Revival: Modern Proverbs

Revival brings back a holy shock to apathy and carelessness.
- Winkie Partney

Revival
Modern Proverbs

It would seem the church, or as many members of it as are willing, need to seek God until receiving a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit for ourselves and families, fellow Christians and neighbors. At this point only New Pentecostal lightening can reinvigorated and energized the body of Christ to confess we've been AWOL and man our posts.

To accomplish this we need the gift of pre-revival repentance. We should examine closely God's gracious offer to hear, forgive and heal His people if we would follow His perfect formula for repentance.

Now it’s time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, and send you the Messiah he prepared for you, namely, Jesus.

- Acts 3:19-20 MSG

Revival
Modern Proverbs
by Robert R. Pennington

Ever wondered if we've misunderstood the Gospel's message of Salvation? Are in danger of Judgement? Do we need a New Pentecost? Are Miracles for today or have they ceased under the current dispensation of Grace? If not, why is the quantifiably miraculous so rare? Should we wait expectantly of God to perform His word or is He waiting on us?

Those claiming greater light must shoulder greater responsibility for those in darkness.

We need Broken and Brave Hearts.

What sort of men were the disciples before Christ? Young or old, wise and/or foolish, type A's or B's? What sort they were after Jesus and Pentecost the whole world is witness.

On Eternity's Capitol Hill one broken and contrite spirit before God is a majority, two in agreement is a quorum.

Several times Jesus seemed refreshed and even surprised by great faith. Let us labor to surprise the Omni God again, not as we do today with ingenious new sins but unimagined acts of faith.

Perhaps prayer hardly works as we hope because we hardly work as God hopes.

Oh that believers might believe! Billions will gnash resurrected teeth eternally for our lack of faith! We ourselves, as well as our families, friends, neighbors... all stand in peril while we hope our tenuous grasp of a few scriptures, apathetic prayers and lukewarm lifestyles will some how save, if not others, at least ourselves.

After Christ' transfiguration the disciples found themselves powerless because "the devil was in too deep." Telling that the Lord's answer to the dilemma was fasting and prayer, not feasting and praise.

Do we fast and pray or pray fast?

If "the fervent effectual prayer of a righteous man avails much" will the apathetic, nonexistent or at best inconsistent prayer of Laodicean Christians avail?"

R. A. Torrey's excellent work, "What the Scriptures Say" was like a computer search engine before computers. It had a chapter entitled, Who can pray so God will here? How awesome the question, how awful the answer. Considering the biblical conditions of moral & ethical purity, shockingly few can assume this burden and perhaps only a percentage of these will respond appropriately.

Why do we persist in unbelief? A myriad of reasons. Yet more to the point is what's to be done. The sins of 21st century Western Christianity paint a bleak picture. Corporate repentance would certainly help but seems somewhere on the continuum from highly unlikely to impossible. Collectively the cost would be enormous. Individually..?

A lineage of intercessors runs into antiquity with such notables as Finney, Muller, Hide, Brainerd, Paul, Peter, James, Malachi, Ezra, Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, David, Samuel & Hannah, Deborah, Moses, Joseph, Abraham, Noah, Enoch, Able... who's prayers were offered by our High Priest, Jesus, who's death reconciled us to God and who's life of intercession saves us.

Many blame removal of prayer in school for the sins of our youth. What of replacing the Bible with “See Spot Run?” True, “Prayer can work wonders” but for a nation of Biblical illiterates?

Concerning, “Prevailing Prayer” can one, “cry out in silence?” Amidst 21st Century clutter and noise might anything sound louder in Heaven?

If you've not found God before the sun rises will you do so before it sets? Offering our first fruits, let us “awaken the dawn.”

The loudest battering ram for storming Heavens gates and taking the Kingdom by force is little used in Western Christianity, though readily available to all... prolonged periods of reverent silence.

The True 4 Spiritual Laws 2 Chr 7:14.

Malachi 2 is an ancient Codex for 21 century Western Christianity.

Gideon required 2 fleeces of God before obeying Him. God required Gideon's army be reduced 2 times before granting him victory.

Is the Biblical remedy for the height and depth of our depravity and sins that we should praise and prophesy or sigh and cry...? See Ezekiel 9, Hebrews 5:7 and James 4

Can we meaningfully "sigh and cry" in a minute or two or while clapping and shouting?

During this kind of unfortunate “spiritual Détente” our quality of life is most influenced by personal choice. However, should judgment and/or revival break out this would change with the choices of others meaning even life or death for many. Might the unthinkable plight of half the pre-born, murdered by societal whim, become our own?

In Western Christian nations suffering in adult life is usually a result of personal sin. Should judgment and/or revival begin the righteous may well find themselves suddenly under the gun. Yet, an outpouring of true power and holiness in the church only identifies our risk rather than heightens it. Like hot water applied to a tea bag.

Why not exchange worldly pains and pleasures for kingdom ones? Humanity was created to serve the Creator not consumerism. We are meant to live and die for the glory of God, our glory to come and the service of others.

Borrowing from the Matrix analogy, an important revival question is how many levels of red and blue pills are there. True revival creates its own problems but being truly in a matrix what else is there? In the end perhaps truth should always be chosen regardless of cost.

Jonah is wonderfully unique! Fearless to a fault. Powerful with Sea, with God, with Giant fish, with Death and Sinners. Jonah in a single sentence produces more repentance than Elijah's fire from heaven. Would that we, today's church, had half his fortitude and faith.

Elijah's first coming was with miraculous power yet no persuasion. His second coming, in John the Baptist, was with miraculous persuasion yet no power. Perhaps his final appearance will be with both.

As for groaning and being subjected to futility, what is true for creation, heaven, angels and humanity, is true for society, the church, families and individuals. Darkness, having invaded Creation's Glorious Light, has and will stumbled ALL not directly and constantly illuminated by its Creator.

If it's true God is moved by desperate prayers, might it be the desperate are those moved by Him.

It's been rightly noted Jonah was an example of perfect disobedience. Fleeing to Tarshish, as far from Nineveh as possible, he repents only after becoming fish food. Reluctantly, he delivers his message, yet in the face of the greatest scriptural example of mass repentance he sets himself to wait in hopes of the great city's destruction. At first glance Jonah seems without mercy yet what Biblical prophet did not excel in this divine attribute? Perhaps it was King Sennacherib's attack or foreseeing Nineveh's part in Israel's over through and exile. Whatever the case, Jonah's ministry chastens our own. Who among us has brought a single household (even our own), animals and all, to fasting, sackcloth and ashes? And this Jonah accomplishes without the Gospel and among pagan enemies...

Tasting real blessing, real success, has left me blissfully troubled. Joyful at the unfolding miracle and distressed at it being so little so late. The day Jesus fed the 5,000 with baskets left over how many starved elsewhere, the day before or the next?

I've seen a group of ministers dancing, clapping and singing children's choruses, while blowing bubbles, in pursuit of joy. Is this the kind of joy needed today? What of Paul and Silas imprisoned, worshiping at midnight? They had a soldier's Joy, the kind that could Sing shackles off and open prisons and jailer's hearts!

21st century 1st World culture finds itself aglow in a 3rd kind of light. Technology is bathing the earth in "Black Light." Techno-luminescence, while exciting to look at, distorts color and hides detail. Alluring, in time it wearies and strains the eye. Blurring motion and beauty, it heightens our baser senses while retarding those nobler. As entropy from the Fall dims the Light of Creation's glory and the self-denying Light of Christ's Kingdom is being rejected, Technology's self gratifying Backlight leaves us Laodicean saying: “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked- I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.”

Within the Multi-Universe name mightier Resources than God's WORD and Prayer! Still, what may these avail but to lead us to their Source, the Holy Spirit and the Quest for His fullness!

Some Christians "share their testimony," others hope to be "catalysts of change" while a few beg to become Vortices of the Ruach Elohiem!"

Arguing the benefits and liabilities of Catholicism's hierarchy, equal opportunity critics must admit the at least the ""dry bones"" are in the same graveyard.

Which is Truer: God doesn't Hear our Prayers OR He Hears them All To Well?

As to Seeking God, ironically one might just as well as ask, "Where is He?" as "Where is He not?"

We, as the Plantings of the Lord, should grow into Strong, Tall and Beautiful Trees of Righteousness, yet most of us look like Short, Stringy Scrub Oaks. Why? Relying on water from friends and friendly circumstances, our tap roots have yet to extend down into the Living (ground) Water.

Sluggish, Unresponsive and often Frozen, how like the soul of man are his computers. The remedy may be similar as well. Scandisk, defragment our hard drives, run an anti-virus program and seek out and repair the corrupted system files. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Two great social evils. To be angry without cause and to lack moral outrage when the cause is outrageous.

Having God's Word, we largely fail to read, recall or head it. Yet we presume to know His voice.

Aught Christians, called to be Soldiers, to measure the validity of the Orders of their Commander (leading of the Holy Spirit) by emotional Goosebumps? Can you picture a Sergeant so drilling during "Boot Camp" or above the death and destruction of Normandy?

"God inhabits the praise of his people" but what kind of praise and from what kind of people.

Holiness is as a painless fire warning and/or warming the personality of the soul it purifies. Resistance, however, can be excruciating.

With the media's assault on our senses and sensibilities one might say they've moved beyond the, "Dumbing down of America" to bludgeoning it senseless.

In each epoch our Creator creates and commissions, "the peoples" physician. Moses to enslaved and stammering Jacob. David to doubting and besieged Israel. Paul to Pharisees and suffering Jews. Luther to insolent bishops and German princes. To Laodicea...? Perhaps a self deluded impertinent Christian. This makes me hopeful I may yet be of use... “We are all beggars.”

Are you spiritually bi-lingual? “Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels...”

Some have discovered in the Continental U.S. a fifth time zone! Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific and Holy Ghost...

Confessing one's sins, especially unthankfulness, before beginning one's day is like dressing and grooming before entering the Presence of a Dignitary. A Good Idea.

Do we fail to equal, much less exceed, the measure of our fathers because our society is more evil; or is our society measurably more evil because we fail to equal or exceed the measure of our fathers?

When the Lord pulls back the veil of a society, church, group, family, person or even our own heart, crying Ichabod and fleeing seems rational. But His purpose in this is to move us to pray. Intercession often leads to intervention which reveals our own 'Plank eye' condition. Such corporate repentance is a step towards true “Koinonia.”

The road leading from the first chapter of Romans to Laodicea may explain not only how we got to where we are but thereby the way back to God. “give thanks in all things for this is the will of Christ concerning you,” “pray without ceasing” and “study to show ourselves approved.”

Mourning comforts the soul as the liver filters the blood. “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me... beauty for ashes...garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness.”

Fire and water are types of revival. May the the Holy Spirit send the Earth a meteoric, “Deep Impact” of mercy and grace.

In response to being members of the most wicked generation of mankind, Western churches exchange prayer and fasting for praise and feasting.

With 'services' filled with inspirational music, shouting, clapping and 'prophecies' how will we know if God attends? With 'sermons' filled with scriptural advice, powerful phrases and emotional stories how will we know if the Lord speaks? Most our 'meetings' are so structured they would be just as successful with or without God's attendance. Only in awkward silences and humiliation can we learn to, “be still and know that I am God.” When our flesh is quelled the Spirit has an opportunity to be heard. (The Azusa St. model).

Mankind's two most crucial occasions of recorded prayer, Gethsemane and Golgotha, find Jesus uttering only a handful of words during a crucible lasting many hours! A “sea of matter in a drop of language.” Oh, but what words...

The greater the task the fewer God sends: Adam and Eve, Noah with his three sons, Abraham and Sarah, Gideon's 300, Elijah, John the Baptist, Jesus, the 12, Pentecost's 120 and Paul. Recently: Columbus, Friars, the Pilgrims, the Puritans, the Holy Club (Whitfield and Wesley's), Finney, Azusa St. Mission. In the near future: 144,000 and His 2 witnesses.

Mourning, the second foundation stone of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, far from being optional is crucial. So much so that Christ shall be sure we have this blessed experience to the full. If we will not mourn for others we will do so for one another. If still we resist we will do so for ourselves.

James, the Lord's half brother, spent his life eating, playing, learning and sleeping with God the Son. In the Gospel record he appears a distracter yet by the time of the Book of Acts has risen to the headship of the church in Jerusalem and world wide. Is his ascension the result of revelation as to the depths of his unworthiness? Does the realization of James' having so failed his older brother, the Son of God, that at Jesus' crucifixion He entrust the care of their mother to a friend, hit him so hard that James, who came to be known as, “camel knees” was driven to the depths of brokenness never to arise? To such a one repentant failure Christ chooses to entrust the well being of the entire infant church of God! Perhaps there is hope for the American church yet.

“Where sin abounded grace did much more abound” is doubtlessly to Christ's glory, still today doesn't this largely work because His people wait until we are afflicted to mourn and cry out? How improved would be our lot were our prayers offensive rather than defensive, proactive instead of reactive?

A lantern can shine no light until first its mantel is burned to ash. “You are the light of the world...”

Should we lay our questions and troubling answers, our weaknesses and impotent strengths, our fears and wavering faith, our past and uncertain future on the alter of our confessed sins and haughty virtues, wont God find it "acceptable" by reducing it to ashes? If we'll not mind the pain of His Holiness burning us, perhaps He'll take pains to wholly burn us into His Mind.

Many teach we aught not ask God "why?" Scriptures compels us, "come let us reason together..." and "if any lack wisdom let him ask of God..." In the latter example He cautions, "...come in Faith, nothing wavering." Might He mean we must, "ask (and keep asking-Grk. tense), seek and keep seeking, knock and keep knocking For ALL WHO ask (and keep asking-Grk. tense) Receive, All Who seek and keep seeking Find, and to All Who knock and keep knocking the Door Shall Be Opened..."

Jesus, the unique Son of God, spent 30 years sending down roots to support 3 years of public ministry, and that to a populace the size of a county or two in Los Angeles. Might National and International ministries, especially those fruit laden, be top heavy and in danger of toppling?

How many rationalize T.V., videos and movies as pleasant and even educational distractions? It appears in 6,000 years we've learned little for so said Eve of the damning fruit that she found so pleasant to the eye and desirable to make one wise.

Ethan Hawk, in the futuristic movie, "Gattica," an "invalid" born without favorable genetic selection, explains to his love interest, Uma Thurman, that their world view had them, "looking so hard for imperfection it's all we see..." This may be pertinent to the remnant among us who practice and preach life long repentance.

How often have you been haunted by the Holy Ghost?

Considering the Two Great Commandments, John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 13's “now remain Faith, Hope and Love, the Greatest of these is Love” and Jesus' examination of Peter after his denials, isn't LOVE the holiest of words? How is it we use “Love” so easily.

“Profanity” is to treat the sacred as common.

Aren't Church programs, at best, like riggings, masts and sails: useful when filled with the Wind, and useless if not?

Humility is whenever we see life from God's perspective and Pride whenever we don't. Worship is whenever we Respond to His perspective and Hypocrisy is whenever we won't, yet speak and sing as if we are or will. See Romans 12:1

Isn't it interesting that not a single, “worship service” is detailed in the Gospels? One wonders if the spirit and truth the Father seeks of those who worship him are found in songs or deeds.

Forgive Us, Oh Lord, the Unforgivable Sin of Unforgiveness.

BEFORE the disciples were Fit to bare their Cross they were Fitted for one. AFTER years of walking with, service to and suffering loss for the Master; AFTER preaching and performing miracles, AFTER witnessing Jesus' death, burial and resurrection; AFTER the Lord's breathing on them to impart the Spirit; After Peter's denials and admission of unworthiness; THEN the Command, WAIT until AFTER you receive power from the Holy Ghost, THEN you shall be my Witnesses (Grk: Martyrs) unto the ends of the Earth. Seeing how they did and were Blessed, what should our response to their example be?

Is saying we believe in the Power, studying about the Power, sermonizing on the Power and singing as if we possessed the Power what the promise of Power is really for?

A new charismatic twist, “having a form of Godliness while claiming the power thereof.”

For the 21st century American Christian to be the Light of The World, we like Glow Sticks, may need to be handled roughly and broken. Even with the essential chemicals being present in the exact ratio, a Glow Stick remains dark until shaken and cracked by it's Masters Grip.

The most telling evidence to the magnitude of the Western Church's deception may be our insistence to preach and teach the elementary principles of God's word (Hebrews 5:11-6:3) in the face of Humanities imminent Final Exam (Tribulation).

Two keys to prophecy are intelligent, passionate humility.

When God wields His Word, sharper than any two edged sword, many run, mistaking His intent. Some, having felt only the flat of His blade, relax in Sin. Others, having tasted only one edge (judgment or grace), imagine it the whole. Few give Jesus, who came not to bring peace but a sword, leave to plunge it 'to the hilt' into our hearts!
Only through our cross are the merits of His Cross received.

Single most crucial yet neglected human pursuit: “effectual and fervent prayer.” No wonder its fiercely defended territory.

Seek God that He may bestow His favor. If we don't He won't, if we do He might. So many great “maybes” in scripture: Luke 21:36, Zephaniah 2:1-3, Joel 2:14…

If while we're asking and waiting for God to move, it's revealed He's waiting on us to be obedient and engage, would this drastically change the tenor of our prayers and deeds.

Many speaking prophetically suggest the current secularizing of America is a type of Babylonian Captivity. Clearly this is not "yet" so, 2/3rds of us have not been killed or scattered, nor have the rest gone into captivity except to our apathy and appetites. We wait and call on God to act while He waits and calls on His church to hear and answer His and our own prayers.

If "physical exercise profits little, but spiritual exercise profits both in this life and the life to come" where are the kingdom prayer athletes? Were are those who dedicate even an hour at a time praying fervently and acceptably? Where are the hearts responding to Christ's lament, echoing through the millennia, "could you not tarry with me one hour?" Where are those brave enough to stand the reproof and challenge of James' promised power of Elijah as he declares "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much?"

While fervent prayer is hardly the totality of spiritual exercise, it's at least a wise warm up. Little wonder then so many are injured on the kingdom's playing field having neglected it's practice.

Oddly, both the novice to prayer, as well as the expert (or what passes for expertise) face many of the same obstacles to prevailing prayer. Besides the obvious, including taking the quality and quantity of time necessary to concentrate on the discipline, many pitfalls discourage and even cause injury. This being the case, few can truthfully claim an impressive track record of answered prayer, perhaps explaining why fewer still even try.

Ranking chief among the hindrances to answered prayer is its premise of moving beyond ourselves into an unnatural spiritual realm who's laws and citizenry we hardly understand. Splintered into dozens of factions and denominations, the wisest of Christian leaders disagree on many of even the basic tenants of prayer. Some of these include:

Why pray?
What constitutes prayer, differentiating it from a thought or wish?
Whom to pray to?
The chief purposes of prayer?
What modes are valid and best? Silent, spoken, written...?
Should prayers be repeated? If so how?
How does God answer?
Can prayer be counted on to heal?
What of other Charismatic experiences

A challenge to quantifying prayer is its subjective nature. Exceptions would be extremely rare cases of bona fide healing of verifiable physical maladies or the clear circumventing of natural laws. Otherwise, like experiencing beauty, seeing to what extent prayer is answered is largely "in the eye of the beholder."

Further complicating the subject of prayer is the extreme positions held by both its greatest adherents and detractors. From being exalted as instantaneously miraculous to vilified as religious bondage (opiate of the people) discussion of this little studied discipline often engenders too passionate of a response, or perhaps worse, no response at all.

Another interesting facet in the study of prayer is determining what allowable parameters answers may take. Most notably would be, when prayer takes the for of a request, are "no" or "not yet" or even "not in that way" acceptable answers? If so, how are these distinguishable from unanswered prayer?

When less subjective prayer seems answered, the method of its answer may come into question. Was the change in circumstance a supernatural or natural event? Does this necessarily matter? What are the odds of it occurring? If unlikely enough, does this constitute a Divine answer? If so, in which cases?

Suppose you win a $100,000,000 lottery (a pleasant supposition). The odds that any specific individual should win that drawing would be astronomical. Even so, as some lottery's go, the odds of a winner being picked during that round might be as little as 1 in 10. The occurrence of an event with a 10% likelihood hardly seems miraculous, except to you, who against astronomical odds, will spend a lifetime enjoying your winnings.

Though most examples to possible answers to prayer are less extreme, the questions raised merit consideration.

For the most part, prudence in meeting at least the minimum societal requirements are necessary, for a variety of reasons, in developing and communicating life's important truths. This seems akin to the role the fruit of the Spirit plays in accentuating His gifts.
2/3rds of God is Go yet we seem to spend our whole lives waiting on Him, or vice versa or both.

There are many parts of the body of Christ. Not all are heart's, a muscle beating 80 times a minute. Yet all benefit from such exercised passion.

C S Lewis suggests that God whispers in our pleasure, speaks through our conscience and shouts through our pain. I might add we feel His smile by answered prayer, embrace through the miraculous and our relationship consummated by Pentecostal indwelling. Sadly, all such genuine, deep and lasting experiences are far too rare since apostolic times.

Man's emptiness groans to be filled with perfect and permanent satisfaction. Longing to feast at Heaven's table he will fill his belly with husks for pigs if he must. Why then did he deny the Bread of heaven and crucify Him who is Meat and Drink indeed? Here we must give the Devil and the eternal councils of God their due.

It takes courage to admit terrible truths and even more to strive against them

Light is as darkness to the blind and nearly so to those refusing to open their eyes.

When promoting anything from products to ideas there is a subtle yet nonetheless important difference between advertising and marketing. The former may seek publicity at any price in hope of scattering the seed and developing name recognition. The latter endeavors to develop a customer base and must be far wiser and incremental. Even going so far as to reveal or create a felt need for that which it offers.
It's the nature of kittens to capture their master with purr and rub. That man were as wise.

Are the angelic silent or silenced? Need they take human form to communicate or intervene in human affairs? Is any of this permissible or desirable? To them? To God? To us?

I imagine many will pay a high price, even enduring the loss of all, to experience eternity and touch the manifest glory of God. Few will do so prior or for a placebo.
Investing heavily in prayer, if done well, may be less about hiding one's talent than achieving critical mass.

There is no end or answer to darkness in the absence of light.

Prayer works best when God answers demonstrably.

As to unanswered prayer one thing is certain. God is not deaf. Though someone(s) in the equation may be.

On occasions Christians and even those in leadership will admit their disillusionment with God. The vast majority of these weakly defend both their image of God and their righteousness, unable to offer a cause to their isolation from His presence and power.

Quoting partial biblical passages or those applicable to "their betters" they do so with such sentimental faith and love to hopelessly muddy even the pure living water of scripture and Christian doctrine. These then quickly tire of the unfortunate process and give up rather than in to the correction of the Holy Spirit.

Christians pray little. Of this only a fraction of a percentage are concerning the New Testament's preoccupation with and command to heal the sick. Excuses abound, chief among them is an embarrassing and discouraging lack of verifiable results. Another is the availability of health care in 1st World nations. Some hesitate to press God, or be pressed by Him, for miracles when doctors and insurance often suffice.

Given Omniscience and Omnipotence, surely the Myanmar holocaust could have been avoided. Transporting thousands or even millions to safety would be no more difficult than translating Philip from the presence of the Ethiopian Eunuch. Or better yet, providing a believer with as little as a mustard seed's worth of faith to rebuke the storm, as Jesus did after which He rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith...

Perhaps a worthy battle cry might be "I'm mad at hell and I'm not going to take it any longer!"

The human race is spiritually blind. At best Churchianity sees "men as trees walking." While it's amazing what the blind can accomplish, sadly great advances such as splitting atoms and winning just wars are not among them.

Seven reasons for ineffectual prayer and powerlessness:

Apathy: ask not-diligence
God's discipline: ask amiss/bloodguilt
Spiritual warfare: Daniel-Prince/Persia
Regional sin: unbelief overcomes Jesus
National sins: cursed blessings
Timing: not completed without us...
Finalized judgment: too little too late

Mark 9 raises a few questions. Among them are wouldn't a visit by Moses and Elijah be helpful? And does the mute son made dumb by a demon often casting him into danger to kill him have a little too much in common with Churchianity?

God lavishly revealed His power and goodness, at least on behalf of the Hebrews, by defeating and then destroying Pharaoh’s armies and providing for His people with previously unimaginable miracles. Yet on Sinai Moses contends with Him, interceding on behalf of those in the Exodus whom God would destroy for their wickedness and unbelief. God relents as Moses places himself, body and soul, between His wrath and His people. He employs the argument that God's goodness would be questioned by the surrounding nations if He destroyed the Church of his day for their sins after having delivered them with such a mighty hand. Would that Moses would arise today and that all God's people were prophets.

Lord, why remain hidden from those seeking to close the gap between us; particularly given we are so quickly running out of time?

Sins and sinners will one day be cut off. How much more preferable that both be consumed by revival, sparked and spread by the fiery maelstrom presence of the resurrected Lord, rather than in the inferno of His terrible judgment and imminent second advent which must destroy so many and save so few?

Why is typology, the "meat" of Hebrews 5 and 6, so important? Is it key to receiving the power of God which is central to expanding the Kingdom within and without? 1 Corinthians 2:1-6

Is it wise to enter into serious prayer and fasting fostering hope for real breakthroughs though often disappointed for years and even decades? Does to not do so imply a nullifying lack of faith, or wisdom to discern things one can change and those one cannot.

Jesus' promise to be in the midst of two or more gathered in His name may have been His foreseeing the popularity of modern prayer meetings. Of course, getting even a handful to fully agree on the real truth may be a miracle in itself.

Great revival might change damned into blessed in the phrase "damned if you do damned if you don't."

Few attend prayer meetings. Few prayer meeting concern themselves with issues beyond immediate blessings. The reasons for this are numerous (see Quantum Christianity's Prayer series). For my part, I seek out the rarest kind of prayer meetings, not because I believe we will likely be heard as much in hope the participants are the most likely to hear.

It is smart to actively wait on God, with or without hope.

The heart of Gospel is a threefold message. Healing, that people can be in their right minds. Revealing, that the kingdoms of light and darkness can be seen. Appealing, that eternal futures can be chosen with informed consent.

Members of Booth's Salvation Army sometimes dress in soldiers uniforms, though in dress blues. Would requiring all who attend church to do so dressed in fatigues promote a church militant? Would such clothing shame the cold and lukewarm? Could seeing children in camouflage be a constant reminder our homes are to be barracks and with parents drill instructors who themselves are squared away and committed to the core?

Too few and/or powerless, the voices of the wise teachers of Christianity are drowned in a Noadic flood of falsehood. Its difficult to keep the fire of truth burning in such conditions. Even so, water can be a good conductor. Pray for the Lightening of the Holy Spirit to strike. Pray and work diligently that the first Storm Cells be those of mercy and grace before the Great and Terrible Day of justice and vengeance.

David's mighty men came from "all" those in Israel who were in enough distress, debt and disconnect to "come to him." Four hundred in total.

Christ is the God of resurrection. For their to be a resurrection there need be a dead body to raise. The body of Western Christianity, believers confident of their part in the body of Christ , would be a prime candidate. “To the angel of the church of Sardis...you have a name that you are alive but you are dead...repent and I will not blot your name from the Book of Life.”

Should experiencing the Kingdom of God move from the abstract to the concrete its advancement within the soul of society, individually and collectively, would be rapid with once again the “violent taking it by force.”

As in the movie, “Awakenings” the cure for our spiritual paralysis may be in ending our palsy by slowing down.

While in our current state nothing in crystal clear, it does seem evident from both scriptures and experience that God will neither be begged or bullied into revealing Himself fully. This has not kept me from long trying both.

While as a charismatic investing thousands of hours listening closely for the Lord, it’s not for words I’m waiting. And while “hearing” thousands of whispers of ideas, many researched, written down and acted on, I’ve yet to be filled with His presence and power within to the point of overflowing without.

Supersonic fighter pilots roar into the heavens, providing protection to the citizens they serve. Would we had Christian equivalents. Tragically, the nearest seem to be charismatic pretenders dancing and jumping around.

An intercessor with no satisfactory answers is a sad piece of work.

While anythings possible far less is likely.

Compassion that costs nothing may be of equal value.

I'm compelled to wrestle God for many reasons including why we should have to go through hell to get to heaven.

God's Holocaust offering fire often burns gently and agonizingly slow yet produces the finest ash.

The difference in DNA between man and primate is 2% or less. So too the difference between New Testament Jews stoning Steven and the great martyr. Little wonder Paul, at who's feet the mob laid it's cloaks, warns to work out our "salvation with fear and trembling."

Faith's a kind of praise. Praise a kind of prayer. Prayer a kind of question. Questioning a kind of complaint. Complaint a kind of demand. Demand a kind of faith. "The Kingdom suffers violence and the violent take it by force."

Even the best of Western Christians seem more like the disciples in the Gospels than the apostles in the Book of Acts (see Nicodemus “perceive” vs “enter” the Kingdom).

When it comes to the flow of living water and power of the Spirit are we not being damned?

Other Modern Proverb topics include:

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