Let’s Start Walking on the Water

Sin has begun to dominate our society. We as Christians are allowing it to dominate us as well. We are becoming callused to sin. Mother and I watched a movie she had seen in 1968. In 1968 they walked out of the movie and said it was “trash.” We watched it a few years ago and realized that it would have been a PG at best today.We are not living the way the Bible teaches.

–    Seminary: one couple came into my class with a hangover.
–    Another group bragged of preaching while they had had a few beers.
–    One study group said they would, “pay to have the test.”
–    Dobson said, “that 60% of seniors in high school had 3 or more sex partners.”
–    Win Yerby’s cousin is a teacher in the Atlanta Public School system. A few years ago she had 6 of her students pregnant . . .she teaches the sixth grade.

I am sick and tired of the church’s compromise. It is time we started to walk on the water. By walking on the water I mean to defy the natural . . . to take the road less traveled. The first thing we must do is be a people of prayer.

Jesus went up on a mountainside to pray. We too need to spend the time in prayer. Martin Luther said he has so much to do that he had to spend 3 hours daily in prayer. No one can be more than a nominal Christian unless we spend time in prayer. Prayer is powerful. Rev. Chow and 5 other people got together and began to seriously pray in South Korea. They started a church at the leading of God. They continued to make prayer the impetus to this church. In 1961 they were running 1,000 members, 1964-3,000 members, 1968-8,000, 1973-10,000, 1977-50,000, Early 80’s-200,000, Today they have 800,000 members. They asked in faith to change the country and God has used them.

E.J. Daniels worst revival ever-a farmer came up to him, “pastor, if there is anything I can do to help with the revival, please let me know.” Again, E.J. went into the dead church and attempted to preach. He asked the farmer to please pray. The farmer didn’t pray in public, but his wife watched him pray on his knees in the house all the time. He got on his knees and cried, “Oh God.” There was a long pause and then he tried again, “Oh God.” Great sobs began to come from the man. “Oh God.” He kept crying over and over again. He couldn’t complete a sentence. But the congregation could feel the power of God in the sobs coming from the old man’s heart. The entire congregation came under conviction and began to weep. Finally, the man finished his prayer, “Oh God, you know the burden of my heart, Amen.” The power of God fell on that meeting and many people were saved. Revival broke out in that community. God uses the burdens of broken hearts.

Either we are salt or we are not. Either we are light, or we are not. The time has come for a few churches to be authentic in the world that is marching to a different beat. It is time for us to be focused and reject the mediocrity that has become so prevalent in far too many churches.I believe that we want to stay in the crowd, to please the crowd instead of pleasing Jesus. Shared with a lady who would not attend church. The reason, her uncle was a deacon and he had sexually abused her for years.

Churches see the possibility to impact their cities for the kingdom. The most common reason churches do not, is that they are afraid to step out of the boat. It is more comfortable to remain in the boat. Even if the boat is filling with water. “We will stay here until the last of us dies.” How sad! The church of Jesus Christ is a victorious church that is storming the gates of hell. It is not a social club where everyone feels comfortable and enjoys the surroundings.The communists came and attacked a church. The leaders were tortured, finally recanting Christ. A little girl, “Lord have mercy on our souls.”

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