George Whitefield’s Impact on Revival

Although Whitefield himself spoke very little of the hardships he encountered, his “Journals” reveal the price he paid for the cause of Christ.  His zeal and determination took him on an amazing course of evangelistic labor.  After nine days of preaching in Philadelphia in the spring of 1740, he set out for New York.  A seven-hour journey on horseback brought him to the home of Mr. Tennent at Neshaminy, where a congregation of 5,000 awaited him.

“When I got there (he writes) my body, through heat and labor was so weak and faint, that my knees smote one against another, my visage changed, and I was ready to drop down as soon as I had finished my prayer.  But God was pleased to revive me.  Great numbers were melted. . . .” But despite his weakness, he traveled another eight miles that night and another sixteen the following morning. This brought him to the Dutch settlement of Shippack, where he reported:

Thursday, April 24. . . “It was seemingly a very wilderness part of the country but there were no less, I believe, than two thousand hearers. . . Traveling and preaching in the sun again, weakened me much and made me very sick; but by the Divine assistance, I took horse, rode twelve miles, and preached in the evening to about 3,000 people at a Dutchman’s plantation. . .”

Friday, April 25.  “Rose before day.  Sang and prayed with my friends.  Set out before sun rising, and reached Amwell, thirty-five miles from Shippack, where I was appointed to preach at six at night.  Some thousands were gathered by noon awaiting my arrival.  In my way thither, I was brought low by inward trials, and very great weakness of body, occasioned by the heat of the sun, want of sleep, and the length of the journey; but before I had preached six minutes, bodily and spiritual strength was given me, and the Lord set His seal to what He enabled me to deliver.  After the sermon, a friend took me five miles to his house for rest.”

But he was on his way again by eight o’clock the next morning and rode until four in the afternoon, in order to reach New Brunswick.  He ministered there to 2,000 on Saturday evening and twice on Sunday to crowds of 7,000 and 8,000.  On the Monday following, he reported that he “underwent great conflicts of soul last night and this morning,” but he traveled and preached again the next day, and on Tuesday went on to New York.

In reference to these experiences, Dr. John Gillies wrote in “Memoirs of the Life of Reverend George Whitefield” published in 1772:  “Sometimes he was almost dead with heat and fatigue.  Thrice a day he was lifted upon his horse, unable to mount otherwise; then rode and preached, and came in and laid himself along two or three chairs.”

John Foster in “Critical Essays” published in 1856, states:  “Whitfield’s career permitted him hardly a day of what could be called repose, till he found it in the grave at fifty-six. . . We repeatedly find him, during a state of languor which sometimes sunk him quite down to illness, prosecuting such a course of exertions, as would have been enough to reduce most strong men to that condition; for example, preaching in his ardent and exhausting manner, to vast audiences, several times a day, a number of days successively, when his debility was such that he could not, without much help, mount his horse, to go to his appointed places.  But his mind held such a predominance over his body, and the passion for preaching was so predominant in his mind, that as soon as he entered on preaching, he quickly became strong and animated.”

We desperately need revival in this hour!  What will it take?  Perhaps this glimpse into the past of one mightily used of God gives us a little idea.  What price are you willing to pay for revival in our generation?

The first revival meeting I ever preached was in Rock Island, Illinois, back in the early 1970s. The church had another evangelist coming to preach to their adults but wanted someone to hold a children’s crusade in conjunction with that revival. I gladly accepted. That week the workers did a fantastic job of bringing boys and girls. God was at work. Children were being saved nightly, and I was having the time of my life.

One night after I dismissed the children, I was walking across the parking lot to the main building to say goodnight to the pastor when I suddenly felt a tug on my coattail. I turned around, and there stood a little six-year-old boy by the name of Matt Webb. He had ridden one of the buses to the service. His clothes were crumpled, his hair matted, and tears were trickling down his dirty face. He looked up at me and said, “Mister, does God love me too?” I’m sure glad I didn’t have to tell Matt that night that God only loved important people and that Jesus only died for a few. I’m glad that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Scripture doesn’t qualify the lost; it just says in Romans 5:8 that He died for sinners. (I think we all qualify.)

I will admit that to me much of the world is not very lovable. We see people in every culture turning away from God and living in wicked sin. Like Jonah of old, it is easy to develop the attitude that the world deserves God’s wrath and judgment. But the Bible states that “God so loved the world” (John 3:16). In fact, right after that wonderful verse, God states, “For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” In 2 Peter 3:9 we read that “the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Paul agrees in 1 Timothy 2:3–4 when he writes, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

While we may not understand God’s love (His thoughts are higher than ours), we dare not ignore His command to “go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:5).

Recently, a gentleman took issue with an article I wrote on the subject of Calvinism. In the course of our discussion, I said, “Look, smarter people than us have debated this issue for years without convincing the other side. It seems that a lot of time is spent on the internet and in blogs criticizing and arguing. I just wish we would take all of this energy and, instead of arguing about it, just go and try to win someone to Christ.”

He responded quite indignantly and said, “Are you suggesting that I would be better off going out and winning souls than trying to get you to see the truth?” That was kind of what I was thinking.

When the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:15 that Christ died for “all,” how is it that we can say that He didn’t? When Scripture teaches us that He is not willing that anyone go to Hell and that it is His will for all to be saved, how can we conclude that He only died for a certain number and that He actually has decided that some will go to Hell? While I don’t profess to be a theologian, I think that much of our theology today is an excuse for laziness and unconcern.

Jesus states in Matthew chapter nine that the fields are “white” unto harvest. From my farm background, I understand that when the crop is “white,” it is more than ready to be harvested. Unless the farmer acts quickly, that harvest will be lost. The problem is not with the harvest—Jesus states that the problem is with a lack of laborers. The problem really hasn’t changed through the centuries. God loves the world; Jesus died for all; the Lord commanded us to go and preach the Gospel; but the truth is, we come up with reasons why we won’t!

Several years ago, when God called our missionary Joey Weaver to go to El Salvador, he asked me if I would be willing to preach for him. After calculating time for his deputation and language school, we set aside some days in early January of 2009.

It was a few months after the Weavers arrived that I made my way to that wonderful country to see what I could do to help. I could not speak the language, and I felt completely inadequate. I wondered if it were worth the expense, time, and effort to make the trip at such an early stage in their ministry. Upon arrival, I tried to encourage the missionaries there and did some training sessions and preached through an interpreter in several services. I was failing miserably in my Spanish but had picked up enough words to at least invite people to the services.

One afternoon we went to the town square and in a matter of a couple of hours passed out nine thousand flyers. Now keep in mind, these were not four-color brochures. They were white sheets of paper cut four ways with the name of the church, time of services, location, and the phone number of Brother Weaver. People took them gladly as I smiled a lot and said things like “invitamos” and “servicio” over and over again.

About thirty to forty local people came to the services that we held, and several were saved. Upon returning home, I received an email from Brother Weaver telling me of a lady who had called him the day before requesting help. She had eight children, and her husband had recently left her. She was in desperate straits and was living a lifestyle of sin. When Brother Weaver inquired how she obtained his phone number, she said that she had received a flyer in the town square. Brother and Mrs. Weaver went to her home, and she was wonderfully saved!

I’m sure there are others who can explain better than I how man’s free will and God’s sovereignty work and why. All I know is that there are close to seven billion people on this planet whom God says He loves. He claims to have died for all of them and offers each eternal life if they will receive it by faith. Who makes that decision and why? I am content to leave it with God. I do know that He has commanded us to go with the message. We used to call it “The Great Commission.” I am afraid for some it has become “The Great Omission.”

Not everyone who hears the Gospel will be saved, but I don’t think God minds if we give them the good news anyway. In fact, He commands it: “When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand” (Ezekiel 33:8).

Young people today are flocking to a new phenomenon called the “emergent church.” It really isn’t new—it is the same old deception of Satan dressed in modern attire. The devil has been trying to get man to doubt the goodness of God since the Garden of Eden. God gave man everything that he needed and much more to enjoy, but there was one tree in the midst of the garden that was forbidden. Man, however, became convinced that God was denying him something good and decided to trust his own reasoning rather than God’s Word.

Today, young people are drawn to the “emerging church” because it allows them to believe in God and yet live as they choose. The leaders of this movement preach a religion that allows you to pick and choose what you believe about God and the Bible. Donald Miller in his book Blue Like Jazz states, “I wished I could have subscribed to aspects of Christianity but not the whole thing.” One reader of Miller’s book said, “I love Blue Like Jazz because it’s, like, a Christian book, but it doesn’t make you feel bad about yourself.” Another said, “I’ve already bought thirteen copies to give to my friends. I’m a Jesus girl, but I also like to go out and do tequila shots with my friends. This is a book I can give to those friends.”

In a Renegade’s Guide to God David Foster calls for a renegade type of Christianity that “resists being named, revolts at being shamed, and rebels against the tamed.” He boasts that we won’t be told what to do or commanded how to behave. In the book Emerging Church the author states that its membership is made up of “people who didn’t fit into regular church. They were too cynical, too rebellious, and too radical.” It seems that everybody wants to be cool and Christian at the same time.

It is amazing how man today wants to blend God’s character with a godless culture. The Bible makes it clear that God and culture have nothing in common. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16). In the book of Exodus, God commanded the children of Israel to get out of Egypt. (Egypt in the Old Testament is a type of the world and sin.) So, Moses and Aaron went in to see Pharaoh and announced, “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness” (Exodus 5:1). Pharaoh wasn’t interested at first, but after a few of the plagues fell on the land he called Moses and Aaron in for a meeting and said, “Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land” (Exodus 8:25, emphasis mine).

Thank God Moses and Aaron didn’t bend to this attempt at compromise. In verse 26, Moses declares, “It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?” Moses understood that you can’t blend God and the culture. You can’t worship God “in the land.” You must “come out from among them, and be ye separate” (2 Corinthians 6:17).

Today’s tolerant culture wants everybody to win and no one’s lifestyle to be condemned. Biblical salvation, however, includes a radical change of direction. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Once born again, we can’t have it both ways. We must choose between Christ and the world. “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24). James calls friendship with the world spiritual adultery! “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).

Even the term “Emerging Church” is a contradiction. The Greek word for church is ekklesia which comes from two words: ek meaning “from” and kaleo meaning “to call.” Thus the word church means “called out from.” Rob Bell in Velvet Elvis states, “The goal isn’t escaping this world but making this world the kind of place God can come to.” This emerging group is not a “church” but a cancer! Paul warned of them centuries ago: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:13–14).

We are seeing Paul’s words to young Timothy fulfilled before our eyes: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears” (2 Timothy 4:3). Man today rejects sound doctrine as old fashioned and irrelevant and chooses eclecticism which amounts to simply doing what is right in his own eyes (see Judges 21:25). We want to call Jesus “Lord,” but we don’t want to do what He says (Luke 6:46). And Jesus wonders, why? Why do you want to identify with Me while living in contradiction to My life and commands?

Centered in the human heart is a quest for freedom. We want to be liberated from anything that restricts and confines us. Sadly, in that quest, many turn from the very thing that can set them free. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Jesus Himself claims to be that Truth in John 14:6. He prays for us in John 17:17, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” The “emergent church” proclaims freedom from the dogma of doctrine and the rules of restriction. Donald Miller speaks of his time in college when he hung out with atheists and agnostics who used drugs and lived in open fornication and describes them as “purely lovely.” He says that they taught him about “goodness, about purity and kindness.” He states, “I discovered life outside the church, and I liked it. As I said, I preferred it.”

It doesn’t sound to me like this is a “called out” group or church, but rather a group of people who have “bailed out.” “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned… For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:14, 16). Do you have the mind of Christ? If so, you won’t be bailing out on the things of God as taught plainly in His Word. We don’t need to “emerge”—we need to embrace!

It was August of 1973, and I was sitting on the back of my car in the driveway of 637 Atwood Avenue in Rockford, Illinois. Next to me was a young lady that I had been dating for three years. Her dad was putting the barbeque grill away in the backyard after a cook-out. We were talking about a variety of things when out of the clear blue came a question I was definitely unprepared to answer. “John, do you love me?”she asked inquisitively.

While we had been dating for three years, the “love” word had not yet been spoken. Did I love her? I was not sure. I knew I loved football. I was going back to college the next day for the start of two-a-day practices for my senior season. Oh, I loved football alright, but did I love her? I had no idea! After hesitating at the question, which is never a good sign, I gulped and said, “I don’t know.” While that was not the answer she was looking for, at least I was honest.

We often say that we love God. We use the word in our prayers, and we sing songs like “My Jesus I Love Thee” or “Oh, How I Love Jesus.” But what does it mean to love God? The Apostle Peter was very confident that he loved the Lord. In John chapter twenty-one, when asked if he loved Jesus, Peter vehemently stated, “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.” Knowing Peter’s heart, the Lord was not satisfied with his routine answer. Apparently there was something missing in the apostle’s love. A careful look at the passage reveals that there are four qualities to the love that God is looking for from us.

A Priority to Our Love
The passage begins in verse fifteen where it says: “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?” When we read the Bible we should try to picture the setting of the Scripture in our mind, or we can easily miss the meaning. When Jesus used the word “these” in verse fifteen, He had to be pointing at something. What do you suppose He was pointing at as He asked this question? The other disciples? The trees? I believe Jesus was pointing to the fish still on the fire or perhaps those flopping in the nets on the nearby boat.

Now Jesus was not trying to figure out if Peter loved Him more than fried fish. Back in verse three of chapter twenty-one, Peter, in a moment of discouragement, said to his fellow disciples, “I go a fishing.” Peter was fed up with following the Lord. Fishing was not just a leisurely pastime for Peter, but rather it was his former occupation. He was discouraged and ready to quit. The Lord knew this when he asked, “Do you love me more than these?” He was saying, “Peter, do you love me more than your past life? Do you love me more than what this world has to offer you?”

Our love for Christ must have the preeminence over all other loves. In Matthew 10:37, Jesus said, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”  God set that standard back in the Old Testament when He declared, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:5). Often God is prominent in our lives, but He is not preeminent! The “these” in our lives tend to steal our love from Him. God says, “Love Me, and I will take care of the ‘these.’” “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

A Purpose to Our Love
Not only must our love for Christ have priority, it must also have a purpose. Each time Peter said that he loved the Lord, Jesus responded with “Feed my lambs” or “Feed my sheep.” Love is not an abstract thought or idea; it always has a tangible object. The fact that God is love is great, but the fact that He loves me is wonderful! “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

God does not want us simply to say that we have love, but He wants us to demonstrate that love. When Mary Martin was about to walk on stage for the musical “South Pacific,” a note was handed to her that had been written by Oscar Hammerstein, who at the time was on his deathbed. The note read: “Dear Mary, A bell’s not a bell until you ring it. A song’s not a song until you sing it. The love in your heart is not meant there to stay; for love isn’t love until you give it away.”

To what or whom have you directed your love? “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 John 4:18). We can say that we love souls, but do we ever go out of our way to tell them about Christ? We can say that we love our church, but do we serve in ministries or give in the offerings? We can say that we love our neighbors, but what have we done for them lately? Our love must have a tangible purpose.

A Price Tag to Our Love
Peter had no more than stated that he indeed loved the Lord the third time when the Lord spoke these solemn words: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not” (John 21:18). Jesus is predicting the future for Peter. There was a time (just the day before) when Peter could go and do whatever he wanted, but there was coming a time when, if he truly loved the Lord, he would be taken to a place that no one would choose on his own.

In the next verse Jesus foretells the martyrdom of Peter: “This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God” (John 21:19). Love has a price tag. According to history, Peter was crucified upside down for his stand for Christ. Now God may not require all of His children to die for Him, but He does ask each of us to live for Him. According to Romans 12:1, He wants our lives to be “a living sacrifice.” “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:15).

Dying for Christ might be easier than living for Him! We know that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. For the child of God, death is a “gain” according to Philippians 1:21, but living for Him every single day of our life is difficult and may cost us friends, fame, family, and fortune. But is it too much for the One who died for us to ask us to live for Him?

A Practicality to Our Love
Peter was sure now that he truly did love the Lord and that he was willing to die for Him. Martyrdom would come in time, but for now there was a practicality to this love that God was looking for: “…And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me” (John 21:19). “You say you love me, Peter! Okay, prove it—follow me!” To say the words is easy, but Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

How are we proving our love today to Jesus Christ? God loves “performance” people. “Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have”
(2 Corinthians 8:11).

In December of 1973, I was sitting inside my car with that same young lady I mentioned earlier. It was Christmas break. I was out of school, and she had a few days off from her teaching position. I was driving her back after dinner to her residence when I pulled into a parking lot near the football field where I had spent much of my time. I swallowed hard once again and said, “Diane, will you marry me?” She laughed, which is never a good sign, and said, “When? When we’re eighty-five?” I said, “No, how about this summer?” She gave me that look that said, “Don’t mess with me,” but when I pulled out the diamond ring from my pocket, she said, “Yes!”

How did she know that I truly loved her when four months earlier I had said, “I don’t know?”  Well, my football career was over—I had hung up the cleats for the last time—my priority was now her. She had become my purpose for life—I could not think about life without her. There was definitely a price tag! I paid $100 for that diamond ring! (I know you are laughing, but I was working for $1.10 an hour. Give me a break!) And the practicality of that love was that I was willing now to spend the rest of my life with her.

Jesus is asking you, “Do you love me?” Be careful—your answer involves more than words.

In life there is nothing more consistent than the passing of time. We attempt to slow it down and even at times make it stand still, but it is undeterred, steadily marching onward. Benjamin Franklin said, “Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that’s the stuff life is made of.” Time is irretrievable. You cannot repeat it or relive it. In life, there is no such thing as instant replay. The minutes that travel with us each day have eternity wrapped up inside them. How are you using yours?

The metaphors God uses in the Bible to describe our lives are sobering. In James 4:14, He calls life a “vapour.” In 1 Chronicles 29:15, He describes it as a “shadow.” In Job 7:6—a “weaver’s shuttle.” In Job 9:25 He likens life to a hurrying messenger or “post.” In Isaiah 40:6–7, the prophet declares: “All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.”

Unless the Lord returns first, each of us will one day find our way to a cemetery. At the head of the grave our family will place a headstone with our name, date of our birth, and date of our death. Between those two dates will be a tiny dash. It won’t take the engraver of the stone long to place that dash there, but it will represent our entire lives. Just as God said—our lives will be reduced to a simple dash.

What we do with that dash is completely up to us. The story is told of an old Norwegian who had kept very careful notes of his life in a series of notebooks he kept on the shelf of his business. On his eightieth birthday he went to the store and pulled the books from the shelf and began to compute his life. He was surprised to find that he had spent five of his eighty years waiting for people. He had spent six months tying neckties, three months scolding children, and eight days telling dogs to lie down and be quiet. When I read that rather humorous account, I wondered if he ever took a few minutes to listen to the Gospel and pray the sinner’s prayer. If he did, I wonder how much time he had spent in church, in prayer, reading his Bible, or telling others about Christ.

You may think that you have plenty of time to take care of spiritual matters. The Bible tells us of a man who had those very thoughts. “And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee” (Acts 24:24–25). Scripture does not indicate that Felix ever found that convenient season!

That is why God’s message is always in the “present verb tense.” God never says “get saved soon, or get things right tomorrow.” Rather, God always says “today!” “To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart” (Psalm 95:7–8). “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). God clearly warns us about putting eternal things off in Proverbs 27:1, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”

As we take down the old calendar and put up the one for 2009, it is a good idea to take inventory of our time. Did we redeem the time this past year? The philosopher, William James once said, “The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” Perhaps we have established some goals for the new year. Are they eternal goals? What on your “to do” list in the next twelve months will make it into eternity?

I have spent the last thirty-five years of my life in revival work. I doubt that I have another thirty five! I would like to think that I could still preach in my nineties as some like Dr. Lee Roberson have done. But the odds of that being the case are pretty slim. I have read much about the First Great Awakening and have lectured often in my classes on that great revival. History points to three great preachers during that marvelous working of God upon this nation. Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758); George Whitefield (1714–1770); and Samuel Davies (1723–1761). By the way, did you notice how short their “dash” was? Just fifty-five years, fifty-six years, and thirty-eight years. How about the great Evangelist Sam Jones (1847–1906) or D.L. Moody (1837–1899)?

The great Baptist pastor of London, Charles H. Spurgeon said to his secretary one night before she left, “My work here is done.” He would never return to his study or pulpit. His dash lasted just fifty-seven years—1834–1892. In the service the Sunday night prior, he announced the closing hymn and its words could not have been more fitting:

The sands of time are sinking,
The dawn of heaven breaks,
The summer morn I’ve sighed for,
The fair, sweet morn awakes.

There is a legend told describing Satan and a meeting that he had with his demons. Lucifer was looking for a way to keep people from trusting Christ as Saviour. One of his demons boasted, “When I get down there, I will tell everyone that there is no such place as Heaven!” The devil responded, “Ah, they will never believe that—the Bible is full of messages about how sins can be forgiven and one can spend eternity in Heaven.”

From the other side of the room, another imp chimed: “I have a plan! I will tell them there is no Hell!” “No good,” said Satan. “Jesus, while on earth spoke more about Hell than He did about Heaven. They will never believe you.”

A clever demon from the back of the room stood up and said, “I know the answer. I’ll tell them that there is no hurry.”

The strategy of Satan is to convince us that we have plenty of time for eternal matters. But I need not remind you that he is a liar. As you take inventory of time, heed the words of God: “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Romans 13:11–14). Let’s live 2009 for something that will outlast it!

Lessons from a Flight Deck

It was a routine flight: traffic to the airport was great; security lines moved quickly; boarding went smoothly; departure and landing were right on schedule. The two and a half hour flight went by quickly as I had brought with me more than enough to keep me busy. As we prepared for landing, I put everything away, leaned back with my eyes closed and waited for touchdown. As the wheels screeched on the pavement below, I was awakened out of my five minute cat-nap and looked out into the darkness from my window seat.

The flight attendant was now giving announcements as we approached the gate but a seriousness characterized the tone of her voice. She said, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to ask you to remain in your seats upon arrival for just a few moments. We have an emergency medical team meeting our plane to assist a passenger who has become ill. Please be courteous and remain in your seats until the paramedics can board the plane and provide assistance.” As we approached the gate, I could see the ambulance in place with lights flashing.

Everyone on the plane was silent. It was so unlike a normal arrival. Usually people are on cell phones as they push and shove to grab their carry-on baggage and maneuver toward the exit. As inconspicuously as possible each of us began to glance over the seat in front and behind us in hopes that perhaps we could spot this person in trouble. As the door opened and four paramedics came on board, I was surprised to learn that the lady in need was just two rows behind me on the opposite side of the plane. In a matter of moments they lifted her off the floor where she was lying between the seats and carried her off the plane to the waiting ambulance.

Each of us on that plane had an agenda that day. We had plans, connections to make, people to meet, transportation waiting, etc. But all those plans stopped and ceased to be important when we suddenly learned of a crisis in our midst. No one was upset that we were delayed or inconvenienced for a few minutes. The need of that one passenger was far greater than anything on our to-do-lists.

In Mark chapter ten the story is told of Jesus traveling near Jericho. A great number of people suddenly were pressing upon Him. Above the bustle of the moment however, a voice could be heard from the side of the road: “Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy upon me.” No doubt many in the crowd paid no attention to this blind beggar, and those who did, told him to be quiet and go back to begging. However, he continued to cry out “and Jesus stood still.” In spite of everything that was on the Lord’s mind that day and the pressing needs around Him, He stood still and commanded this man to be called and preceded to heal him.

God spoke to my heart that day as I walked through the terminal and has continued to do so many times since. We get so focused on what is important to us—our needs, our agenda, our schedule, our plans. And if we are not careful, we will pay no attention to the crisis around us. Every person we meet today is going to spend eternity one day in either Heaven or Hell! Does that concern us? Are we willing to put our schedules on hold in order to tell them how they can go to Heaven?

What on your “to-do-list” will make it into eternity? Somewhere on your journey through life today, God may want you to “stand still” and meet the need of someone alongside the road. Don’t miss that opportunity! You may not pass that way again

Most of us are not interested in spending money on something that is broken. We are reluctant to buy a used car until we have done a thorough check with Carfax to ensure ourselves that we are not getting stuck with someone else’s junk. The words “valuable” and “broken” do not seem to fit in the same sentence, unless you are looking at things from God’s paradigm.

Our lives have great value to God. In Mark 8:36, Jesus declared: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” The Lord indicates here that our souls are worth more than the entire world. Think about the price that God paid in order for our soul to be saved: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

But while our lives in God’s eyes are valuable, they are only of practical use to God when broken. The truth is, God delights in and uses broken things. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:17). “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

When traveling, I purchase most things with a credit card, but I also make sure that I have a little bit of cash on me for those incidentals along the way. In fact, it is kind of nice to have a twenty dollar bill or two in my pocket. But while that twenty dollar bill has value, it is not always practically useful. It will not buy a can of soda from a vending machine, or serve me well at a laundromat or car wash. For that reason, I keep the ashtray of my car filled with quarters. A twenty dollar bill and eighty quarters have the same value, but the eighty quarters can be used to buy just about anything, whereas the twenty dollar bill is limited in its usefulness.

How often in our lives do we limit God from using us because we are not broken? Thousands of people needed to be fed on a hillside by the Sea of Galilee one day. The only food that the disciples could come up with was a boy’s lunch that contained five loaves and two small fishes. Philip reminded the Lord that “Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little” (John 6:7). If they would have had two hundred days worth of wages they could not have provided an appetizer! But watch what happens! “And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments, and of the fishes” (Mark 6:41–43). In God’s hands, the lunch was more than enough to meet the need—it just had to be broken!

There is an even greater miracle than the feeding of the five thousand that involves something broken. Jesus sat around a table with His disciples one night and took bread and broke it symbolizing His death on the Cross. Paul reminds us of this incident in 1 Corinthians 11:23–24: “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.” Jesus Christ lived a perfect life and His life serves as a valuable model to each of us, but had Jesus merely lived a sinless life on earth, we would still be lost in our sins and on our way to Hell! His body had to be broken in death in order that we might have eternal life.

God had great plans for Job in the Old Testament. He was wealthy, had numerous servants, and a wonderful family. But God did not want Job to simply have value—He wanted to use him. You are familiar with the story of Job’s troubles, but notice what he said about them: “I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark” (Job 16:12). My friend, God has a “mark” for you to reach in your life. Are you broken so that you can reach that God-given potential?

God has thousands of tasks that He wants His people to accomplish for His glory every day. Maybe you desire to be that twenty dollar bill in God’s hand, or maybe even a fifty or a one-hundred dollar bill! But as for me, I would just as soon be broken into a handful of quarters. That way, no matter what the task—God can always use me.

Have you ever realized while driving down the freeway that you were going the wrong way? That five miles to the next exit seems like thirty as your mind begins to calculate the time you are wasting. That little gravel path in the median that is reserved for “official use only” looks pretty inviting, doesn’t it? Sure, it’s illegal but your time is valuable too, right?

Recently, I was driving north for a Thursday night service in Chico, California. I had tried to squeeze in a little too much work before leaving and was running a bit late but traffic was light, the weather was great, and I was keeping the cruise control on the speed limit as I made my way up Interstate 5. Around Stockton, I was needing to get fuel. Since I had driven this route countless times before, I decided to stop at a Flying J truck stop. Unfortunately for me, they had reconfigured the exit ramp since my last visit to this establishment, and so I found myself on a different road than I expected. But, praise the Lord, there happened to be a “Pilot” truck stop right there, so I pulled in and refueled both the car and my stash of snacks.

As I exited, I was a little confused as to how to get back to the freeway. As I approached a stop sign, I did not see any signs pointing me back to I-5, but I did spot the Flying J in the distance. I decided to turn in that direction to the right thinking that if I could get to that familiar spot I would be able to make my way back to the interstate. As I drove by the Flying J, I realized that in order to get back on the highway, I needed to be going the other direction. So, at the next stop sign, I simply made a u-turn. A few seconds later, as I approached the entrance ramp—you guessed it! Those blue and red lights were flashing as my criminal act had been witnessed by two of our finest CHP’s. After a twenty-minute delay I was handed a ticket with a fine of $142! I haven’t made a u-turn since!

How many times in our Christian lives do we make u-turns from God’s will when He has clearly directed us against such an action? Solomon told his son: “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil” (Proverbs 4:25-27). God’s path for our lives is clearly marked in His Word and we dare not deviate from that route. U-turns are certain to bring expensive penalties.

The church at Ephesus had a good track record but somewhere along the line lost their focus. “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent” (Revelation 2:4-5). Survey your Christian life for a moment. Are you going in the direction God has designed for your life? When you got saved, “old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”
(2 Corinthians 5:17b). Have you gone back to the old things? Do you see where you made that u-turn? There is a heavy price to be paid for that decision.

Jesus said: “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62b). Don’t go back to the place of sin from which God has saved you—don’t even look back! Your eye will affect your heart and the more you look in the wrong direction, the more certain you will be of making that costly u-turn.

Sometimes the road ahead may seem rough and uncertain, but remember the words of Hebrews 12:2-3: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” I am glad Jesus did not get to the Cross and make a u-turn! And because He didn’t, we ought to echo the words of Paul: “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

Where have all of the orchards gone? I tell you, we have destroyed them! You and I are responsible. The fruit trees have been hewn down and destroyed, and we are suffering from malnutrition as a result. “We wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; in transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment” (Isaiah 59:9b-15).

For 150 years America has managed to live without a national revival. Had it not been for the First Great Awakening of the 1740’s, America as we have known it, would have never been born. The fearless preaching of evangelists in the early days of this country kept the nation on its knees before God in times of war, difficulty, corruption, and vice. In the darkest moments of our history, God has raised up mighty preachers to thunder His Word in church houses, barns, and town squares. In days of expansion and exploration the camp meetings, brush arbors, and tent revivals kept our focus on God. A couple of generations ago, nearly every Christian would testify of a life-changing decision made in a revival campaign held in a local church.

But the orchards that teemed with fruit-bearing trees lie desolate today. A dinosaur spoken of only in the context of “the good old days.” We are advanced and sophisticated now. We have discovered we can exist without fruit in our diet. Fruit trees require too much work anyway, and we need the land for better and more desirable things.

Because fruit trees have been such an important part of our nation’s religious fabric, it has taken us many years to cut them down. In the March 1947 issue of The Evangelical Christian an article appeared entitled “Urban Evangelism” by Robert E. Millard. He stated: “Evangelistic campaigns conducted by professional evangelists are, by and large, a spiritual extravagance. When results are tabulated, it is usually found that the conversions are very few and the cost per capita is excessive.” The axe had been sharpened and many took to the fields to begin the wicked deed of destroying the fruit trees.

I am told that there are just over 14,000 independent Baptist churches in America today. I wonder how many of them had a revival meeting in their churches last year with a God-called evangelist? Did they conduct a Vacation Bible School or take their kids to camp? When is the last time they needed or wanted to print some Gospel tracts or have a Friend Day to invite the lost to hear the Gospel? The truth is, many churches have quit knocking on doors, running buses, printing tracts, and having revivals. Their tract racks are empty (if they exist), their buses have been sold, the baptistry is filled with Christmas decorations, and they cannot remember the last evangelist they heard preach! I guess there was not room for the mourner’s bench when we brought in the instruments for the praise band. The pulpit will be next since, if we’re not concerned about souls, we really don’t need to use the Bible. Thus, a stool and microphone is all we need to entertain the masses. We are still building a good crowd, but we have stopped building good churches because we cut down the fruit trees.

In Deuteronomy chapter twenty, God strictly forbad the killing of fruit trees! For the sake of context, think carefully about God’s words beginning in verse ten: “When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee. And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it: And when the Lord thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the Lord thy God hath given thee. Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations. But of the cities of these people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee: That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the Lord your God.”

A careful reading indicates that when the Israelites were to conquer a land, they were to spare nothing! It may seem unreasonable, but the annihilation of wickedness was to be complete. But notice the next two verses of this chapter: (verses 19-20) “When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an ax against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man’s life) to employ them in the siege: Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.”

The Israelite army was instructed that if they needed wood for the battle (to build their bulwarks) they were to be sure that they were not cutting down a tree that produced fruit (or meat). Why? Because as verse nineteen states in the parenthesis, that tree was a man’s life! He was to eat of them. During the battle and after, they were going to need these fruit trees to survive. No matter how skilled they were in battle, if they had no food, the battle would eventually be lost. It was indeed a sin for them to cut down these fruit-bearing trees for they would be violating the strict commandment of God.

Several months ago we received a call here at West Coast Baptist College from a handful of people in a growing community about two hours from our campus. They informed us that they had a church building and a small congregation but they just could not keep the ministry going. They wondered if we knew someone who would be interested in buying their building. This little church was about to close its doors and give up. We asked if we might send a preacher the next Sunday to preach God’s Word to them. They accepted our offer and were encouraged the next Sunday that someone would come and minister to them. After a few meetings, our Pastor and church family decided to take this little flock under our wing. We paid some of their bills, sent students to paint the building and go soulwinning. One of our staff men and his wife began to drive down each weekend and pastor those people. Life was breathed into that little congregation again.

Recently, on a Sunday morning, a few small children came to Sunday school and were taught a lesson by one of the workers. Two older ladies happened to walk by the little classroom and saw those children sitting in the desks listening to God’s Word. After the service, they came to the Pastor and said with tears streaming down their faces: “Pastor, there were children sitting in the Sunday School room this morning. All of these years we’ve cleaned the room, and decorated it, the little desks and flannel board were there, but there weren’t any children. Today there were children sitting in the desks again!”

What is happening in America today? Our nation is on the brink of self-destruction. There is no fear of God before our eyes—our foundation has been destroyed. Atheism grows while morality declines. Out of our homes we are threatened by the mobs and inside by the media. Our schools, shopping malls, and amusement parks have become crime scenes, and the church seems to stand on the corner powerless and pointless. Many are simply trying to hang on until the rapture. How did this happen?

Do you remember the article quoted earlier by Mr. Millard? He calls revival campaigns an “extravagance.” Do you see a word within that word? It’s the word “extra.” That is exactly what the devil would have us believe—that a fruit tree is an extra. It is not really needed. It is nice if you can afford it, but not a necessity. You can cut it down.

Our ministries face the constant challenge of determining what is necessary and what is an extravagance. God commands us to be wise stewards of our resources. We cannot do everything in ministry—decisions have to be made about how we are going to use the money that God entrusts to the church. It is an exercise that no godly pastor, staff, or deacon enjoys, but it is part of being in a leadership position. Often when faced with these crucial decisions it is easy to look at the budget and not take into consideration whether or not a tree is a fruit tree or one used for the bulwarks.

While I am sure that others are in better positions to make judgments, I have observed in thirty-three years of ministry that when finances are the issue, it is often the fruit tree that gets hewn down. Evangelistic meetings are cancelled or never scheduled. Busses are sold. Tracts are printed poorly or not at all. A trip to camp is cancelled and Vacation Bible School is placed on hold. Newspaper advertisements are too expensive, and a commercial spot on television or radio is out of the question.

And what is more alarming is that while we wield our axes against these fruit bearing trees, we protect the bulwark trees as sacred cows. Why we would never attend a church without air conditioning, padded pews and carpeted floors! How can we have church without a grand piano, a lapel microphone, and fresh flowers on the Lord’s Supper table (that is what that table is for, isn’t it?) Preachers cannot stay at a church if there is no housing allowance, car, cell phone, and retirement package, but God forbid that we should pay four dollars a gallon to put gas in a church bus! We do not mind spending hundreds of dollars a month to be on a radio program to which lost people never listen to, but we will argue for hours about whether we can afford candy to get some kids together for a five-day club where dozens of children can be saved.

The answer to our financial problems is fruit bearing trees! The more of these trees you plant and nurture, the quicker you will solve your financial dilemma. For instance, a church is coming up one hundred dollars a week short of its budget in the offerings. What is the answer? Cut out one hundred dollars a week worth of ministry? NO! A thousand times NO! Think about it in this realm: Suppose as an individual, you were not making it financially. You were working an eight-hour-a-day job and getting paid a good wage, but it just wasn’t enough to make ends meet. Would your thought process be: “I believe it would be wise for me to quit my job, because then I would not have to buy as much gas for my car which will save me money. Since I will not be working, I will not be expending as much energy and therefore will not have to eat as much, which will save on grocery money.”

Do you see the point? You would not cut off the potential to the solution of your problem. Quitting work would only intensify the problem, not solve it. The truth is, you would consider acquiring another job, maybe even driving more miles and spending more money on gas, food, or clothes, in order to make more money to meet the need. If a church is running a hundred dollars behind in their budget each week—what is the solution? Stop running the busses? Stop printing tracts? Stop having revivals? Absolutely NOT! The solution is seeing people saved, baptized, discipled, and learning how to give.

America is in trouble. Our churches are in trouble. The doors are closing on far too many churches. Too many others are steeped in apathy and fatalism. It’s time to put up the axe and get out the hoe and a garden hose. Let’s plant and nurture some fruit trees! We are going to need them to survive.

For several nights in a row I had felt a slight pain in my stomach while I was preaching. I didn’t think much of it—chalked it up to be something I ate or perhaps the early symptoms of the flu. It was Saturday night, and I was exhausted from driving just over a thousand miles to a church where I would be privileged to speak all day on Sunday. I went to bed around ten and fell asleep instantly. Ten minutes later I was awakened by a sharp pain in my stomach! “It had to be those chicken McNuggets I had eaten at McDonalds for lunch,” I reasoned. I tossed and turned for the next hour and a half but the pain only grew worse. Barely able to stand, I got dressed and awakened my son-in-law with whom I was staying.

As we made our way to the hospital, my eyes were closed while I winced in pain. I knew we were going faster than the speed limit since I noticed several red lights blur past us. Once inside the emergency room the nurses hooked me to some intravenous medicines and pain killers, and I began to feel some relief. The hospital was busier than usual that night, but finally around four in the morning, a doctor ordered a CAT scan to determine the problem. A few moments later, he informed me that I was passing a kidney stone. I have some good friends that have had this experience, and I had heard that it was like having a baby. My mind began to imagine this giant orange-sized rock that needed to pass through my system. Suddenly, I hurt all over again.

The doctor ordered a heavy dose of morphine and shared with me that the stone was in a good position and should pass soon. I could get dressed, go home, and wait. I said, “Doc, how big is this thing?” “Oh,” he said, “It’s not very impressive…about the size of a grain of sand.” A grain of sand! I was dying over a grain of sand? How could something so small cause so much agony? If this was like having a baby it was a record midget!

I decided to go ahead and preach since the morphine was good until 11:00 am. I did have several highly potent pain pills in my pocket though. As I stood for the last song before preaching, I felt an overwhelming relief come over my body. I knew that this “grain of sand” had passed and I was home free. I didn’t need the pain pills. God blessed the service, and I ate at Cracker Barrel for lunch! God was truly good.

How often do we view sin in our life as just a small “grain of sand?” We reason that others have much larger issues and we can handle a small amount of evil without it hurting us. How wrong we are! Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 5:6-7: “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven.” Solomon in Ecclesiastes 9:18 states this principle: “One sinner destroyeth much good.” Would it not likewise be true that “one sin destroys much good”? In fact, the very next verse in chapter ten and verse one states: “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.”

Someone once said: “The problem with a little sin is that it doesn’t stay little!” That little “grain of sand” caused more intense pain than I had ever experienced in my life. (I hurt less after getting blind-sided by a 250 pound college football guard.) I would have done anything for someone to magically make that kidney stone disappear. Is there sin in your life right now that you would like to be rid of once and for all? I have good news for you: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Is there a “grain of sin” in your heart right now? “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Do not wait. Act now. Ask God to forgive you today. That little grain of sin is not going to go away on its own.If left in your life, it will cause you more pain that you can imagine. The Great Physician stands ready to help—He’s just a prayer away!