Leonard Ravenhill on Revival

Leonard Ravenhill was a wonderful man of God who lived in the 20th century and spoke about prayer and revival. The link that has been provided here is of an interview of Leonard Ravenhill during a conference on revival held in 1989. While the video is 19 years old, the topics and counsel of which Ravenhill spoke are just as relevant (if not more so) in 2008 as in 1989.

The link is to part 1 of the video on You Tube.

Prayer and the Sovereignty of God

Last week, while doing some other research on the topic of prayer, I found this article. It was written by Pastor John Piper in January of 1976, It happens to be a rather compact article on how to approach the topic of prayer from a Reformed/Calvinist position. It does address the questions of:

1) If God has predestined some to eternal life, why evangelize since they are going to believe anyway?

2) If God has predestined some to eternal life, why pray for the salvation of someone who has not come to the Lord yet?

I present this in keeping with a balance of teaching about prayer. That is why you will find quotes/links from numerous individuals in the Christian mainstream regarding prayer. While you might not be a big fan of Jonathan Edwards, Andrew Murray, A.W. Tozer and others whose work has been cited in this blog, it is my hope that you can gain further insight into prayer and the motivation to deepen your walk of prayer with God in Christ Jesus Our Lord.

Busyness - Part 2

Are we too busy for God? Are YOU too busy to cultivate your relationship with God?

In my last blog entry, I asked this of us. How do the schedule we keep and the priorities we hold affect areas of our relationship with God such as prayer? I believe that God has placed us where and when we are to be able to find Him and live a life of relationship with Him (see Acts 12:26-27 for a biblical basis for this belief). If this is so, our circumstances will never be such that a life of prayer becomes an impossibility. In other words, there is the time and occasion to pray.

But why do our priorities become so skewed? One answer is that we are willing to accept or be satisfied with little in the spiritual realm but not satisfied in the physical realm. A great exploration of this is found in an article by Dr. Micheal Zigarelli. In the article "Too Busy for God" (link here), Dr Zigarelli uses the small Old Testament prophecy of the book of Haggai to make a profound case regarding our busyness.

In prophecies which can actually be dated right down to the exact calendar date, God spoke to the remnant of Israel who were living back in the land after the exile in Babylon. They had started to build a new temple in Jerusalem. Yet, the project was stopped for political reasons. The delay last 16 years. God used Haggai to get the people to resume the building of the temple.

Over those 16 years, the people were satisfied to have an incomplete house of God in their midst while they busied themselves with their own paneled houses. The people's priorities became inverted. The desire for the building of their own houses took assumed priority over doing the building of the temple. The question was not asked: "when can we resume buidling?"

Dr Z accurately parallels that case with our own. There is both a corporate and individual sense in which we, as believers, are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3.16 [Group]; 1 Corinthians 6.19 [Individual]). Have we allowed the building of God's house within us to be put on hold while we pursue our own priorities first?

Please read Dr. Z's article. I think you will find it gets to the point quite well: Are we too busy for God?

Busyness - Part 1

Recently, I have been reflecting on the busyness of our lives and how it affects our life of prayer. In the course of research and reflection on this topic, I have come across a survey which demonstrates the impact of busyness on the life of the Christian. The survey, conducted by Dr. Michael Zigarelli, is international in its scope. The results actually surprised me. I was expecting that Christians in the United States would rank the highest in the indices of how much busyness affects our prayer lives. Actually, Christians in six nations other than the United States indicated a higher level of life busyness than American Christians. You can find the article here.

I do not want to be naive about history and assume that people in other eras have not faced their own levels of a high degree of busyness. Here in the United States, I have run across numerous anecdotes about pioneers who spent almost every waking "spare" moment in chopping wood for fuel (In a quick aside, the advice of building consultant Bernie Weisgerber can prove instructive. He was one of the consultants in the Public Broadcasting System reality program "Frontier House”. The show took three families and placed them into a historical recreation which simulated life in a Montana mountain valley in the year 1883. Mr. Weisgerber's counsel to the families which participated was to: “Spend every spare minute gathering winter firewood". This is not unlike the task that many of our ancestors have faced).

Yet, there is a discernible trend in our present-day world culture in which people believe that their lives are busier than they have ever been. The increased use of technology, especially in the workplace, has had the unexpected effect of either making our lives busier or giving us the impression that our lives are busier than they ever have been. One objective measure of this is the increased number of average hours per week worked by Americans which has increased about 10 hours per week over the last several decades.

How does living a life of busyness affect of lives of prayer? Are we too busy for God? Have we as Christians bought into our culture's obession of not just getting more and more but doing more and more? In part 2 of this article, I will examine a parallel which Dr. Zigarelli drew between our busyness and that of the returned Israelite exiles who lived in the time of the building of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. I think you will find the connection very relevant to our lives today.

The Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup

Yes, I know that this really has nothing to do with this blog's usual topics. However, being a longtime Detroit Red Wings fan, I must share my joy along with all of us in Hockeytown and tell the world that the Detroit Red Wings won their 11th Stanley Cup on Wednesday night.

It has been a remarkable Stanley Cup finals series. Anyone watching Monday's game knows that (the Pittsburgh Penguins tied the game with 34 seconds left on Monday night to force overtime. They won during the third Overtime period and forced a Game 6 in Pittsburgh).

I have been a Red Wings fan long enough to truthfully admit that I am old enough to have seen the great Gordie Howe play (saw him score a goal in the first live Red Wings game I attended at the old Olympia Stadium back in 1969). There were many lean years between then and the Red Wings current run of Stanley Cup wins starting in 1997. I learned patience being a Wings fan during those years.

Congratulations, Detroit Red Wings, the 2008 Stanley Cup Champions, from the School of the Solitary Place.

Holiness - Week 10

This last Sunday was Week 10 of our study of J.C. Ryle's book Holiness. We had a great discussion on the two chapters of "Visible Churches Warned" and "Do You Love Me?"

Here are two quotes from Ryle:

Let us so live that all may see that to us the things of God are the first things, and the glory of God the first aim in our lives, to follow Christ our grand object in time present, to be with Christ our grand desire in time to come.Let us live in this way, and we shall be happy. Let us live in this way, and we shall do good to the world. Let us live in this way, and we shall leave good evidence behind us when we are buried. Let us live in this way, and the Spirit’s word to the churches will not have been spoken to us in vain.

A true Christian loves Christ for all He has done for him. He has suffered in his stead, and died for him on the cross. He has redeemed him from the guilt, the power and the consequences of sin by His blood. He has called him by His Spirit to self–knowledge, repentance, faith, hope and holiness. He has forgiven all his many sins and blotted them out. He has freed him from the captivity of the world, the flesh and the devil. He has taken him from the brink of hell, placed him in the narrow way, and set his face towards heaven. He has given him light instead of darkness, peace of conscience instead of uneasiness, hope instead of uncertainty, life instead of death. Can you wonder that the true Christian loves Christ?

Links to next Sunday's readings:

Chapter 16 - Without Christ

Chapter 17 - Thirst Relieved

Sermon Audio is not available for these chapters

Holiness - Week 9

Today was the ninth class on J.C. Ryle's book "Holiness." We reviewed Chapters 12 & 13 ("The Ruler of the Waves" ;"The Church Which Christ Builds")

I did a little historical explanation of what "novel reading" was considered to be back in Ryle's era. I used the works of Horatius Bonar and Robert Dabney (both 19th century theologians) as giving us a little background into what so considered to be so evil about "novel reading" at the time.

There were novels of the time which were simply immoral in their content. Yet, there were other factors such as the presentation of abberant behavior as acceptable or even heroic. There was also the sense that there was no real "re-creative" (as in, to be re created, and built back up spiritually and physically) purpose to these novels. They merely were written to evoke an emotional response to a completely fictional account while, in a sense, numbing the reader's emotions toward real-life situation. We made the point that the principles which went into the thinking of Ryle, Bonar and Dabney should be applied to the media of the 21st century which didn't even exist in the 19th century (i.e. movies, television, radio, recordings via wax cylinder and later vinyl, Compact Disks, mp3s, IPods, etc). We also pointed out that their reaction may have been, in retrospect, too broad and sweeping. Novelists such as George MacDonald would not have their wonderful works read under a very broad approach to novel reading.

There was a good bit of discussion about both chapters. I leave you with a quote from Ryle about seeing grace in fellow believers.

Above all, I want all Christians to understand what they must expect in other believers. You must not hastily conclude that a man has no grace merely because you see in him some corruption. There are spots on the face of the sun, and yet the sun shines brightly and enlightens the whole world. There is quartz and dross mixed up with many a lump of gold that comes from Australia, and yet who thinks the gold on that account worth nothing at all? There are flaws in some of the finest diamonds in the world, and yet they do not prevent their being rated at a priceless value. Away with this morbid squeamishness, which makes many ready to excommunicate a man if he only has a few faults! Let us be quick to see grace, and more slow to see imperfections! Let us know that, if we cannot allow there is grace where there is corruption, we shall find no grace in the world. We are yet in the body. The devil is not dead. We are not yet like the angels. Heaven has not yet begun. The leprosy is not out of the walls of the house, however much we may scrape them, and never will be until the house is taken down. Our bodies are indeed the temple of the Holy Spirit, but not a perfect temple, until they are raised or changed. Grace is indeed a treasure, but a treasure in earthen vessels. It is possible for a man to forsake all for Christ’s sake, and yet to be overtaken occasionally with doubts and fears.

I beseech every reader of this message to remember this. It is a lesson worth attention. The apostles believed in Christ, loved Christ and gave up all to follow Christ. And yet you see in this storm the apostles were afraid. Learn to be charitable in your judgment of them. Learn to be moderate in your expectations from your own heart. Contend to the death for the truth, that no man is a true Christian who is not converted and is not a holy man. But allow that a man may be converted, have a new heart and be a holy man, and yet be liable to infirmity, doubts and fears.

Links to articles on Novel Reading

Horatius Bonar - On Book Reading

Robert Dabney - On Dangerous Reading

Links to next Sunday's readings:

Chapter 14 - Visible Churches Warned

Chapter 15 - Do You Love Me/

Sermon Audio

Part 18

Part 19

Start at 15:17 of Part 18; Finish at the very end of Part 19

The painting in the graphic is Christ In the Storm on the Sea of Galilee by Rembrandt

Holiness - Week 7

Today was our seventh class on J.C. Ryle's book Holiness. We reviewed the chapters on Lot and on Lot's wife. It should be noted that we find a level of commendation (not condemnation) of Lot in 2 Peter 2:6-8. Yet, the Genesis account paints the picture of Lot as one who judged his condition by mere externals. Rather than being seen as contradictory, I believe that these passages, taken as a whole, show God's mercy on His people, even when individuals are not living lives up to their calling in Christ.

What many of us found providential on Sunday is that our Pastor, Dan Lewis, preached his Sunday sermon about Lot. We did no coordination of Sunday School and sermon messages. I suspect that God is trying to drive home a point (points) about Lot to our congregation and this "coincidental" overlap of topics was meant to re-inforce the points. If you want to hear the sermon, click here and bring up the sermon for April 13, 2008.

A quote from Ryle regarding Lot:

These are they who get into their heads false ideas of charity, as they call it. They are morbidly afraid of being illiberal and narrow–minded and are always flying into the opposite extreme. They would sincerely please everybody, and suit everybody, and be agreeable to everybody. But they forget they ought first to be sure that they please God.

These are they who dread sacrifices and shrink from self–denial. They never appear able to apply our Lord’s command to "take up the cross" and "cut off the right hand and pluck out the right eye" (Matt. 5:29, 30). They cannot deny that our Lord used these expressions, but they never find a place for them in their religion. They spend their lives in trying to make the gate more wide and the cross more light. But they never succeed.

These are they who are always trying to keep in with the world. They are ingenious in discovering reasons for not separating decidedly and in framing plausible excuses for attending questionable amusements and keeping up questionable friendships. One day you are told of their attending a Bible reading; the next day perhaps you hear of their going to a ball. One day they fast, or go to the Lord’s table and receive the sacrament; another day they go to the racecourse in the morning and the opera at night. One day they are almost in hysterics under the sermon of some sensational preacher; another day they are weeping over some novel. They are constantly laboring to persuade themselves that to mix a little with worldly people on their own ground does good. Yet in their case it is very clear they do no good, and only get harm.

This Sunday's Readings
Chapter 9 - Lot - A Beacon
Chapter 10 - A Woman To Be Remembered

Next Sunday's Reading

Chapter 11 - Christ's Greatest Trophy

Sermon Audio for next Sunday
Please remember that these can be listened to online or downloaded as free mp3s. (courtesy of Still Waters Revival Books in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)

Sermon Audio of Holiness - Part 15

Sermon Audio of Holiness - Part 16

Start at 5:40 of Part 15
End at 4:50 of Part 16

The One Minute Prayer - UPDATED

This is an update to my post of February 13, 2008 concerning the One Minute Prayer. There may actually be some traceable historical evidence for being able to link this practice (i.e. praying for the safety of the country for one minute at 9 pm) to individuals working for Winston Churchill during the Second World War. (In my original post, I stated that this might be an urban legend). While the traceable evidence still does not point directly back to a Churchill advisor and his staff, the Remembrance Ceremony provides strong traceable evidence for the practice in England and other countries around the world in the first half of the 20th century.

Please read my updated post at One Minute Prayer and also the website that seems to give some historical credence to the development of the practice. Link here

Again my thanks to an anonymous reader of the blog who supplied the link to the Remembrance Ceremony website.

Holiness - Week 6

This last Sunday was Week 6 of our Sunday School class on the book "Holiness" by J.C. Ryle. This book, written in 1879 by a bishop of the Church 0f England continues to amaze us with writing that sounds prophetic for our own time.

Our chapters today were on the topics of assurance and Moses. Moses is seen by Ryle as a remarkable example of biblical faith put into action. How much could Moses have had as part of the Egyptian had he not identified with the people who gave him birth? It's a great chapter.

Most of our class discussion was on the chapter relating to assurance. It was stressed that Christ is our source of salvation, from beginning to end. Ryle observed a wonderful paradox concerning assurance: True, biblical assurance of our salvation increases our sense of living a holy life and does not decrease it. Ryle writes:

Assurance is to be desired because it tends to make the holiest Christians. This, too, sounds incredible and strange, and yet it is true. It is one of the paradoxes of the gospel, contrary at first sight to reason and common sense, and yet it is a fact. Cardinal Bellarmine was seldom more wide of the truth than when he said, "Assurance tends to carelessness and sloth." He who is freely forgiven by Christ will always do much for Christ’s glory, and he who enjoys the fullest assurance of this forgiveness will ordinarily keep up the closest walk with God. It is a faithful saying and worthy to be remembered by all believers: "He who has hope in Him purifies himself, even as He is pure" (1 John 3:3). A hope that does not purify is a mockery, a delusion, and a snare.

None are so likely to maintain a watchful guard over their own hearts and lives as those who know the comfort of living in close communion with God. They feel their privilege and will fear losing it. They will dread falling from the high estate, and marring their own comforts, by bringing clouds between themselves and Christ. He who goes on a journey with little money about him takes little thought of danger and cares little how late he travels. He, on the contrary, that carries gold and jewels will be a cautious traveler. He will look well to his roads, his lodgings and his company and run no risks. It is an old saying, however unscientific it may be, that the fixed stars are those which tremble most. The man that most fully enjoys the light of God’s reconciled countenance will be a man tremblingly afraid of losing its blessed consolations and jealous

This Sunday's Readings
Chapter 7 - Assurance
Chapter 8 - Moses - An Example

Next Sunday's Readings

Chapter 9 - Lot - A Beacon

Chapter 10 - A Woman To Be Remembered

Sermon Audio for next Sunday

Please remember that these can be listened to online or downloaded as free mp3s. (courtesy of Still Waters Revival Books in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)

Sermon Audio of Holiness - Part 12

Sermon Audio of Holiness - Part 13

Sermon Audio of Holiness - Part 14

Sermon Audio of Holiness - Part 15

Start at 39:24 of Part 12

End at 5:40 of Part 15