All glory and honour must be given to the Lord as we celebrate the life of a man who wanted nothing else but that the revival message would reach the person in need. Although some may reject the gospel and the revival, we celebrate the fact that the Lord sent his Holy Spirit to live among us. If you have allowed the Lord to work in your life, you cannot reject the truth of what God has done through the revival and the Holy Spirit. We thank the Lord that He kept His child even in difficulties.
Today we ask whether we will make it to heaven where sin and evil will not enter? When you face eternity, you come to grips with reality. You can use your tongue to ignite all the fires you like but if you face reality, you will need to prepare yourself and put things right before death. You will have to face your Creator after death and give an account of every idle word you have spoken.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2v1-7
Can we thank God enough who brings us the gospel and saves us from our sin and trespasses? We are saved from the prince of the power of the air, the one who works in the sons of disobedience. Have you submitted to the power of light and life? Have you been saved from your lost state and murmuring or are you still under the power of sin and the prince of the power of the air? There is no heaven awaiting you. Heaven is for those who are under the power of Jesus Christ and are alive in Him and have been stripped of the natural man, been clothed in Christ and cleansed in the blood of the lamb.
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…
How wonderful if we are rooted in Christ and we know what we speak about.
The redwood trees in California are considered the largest things on earth and the largest trees in the world. Some are 300 feet high and over 2500 years old. They have shallow root systems that intertwine with each other. They are locked to each other. They do not stand alone. When the storms come and the winds blow, the Redwoods stand.
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. Job 19:25
Everything else will crumble. Every knee will have to bow. Your stubbornness and unwillingness will bow because Christ stands.
We can testify to this unity. We have been assured in the past months that we are not alone, God is with us. That is why Rev Stegen wanted these words written above the pulpit: ‘Lord, abide with us.’ He possibly knew the storms we would face.
All the trees support and protect each other.
If Christ be amongst us, then it is necessary for us to sometimes yield our opinion for the sake of peace. Who is so wise to have perfect knowledge of all things. Therefore, trust not too much to thine own opinion but be ready also to hear the opinions of others. Thomas a Kempis
If you have practiced honoring your father and mother, you will know what we are talking about. It is such a practical word for us humans who are so faultless and who always see so many faults in others. The word of the Lord says, Love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8
People who do not get along with others are interested only in themselves; they will disagree with what everyone else knows is right. Proverbs 18:1 GNT
One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment. Proverbs 18v1 HCSB
He resists all sound advice. He rejects all sound judgements. He quarrels against all sound wisdom. Then you will be a tree on its own. You will be unable to stand when the storms and winds come.
Robert Morrison says, The great fault, I think, in our missions is that no one likes to be second. Yes, we must strive for the goal set before us and run to finish the course.
You He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins…we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath…but God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, made us alive together with Christ… raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…
Do not miss out on the purpose and goal that God has for your life. Papa often reminded us to live for God, serve Him and to be obedient to Him.