  Because it affected me so much, I then read it to our Prayer Gathering last night and this morning and they too were left in awe of what God is saying to us and doing in us.  So, below I have included this Scripture with the edited names to refer to our local context.  The Message paraphrase puts it so well…

ISAIAH 62

Look, Your Savior Comes! Regarding Melton , I can’t keep my mouth shut, regarding Melton , I can’t hold my tongue, until her righteousness blazes down like the sun and her salvation flames up like a torch.

Foreign countries will see your righteousness, and world leaders your glory. You’ll get a brand-new name straight from the mouth of God.

You’ll be a stunning crown in the palm of God’s hand, a jeweled gold cup held high in the hand of your God.

No more will anyone call you Rejected, and your country will no more be called Ruined. You’ll be called Hephzibah (My Delight), and your land Beulah (Married), Because God delights in you and your land will be like a wedding celebration.

For as a young man marries his virgin bride, so your builder marries you, and as a bridegroom is happy in his bride, so your God is happy with you.

I’ve posted watchmen on your walls,  Melton. Day and night they keep at it, praying, calling out, reminding God to remember.

They are to give him no peace until he does what he said, until he makes  Melton famous as the City of Praise.

God has taken a solemn oath, an oath he means to keep: “Never again will I open your grain-filled barns to your enemies to loot and eat.  Never again will foreigners drink the wine that you worked so hard to produce.

No. The farmers who grow the food will eat the food and praise God for it.  And those who make the wine will drink the wine in my holy courtyards.”

Walk out of the gates. Get going!  Get the road ready for the people.  Build the highway. Get at it!  Clear the debris,  hoist high a flag, a signal to all peoples!

Yes! God has broadcast to all the world:  “Tell daughter  Melton, ‘Look! Your Savior comes, ready to do what he said he’d do, prepared to complete what he promised.’”

Melton will be called new names: Holy People, God-Redeemed, Sought-Out, City-Not-Forsaken.

Isn’t that amazing!  What gripped me was how God is reminding us that what He has started and said He would do He is also prepared to complete and follow through on His promise.

I recently read in a Rick Joyner book that the desire to pray for and believe for a revival can only come from God.  Any attempt from man to manufacture the desire or stir up the emotions is useless and a waste of time because it cannot be sustained.  But what we are experiencing is a move of God and a desire from God that gives great hope.  I keep on saying to those of us committed to pray for revival that God has given us this relenting passion for prayer and if He started it He is going to see it through to its completion!  That gives me great hope.

So Melton, Australia and the people of God around this world, listen up…No more are we the dejected, desolate and dead-end part of our region, God is stepping down to purify and beautify His Bride.  Our stains are being turned into shining gems and our God will hold us in His hand showing this world the miracle of revival.  No longer are called rejected and ruined, but restored and redeemed.  A City of Praise, a Holy People and a City not Forsaken.

Can you hear His footsteps approaching?  Look, our Saviour comes!!

The topic of suffering has been a cause for much debate and questioning throughout the ages.  Your typical argument will go something like this, “If God is love, then why does He allow His people to suffer and endure horrific pain and some even killed for their faith in Jesus?”  Sadly, this is often asked by those within the Church!  Our “name-it-and-claim-it” mentality is in great conflict with this.

In this perverted era of prosperity preaching and the “name-it-and-claim-it” crowd polluting the ears of ignorant believers, we are seeing a rapid hatred for suffering of any kind.  We avoid it at all costs and actually believe the lie that if we suffer then that means that God is angry at us and is paying us back for our sin.  Hang on…didn’t Jesus take care of that on the cross?

Anyway, what this has done is create a weak, shallow and pansy Church that is powerless to stand against any attack or coming persecution.  Instead, today’s Church chases prosperity, blessings, favour and happiness because, after-all, Jesus died to make me rich, influential and comfortable right?  What a load of garbage!

Since when did Jesus say that His brutal torture, His horrifc wounds and His violent death was given to us so that we can have wealth, health and happiness?  As a matter of fact Jesus says in John 15:20 (ESV),

“Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.”

How can we justify living in prosperity and over-flowing greeds when we worship a homeless, humble Servant?  What makes us think that we will avoid ridicule, persecution, opposition and suffering if Jesus Himself was bombarded with it?  Has His confronting Gospel message changed that we are shocked when we are judged and treated disrespectfully because we follow Jesus?

At this point I think it is wise to clarify what type of suffering Jesus prepares us for.  This came to my attention this past Sunday as a guy from Church (Paul) approached me seeking to clarify what I meant by suffering for Jesus.  Here is his e-mail in relation to our conversation..

We should be willing to suffer for the name of Jesus.  This does not mean we should just suffer in everything we do – that is not a martyr mindset that is a defeated mindset.  We need to be wise in discerning what it is to suffer for Christ.  There are too many that suffer for the sake of suffering and claim that God’s hand is in their suffering.

Some have a hard week and struggle to get through and say they are suffering for Christ yet none of this brings any glory to Christ.  To suffer with Christ is to find yourself in conflict or opposition because of your belief or your stance in Christ .  The enemy delights in fooling the church into believing that all suffering and turmoil in their life is a test from God, they are suffering for God so that means they should just put up with it.

Nothing could be further from the truth and the enemy uses this to rob the church of it’s effectiveness and take the attention off himself so that Christians the world over will just accept the things he throws at them because they are deceived into thinking this is how it is supposed to be.

I think that is a great insight.  In other words, suffering for Jesus is in direct relation to any opposition, persecution and threats as a result of your faith and position in Christ.  Simply suffering because your husband doesn’t understand you, or your sins have given you consequences that you don’t want, or even you are dealing with lung cancer because of years of smoking, this does not mean that you are carrying your cross and enduring hardship because you’re a Christian.  No!  The suffering that God honours and gives supernatural strength to endure is the suffering that comes with your undying and solid stand for Jesus.

These “suffering Christians” are the best of the best.  They live sold-out to Jesus and know what it means to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus.  Suffering is simply what can happen to them as they live surrendered to God.  It is not pursued or even desired, but if it comes, so be it and they will suffer well and still glorify God because of who they are in Jesus.

The persecuted Christians around the world understand this so well.  They are threatened with death daily for simply gathering to worship Jesus.  They are imprisoned, tortured, and killed, not because they are bad people, but because their government bans any Christian expression.  These are the suffering servants that glorify God in their sacrifice.

That’s why the Apostle Paul, who was well acquainted with suffering, urged the young Pastor Timothy, “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:3 ESV)  Paul didn’t say to avoid it, dispise it or reject it…no, share in it.  In other words, don’t be ashamed to suffer for Jesus’ sake because you represent Him.  Therefore as soldiers for Christ Jesus we are to be prepared to suffer if it should come and that’s why Rob Cartledge urges us to take on a martyrdom-attitude in his great book Taking Up Your Cross (read it for an in-depth insight into this topic).  Prepared, no matter what comes, I will never deny my Jesus!

The Apostle Peter takes it a step further.  In 1 Peter 4:13 (ESV) he writes, “But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” What the?  Rejoice?  Is he for real?  You see, Peter understood that to deny yourself even to the point of seeing suffering as a means to share in what Jesus endured, is an expression of love and devotion unlike anything this world could ever give.

It looks beyond the moment of pain and waits for the moment of glory with Jesus.  Countless martyrs were quoted as saying that they truly experienced God in the midst of suffering and persecution for Jesus.  Their joy was revealed and their God was close.  As Pastor Sze, a house-church pastor in China who was imprisoned for his faith once said, “Before prison we heard about God.  But in prison we experienced God.”

The reason I have blogged about this is because I want to prepare the Church to suffer well.  Not suffer for the sake of suffering or think that we are heroes if we walk around with a long face so others can marvel at how humble we appear.  But should it ever come to the Church and we are being persecuted and our faith being held in question, then we will be prepared, willing and strong to not denounce Jesus but rather stand firm knowing that to suffer for His sake is a powerful expression of worship to the King.

Paul ends it best, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18 ESV)  Should you ever suffer for being a follower of Jesus, hold on, stand firm and stay true because the glory of God is being revealed.

But follow these instructions below and you’ll have a web experience on your iPhone that looks and feels like an App!  Please note that for the time being, audio streaming of our sermons are not available through this “App” due to the limitations of the software our iPhones come with.

Without further ado, follow these instructions and you’ll get it up and running on your iPhone in no time!  Blackberry users should be able to alter these intructions to have a similar result.

Open up Safari on your iPhone and enter our web address:  www.citywestchurch.com.au  On the left is a screen shot of the traditional website.  You may get this screen or the mobile enhanced version as shown above.  Once loaded, click on the “+” sign on the bottom of the screen.  This is a function to add a bookmark.  But what we aim to do here is add a bookmark to your iPhone – not just Safari.

Next select the “Add to Home Screen” button.  This function allows you to add the bookmark to your iPhone home screen. The end result being you simply select this “bookmark” as you would select any App.

Here you get to name your bookmark.  You will notice the CityWest logo is automatically added as an icon.  In order to keep things neat, delete the “church” in the title.  This allows you to view this bookmark neatly on your iPhone home screen.

A new button appears on your home screen!  This button can be moved around on your iPhone just like any App.  Next time you want to access the website, simply select this button and your done!  Just like an App!

And there you have it!  It’s simply a bookmark to our website.  Due to an enhancement in the coding of our website, mobile users experience the website in a very similar way an App operates.  The default landing page are the various blog posts at CityWest.  As mentioned above, currently the iPhone doesn’t allow direct audio streaming of sermons from a website.  We’ll have to wait till we have the funds for an official App to allow for this.  In the meantime, feel free to subscribe to our podcast here.

Be sure to explore other parts of the website by clicking on the drop arrow in the top right hand corner.  This gives you access to a tonne of different pages from our website.  Be sure to check this frequently as updates will occur soon.

And there you have it!  It’s like having an App without actually having an App!  Please feel free to contact us here if you have any questions or issues.

In light of the current sermon series at CityWest – “Invasion Of God” – a common theme is repentance.  Repentance is simply an acknowledgement of something wrong in your life, confessing it and turning your back on it and conquering it with the help of God.

Switchfoot fits into this mindset perfectly.  All five members are surfing fanatics and the word “switchfoot” is a surfing term as lead singer Jon Foreman explains..

“We all love to surf and have been surfing all our lives so to us, the name made sense. To switch your feet means to take a new stance facing the opposite direction. It’s about change and movement, a different way of approaching life..”

When we see sin in our lives, it’s always a good idea to “switchfoot” – turn and face the opposite direction.  But a prerequisite of this is to actually acknowledge the mess in our life in the first place.  As fallen human beings, this is a tough place to go – to admit that we haven’t got it “all together” as we make it out to be.

But if we are honest with ourselves, it’s often very plain of the mess we have made of our lives and the need to “switchfoot”.  In this light, we hope you enjoy “Mess Of Me” from Switchfoot’s new album, “Hello Hurricane”.  Lyrics are below the video.

I am my own affliction
I am my own disease
There ain’t no drug that they could sell
Ah there ain’t no drugs to make me well
There ain’t no drugs
It’s not enough
There ain’t no drugs
The sickness is myself
– Chorus –
I made a mess of me I wanna get back the rest of me
I’ve made a mess of me I wanna spend the rest of my life alive
I’ve made a mess of me I wanna reverse this tragedy
I’ve made a mess of me I wanna spend the rest of my live alive
The rest of my life alive!
We lock our souls in cages
We hide inside our shells
It’s hard to feed to the ones you love
Oh when you can’t forgive yourself
Yeah forgive yourself!
There ain’t no drugs
There ain’t no drugs
There ain’t no drugs
The sickness is myself
– Chorus –
I made a mess of me I wanna get back the rest of me
I’ve made a mess of me I wanna spend the rest of my life alive
I’ve made a mess of me I wanna reverse this tragedy
I’ve made a mess of me I wanna spend the rest of my live alive
The rest of my life alive!
AHHHHHHOOOOO!
There ain’t no drug
There ain’t no drug
There ain’t no drug
No drugs to make me well
There ain’t no drug
It’s not enough
We´re breaking up
The sickness is myself
The sickness is myself
– Chorus –
I made a mess of me I wanna get back the rest of me
I’ve made a mess of me I wanna spend the rest of my life alive
I’ve made a mess of me I wanna reverse this tragedy
I’ve made a mess of me I wanna spend the rest of my live alive
The rest of my life alive!