A MIGHTY REVIVAL NEEDED-ANDREW MURRAY (1828-1917)

(Andrew Murray was a man greatly used of God in South Africa. He preached there for many years. One of his great burdens was for revival, and he did see one stirred. We find many good things in his work and messages. I decided to share this short excerpt with you).

"Yes, all will answer, nothing less than a mighty revival is needed to rouse and fit the Church for the work to which God calls her. And yet there may be a great difference in what we understand by revival. Many will think of the power of God as it has been manifested in the work of evangelists like Moody and Torrey, and they feel sure that what God has done in the past He can do again. They will perhaps hardly be able to understand us when we say that we need a different and a mightier revival than those were. In them the chief object was the conversion of sinners and, in connection with that, incidentally, the quickening of believers. But the revival that we need calls for a deeper and more entire upheaval of the Church. The great defect of those revivals was that the converts were received into a Church that was not living on a high level of consecration and holiness, and speedily they sank down to the average standard of ordinary religious life. Even the believers who had taken part in the work and had been roused by it, also gradually returned to their former life of clouded fellowship and lack of power to testify for Christ.

The revival we need is the revival of holiness, in which the consecration of the whole being to the service of Christ, and that for the whole life shall be counted possible. And for this there will be needed a new style of preaching, in which the promises of God to dwell in His people, and to sanctify them for Himself, will take a place which they do not now have."

From chapter 12 of “The State of the Church”

BETTER TO BE SICK

SAMUEL RUTHERFORD (1600-1661)

Sure I am, it is better to be sick, providing Christ come to thy bed-side, and draw aside the curtains and say, “Courage, I am thy salvation.” That to enjoy health, being lusty and strong, and never to be visited by God. Worthy and dear lady, in the strength of Christ, fight and overcome. You are now alone, but you may have, for the seeking, three always in your company, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I trust they are near you. 

You are now deprived of the comfort of a lively ministry; so were Israel in their captivity; yet hear God’s promise to them: Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God, although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries where they shall come,”[Ezek 11.16]. Behold a sanctuary! For a sanctuary, God himself, in the place and room of the temple of Jerusalem: I trust in God, that carrying this temple about with you, you shall see Jehovah’s beauty in his house

CARING FOR GOD'S WORD-RICHARD SIBBES

Those that care not for the Word of God reject their comfort; all comfort must be drawn out of the Scriptures, which are the breasts of consolation; many are bred up by education to know the truth and are able to discourse of it, but they lack the Spirit of truth, arid that is the reason why all their knowledge vanishes away in time of trial and temptation.

WALKING WITH GOD-- GEORGE WHITEFIELD

I do not need to tell you that walking with God is not only honorable, but is pleasant and profitable also. For by it you know happy experience and will find it so more and more every day. Only give me permission to stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance and to beseech you, by the mercies of God in Christ Jesus, to take heed to yourselves and walk closer with God than you have in days past.

For the nearer you walk with God, the more you will enjoy Him, whose presence is life and be better prepared for being placed at his right hand, where are pleasures forevermore. O do not follow Jesus afar off! Do not be ritualistic, dead and ignorant in your attendance of public worship. Do not shamefully forsake the assembling yourselves together or be so indifferent about the things of God. Remember what Jesus says of the church of Laodicea, ‘Because thou art neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.’ Think of the love of Jesus and let that love constrain you to keep near unto Him. Even if you die for Him, do not deny Him, do not keep at a distance from Him in any way.

CHRIST OUR REDEEEMER--B.B. WARFIELD

“There is no one of the titles of Christ which is more precious to Christian hearts than “Redeemer.” There are others, it is true, which are more often on the lips of Christians. The acknowledgment of our submission to Christ as our Lord, the recognition of what we owe to Him as our Saviour,–these things, naturally, are most frequently expressed in the names we call Him by. “Redeemer,” however, is a title of more intimate revelation than either “Lord” or “Saviour.” It gives expression not merely to our sense that we have received salvation from Him, but also to our appreciation of what it cost Him to procure this salvation for us. It is the name specifically of the Christ of the cross. Whenever we pronounce it, the cross is placarded before our eyes and our hearts are filled with loving remembrance not only that Christ has given us salvation, but that He paid a mighty price for it.”
- B.B. Warfield (1851-1921) taken from: The Person and Work of Christ, P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg, NJ, 1950, pg. 325.

MINISTERS SPECIAL PAINS OF PREPARATION

                               RICHARD BAXTER---1615-1691

(Richard Baxter's, The Reformed Pastor is one of the best books to instruct pastors, even today, over 300 years after it was written. Here is a short excerpt that may lead you to purchase the book.I hope it helps you.  Let me know what you think of it.)

"But, besides this general course of watchfulness, methinks a minister should take some special pains with his heart, before he is to go to the congregation: if it be then cold, how is he likely to warm the hearts of his hearers? Therefore, go then specially to God for life: read some rousing, awakening book, or meditate on the weight of the subject of which you are to speak, and on the great necessity of your people's souls, that you may go in the zeal of the Lord into his house.  

Maintain, in this manner, the life of grace in yourselves, that it may appear in all your sermons from the pulpit, - that everyone who comes cold to the assembly, may have some warmth imparted to him before he depart."

FIRST EFFECT OF SPIRITUAL LIFE-A.W. PINK

                                                
The first effect of the spiritual life in the soul is that its recipient is convicted of his impurity and guilt. The conscience is quickened and there is a piercing realization of both personal pollution and criminality. The illumined mind sees something of the awful malignity of sin, as being in its very nature contrary to the holiness of God, and in its essence nothing but high-handed rebellion against Him.

From that arises an abhorrence of it as a most vile and loathsome thing. The demerit of sin is seen, so that the soul is made to feel it has grievously provoked the Most High, exposing him to Divine wrath. Made aware of the plague of his he...art, knowing himself to be justly liable to the awful vengeance of the Almighty, his mouth is stopped, he has not a word to say in self-extenuation, he confesses himself to be guilty before Him; and henceforth that which most deeply concerns him is, What must I do to be saved? in what way may I escape the doom of the Law?           (selected)