Shoulder To Shoulder #1340 -- 5/17/23 Title: "Is Another Spiritual Awakening Eminent? (Part 12) -- The Doorway of Desperation"
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER is a weekly letter of encouragement Bob has written since 1997, covering many topics selected to
motivate people to be strong students of the Word and courageous witnesses of Jesus Christ. It is a personal letter of
encouragement to you, written solely to help "lift up hands that hang down".
"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything." -- Albert Einstein
“There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have -- a cheap Christianity which offends nobody,
requires no sacrifice, which costs nothing, -- and is worth nothing.” – J. C. Ryle
Shoulder To Shoulder #
1340 -- 5/17/23Title: "Is Another Spiritual Awakening Eminent? (Part 12) -- The Doorway of Desperation"
My Dear Friend and Co-Laborer With Christ:
It's another hot day in Yuma, but it is not yet Summer. It was 100+ the past three days, but now we are in a cooling spell where the highs will reach only the mid to upper 90's for the next few days.
Today the electricians are making their final installation to the new Arizona room, and later today or tomorrow we will begin moving furniture into the room as I set up my office in one end and a sitting area in the other. There is much yet to be done, but the progress has been wonderful.
At the same time, we are only two weeks from our return to Greer for our Summer ministry at Greer Chapel. We face numerous challenges there this year. The Community Center's grand piano had an infestation of mice that did serious damage that make it unusable, we're trying to locate a Yamaha Clavinova keyboard for the Chapel to use, some of our leaders are delayed in arriving due to surgeries and other medical issues, and Jo Ann and I are again going to make monthly five-day trips back to Yuma for doctors' appointments and final work on the Arizona room. So, we have mixed emotions as we anticipate our drive there immediately following Memorial Day.
I don't think it is an accident that I am writing on today's topic at this particular time. Jo Ann and I are personally facing an extremely challenging period as we deal with present things and face future ministry matters. Clearly the Lord is reminding us of it on a personal level through the varied pressures we currently face. And, we'll get to that subject right after you take a look at . . .
THIS 'N' THAT:
+ NYC Mayor Shares His Faith Openly: -- New York City's Mayor, Eric Adams, is popular across a broad political spectrum. Even his opponents generally believe he is sincere and is trying to make serious improvements. In a recent interview Adams shared the role God has in his life, revealing that he believed as a boy that he would one day become Mayor of NYC, and God would put him in that role at a specific time of need. Read the interesting account at https://www2.cbn.com/news/politics/do-not-be-silent-nyc-mayor-claims-god-delivered-prophetic-words-came-true-shares-new
+ Confronting DOJ Corruption: Every Christian is fully entitled to his own personal political views and preferences, as are all other citizens. But, we really don't have that option when it comes to good and evil, right and wrong. With those we have only one choice -- biblical truth. We cannot be "do nothing" believers. The recently reported Durham Report has not told us something we didn't already know deep within; it merely gave credence to what we had probably already concluded. The corruption and dishonesty within the FBI and office of AG is sobering beyond words.
One of America's most respected and successful constitutional rights law firm, ACFLJ, has taken immediate action to try to hold the law breakers accountable. They are asking for millions to sign petitions that support their action. Jo Ann and I have signed it, and I have posted it "public" on my Facebook page. If you would like to join millions of others, go to this link to do so. https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Faclj.org%2Fgovernment-corruption%2Fdefeat-the-deep-state-defend-the-constitution%3Futm_medium%3DEmail%26utm_source%3DExactTarget%26utm_campaign%3DPTTY-NM-A .
+ Persecution of Christians is Rising Globally: -- The fulfillment of Jesus' declaration that we Christians would be persecuted because the world hates Him continues to increase. Whether it is merely verbal castigation or physical martyrdom, Christians remain the most persecuted religious group in the world.
> Global -- https://washingtonstand.com/news/new-uscirf-report-reveals-heightened-religious-persecution-across-globe
> India -- https://www.charismanews.com/world/92223-christians-killed-50-churches-burned-as-thousands-flee
+ Actress Danica McKellar in Reading the Bible Through: -- Danica McKellar, the popular "Wonder Years" Actress has begun reading the Bible through in a year. The discipline has radically changed her life. Read about her recent interview with CBN at https://www2.cbn.com/news/entertainment/pretty-amazing-actress-danica-mckellar-reading-entire-bible-reveals-story-really
+ Famous Christians Becoming More Vocal about God: -- I'm not sure exactly why it is happening, -- because of COVID's aftermath, the national political climate, rise in evil, more new Christian-friendly social media outlets or movie producers, or something else -- but it seems that actors, athletes, and news media personalities are becoming increasingly vocal about their faith in Christ. This is one of many biblical predictions that revival and awakening may come, and Christ will return. Here are just a few recent examples:
> Granger Smith -- https://www.godupdates.com/granger-smith-concerts-ending/
> Danica McKellar -- https://www2.cbn.com/news/entertainment/pretty-amazing-actress-danica-mckellar-reading-entire-bible-reveals-story-really
> Dolly Parton -- https://www.godupdates.com/dolly-partons-faith/
> Mark Wahlberg -- https://www.charismanews.com/culture/92243-actor-mark-wahlberg-shares-faith-and-focus-in-life
> Chris Pratt -- https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/celebrity/chris-pratt-faces-criticism-about-his-faith-by-reflecting-on-jesus-experience-they-hated-him-too/ar-AA1aXg0c
> Amy Grant -- https://www.godupdates.com/amy-grant-christian-singer-recovery/
> Keith Thibodeaux -- https://www.charismanews.com/culture/92233-once-tormented-by-demons-god-intervened-in-i-love-lucy-star-s-life
> Kristen Chenoweth -- https://www.godupdates.com/broadway-star-kristin-chenoweth-musical/
+ Four More Corps Supporting Transgender Agenda: We've heard about Anheuser-Busch and other corporations jumping on the gender transitioning band wagon. Here are four of the latest. Go to https://washingtonstand.com/commentary/4-more-companies-go-full-bud-light-daring-consumers-to-boycott?fbclid=IwAR2C92rKgaNTxWNO_M5ZNyfqYmrWbopE6k_UVOA7v5EbbXExYyg6qucsss0 .
QUOTES FOR THE WEEK:
> "Revival cannot be organized, but we can set our sails to catch the wind from heaven when God chooses to blow upon His people once again." -- G. Campbell Morgan
> "I believe that the reason we don't have desperation is because it's a lack of love, God, the love of God. I think that the love of God causes desperation. If God is in you, the Token inside of you, and you see the conditions of times, and people wading in sin the way they are, it'll throw you into desperation." -- William Marrion Branham
> "God takes the field He does a thorough work, but in this connection we do well to remember that it takes the supernatural to burst the bands of the natural." -- Duncan Campbell
> "When Holy God draws near in true revival, people come under terrible conviction of sin. The outstanding feature of spiritual awakening has been the profound consciousness of the Presence and holiness of God." -- Henry Blackaby
> "A true revival means nothing less than a revolution, casting out the spirit of worldliness and selfishness, and making God and His love triumph in the heart and life." -- Andrew Murray
> "Supplication comes from a place of intrinsic desperation resulting from a broken and contrite heart." -- Robin M. Bertram
> "Sometimes God lets you be in a situation that only He can fix so that you can see that He is the One who fixes it. Rest. He's got it." -- Tony Evans
A DESPERATION FOR DESPERATION:
No, that is not a grammatical mistake; it is an intentional use of the word, "desperation". Until we are "desperate to become desperate", nothing much is going to change. I have repeatedly placed the burden of responsibility for revival on believers. As I have been continuing my study on the history of revivals and spiritual awakening, the pattern remains the same in almost every occasion:
1. Spiritual awakening in a culture seldom happens without Christians first being impacted to the point of prayer and action -- usually driven by a sense of desperation.
2. When Christians are thus impacted, revival -- first personal, then corporate, and then territorial -- comes, though often after extensive prayer.
3. When revival comes to believers, spiritual awakening progressively takes place among unbelievers.
4. When unbelievers see the truth of the Gospel as demonstrated and testified by believers, many are convicted by the Holy Spirit and drawn to Christ.
5. When believers and new believers alike begin to seriously live out the Christian life, the culture changes -- both in growth in church attendance, planting of new churches, expansion of missions, and the development and implementation of social mercy and improvement programs in the marketplace.
So, with the key to that process necessarily beginning in the hearts of believers, it is most troubling to see that, overall, there still exists a serious deterioration among Christians of biblical convictions, church faithfulness, and serious commitment to Judeo-Christian values. While many Christians -- hopefully like you and me -- remain burdened, prayerful, and pro-active, many others are being drawn further and further away from any semblance of what it means to be followers of Christ.
The subtle call of the world and its systems beckon them away as the forces of evil dull their senses to Christ and stir up their appetites for pleasure, comfort, and success. Frankly, the last thought on the minds of many Christians is the need for revival. They want cultural change, but are also content with life as it is -- sometimes because of comfort, sometimes because of a sense of fatalism, and sometimes simply because they plan to "tough it out" until Christ returns. Such attitudes hinder the work of the Holy Spirit and the potential for revival and spiritual awakening.
James Lasher, staff writer for Charisma Media, stated this past Tuesday, . . .
"The church in the West is undergoing a deep and intense transformation that has been taking place quietly for decades, but is now accelerating in ways never seen before. It is an age of apostasy within the church, as the Bible prophesied, and there is fundamental change occurring within multiple denominations across the globe that is pulling the teachings of these churches away from God and into the ways of the world."
Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn has a unique way of addressing oft-unnoticed cultural patterns to tried and proven biblical principles. He believes, as I do, that there is a great "falling away" of Christians in these days, and the reason is because of ongoing persistent demonic activity to which many Christians are oblivious. Christians see this as the biblical term, "Apostasy". It is a change from Christian devotion to dereliction -- from solid biblical beliefs to compromise -- from absolute truth to mere opinions -- from holiness to worldliness -- from spirituality to secularism.
Referring to Proverbs 24:21, "My son, fear the Lord and the king; and do not meddle with those who are given to change.", Cahn delved into the dangers of unbiblical change and how it both leads to and is a sign of spiritual apostasy. He made the point of noting the Apostle James' warning -- "But let [the believer] ask in faith, without wavering. For he who wavers is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed with the wind. Let not that man think that he will receive anything from the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:6-8).
The term "double-minded" literally means "two-faced" or "indecisive". It connotes both pretending and the inability to make right choices. Such conditions tend to exhaust us spiritually, emotionally, and mentally -- leaving us susceptible to turning to the world for answers. People -- including Christians -- who yield to the pressures of the world system almost invariably enter into the lifestyle of an apostate. Recently Cahn wrote a rather thorough article about the problem, in which he made the following observations: . . .
". . . that kind of change weakens you. . . . People who are given to changing emotions, back and forth... they're not going to be strong; they're not going to be stable. If you have to walk around [on] eggshells, that does not lead to stability. . . . We are living in the age that the Bible foretold, the age of apostasy, the great falling away [from God's Word]."
If there is any one thing that characterizes our culture today, it is that everything is in a state of flux -- of change -- of extremely unhealthy change. When absolutes are discarded, instability prevails. Not only is our nation generally void of absolutes where national leaders can get away with unthinkable crimes, where entertainers can use shameful language, where sexual promiscuity and sex change are the norm, and where pulpits no longer thunder with truths of righteousness, but it is steadily destroying us.
Because there is seldom any mention of life's sanctity, accountability in the afterlife, and the existence of heaven and hell, all fear of punishment is quenched. When there is no afterlife, there is no judgment. When life is not sacred, there is no fear of harming or killing it. Tragically, these thoughts are increasingly commonplace among professing Christians. These are the signs that the world is in the age of apostasy.
The word, "apostasy" is derived from the Greek apostasia. The last part of the word, "Stasia", means "the state of" or "the position of". "Apo", the first syllable, means "away from". Together, they form "apostasia" -- or "apostasy" in English -- is to fall away from your stand, to fall away from your position, or to abandon your stance. It is to leave what you once were, to leave what you once cherished -- or to abandon what you once believed. Cahn's application of that principle was chilling:
"So as our culture moves away from the faith, the Word of God, the gospel, it will also move away from the state of being. So, it's no accident that the same culture that moves away from the gospel and from God will also move away from the state of being. In other words, it will be a culture in which man or men move away from the state of manhood, women move away from the state of womanhood, marriage moves away from the state of marriage, family from the state of family, humans away from the state of being human; . . .
"It's no accident, when you change faith, life will start changing. Family will change. Male and female will change. If you fall away from who God is, you're going to fall away from who you are."
You can read Lasher's entire article by Jonathan Cahn at https://www.charismanews.com/culture/92274-the-mystery-of-apostasy-with-jonathan-cahn
Since these things are true -- and you and I can clearly see the evidence all around us -- it is obvious that if anything is going to change, believers have to change. But, being human though Christian, most don't want to make the changes -- apart from the quickening and convicting work of the Holy Spirit as He revives -- "brings back to life and vitality" -- the Christian.
Unfortunately, most Christians are so oblivious to their spiritual decline -- having been beaten and bruised so severely by the world, and having become so calloused by the sin and wickedness around them -- that they don't even notice. After all, it didn't happen all at once; it was a slow and steady rotting away of the spiritual underpinnings that once held them close to the Father. Sometimes we call it "backsliding".
Backsliding takes place over time -- sometimes long periods of time. The "sliding back" -- or "slack abiding" as someone described it -- is so subtle that it is usually unnoticed. Because it is so often undetectable, it subtly becomes acceptable -- that is, until some crisis brings the believer to his senses and he faces something he cannot control, much less conquer. Only then will he cry out to God -- perhaps? -- and turn to Him in desperation. That is, in fact, the . . .
DOORWAY OF DESPERATION
Coming to a point of human desperation is the key -- the doorway -- to Biblical Revival. God has throughout human history revealed what happens when His people meet the criteria for His presence in our midst. While He alone sets the time-place agenda, we still see the cycle, and we also see the requirements for His visitation. It is a moment in time when God, in His sovereign mercy and grace, chooses to bestow His blessings, His life-giving touch, and His atmospheric visitation upon us in manifest presence and life-changing results.
We are in great need of such a mighty visitation from Him in our day. The tragic human cycle is repeating itself. We have become lax, presumptuous, and void of any sense of urgency, living as if we had all the time in the world to enjoy His blessings and be about His business only when it is convenient.
This has been part of man's makeup since Eden's tragedy. It was lived out throughout human history, even in the history of God's chosen people. Time and time again, they basked in the boundless blessings of God, only to begin taking those blessings for granted. In their comfort they became lax in their obedience, still assuming that God would still bless and lead them. The cycle led to they're repeatedly walking away from their God to follow after false gods. This abandonment caused God to release judgment and chastisement on them that brought their desperate and broken return to Him.
The same is true with Christians today. The tragedy today is we don't even realize it. We have busied ourselves so much with "Christian activities" that we don't realize we have missed the most critical part -- simply time with God, joy in His presence, and obedience to His promptings. As a result, we have become presumptuous with His blessings, expecting them to continue indefinitely. Presumption generates a spirit of carelessness that will bring on carnality, a callousness toward His Word, and the destructive influences of the culture around us. Such hardheartedness produces a selfish attitude, judgmentalism, and a critical spirit toward God and others.
That in itself is a form of self-serving Christianity. Somewhere in the process, the Christian who is following that destructive pathway needs to come to a point of dissatisfaction over how he is living. It is not only an irresponsible lifestyle that will bring God's judgment, but it is also totally illogical and irrational. It makes absolutely no sense. If we aren't careful, we'll become bored and dissatisfied. When that happens, we must face that . . .
DISSATISFACTION -- AS DEFILEMENT OR DELIGHT:
+ The Defilement of Dissatisfaction:
Someone once said that a good life is like freshly brewed coffee with the aroma filling the air and the taste satisfying the palette, but when the coffee grounds get out of the filter and into the coffee itself, the dregs take the enjoyment out of drinking the coffee. That is much what dissatisfaction does to the experiences we have under God's bountiful blessings. When the filter of gratitude malfunctions or goes missing and casual presumption rules our lives, we become irritated and dissatisfied over how God is treating us.
To be sure, we wouldn't verbalize it that way, but that is really what has happened. Dissatisfaction is one of those conditions that slips up on you; it is never planned.
Let's look more closely at the idea of dissatisfaction. Notice that in both words, dissatisfaction and satisfaction, there is a word common in both . . . the word "action". Basically, the word "satisfaction" means that there is such a contentment with a condition or situation that it requires no further "action". So, the person is satisfied . . . there is satisfaction ---- there is no need for further "action".
Conversely, Dissatisfaction means just the opposite ---- there is need for some kind of "action" to remedy the condition that exists. When one is not satisfied with his current spiritual condition, he is "dissatisfied", thus further action is necessary. We end up with dissatisfied action -- activity that brings no fulfillment or contentment. A spirit of dissatisfaction defiles the mind of the believer and he begins to think he is being treated unfairly or is not being blessed in the way he feels he should.
+ The Delight of Dissatisfaction:
The good news, though, is that such a state of spiritual decline can also -- and should -- lead to that sense of dissatisfaction with our current spiritual lethargy toward the Lord Himself. We see the folly of our shallow carnality, and will try to rectify our backslidden condition with greater effort and more religious activities, propping up our shallowness with greater efforts of short-lived faithfulness, -- all to no avail. That's the wrong kind of "action".
The sole purpose of spiritual dissatisfaction is to lead us toward proper action . . . the action of desperation, helplessly crying out to God for His mercy and help. It is the doorway to something wonderful.
THE DOORWAY:
This cycle leads us to a doorway ---- the "Doorway of Desperation" -- the most crucial doorway we ever approach.
We are now faced with two choices ---- go through it, or walk away from it. Many walk away. If we walk away from it, we will revert to further, deeper, and more calloused levels of careless, carnal, self-centered living. However, should we step on through it, we enter a wondrously fresh meeting with God. Just as Isaiah entered the temple (Isa 6) and saw God as He was, saw himself as he was, and experienced God's cleansing touch, so it is with the believer willing to enter the "Doorway of Desperation". However, there are . . .
+ Deterrents To The Doorway:
As we approach the doorway, we will discover, often to our disappointment, that barricades block the pathway to the doorway, hindering us in our quest for revival. If we are to enter into lasting revival, however, the deterrents must be removed. We must find ways to break through them, because on the other side of the "Doorway of Desperation" is a glorious demonstration of God's reviving touch. But, these barriers try to block us every time.
There may be other hindrances to real revival, but I believe these four are primary.
> 1. A stubborn independent spirit: -- manifested as a sense of extreme self sufficiency or independence, it is a spirit of self-sufficiency, independence, or pride. It is the absence of humility, and the direct violation of Paul's admonition to not think more highly of one's self that we out to think. As long as we think we alone can handle our desperation, we will not enter into revival. The same is true for a church. That was the plight of the Laodicean Church in Rev 3.
"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.'"
In this text we see the three expressions of stubborn self-sufficiency . . . the absence of a spirit of humility. The great late Canadian expositor, Stephen Olford, pointed out those three characteristics in the church at Laodicea -- a spirit of 1) Halfheartedness, "neither not nor cold", an attitude of 2) Haughtiness and arrogance, "I am rich . . . and have need of nothing", and a condition of 3) bankrupt Blindness that doesn't even know its rebellious plight, "you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and blind." (Rev 3:14-17).
Thus, the first barricade to ultimate revival -- a stubborn, arrogant, independent, self-sufficient attitude. Next, we note . . .
> 2. A prayerless life: -- One of the first things to suffer in the life of a believer or a church is usually prayer. In, Prayer: Life's Limitless Reach, Dr. Jack Taylor wrote that no church's spiritual level rises above the level of its corporate prayer life, and its corporate prayer life never rises above the level of praying by its individual members. It is clear the average church is generally a prayerless church -- at least when it comes to serious soul-searching prayer. Apart from two or three prayers in the Sunday worship service, corporate prayer can hardly be found. How many churches do you know who still have a midweek service devoted exclusively to prayer? No wonder nothing is happening.
German theologian and writer Kurt Koch, in his book about the great revival in South Korea, tells the story of an Oklahoma pastor who asked him to come and preach "a revival" in his church. Koch agreed to come on certain conditions. He asked two questions. First, "what percentage of your Sunday morning services return on Sunday night?" the pastor responded about 20%. The second question was, "What percentage of your Sunday morning attendance come for prayer on Wednesday night?" The answer was about 5%. Koch then told the pastor that if he wanted to see happen in his town what was happening across South Korea, his people needed to do what the South Korean believers did. As many as 90% to 95% of church members met daily to pray at 4:00 in the morning.
As has been so clearly stated, "Before we can pray for revival, there must be a revival of prayer." Prayerlessness is fruitlessness. It has been estimated that the average church spends less than 1% of its total congregational time in prayer of any kind. Serious, passionate praying is almost non-existent. Prayerlessness is one of the church's most debilitating sins.
> 3. Focusing on the Non-Essential: -- Too many believers have become spectators and consumers preoccupied with many things and activities other than the Lord Himself -- things perhaps about Him, but not Him. While they claim Christ is first, their priorities show He is not. They are more like Martha -- "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;" -- rather than being like her sister, Mary, who understood that, ". . . only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part." (Lk 10:41-42).
If we wish to enter into the glory of revival, we must be willing to come face to face with the God of heaven, and stop filling our lives with things of no eternal value. When Christians would rather fill their lives with religious activities than seeking the face of God alone, it is no surprise that God does not move in power. We forget that Paul told us that "in all things He [Christ] must have preeminence (must be first)" (Col 1:18).
I understand that theologically and intellectually we would like to say that our desire for the atmospheric presence of God in both our public services and our personal lives is a priority, but the evidence indicates otherwise. rather, our lives are usually filled with more functions that have little to do with the presence of God and more to do with our own pleasure. Dr. Richard L. Moore wrote, . . .
"When ministry becomes performance, then the sanctuary becomes a theater, the congregation becomes an audience, worship becomes entertainment, and man's applause and approval become the measure of success. But when ministry is for the glory of God, His presence moves into the sanctuary. Even the unsaved visitor will fall down on his face, worship God, and confess that God is among us."
How much of your life has little or no eternal significance? What part of your church's activities could continue on even if God was not present? Would He even be missed? Is your service more for your own pleasure or your personal benefit, or is it for the glory and honor of God Himself? God is a jealous God who shares His glory with no one. Every great spiritual awakening has focused on The Essential and not on the non-essentials. There are many things we can get along without, but God is not one of them.
> 4. Sinful living and Carnal values: -- The idea that being, "saved by grace" and now living under grace lets us live as we want is a lie. God's grace is not an excuse. It is an act of His long-suffering and His mercy. If we squander His grace as an excuse to remain in our carnal ways, we are offending God and marring the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We cannot live as we "want"; we must live as we "ought". Today the church condones sin that just a decade or so ago caused us to blush in shame. What once used to grieve our hearts and turn our stomachs we now observe both inside and outside the church with little more than a shrug of the shoulders and a shake of the head. The things that once made believers blush with shame and embarrassment when found out are simply disregarded with a simple, "Well, everybody's doing it" or "Don't sweat it; I'm only human."
Historically, when godless leadership and lax spiritual authority prevailed, Israel repeatedly committed three primary sins. First, they became careless and casual in their attitude toward God. Second, they mixed and mingled with the pagan cultures around them by intermarrying with people who "knew not God". And finally, they went after the pagan gods of those neighboring cultures -- exactly what has been happening on our country for the past three generations.
For that reason, even in the church our hearts are numb to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and we give little heed to the standards of righteousness. We hardly believe that the indwelling Christ and the aid of the Holy Spirit will help us overcome temptations and keep us from sinning. Subsequently, what one generation tolerates in moderation, the next practices in excess. We are, to our great shame, far too comfortable with sin. And we don't seem to care.
In spite of that plight, there are some . . .
+ Directions To The Doorway:
The late Ron Dunn, whom I have repeatedly quoted, stated, "We never really trust God until we have to." That being the case, then God has His ways of getting us to the "have to". These include . . .
> 1. Helplessness: -- Most dictionaries define the state of helplessness as being unable to help oneself; being weak or dependent on something or someone else; being deprived of strength or power; being powerless; being incapacitated. It is the state of being in a situation or condition that is beyond one's control. While you are are fully aware of the situation, you know there is nothing you can do about it. Yet, it is even more: it is as if you are so powerless that it is as if you don't even exist in that circumstance; it is the sense that you are a "non-factor" in the matter. You have run out of ideas, expended all your strength, and your hands are tied. All solutions, strength, and effort are gone; none is left.
> 2. Hopelessness: -- Helplessness deals with the present; hopelessness deals with the future. When you enter the state of hopelessness, you not only recognize that there is nothing you can do to fix the problem; but you also acknowledge that there is no way out. Unless someone greater and more capable than you comes to help, there is no answer -- and no future. You are stuck.
> 3. Humility: -- God, in speaking to Solomon at the dedication of the temple, said, . . .
"I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
"Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.
"As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, even to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, then I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David, saying, 'You shall not lack a man to be ruler in Israel.'
"But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples." (II Chron 712-20)
There is much that can be said about this amazing passage of scripture and its setting. For now, though, consider that one phrase -- "humble themselves". It is directed precisely at God's people, and is the first of the four mandatory requirements for revival and spiritual awakening.
Pride and arrogance are the polar opposites of humility. It was pride that drove Pharaoh to refuse freedom to the Children of Israel, and Moses called him out on it (Exod 10:3). It was the trap of pride about which God warned Israel . . .
". . . then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God." (Deut 8:14)
God confronted Amaziah over his pride that came from defeating the Edomites (II Kings 14:10). Solomon wisely reminds us that it is pride inevitably leads to collapse and failure, no matter how strong it is or how intensely we exercise it, stating, . . .
" Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling." (Prov 16:18)
The issue of pride -- as opposed to humility -- is addressed well over 100 times in the Bible. Pride is a mixture of self-grandiosity and self-reliance. It is the posture of believing one can be the answer or solution to all matters, and that nothing escapes your own ability to control or manage. The Apostle James both warned us of pride and exhorted us to humility. He wrote to the Jerusalem church, . . .
" But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, 'GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.' . . . Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." (James 4:6, 10).
In order for revival to come to us, helplessness, hopelessness, and humility must characterize our disposition before God. This is what demonstrates our disposition toward ourselves, toward cultural conditions, and toward our need for God's touch.
Just today I received a long Facebook message from my Ukrainian friend whom I will call, "Oles". His message trumpeted his condition of all three factors -- helplessness, hopelessness, and humility -- that will direct us closer to desperation. "Oles" was a student in the class I taught at St. James Bible College in 2001 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
For years he lived and served in the city of Kagalyk about fifty miles south of Kyiv. His heart for his people has always been filled with compassion and mercy. He simply lives to help others. When Russia invaded Ukraine again in February, 2022, he and his family gave up his home there and moved to another town about 20 miles away to manage the operation of two homes that were being used to house fleeing refugees. He made many dangerous incursions into the war zone to bring out families, widows, and children to safety.
Several months ago, in dire need of rest and time to be rejuvenated, he and his family were invited by an American friend to spend a month in Romania. Upon arrival they settled in a small town about 15 miles from Cluj, Romania, and have since been asked to stay and minister to war refugees there. Both health and ministry issues have taken a heavy toll on him, and he has increasingly experienced "all of the above" over the past year and a half as he now ministers to locals and refugees who have fled Ukraine. In today's message, he wrote, . . .
"Hi Bob. I'm sorry I haven't written to you for so long. Where to start? I had a CT scan. But the doctor canceled my meeting with him. I am now waiting for my next meeting with him. . . . I took pills for my high blood pressure. At the moment, my pressure has normalized. Thank God!
"I began to have a depressive state. Everything is fine in my family. . . , but I feel like I'm lonely. I travel a lot in the van these days. . . . Yesterday I took our friend and her girl from the border. Her husband is currently serving in the army. These are our very close friends. She came here to get some mental rest for a week. . . .
"We will need to leave the camp by June 15. People will come here and rent the house where we live now. We will move to Cluj. [American friend] previously rented a guest house and we will be able to stay there until September 1. Now a group of young Americans live in this house.
"I now understand very well that a Christian should be in the community. Not just going to church like most people do, but having a relationship with the body of Christ. I miss that a lot in my life. But I know that the Lord is faithful. He does not give trials greater than we can bear. . . . I want to be useful. And I want to know my place. I have the impression that I am wasting my time. . . .
"Maybe I'm stressing too much? Maybe the Lord is now giving you the opportunity to be with your family and enjoy life? I do not know. . . . Also, my heart now grows for the soldiers and people who are now in Ukraine. My brother said today that after May 21 he will be sent to a hot spot. Oh... My pain does not give me peace. I want it all to end. But I understand that everything will not be as I wish.
"Thank you for praying for us. We feel it very much. May the Lord richly bless your family. I love you, my friend, brother, father and pastor!"
A PRAYER OF DESPERATION:
Someone once said that we usually never pray until we have to. Have we as Christians reached that "have to" state? We should have -- long ago -- but it remains yet to be seen. One thing is certain; when we come to a point of desperation, it will show in how we pray -- and how fervently, frequently, and faithfully we pray.
Consider how and why Daniel prayed for Israel and for Jerusalem. We will find some significant pointers there as we contemplate the type of praying we need to be doing in our desperate times as believers and as a nation. Don't rush through it. Let each statement be something to contemplate:
=================
"I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, . . .
"O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.
"We have not listened to your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
"To you, O Lord belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you.
"To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants, the prophets.
"All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out upon us because we have sinned against him.
"He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven, there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem.
"As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. Therefore the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.
"And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
"O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem, and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. Now therefore,
"O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations and the city that is called by your name.
"For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name."
-- Daniel 9:4-19
When we come to such a point of desperation that we can humbly pray as Daniel did, perhaps we will see the doorway open to revival.
FINALLY -- Beyond the Door:
If we are to go on with God and see His power released to change lives, resurrect the Church, and impact our culture, we have to destroy those four barriers and pass through the "Doorway of Desperation"? It is quite clear ---- you cannot experience what's on the other side, . . . real revival and a genuine spiritual awakening until you are desperate enough to enter by the door found in II Chron 7:14, where God directly addresses those very four barriers ---- a humble and contrite spirit, passionate prayer, a hunger for the presence of God, and a forsaking of all sin and wickedness.
"If My people who are called by My name, will humble themselves and give up their independent and stubborn attitudes, cry out to me in desperate prayer, seek only My face instead of other things to satisfy their lives, and turn away from their carnal values and stop their wicked sinful living, then I will hear from heaven, I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land" (II Chron 7:14).
When one gets this desperate, he will enter the crucible of brokenness that produces godly sorrow leading to real repentance. And when genuine remorseful repentance takes place, revival will come! God has promised that He will come:
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." (Psalm 51:17).
". . . to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word." (Isa 66:2)
Do you want real revival, my friend? I mean, the real genuine thing?
Then enter the "Doorway of Desperation."
If you don't, you won't. It is the only doorway that is open to any person, any church, or any nation through which a God-initiated, Spirit-driven revival and awakening will come. You cannot bypass the spirit of desperate helplessness, hopelessness, and humility.
When we are desperate enough, God will act.
How long must we wait?
In His Bond, By His Grace, and for His Kingdom,
Bob Tolliver -- Romans 1:11
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"Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness,
examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." -- Dr. Luke (Acts 17:11)
"A fire kept burning on the hearthstone of my heart, and I took up the burden of the day with fresh courage and hope." -- Charles F. McKoy
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Copyright May, 2023
"If Jesus had preached the same message that many ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified." -- Leonard Ravenhill
"The time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the Church will have clowns entertaining the goats." -- Charles H. Spurgeon
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