(Worship leader Jeff Gore & Robert at the Rociada Baptist Revival - May 2010)
Simplicity is what ought to be. Reality is what is. Spiritual simplicity should unfold as follows. God chooses a servant and sends a vision. It is a vision in perfect accord with His ultimate vision for all servants. The chosen servant shares the vision. The vision is recognized immediately as a fresh approach to accomplish the ultimate vision. All servants enthusiastically embrace the vision and live the vision and watch in glorious wonder as God’s kingdom comes down around them. Lives change forever! Hearts soar on Spirit-wind! The Body is refreshed and renewed! God is glorified! Amen! Amen!
Unfortunately, spiritual reality unfolds in a vastly different manner. God chooses a servant and sends a vision. It is a vision in perfect accord with His ultimate vision for all servants. The chosen servant shares the vision. The vision is recognized immediately by a few as a fresh approach to accomplish the ultimate vision. Other servants greet it with a lukewarm yawn or a cold shoulder. The vision is passed to high spiritual places where it is determined unprofitable and costly. The vision is whispered in low spiritual places where it is determined uncomfortable - and costly. In some places the vision is shelved - in others it is lined up before a firing committee and shot.
All the while, the chosen servant and the few enthusiastically attempt to embrace the vision and live the vision and watch in glorious wonder as God’s kingdom trickles and drips down around them. But deep in their hearts they know it ought to be pouring and their wonder at "what is" is mixed with grief over "what could be." Some days, the sharing of the vision with those who ought to embrace the vision becomes like pushing an avalanche up Everest. Other days it becomes like pulling crocodile teeth. Toil and wounds take their toll. And it is at this crucial point that the vision keepers must trust the Giver of the vision and pray for an undaunted spirit, lest they too become indifferent to God’s ultimate plan.
Simplicity and reality. One of two roads each church/believer will choose. Tell me, Christian. Which of the two looks like the Father’s intent?
Galatians 6:9 - "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
"Then Delilah called, ‘Samson, the Philistines are upon you!’ Samson awoke from his sleep and thought, ‘I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.’ But he did not know that the Lord had left him." (Judges 16:20)
"She named the boy Ichabod, saying, ‘The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.’" (1 Samuel 4:21-22)
If God’s Spirit was not present in your church this Sunday, would you know it? If the glory of the Lord has departed from your fellowship, would you see the "Ichabod" scrawled above your sanctuary door?
Truth be known, the glory of the Lord has departed from many an American church leaving a massive vacuum in His wake. The average red, white, and blue congregation is seldom Spirit-driven or Christ-led these days. The Holy Spirit has been replaced by the spirit of hype. Hype is the best counterfeit the enemy could find to eclipse the absence of God. Our culture is already immersed in it.
We have listened to religious experts long enough. Marketing strategists have supposedly shown us a better way to enticingly spin the sweet message of Jesus, but even the purest of spun sugar yields little more than cotton candy nourishment. The lost are searching for hope and we bury them with hype. A random perusal of church websites reveal a gospel not washed in the blood so much as dipped in Red Bull. The gospel has been amped-up a notch or two because a perfect God graciously sending a perfect Son to rescue an imperfect humanity is not quite enough good news in and of itself. We may not know much about making disciples, but we sure know how to titillate them. Ichabod!
And there is no end of religious product out there to pad our sinkhole of loss. While attending a Christian writer’s conference many years ago, the head editor from a prominent religious press told me the following - "If you preach to 5000 or more people each week, you can re-write the phone book and we’ll publish your book." Good grief, Gutenberg! Is this the dominant spirit that determines what is promotable Christian reading these days? Do you imagine Jesus might also overturn the Top 20 shelf at the local Lifeway if He were still walking around with a whip and cords? Ichabod!
Or consider our own "Christianized" American idols. I recently inquired about a well-known individual to see about the possibility of having them lead worship and sing at a "Jesus test" event that was tentatively being considered earlier this year. When their agent replied, the asking price for one night was $60,000! I now have a difficult time hearing my fellow Christ-follower sing a certain song about selling out to the world. Several months ago at an evangelism conference I heard one session leader plug a fellow speaker who had expertise in a certain area of benefit to the church. And then the leader said, "But you better book him now before he becomes well-known and his asking price goes up." Asking price? Show me a "famous" Christian who commands $3000 or more for a single appearance and I’ll show you an "infamous" saint out of touch with the purposes of God. Ichabod!
Little wonder we don’t notice the effects of Ichabod! We have lived with Jesus + (plus) for so long that we’ve failed to comprehend all we need is Jesus. Period. And since the plus has been accentuated over and above the One lifted up Who will draw all men to Himself, little wonder we might wake and shake some morning to discover - Jesus hasn’t been following us after all!
An Evangelism Strategy to Reach Students for Christ in Your Community
and On Your Campus!
1. "the Jesus test" Student-to-Student Strategy
Regardless of the size of your group, this strategy is designed to reach the lost one
relationship at a time. For example, if there are 8 students in your student group, begin by inviting those 8 students to take "the Jesus test" for themselves.
At the end of 30 days, give them a second book and challenge them to invite one
of their lost friends to take "the Jesus test." As their friend goes through the test,
they will also go back through "the Jesus test" themselves and encourage their friend along the way. Imagine if all 8 of their friends came to Christ. Repeat the strategy with 16 students, then 32, 64, 128, etc., etc. Realistically, every student will probably not come to Christ, but many of them will.
2. "the Jesus test" Event Strategy
3 Nights of Upbeat Music, Unbelievable Prizes,
and Challenging Truth
…followed by…
30 Days of Serious Consideration
regarding the claims of Jesus Christ
…culminating in…
1 Harvest Night that has the potential to change eternity for your 96%!
‘The Jesus Test” Event Details
“The Jesus Test” is a 3 night event designed to reach lost teenagers!For that reason, it should take place somewhere in your community other than the church building.Possible sites include football stadiums, city parks, skate parks, rodeo arenas, civic auditoriums, or block parties.The key is to pick a spot where youth will readily come.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Live Music, Prizes, a Question & Answer Dialogue.
Friday night opens with a Christian Rock/Alternative Concert.It is followed by a ‘Question and Answer Session” with questions coming from the teens in attendance.This is an opportunity for the gospel to return to Mars Hill.The discussion will be led by guest speaker Robert Barge and staff members of the host church.Imagine how shocked some teens might be to think we actually want to hear what they think!
SATURDAY NIGHT:Live Music, Prizes, and a Message
The Saturday night format is very similar to Friday night.This time, a message will be delivered comparing who the culture imagines Jesus to be and who He really is.
SUNDAY NIGHT:Live Music, the Grand Prize, and a Big Challenge
Sunday night continues with more music and a drawing for the Grand Prize.Another message will be given and listeners will be challenged to take “The Jesus Test.”They will be challenged to consider Jesus Christ for 30 days.Consider what He said – consider what He did – consider who He was.Consider what it would look like to follow Jesus – consider why anyone would want to follow Him!
The teens that accept the challenge will be given a booklet with 30 days worth of devotional challenges about Jesus.
THE FINAL HARVEST NIGHT: 30 Days Later
At the end of 30 days, the youth who accept the challenge will be asked to return to “The Final Event” for an opportunity to make the most important decision in their life.This will fall on or close to a Wednesday night.The closing event of the strategy may take place at the church or back at the original location.
3. Dare to Share Strategy
For churches and student ministries who will dare to share "the Jesus test" with their entire high school population!
For More Information About The Jesus Test:
Contact Robert Barge at (432) 426-3474 (Wherever Ministries Office - 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - CST) or via e-mail at whereverministries@yahoo.com.
(At the Fort Hood "Jesus test" Give-Away in the Killeen Mall - with Denbigh Cherry & his daughter Laomai)
Several times, I have been compared to Vance Havner. I feel unworthy of such comparison, but smile none-the-less. I can think of no greater honor. Vance Havner had a way with words. The gospel never staled in his writing. It was fresh and cutting. In 1966, Havner put out a little volume entitled Pepper 'N Salt. It was full of one-liners and nuggets that God had given him through the years.
I reckon God shaped my mind in similar fashion. In homage to Vance Havner, I have assembled a few God-given nuggets of my own. These are a collection of random thoughts that the Spirit has placed upon my mind these past few years.
- Someone else's road to hell is paved by our good intentions! This is truer than the oft-quoted proverb of similar fashion.
- If your life is not incarnating heaven, it is perpetuating hell.
- God is great at playing tug-of-war with His servants. He eventually wins!
- All rise each morning stuck somewhere on the string between arrogance and humility. Lord, tune my heart to sing Thy grace!
- Revival begins when you come to the end of your self!
- I can accept what the lost can't understand a lot easier than I can what the church won't understand!
- The average Baptist church's indifference to the lost generations around them is as incomprehensible as a pinata party in the ash-fall of Auschwitz.
- A mature Christ-follower will not enjoy judging others. He will take no delight in proudly inspecting someone else's fruit.
- All great movements of faith begin when only two beings believe - you....and God!
- Obedience to God's will stretches us. Faith is the daily cross we are stretched upon.
- When you step out on faith and suddenly, it seems no one is standing around you...you have just crossed over into God Territory.
- Nothing can drain the soul of the fullness of God's Spirit like lust.
- Inviting Christ into one's heart is the pin prick that eventually leads to the total draining away of all that we are.
- A watch in a worship service should be as out of place as a Christian in hell.
- Could it be that denominations and abominations rhyme for a reason?
- There is a vast world of difference between being a church member and being Kingdom-minded. Church members quench the Spirit, but those who are Kingdom-minded enthusiastically embrace the unpredictable will of God.
- It is easier to hate than it is to love. It is easier to find fault with one another than it is to unite. It is easier to suspect others than it is to celebrate our kingdom calling. It is easier to envy than it is to surrender. All of these truths are evidence that the enemy has sown his seed in our hearts.
A question was raised last week at "the Jesus test" booth during the Student Ministry Conclave in Arlington, TX. “WILL THE JESUS TEST WORK?”That’s an important question – and a legitimate one. As a matter of note, it seems to be the number one question swirling in the minds and hearts of those who have been challenged to implement "the Jesus test" in their communities and churches. As of now, “the Jesus test event” has yet to be tested.Wherever Ministries is prayerfully seeking places to initiate this event in 2010.On the other hand, “the Jesus test devotional book” is already working.Several churches and student groups are already using it and have begun to share it with their lost friends.
"Will it work?" That question could be raised of every witnessing opportunity the Spirit brings our way! No doubt it has crept into the psyche of every would-be Christ-follower before they took the step of faith! Peter probably pondered it at Pentecost - "Will my sermon work?" Luther likely lingered over it before pounding the nail in the Wittenberg door - "What wilt my hammering avail?" Billy Graham reasonably grappled with it as his first tent was pitched over a sawdust floor - "What if no one comes to my crusade?" And on and on I could go. See you at the pole - "Will any students anywhere gather around a flagpole to pray?" Operation Christmas Child - "Will any child be led to Jesus by receiving a shoebox full of grace?"
I, too, have wrestled with this question! I have wondered several times these past two years what kind of fool I have become. And yet, in spite of a great dam of human reluctance that seems to be holding back an outpouring of Spirit in many spiritual leaders, I believe with all my heart that both the event and the book will work.It will work because of a promise Jesus gave us.In John 12:32, Jesus said, “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”Ultimately, Jesus was talking about His crucifixion.But that promise is very much in effect every time we lift up Jesus Christ as “The way, The truth, and The life!”
To those who continue to raise this question, I would like to pose one of my own.“WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW TO SPECIFICALLY REACH LOST INDIVIDUALS FOR CHRIST IN YOUR COMMUNITY?”If you don’t have an answer to that question, permit me to say, "'the Jesus test' will work a lot better than what you are currently NOT doing!
I encourage you and challenge you to try it!I challenge you “to become ALL things to ALL people so that by ALL possible means you might be used of God’s Holy Spirit to save SOME.” (author’s paraphrase – 1 Corinthians 9:22-23.)
2 Book Strategy (One to Keep / One to Give Away) - $20 (plus s&h)
5-500 Copies - $5 per copy plus s&h (To be invoiced)
Dare to Share Strategy - For churches and student ministries who will dare to share "the Jesus test" with their entire high school population - $3 per copy plus s&h (To be invoiced)
"the Jesus test/Souljourn" Special - Both of Robert's books for $22 (plus s&h)
ORDERING INFORMATION:
Individual copies may be ordered through Amazon or directly from me at:
The American church is full of two kinds of members - fools and cowards! You are either one or the other.
Fools unashamedly tell people about Jesus! Cowards invite people to church.
Fools get out in the world and engage the lost wherever they are. Cowards hide in the church building.
Fools are relational. Cowards are religious.
Fools dare to walk on the water with Christ. Cowards sit in the boat and question the fool's presumption if they sink
Fools risk losing their talents. Cowards bury theirs.
Fools lose themselves in worship. Cowards remind the pastor the Cowboys play at noon.
Fools count the cost of revival and risk it all. Cowards recalculate and recalculate in hopes the price will come down.
Fools will not sit still while their nation goes to hell. Cowards will hesitate with their butts starched to their pew "til we all get to heaven."
Fools stand a good chance of hearing, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Cowards stand a good chance of hearing, "Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. I don't know who you are."
Fools walk by faith. Cowards walk by sight.
Fools charge the gates of hell. Cowards forward e-mails to their friends bemoaning the evil of the world.
Fools dance like Jesus on top of the Sermon on the Mount. Cowards make a graven image out of the Ten Commandments.
Fools embrace their responsibility by unloosing heaven on earth. Cowards escape their responsibility by singing about heaven in church - alot!
Fools burn with passion. Cowards bask in the lukewarmth of caution.
Fools are being transformed into the dangerous image of Christ. Cowards have conformed to the politically-correct image of this world.
Fools are Christ-led and Jesus-driven. Cowards are self-led and purpose-driven.
Fools look like disciples. Cowards look like Pharisees.
Fools will empathize with these words. Cowards will criticize them.
I pray I always remain a fool. I continue to be blessed by a handful of fools who stand behind my foolish walk of faith. The Apostle Paul wrote, "We are fools for Christ!" (1 Corinthians 4:10). Martyred missionary Jim Elliott wrote, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
So Christian, tell me - which are you? A fool or a coward.
How I Want to Be Remembered - McLean, TX. Revival - May 2009
Here's some questions for obedient Christ-followers. If you could estimate your average witnessing impact, how long do you think it would be? 30 seconds? 30 minutes? 30 hours? How long do you imagine a lost person considers your testimony for Christ? And what do you give them or where do you direct them to increase the potential of your witness? I understand most of the factors involved in advancing the kingdom and introducing a desperate soul to a loving Father. Christ gave us a powerful promise when He said, "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." (John 12:32 - NLT) As we lift up Jesus for individuals to consider, the Holy Spirit of Christ takes over and draws them to the scandalous grace of the cross. The Word of God confirms the truth they have heard. There is no discounting the Spirit and the Word. God can do the extraordinary with the simplest and feeblest of means and attempts. He has fed hungry seekers with our Lunchable declarations for generations. But what if you knew of a way to extend the impact of your testimony for 30 days after you had talked with someone about their need for Christ? Would you use it? Would you look for people to invite on a month-long search for Jesus? 30 days! This is the premise of a brand new evangelism strategy called "the Jesus test.""the Jesus test" devotional book encourages individuals to consider Jesus Christ for 30 days! Realistically, a lot of our one-on-one witnessing impacts someone for a matter of seconds. We hand someone a tract. We invite someone to church. We ask someone a question. It is considered and then forgotten. It's not that they are uninterested as much as they are distracted. The birds of the air snatch away the seed as soon as it is flung. 30 seconds. Occasionally our conversations run a little deeper or our relationship building leads one to join us for worship. They hear the truth for a sitting and the possibility for consideration extends. 30 minutes. A moment of crisis, a weekend retreat, or a revival extends the possibility further. 30 hours. It comes as no surprise that individuals can recognize their need for Christ in 30 seconds, 30 minutes, or 30 hours - and many have. But imagine what might happen in 30 days - 720 hours - 43,200 minutes - 2,592,000 seconds! Can you see the potential? And it all could begin with two simple questions - "In 30 seconds tell me everything you know about Jesus Christ?" & "Would you be willing to take "the Jesus test" and consider Jesus for 30 days?" We have been told repeatedly how the generations are seeking Jesus - they just don't know yet that it is Him that they seek! So here's my challenge to you - let's give them plenty of truth to consider! And let's do it today while eternity is still being written!
What if your witness had the potential to impact for 30 days?
I n t r o d ucin g
A brand new book by
Revivalist Robert M. Barge
Release Dates – October 9, 2009
“the Jesus test” is a devotional book that challenges lost friends to consider Jesus Christ for 30 days.Though written with students and young adults in mind, “the Jesus test” can be used to reach any generation.It’s a 30-day testimony for those still seeking truth.
It’s a 30-day journey for those who have already found Him!
With Jeff Gore, Pastor Dean Driver and Gary Oldham - Samnorwood Baptist Church Revival - May 2009
Come on, Christian!Come on!
Come on, Christian!You e-mail your friends about the travesties
of our nation, but you never engage your culture with truth about God’s
glorious kingdom.
Come on,
Christian!You lash out at those who hold
different viewpoints and lifestyles, but you seldom love.You cringe at their abominations, but you
never cry.You curse them by hoarding
the gospel.
Come on,
Christian!You whine about the election,
the government, the recession, and change.Does your witness exceed your whine?Shouldn’t the new wine of the Spirit course through your veins and trump
your whine?
Come on,
Christian!You lie to yourself and your
church by uttering inane sayings like, “God had here who He wanted here
today.”Really?Are their individuals in your community whom
God doesn’t want in worship?If God had in worship those He wanted in
worship, everyone would be there!”
Come on,
Christian!You shirk responsibility
while perpetuating another lie.You say,
“God’s gonna do what God’s gonna do!”Ultimately, that is true.There
will come a day when every knee is going to kiss dirt and every tongue is going
to confess Christ as Lord.But until
that day comes, guess what?More often
than not, God is gonna do only what you
permit Him to do.God is going to act
only when you surrender your will to His.God is going to explode in a life fully committed to Him
.
Come on,
Christian!You quote 2 Chronicles 7:14,
but you’re too busy to pray.You wave
this verse like a magic wand, but in the wrong direction.You point it in accusation like a Moses staff
at the Red Sea of moral decay that surrounds
you, but you seldom humble yourself to confess the black storm of apathy, greed, lust,
and bitterness that rages in your own heart.
Come on,
Christian!You memorize Luke 9:23, but a
cross has no part in your daily routine.The blood of Christ that once soaked your passion has faded to pale
pink.The nails that once held you to
Christ’s call upon your life have been removed to construct you a comfortable
existence.
Come on,
Christian!Get mad.Get sad.Get right.Get glad.Get broken. Get encouraged. Get fire.Get Spirit.Get filled.Get full.Get overflowing.Get
revived.Get love.Get joyful.Get peace.Get truth.Get passionate.Get compassionate.Get going.Exercise your faith.For God’s
sake.For the sake of this generation.Wake up!Time is running short.
(With Pastor Kyle Clayton -Spring Revival at First Baptist Church, Farwell, TX. - 2008.)
A deacon approached me before the first service of a week-long revival and announced, "We're expecting to see a lot of people come to Christ this week?" I responded, "I hope so." But in the back of mind I wondered to myself, "What have you done to encourage lost persons to attend your church? Does your love for Christ extend outside these church walls? Do you understand that revival is for the church?"
I rejoice in witnessing second-birth moments in the midst of church-wide revivals! I love to be a part of introducing a loving Savior to a broken sinner! And yet I have to wonder - are revivals measured solely in persons coming to Christ? Can the harvest be great in spite of an unrenewed fellowship? Absolutely. If revivals were measured in salvations alone, one of the greatest revivals God has allowed me to be a part of ended in a church split less than a year afterwards. I have to question whether the congregation experienced anything close to genuine revival.
How will we know the leaven of revival has permeated our congregation? What are the tell-tale signs that point to the incredible truth that our church is caught in the kingdom-advancing wind of the Holy Spirit? Do the following statements resemble your church?
1. Our daily lives will be characterized by brokenness and surrender. Above everything else, I believe brokenness is the key to revival. Without brokenness on our part, God is limited by what He can do in us and through us. Brokenness reminds us of why we needed to come to Christ in the first place. We were sinners. Brokenness reminds us of who we still are apart from Christ. We are still sinners saved by the grace of God. Brokenness expands our comprehension of grace - and consequently, deepens the personal reservoir of grace we draw from to irrigate the lives of those we touch. Genuine brokenness leads to surrender to the will of Christ for our lives. Surrender exceeds commitment. When we commit, we make a stand! When we surrender, we bury our faces in the dirt at His crucified feet!
2. We will genuinely love people - beginning with "one another." Love begins at home. Many are the lives left in confusion and ruin because love has been absent from their family. The same tragic outcome can occur in a dysfunctional church. Jesus' oft-quoted certificate of authenticity for Christians is as plain as four noses on the face of Mount Rushmore. In John 13:34-35, Jesus said, "A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this (italics mine) all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." If we don't sincerely love those whom God has placed in our fellowship of faith, it is highly unlikely that we will ever love the lost around us no matter how much we may claim to the contrary.
3. We will joyfully help people - beginning with "the least of these." Revivals are like love - they can be measured in actions! According to Jesus, the starting line of Christian service begins among an unlikely group of individuals. (Unlikely according to those who spout "God helps those who help themselves" like it was scripture.) The hungry and thirsty. The stranger and the naked. The sick and the prisoner. In short, the poor - the helpless. To the misquoter of a warped gospel that is no gospel at all, Jesus counters - "Those who follow Me will begin by helping those whom God helps - the helpless."
4. We will passionately go and make disciples - beginning with those around us. It is amazing how many pew-warming Christians shirk this essential calling of every believer. Many will witness with their checkbook before they will ever open up their mouth. They will toss a Lottie Moon life-rope into the uttermost part of the world but ignore a lost culture encroaching upon their church doorstep. Genuine revival corrects this absurd reversal of the great commission so that individuals who live in our own Jerusalems become our number one priority and responsibility. We will not rest until every person living in our sphere of influence has had the opportunity to choose Jesus - and we will not rest until every person who chooses to accept Jesus is discipled in the ways of God.
5. We will unselfishly worship God together with all generations - and stop worshiping worship and self-preference. Three characteristics should be overwhelmingly true of every church family - a Christ-given holiness, a Christ-woven love, and a Christ-driven innovation to reach everyone with the message of Jesus. Churches who slant their worship to suit only one select generation are selfish. They are essentially declaring they have no interest in reaching anyone different from themselves. They are dangerously close to worshipping worship - not God! If one has to have hymns to worship or contemporary music to worship; if one has to have a certain version of the Bible to worship, we are worshipping the means, not The Object! But when genuine revival comes, our worship will resemble the eclectic worship of heaven itself. Music won't matter to us as much as the truth of what we are singing. The old will prefer the music of the young, the young will prefer the music of the old, and our preferring one another over ourselves will mold us into a love and unity that will catch the attention of the world while bringing delight and glory to the Father.
Revival has become an angel we entertain unaware - if we entertain it at all. In four years with revival as my focus, I’ve about reached the conclusion that we no longer know what we are praying for or expect to see happen. And therefore, when whatever we expect does not take place, we walk away shaking our heads having arrived at some self-concocted conclusion. Something along the lines of, "I guess revivals don’t work anymore" or "Maybe we used the wrong worship style" or "If only the preacher had invited a different speaker."
Revival is of God! God wants His church to experience revival more than the average church wants to rattle the gates of hell. Our reluctance to be about our Father’s business might have something to do with the unsettling truth that the rattling of those gates would be an inside job in most American churches. Legend goes that Jesus actually showed up as the mysterious preacher of one Texas revival recently and frustrated the local congregation to the point of agitation! One deacon took it upon himself to meet Christ at the back door before services on the next to last night and said, "Get the hell out of my church!" Jesus smiled at the invitation and quipped, "That’s exactly what I’m trying to do, brother!"
Hell hath no fury like a Baptist without a say. And therein might lie a hint regarding the crippling of many would-be revivals. Revivals are the Holy Spirit’s work! The Holy Spirit knows what is needed in His church. The Holy Spirit blows where He wills and stirs who He wants. But before He can bring revival, He must have control. And let’s face it - that’s way too high a price for most self-appointed kingdom monitors to ante up! If God really starts to move and the whirlwinds of revival uproot the congregation from it’s spiritual foundations, we might find ourselves jockeying for a new position of power after the dust settles - provided it ever does!
Since genuine revival cannot be controlled, we are left with one of two options. Lock out the possibility of a Spirit-takeover by banning revival services altogether. (When you consider the number of denominations and churches that once held revivals fifty years ago, but who no longer do so, one can’t help but wonder if this might be the reason why.) Or host revivals on your own terms. Say one thing - mean another. Say revival is for the church, but expect to see a lot of lost people get saved as a result. Get the Holy Spirit to move by osmosis. Prayerfully point out the specks of sin in the lost lives around your church - the Spirit will be too busy to notice the idol beams that protrude from the eyes of the fellowship. Appease your conscience by going through the motions of revival services, be proud you belong to a church that still conducts revivals, and conveniently blame the lack of results on the great falling away associated with the end times.
Could it be that the church has become a barrier to genuine revival? Could it be that the church is choking the kingdom of God from blossoming in our communities? Could it be that we pray for revival amiss? We expect God to speak through the storm and miss the whisper. We expect revival to come wearing a Brooks Brothers suit thumping John 3:16; instead, it shows up wearing khakis expounding Revelation 3:3 and we flat out miss the point. We arrogantly chant, "God’s gonna do what God’s gonna do" and ignore the truth that "God often does only what He is permitted to do by those who twiddle the keys of the kingdom!"
Simply put, planned revivals are invitations for the Holy Spirit to show up. For that reason alone, they are still worthy of serious consideration. If we would but learn to take our hands off of God’s plans and surrender our wills to the powerful wind of the Holy Spirit, we might see just what we claim we want to see - the glory of God revealed through genuine revival!
How fun it is to have been a part of a movie that has launched a new catch phrase into American pop culture. Towards the end of the film "There Will Be Blood," shady preacher Eli Sunday approaches oil tycoon Daniel Plainview (an Oscar winning performance by Daniel Day-Lewis) to offer some undeveloped oil land in exchange for money for his floundering ministry. The proposed land is surrounded by Plainview's oil fields that have made Day-Lewis millions. Eli unwittingly thinks it has untapped potential. Plainview reveals otherwise. "That land has been had. Nothing you can do about it. It's gone. It's had. You lose." Eli fails to comprehend what Plainview has told him. "If you would just take this lease, Daniel....." Plainview revels in the pointed revelation. "Drainage! Drainage! Eli, you boy. Drained dry. I'm so sorry. Here....if you have a milkshake, and I have a milkshake. And I have a straw. And my straw reaches acccrrrooosssss the room, and starts to drink your milkshake. I.....DRINK.....YOUR.....MILKSHAKE!!!! I drink it up!"
The milkshake phrase has caught on and nowadays can be seen on t-shirts and heard on fields and courts of competition. It's an "in-your-face" declaration of braggadocio along the same lines as "I've got your number" or "Who's your daddy?" It's an expression the apostle Paul could easily have used in Galatians 5:7 when he wrote, "You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?" To paraphrase - "You were growing well in the Christian walk, but not now. Who's drinking your milkshake? Who's draining you dry and causing you to clamp down on your compassion? Who are you blaming because your spiritual life is not all it ought to be? Who are you focusing your gaze upon rather than Jesus?"
Who's drinking your milkshake? We all have individuals in our lives who we permit to rob us of our joy. We all have detractors who will occasionally toss dynamite into our spiritual reservoirs in hopes that it will dry up our rivers of living water. We all face self-appointed kingdom monitors who write us up with their little Pharisee tickets because our freedom in Christ is a threat to their comfortable man-made religion. And if we're not on our guard, before we know it, these individuals and others like them will have drained us dry and diverted our attention from our kingdom purpose. We will get so caught up in our milkshake war that we will cease to share our milkshake with those who have never tasted God's soul-quenching, merciful richness for themselves.
I hope you are running a good race. I hope you are passing out straws to allow others to taste and see that the Lord is good! I trust you are trusting in the One who offers free milkshake refills on an hourly basis! I trust you are not worrying about "who's drinking your milkshake?" as much as you are rejoicing in answer to the question, "Who gave you your milkshake?"
(With Mike Dorman & Laomai, Denbigh, and Stephanie Cherry - Veribest Revival - March 2008)
Limitless are the ways we limit God! Two months ago I started an e-mail newsletter for churches and pastors as another way of communicating my availability for revivals and renewal events. In two days I heard from two pastors - one scheduled a revival and one wanted a packet of information. That experience reawakened me to this truth - how often we limit God by doing things only one way or certain ways. I have picked up on this alarming characteristic of Christians who have the words of faith on their breath while controlling the reign of God in their hearts. They often tell God what He can and cannot do. I have had it expressed to me over and over again. I even catch myself posting a God limit from time to time.
I laugh at an incident that occurred at the start of this ministry. A friend of mine was encouraging a pastor he knew to invite me to preach a revival. His pastor friend was looking for a revivalist. Several weeks went by without a word. Finally I asked my friend whatever became of the interest in a possible revival. My friend replied, "The pastor thought you lived too far away." I laugh at this because if God had been permitted to schedule this revival, it would have been the closest revival that I would have preached to my home in the last 7 years!"
Isn't that amazing? I've had churches not call me because they thought they were "too small." I'm sure others have passed me by because they were "too big to invite an unknown." At one church, I could not preach on Sunday morning because I did not have a "Dr." in front of my name. Others have thought I was too far away. We schedule revivals when our congregations are not too busy. We won't schedule them in the winter - it might snow. We won't schedule them in the summer - we're too busy recreating. We won't schedule them during the recession - they cost too much money. We won't schedule them at all - they are a religious antique from a by-gone era. All the while, I wonder if God has a chance to be heard in our hearts because we have already determined His good and perfect will.
Pure and simple - limiting God reveals your faith limit. Your faith limit is where you have put the kibosh on the Almighty! The dimensions of your faith limit are the blueprints to your theological kennel where God is free to roam. Hell forbid that we let God be God! Something uncontrolled might occur. Something phenomenal and supernatural might happen for which we could not receive the credit. Something like renewal.....something like jubilee.....something like the kingdom of God!
I am learning to recognize and expand my faith limit. I am learning to flatten the speed limit signs that I have erected in my life to slow God down to a more manageable momentum. I am learning to remember to surrender. His ways are far above my ways. His Spirit blows where He wills. His power is limitless. And so is His grace!
Every day of living is the chance of a lifetime! Little did I know that the summer of 2006 would give me an opportunity to pursue a lifelong daydream. During that very inactive summer (ministry-wise), Daniel and I worked as extras on a movie set. I received a phone call one day to come back to costuming. They wanted to use me in another scene. I did, and to make a long story short, I wound up being cast as a bartender in a restaurant scene with Daniel Day-Lewis! How ironic is life! I had a few (insignificant) lines to speak.. I halfway expected the scene to hit the cutting room floor. When Vicki Lynn and I were invited to Hollywood to see the finished product to my surprise the scene was intact! Now the film has been nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Film and Best Actor!
There Will Be Blood is a dark film. It is the unfolding of two lives consumed by greed. One is an oilman; the other is a preacher. Their lives are interwoven around the themes of family, religion, and the misuse of power. As a motion picture, it is absolutely mesmerizing. And yet, it is not an easy story to watch. It is never pleasant to witness a life bent on destruction. One need only think of David out on his balcony or Judas before the chief priests! We know the steps they are about to take will lead to their undoing and the ripple effects of their sin will be felt for generations.
And yet, the story of There Will Be Blood is the story of the human condition without Jesus. There will always be blood between individuals until The Blood that has already been shed for sin is personally accepted to atone. (Ken Burns’ incredible 7-part documentary The War further underscores the plight of a world gone mad apart from Christ.)
But even then, we must do more than give lip service to our Savior. We must live the teachings of Christ. We must daily walk in the light of the grace that we have been given and purposefully lay aside all selfishness, unforgiveness, and malice! We must love our enemies, go the second mile, return good for evil, speak the truth in love, and put ourselves in last place. As we begin to boldly exercise our faith in this manner we will probably muse to ourselves the utter folly of living the words of Christ. Surely this will not work. And yet, as we cling to what Jesus said and the example He left us to follow we will undeniably reach the powerful conclusion that nothing less will work. The choice is clear. Either we will decide that there is a fountain filled with blood…...or there will be blood!
(With the Youth Group of First Baptist Church, Pipe Creek, TX. - Summer of 2007)
I'm not one prone to be startled and swayed by statistics, but every now and then a truth comes along that rattles me to the core. While in revival this fall in Georgia, I came across an article in the Georgia Baptist paper, "The Christian Index." It confirmed a suspicion I have held for a long time. 96% of the generation born between 1977 and 1994 are unchurched! 96%! Only 4% of the generation known as "the Bridgers" are Christians! In addition, 85% of those born between 1965-76 (the Busters), 65% of my generation (the Boomers, 1946-64), and 35% of "the Builders" (those born before 1946) are unchurched! For the past 80 years each American generation has had a lesser percentage find new life in Jesus Christ. 96% - 85% - 65% - 35%! Tell me, church. which percentage is acceptable? The proof is before us. We are not doing what we are called to do. We are not cultivating relationships and sharing our faith on a regular basis. We are not giving a consistent answer to the hope found within us! And most disturbing of all, we don't seem to care.
The same article went on to speculate about the next generation of kids born after 1994. They are currently known as "the Millennials." The Index author drew this conclusion: "If the church does a good job of incarnating the gospel in a media-rich format the Millennials can understand it may pull itself back from the brink of extinction. If it doesn't, this generation may very well grow up in a nation where churches are community centers, coffee houses, and restaurants like those found today in Europe." Now I am definitely not opposed to fresh and creative forms of media. But such a trite conclusion helps shed some light on why we are losing the battle. I agree the gospel needs to be incarnated but it needs to be incarnated in us. The generations among us need to see Jesus in His church as the church lives out among them. Individuals come to Christ through relationships. More often than not, persons lead persons to Christ. For far too long, lazy Christians have foolishly thought that ministers, money, and media could share Christ in their stead. And 96% unchurched is the result of such erroneous thinking.
Christians claim to follow Jesus. Congregations sing how much they love Him. The American church boldly acknowledges Him as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And yet the volume of an empty pretense cannot erase the frightening reality that only 4 sheep are in the fold while 96 have wandered astray. How great a revival is needed indeed.
(With Jeff Gore & Dr. John Hallum, Pastor of East Side Baptist Church in Killeen, TX. - March 2007)
What a joy it is to witness the wonders of God! What a privilege it is to have the opportunity to serve God so much and so often! I have been blessed to see 16 persons come to the Lord these past three months. God opened the doors for me to preach 9 revivals since the first of the year. At least two of the churches seemed to experience genuine renewal. The revival at Rochelle Baptist was extended because of all that God was doing. I have preached 66 times in 13 churches in 5 months. I have been in two prisons and counseled with 10 inmates. Two of them accepted Christ!
Here are just a few of the highlights of an already phenomenal year:
- I saw a Ku Klux Klansman come to Christ. He told me he did not want to hate anymore! His conversion reminds me of what happened to another man named Saul of Tarsus.
- I spent a half an hour talking with an inmate about assurance of salvation. It was one of the most refreshingly honest conversations I have had in a long time. It was the type of divine appointment that made a thousand mile journey make sense.
- I watched God arrest the hearts of a group of students in Holliday, TX. on the final night of revival. Two youth came to Christ that night.
- Six girls came to Christ in six days during 12 services in Killeen, TX. The church was challenged to bring in the lost by one enthusiastic Puerto Rican brother on Sunday. They took up the challenge beautifully - and God was able to work among them.
Along the way I enjoyed southwestern hospitality, incredible fish tacos, and raw oysters.....in Arizona! I had a bobcat (a family pet?) take up residence in my bed one night! (I now feel kinship with another Baptist named John.) I was blessed to work four times with my dear friend Jeff Gore! I hiked the Cochise Stronghold. I hiked the rail-bed of the Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain railway. I met many new friends and spent time catching up with some old ones. I passed through Abilene and took Lauren to lunch several times. I watched Daniel play baseball for Wayland Baptist. And Vicki Lynn and I went to El Paso to hear blues legend B.B.King. All in all, it has been a phenomenal spring. And God deserves the glory for every wonderful thing that has happened thus far in the souljourn of 2007!
(Fountain in Front of the St. James Hotel - Selma, Alabama)
Every revivalist has a few loyal supporters. They also have at least one groupie who shows up at every revival service they preach. This faithful fanatic is more interested in what transpires during a church-wide revival emphasis than the possessor of the average fanny sitting in a pew. If his presence were fully acknowledged, it would scare the heaven out of most believing attendees. His business card proclaims him a member of "the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm." He represents none other than Satan. And he is at revival to raise hell if hell needs raising!
In many churches he yawns his way through the week. He quickly discerns these congregations are simply going through the motions of religion. They are only pretending that they want revival. Their supposed hunger to see God at work among the fellowship is exposed by their lack of prayer beforehand. His battle is half won before revival services begin. All that remains for him to do is to plant seeds of arrogance and indifference. He is greatly pleased when church members opt out on remaining services. (Church members who show up on Sunday morning out of habit during revival services and choose not to come back the rest of the week cast their vote against revival.) He becomes ecstatic when God's children remain numb night after night to God's altar call. By the end of some revival weeks, the emissary of darkness is the most revived parishioner of the lot.
Fortunately, not all revivals go his way. Sometimes God's people are prayed up! Sometimes God's people have a spiritual passion for revival that runs deeper than lip service! Sometimes God's children are keenly aware of their hellish visitor and they bind his influence in the name of Jesus! Sometimes God's children let go of sin and step into the sweeping falls of the Holy Spirit! And the church gets right! And the lost get saved! And everyone knows that the scheduled services were only the primer for the beginning of true revival! And that is when churches need to watch out the most!
More than once I have left a church in a state of revival only to learn later on that Satan had been permitted to unravel almost everything God began in a matter of months. Whenever God is permitted to work among us in a powerful way, there is a temptation to pause and marvel the event. If we pause often enough, the past event looms larger than the present presence of the Holy Spirit. If we pause long enough, the break creates a vacuum. And as our focus wanders from our daily walk with the Lord, the enemy slips in and sows seeds of discord.
Ironically, Satan enters the fellowship through those who claim to be followers of Christ. It is usually someone in danger of losing power. The uncontrollable will of God is always a threat to those who foolishly imagine they call the shots. It is usually someone who demands their own way. They would rather split a church that surrender their will to the spirit of Christ. It is occasionally someone who didn't bother to yield themselves to the possibility of revival in the first place. But they are more than happy to presume to be the voice of God for an entire church so as to reduce the collective spiritual fervency to a temperature they can die with.
Churches, beware! Satan has a remedy for revival. Jesus warned that the end result of revivals that bring cleansing to a body without the filling of the presence of Christ renders the final outcome of that body worse than if revival had never fallen (Luke 11:24-26). Firmly resolve that the devil will not find an open door into your church through your heart.
(Pratt Cabin – McKittrick Canyon at Guadalupe Mountains National Park on an autumn day between the Ira and Pipe Creek revivals – November 2005.)
This summer I had the opportunity to eat lunch with a restorer. The experience was heightened by the fact that we were sharing our meal on the site of one of this individual's remarkable restorations - the Hotel Paisano in Marfa, Texas! Designed by famous southwestern architect Henry Trost and built in 1930, the Paisano had been reduced through the years to stained glass, dark paneling, and shag carpet. Five years ago my lunch guest joined forces with owners Joe and Lanna Duncan, and they returned this world-class, small town jewel to its original splendor. The walls are light again. The courtyard fountain sparkles and laughs. The lobby beckons weary travelers to relax and contemplate. The ballroom stands ready to begin the beguine. From the paint to the decor; from the halls to the balconies, my restorer friend's influence is all over this historic tribute to a bygone era. I imagined Trost would be proud.
As I sat there, I realized that my lunch guest and I had a lot in common. Aside from the fact that our last name is the same, my wife Vicki Lynn and I are both caught up in the work of restoration. We both long to see creations from the past live up to their fullest potential. For example, Vicki Lynn aches to get hold of a certain classic Fred Harvey Hotel, the La Castaneda , in Las Vegas, New Mexico, before it is too late. And I ache to see the church be the church.
When Jesus saved us, we became new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our old selves were leveled. Christ became our foundation, cornerstone, and architect. He began to construct our lives from the inside out as He saw fit. Perhaps His new house smell lingered over our walk for some time. Perhaps His fires of love and compassion burned in our hearths for years. But somewhere along the way, we settled in and got comfortable. God's purposes no longer became our main concern. Slight sins accumulated like veneer over mahogany. Royals rugs were replaced with the carpet of compromise. Years of indifference and neglect have left us in need of revival. But since our sanctuaries are overflowing with individuals in the same spiritual condition as us, we fail to notice our glaring need for restoration.
When a Christian is restored, they are returned to their original splendor. They are brought back to who they were intended to be. They become the kingdom uncluttered. And when the kingdom of God becomes uncluttered, the lost will begin to see the real forest of Jesus once hidden by the trees of our shoddy religion. This is what made the early church such a force to be reckoned with after three thousand individuals gave their lives to Jesus on the same morning during Pentecost. Imagine what would happen if every follower of Christ were suddenly restored to their original splendor. We would witness a world-wide revival of epic proportion!
Even though Vicki Lynn and I work in different fields of revitalization there is one truth we both fully recognize. The price of restoration is high. It costs more to restore than it does to initially build. Ironically, the high cost of redemption has not increased on Christ's part. His blood covers the price of our complete salvation both now and forevermore. Any haggling over the cost of spiritual restoration comes from us. For whatever reason, it was easier to yield our eternal life to Him when He made us new creations than it is for us to re-surrender our deteriorated Christian lives today. That truth should give us serious pause and cause us to wonder, "If we had not become Christ-followers then, would we have ever surrendered our lives to Him now? And if we won't humble ourselves to His restoration now, did we ever really permit Him to change us into a new creation back then?"
(Pastor Doug Johnson & Robert - The Alamo - November 2005)
Christians should be the most truthful people on the planet. We follow the One who identified Himself as "The Truth." He promised us truth that would set us free. Why then does it seem we are often the first to pass on a lie? Whether it comes in the guise of a "prayer request" that is nothing more than a juicy tidbit of gossip or an e-mail forward admonishing us to take it out on some godless corporation, Christ-followers have no business playing nursemaid to the devil's children! (John 8:44b)
I recall the first time I realized I was duped into perpetuating such a lie. In the early 80's, a rumor circulated among the churches of Alabama that the Procter and Gamble Company was in league with the devil. According to knowledgeable sources, the makers of soap had made a deal with Satan. The moon and stars of their logo supposedly bore flagrant testimony to their shameless alliance with Lucifer. Pastors called on their congregations to boycott. I jumped on the bandwagon and purged our cabinets with a vengeance. I perused every label of every product before it was allowed to enter our shopping cart. A month and a half later, the boycott was repealed. The knowledgeable sources recanted, declaring the libeled company as pure as Ivory Soap. Ironically, I worked for a P&G company while attending seminary. A Christian executive co-worker told me how that particular rumor resurfaces every five to six years.
Isn't it amazing how the seeds of falsehood find fertile soil in the greenhouse of faith? This past year I have been encouraged several times to boycott Pepsi Cola because they omitted the words "under God" on their "Pledge of Allegiance" cola can. No such can ever existed! I have received countless e-mails asking me to sign a petition against Petition 2493 because of the late Madalyn Murray O'Hair's attempt to remove Christian broadcasting from radio and television. The latest batch of bunk attaches Dr. James Dobson's name to Beelzebub's bouncing babe! It took me all of three minutes on the internet to discover the truth - Petition 2493 never existed!
And then there are the occasional diatribes I receive denouncing some well known personality like Hanoi Jane. By her own confession, Jane Fonda is my sister-in-Christ! Yes, what she did thirty years ago was reprehensible. So was the sin we just committed this week. But she should no more be labeled Hanoi Jane than Peter should still be known as Courtyard Simon or the Apostle Paul should still be known as Sanhedrin Saul. Several years ago she became a new creation in Christ. Her sins were forgiven. To continue to hold any person's past over them after that past has been set free by the truth and blood of Christ is an attempt to reduce God's wondrous grace to no grace at all.
Christians should be the most truthful people on the planet! And we should be the most wise and well-informed! We have the mind of Christ! Misguided zeal is poor excuse for speaking the devil's native tongue, especially in this day and age when the truth can usually be found just a few clicks away. (I often go to www.truthorfiction.com to substantiate or dismantle e-rumors.) If you know my heart, hopefully you will understand that I have attempted to speak the truth in love. As followers of Jesus we are commanded to take a stand for truth. To the world, that makes us fools for Christ's sake. But to take a stand for that which is false just renders us stupid for no good reason at all - and unfortunately the lost have seen enough of that among our ranks.
Our family at the Cowboy Christmas Ball in Anson, TX. with our friend Michael Martin Murphey - December 2004.
If the souljourn of faith were reduced to a dance, no doubt it would be a two-step. At times, that's about as much of the journey ahead as God gives us.
Somewhere in the archives of my memory, I recall hearing a preacher or Sunday School teacher share from Psalm 119:105 - "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." The speaker portrayed a traveler walking along a road at night. The lamp in his hand illuminated just a few steps ahead. In order to see beyond the edge of the darkness before him, the traveler had to keep moving forward. Each step forward revealed another step further down the path. After painting that word picture, my anonymous teacher made his point. "One step of obedience now reveals the next step and obedience to that step yields yet another to be taken. This is the true walk of faith."
While this has always seemed to be true in my own personal pilgrimage, it has never seemed more-so to me than now. In my 18th month of full-time revivalism, I have paused to reflect how God has kept me going by revealing just a few steps in the journey ahead. When 2005 began, I had no idea that I would preach to congregations in San Angelo, Crosbyton, Newcastle, DeLeon, and Gainesville. In mid-summer, I knew not that my autumnal steps would lead to such places as Higgins, Pecos, Menard, Ira, and Pipe Creek; nor did I suspect such out of state treks to Snowflake, Arizona or Denver, Colorado.
And now as 2006 unfolds, with most days of my calendar as white as the sands of Ft. Walton Beach, I am curious - and excited - about the journey ahead. Each morning I ask our Father, "Are my plans and purposes today Your plans and purposes today?" Each day I ask Him to continue to open up opportunities of service. And as one speaking assignment is closed on my calendar, more assignments are given.
I encourage you to learn to two-step with God. Learn to let God lead. Break loose from whatever reigns you in and keeps you from stepping out in faith. Whenever He asks you to dance, get up from your chair and leave the wall to the flowers who continue to shrink in the shadows. His Word is a light and a lamp! His call is all the assurance you need to act. Do you really mean, "Wherever He leads, I'll go?" I challenge you to take the step and watch the darkness in your life peal back like the Red Sea. For this much is certain - in order to two-step with God, you've got to take the first step!
Vicki Lynn with Franklin Graham at the Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child Processing Center in Denver, CO. - November 2001.
What a wonderful Christmas our nation has promoted this holiday season! Mr. Potter would be proud! First came the word that many retailers would not permit their employees to exclaim "Merry Christmas!" Then a Memphis, Tennessee library banned the baby Jesus, the wise men, and the holy family from a poster depicting the nativity. About the same time, a group of atheists filed a lawsuit to remove six large metal crosses from the highways of Utah. (These memorials had been erected to honor six state troopers who had died in the line of duty.) From the little town of Bethlehem to the hill of Calvary; from His birth to His death and all parts in between, Jesus Christ has become an offense. The spirit of Herod has risen once more seeking to blot out every vestige of His existence. Happy Birthday, Jesus! Sleep in heavenly peace indeed!
However, followers of Christ could learn a lesson from all the holiday hullabaloo. The world sees Jesus as a threat. Unfortunately, the church often does not. The Lion of Judah has been sedated and rests safely in the man-made denominational cage. We trot him out for the three-ring-circus of worship and then lock him away until next week's performance. In between, we silence His influence by ignoring His deafening roars. We have Him all figured out and reduced to a deity we can tame....or so we think!
In truth, the world is more honest than most of us who profess the faith. There is a threat in the manger. The One who had no place to lay His head is an affront to our American affluence. The One who introduced the kingdom of heaven on earth is an enemy to the zealous pew warmer who makes new converts twice the sons of hell that they are. The One who blew the lid off of the grace of God is a danger to the congregation that demands extra ritual before you can join their ranks. The One who challenged would-be followers to "drop self, pick up their cross, and come on" is a loose cannon to all who want to sleep away their days on the deck of the good old gospel ship until they sail beyond the river Jordan. Love and forgiveness are a threat to our animosity - compassion is a threat to our indifference - His mission is a threat to our success.
In C. S. Lewis' classic The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the child Susan seeks to know if Aslan the lion is "quite safe." Mrs. Beaver tells her, "If there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly." "Then he isn't safe?" asks Lucy. "Safe?" replies Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."
So this holiday season, before you shake a forgiven fist at the retailer wrapped up in political correctness, before you shake your ransomed head at the Memphis library, and before you wag your self-righteous tongue about the American Atheists, thank them for reminding us of what perhaps we have forgotten. There is indeed a threat in the manger. And it is none other than the lethal Lord Jesus asleep on the hay!
(On the Trail to Guadalupe Peak - Guadalupe Mountains National Park - April 2009)
In 1983, a group of deacons stood in their pastor's driveway awaiting his arrival. They were there on a mission. The youth minister had overstepped his bounds. For over a month the young man had announced a Fifth Quarter Fellowship to be held after an upcoming football game. The entire student body had been invited. Now on a Friday afternoon mere hours before the planned event, the deacons of the church were there to demand that the event be canceled.....because some African-American students might attend the fellowship. This church was located a short distance from the famous Selma-to-Montgomery march. The Civil Rights Movement had occurred almost twenty years earlier. And yet, this church had refused to change. They failed to embrace a change that their founder, Jesus Christ unashamedly celebrated one noon at a well in Samaria
I read a dissertation written by a former pastor about a church of which I was personally acquainted. As I read his words written almost a decade earlier, I was amazed at their familiarity. Negative attitudes, narrow opinions, and complaints had not changed one iota in ten years. A one-on-one conversation with the author revealed that the lack of change stretched back even further.
Why are churches so resistant to change? Why do Christians fold their arms, bow their necks, and gush such pious platitudes like - "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it?" (It's interesting how that quote is interjected in discussions of morality or doctrine but seldom offered with as much zeal when struggling with the implications of loving enemies and forgiving our fellow man.) Why do most Christian lives continue to fall short of the glory of God?
Change is indicative of spiritual growth! Our souljourns began when we were willing to repent of our old way of life and surrender our sinful selves to the Lordship of Christ. As Jesus stated in Matthew 18:3 - "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Jesus took our surrenders and transformed us into new creations. (2 Corinthians 5:17) In one glorious moment, our hearts were changed...our minds were changed....our lives were changed!
And yet, our need for change did not end there. Our personal salvation was not some "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!" that rendered us spiritually perfect and biblically knowledgeable from then to eternity. With the change came a challenge. The challenge to live like Jesus. With the change came a call. The call to deny self, take up our cross daily, and follow Jesus. To embrace the challenge and obey the call necessitates a life of constant change and spiritual growth.
The seed of the gospel explodes in the fertile soil of those who dare to cultivate. Fallow is the ground and common is the plight of churches who don't. Change becomes a threat to them. The green shoots of growth exploding through the crust disturb the rest of the hibernating hotbed. Proponents of status quo rise up in pious agitation to nip the new growth in the bud. They act as if faith is something to be protected rather than lived. When some change comes along that they will accept, they celebrate the moment beyond proportion. The bride of Christ wiggles her toe and the buzz of the fellowship would lead you to believe she had moved Everest!
The truth is - God does not change! He emphatically reminds us of His constancy over and again throughout scripture. ("I the Lord do not change." - Malachi 3:6) His Word does not change. It is eternal truth. But our relationship with Him must change as we allow Him to increase our faith. Such change will overflow into our worship and our discipleship. Resistance to change is a serious indicator that something is not right within. Ignorance will always resist truth. Darkness will always resist light. Pride will always resist a power that cannot be harnessed or controlled. And death within us will always be threatened by the assurance of abundant life.
(With Denver Blue and Gregory Smith - Revival, First Baptist Bronte TX. - November 2006)
Earlier this year, I attended a conference in Dallas led by popular author and professor Dallas Willard. I was deeply struck when he made the following comment: "What we really need in our churches is not more money & not more people. What we really need in our churches is more people that are Christ-like. That will be enough to set the whole bundle on fire."
Dr. Willard hit the nail on the head. We don't really need more of anything in our households of faith except to start living up to the example set before us by Jesus. We need that more than 40 days of purpose. What good is purpose if our aim is not grace. We need that more than the prayer of Jabez. What good is that mantra if all it does is feed our selfishness. We need that more than experiencing God. What good is such a heavenly experience if we don't share some of it with those caught up in the hell that surrounds us. Our children don't need to have the Bible taught to them in school as much as they need to see the Bible lived in us in all we say and do.
Two-thousand years ago, Jesus sat down on a hillside and preached the greatest sermon ever heard. We know it as "the Sermon on the Mount." It is found in Matthew 5-7. It is such volatile stuff that believers are still stumbling all over it. It is as controversial as Hitler's Mein Kampf and Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto. Jesus dared to issue such commands as "love your enemies" and "do not judge." He dared to place conditions on God's forgiveness by stating we would receive (from our Heavenly Father) as good as we give (to our fellow man.).
Jesus meant just what He said. His admonitions are not open for debate. And to prove He meant it, on another day He climbed another mount and died just what He lived! Right before His death, He gave us a new command - "Love one another." And then he added, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35)Strange. He didn't say they would know by the doctrine we fastidiously keep. Nor did He say they would know by our piety. He said they would know by our love. That is what those outside the church are desperately seeking. And unfortunately, when they examine our fellowships, they are finding little to draw them in. But if they ever saw in us what Christ intended them to, look out! Such a church will go up in holy smoke, and our Father will be pleased by the aroma.
(Robert, Worship Leader Jeff Gore, and Pastor Doug Johnson - Revival at First Baptist Church, Pipe Creek, Texas - May 2001)
Do you really go wherever? Since October 2004, Wherever Ministries has responded to almost every call and opportunity that has come into our office. Only once have we turned down a revival - and only then because we felt the church's adamant revival theme could best be met by another ministry. Beginning in 2010, we will prayerfully consider every call to speak. However, because more calls are coming in; because we are beginning to prayerfully initiate evangelistic events on our own; because we are seeking to redeem the time; because we are seeking to balance home and ministry, every request can no longer be honored. Please don't let that fact inhibit you from calling. Your church or setting may be the very place God's Spirit wants us to be.
Do you require a certain fee to come to our church? Beginning in 2010, we are making some changes in this area. We will either come for a love offering plus expenses or for a set amount to be determined ahead of time. There are several reasons for this change.
First, we are attempting to launch a major evangelistic campaign called 'the Jesus test." We feel God's Spirit has placed this emphasis and strategy upon our hearts. We are attempting to respond to this tremendous undertaking with undaunted faith and we unashamedly ask churches and individuals to join us in this bold endeavor.
Second, only about 30% of the churches where I preach graciously cover expenses (travel, meals, etc.) We have not asked for any church to do so in five years. Consequently, we have joyously preached a few free revivals. And we will continue to do so as God leads. We don't want our far west location to be an inhibiting factor to any church who feels led of the Holy Spirit to ask us to come. This is the reason we have stated we will come on an either/or basis - either a love offering plus expenses or a predetermined fee. The predetermined fee will be based upon each individual church. We average about 24 revivals/events a year. Therefore, the predetermined fee will be based upon how much a church pays their pastor (total package) for each week. For example, if a pastor makes $750 a week (salary, housing, insurance, etc.), we will ask the church to double that weekly amount and the fee to preach a revival in that church will be $1500 for the week. In this way, I will also be able to provide salary, housing, insurance, etc. for my family as well. And again - the fee will be different for every church. Or the church can opt for a love offering and expenses.
Which version of the Bible do you use when you preach? I preach from the NIV (New International Version). I use a variety of translations in conveying the meaning of the text For example, I often quote from the King James Version, the Revised Standard Version, the Cotton Patch Gospel, and The Message. A few years ago, I was asked to preach one revival using the King James as my main text and I gladly complied.
Do you have a certain worship leader that you recommend? I have been blessed to work with many gifted worship leaders from a diversity of musical styles and backgrounds. If asked, there are certain worship leaders that I would recommend because we complement each other's ministry nicely. (See Favorite Worship Leaders column on the right.) However, I would make sure that they would be a good match for your church. I am open to working with whoever God leads you to invite.
Do you preach the same messages everywhere? Yes and no. Yes, there are certain messages that God has given me through the years that He leads me to preach more regularly than others. No, I do not come to your church with only 5 or 6 gospel bullets in my gun to preach at your church. God continues to give me new sermons regularly. I treat each revival differently. I will bring 70-80 messages with me and preach the ones He leads me to preach.
Do you prefer to stay in homes or at a hotel? Again, I am easy. I have stayed in both. Whatever is best for the church, I will do. If I do stay in a home, I always want the host family to know that, early in the week, I often require a lot of time in study. Since I do not predetermine the messages ahead of time, I often spend time prayerfully discerning which sermons God wants me to preach once I have arrived in your town.
What do you normally like to do during the course of a revival? As shared above, I have found a consistent daily time of meditation and study a must. Also, because revivals are often accompanied by the continuous eating of good food, I will spend some time in exercise. I will either find a place to walk around your community or spend time in the fitness room at the hotel. Other than that, I am wide open to whatever the pastor needs to do during the day. I have done a little bit of everything during revival meetings. I have visited people and invited them to revival services. I have witnessed. I have visited in the hospital. I have visited places of historical significance. (At one revival, I spent most of the day at Horsehead Crossing). I have explored caves. I have played sports. However, my first goal is always to minister to your church and to your pastor and staff.
Do you recommend special nightly emphases? I leave that totally to the discretion of the pastor. In some churches, a nightly focus is very effective. For example, Youth Nights always seem to go well. I have a good rapport with teenagers (Must be all those years in Youth Ministry) and they respond well to God's messages through me. Special services at outdoor locations away from the church have also proved effective. I have preached in football stadiums and in revival tents. Cowboy or Western Night is well attended in most Texas towns. A hot-dog supper and sharing the plan of salvation with children before Family Night has led to several decisions.
With Austin Bello & Caleb Turman - two members of the band "Committed" at Tabernacle Baptist Youth Revival in Gainesville, TX.
Allow me to make this disclaimer: I cannot bring revival to your church! (Does that sound like an odd thing for a "revivalist" to say?) I can fervently pray for God's fire to fall upon your town. I can preach revival messages. That is my kingdom calling. But I can't make revival happen. And because of that fact, I suspect, lies the answer as to why so many churches quit having revivals. That is why the terms "revival" and "revivalist" have been filed away in the archives, along with images of brush arbors and sawdust.
Yet, the need for true revival is just as great today as it was 50 years ago. If I had to choose one need that I have heard expressed over and over again through the years, without a doubt it would be the need for revival. Just listen to your family of faith the next time you gather together to pray. You will hear things like - "America is in need of a great spiritual awakening!" "Our community needs a fresh outpouring of God's Holy Spirit!" "Our church needs a revival!"
What do we mean when we say that? Do we understand what revival means? Have we forgotten who revival is really for? Has the expectation of seeing the lost come to Christ and the subsequent failure of that expectation coming to pass led us to conclude that revivals are no longer relevant? Revivals are for the saved. When the church gets right, then the lost will get saved. That will be a natural by-product of real revival. What then is revival? Why did they seem to be so fruitful in bygone days and how can they be so again?
True revival occurs in the atmosphere of prolonged periods before God. When I agree to come to a church to preach a revival, I ask that church to commit to at least three weeks of prayer before the revival begins. It is important that the children of the kingdom undergo this time of spiritual preparation before the scheduled services begin. After these days of prayer, there should be a greater sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and a heightened level of expectation to see God move.
The great revivals of yesterday were neither rushed in to nor out of! Instead of four days in October or April, they were often 10 day events that continued on after the original dates had passed. It was not uncommon for the visiting revivalist to move on to his next obligation while the congregation's pastor continued preaching nightly for several more days.
Lives change when the bride of Christ puts aside their busy lives to seek the face of God. Church-wide revivals still have the potential to be very effective in building God's kingdom. Unlike a week-long camp or retreat, church revivals offer us the powerful transformation of the mountaintop without removing us from the tremendous needs of the lost in our valley's below.
(With Pastor Ronnie Lambert and Worship Leader Ray Batson - First Baptist Paducah, Texas Revival - September 2007.)
Wherever Ministries is committed to revival and renewal in the local church. Our primary aim is to assist churches, individuals, and communities in recognizing their need for spiritual awakening through the preaching of God's Word. We are ready to travel wherever to fulfill this calling - small church or big church, from Abbeville, Alabama to Zwolle, Louisiana and all points in between.
Revivalist Robert Barge believes the following:
++ Jesus Christ is God's only son, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for the sins of all humanity, buried on Friday, resurrected from the dead on Sunday morning!
++ Jesus Christ is the only way to have a personal relationship with God. He said of Himself, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father accept through me." (John 14:6 - NIV - italics mine)
++ Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
++ We were created by God to enjoy eternal fellowship with Him.
++ God loves every person. He sent His Son Jesus to live so that we might see God - He sent Him to die so that we might be forgiven of our sins.
++ The Bible is God's Holy Word. It is true cover-to-cover. God's Holy Spirit speaks to us through the reading, study, teaching, and preaching of his Word. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
++ Jesus not only wants to be your Savior - He demands to be your Lord. We are called to follow Jesus Christ with reckless abandon. His call to discipleship is just as viable today as it was when first cast before the original twelve: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)
++ The Christian life is the greatest adventure one could ever live.
++ Every person has an eternal destination - either heaven or hell. We will all one day give an account of our lives before God - either when we die or when Christ returns.
++ Every Christian is called to be a minister of the gospel through the church. We were gifted to serve at spiritual birth. "It was (Christ) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-13)
++ Christians are all called to be His witnesses. Christ can use your life now to make a difference for eternity.
(Robert, son Daniel, & father, Miles W. Barge, Jr. at Wayland Baseball Double-Header - April 09)
Robert Barge has been a minister of the gospel since 1977. This fall, he will begin his 33rd year in Christian ministry. Robert was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He was raised in a Christian home. He grew up attending the Baptist church. At the age of 11, Robert decided to follow Jesus. During a spring revival in 1977, Robert accepted the call into full-time Christian service. He was licensed into the ministry by Helena Baptist Church - Helena, Alabama. He preached his first sermon in 1980. He received his Bachelors of Music degree from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He also worked towards a minor in religion.
In July 1982, Robert married Vicki Lynn Holbrook. He received his Masters of Arts degree with an emphasis in Youth Ministry from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas in 1986. In 1986, their first child, Daniel was born. In 1989, their daughter Lauren was born. Robert was ordained into the ministry by the First Baptist Church of Warner Robins, Georgia, where he served as Minister of Youth for six years.
In October of 2004, Robert stepped out of a local church ministry position for the first time since 1977 to launch Wherever Ministries - a ministry committed to revival and renewal in the local church. He is the author of two books - "The Souljourn," published July 2005 and "the Jesus test," published July 2009.
Part-Time College Churches
First Baptist Church of Pratt City - Pratt City, Alabama +++ Collins Chapel Baptist Church - Thorsby, Alabama +++ Bethsalem Baptist Church - Billingsley, Alabama +++ Summer Missions Director - Chilton-Unity Baptist Association - Clanton, Alabama.
Full-Time Churches
Maplesville Baptist Church - Maplesville, Alabama. Minister of Youth and Music: 1981-1984.
First Baptist Church - Warner Robins, Georgia. Minister of Youth: 1986-1992.
First Baptist Church - Abilene, Texas. Minister of Youth: 1992-1996.
First Baptist Church - Fort Davis, Texas. Pastor: 1996-2004.
Other Activities Enjoyed
Robert enjoys spending time with Vicki Lynn, Daniel, and Lauren. He enjoys hiking, reading, camping, baseball (Go Braves!), riding horses, preaching, writing, and westerns. Autumn is his favorite time of year. Mexican food, seafood, and steaks are his favorite dishes. Sweet-tea and Mountain Dew are his favorite beverages. Christian doctrine was his favorite class in college and seminary. He likes to visit places of historical significance.
Robert's favorite authors include Mark Batterson, Henry Blackaby. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Frederick Buechner, Tony Campolo, John Eldredge, Zane Grey, Vance Havner, Elmer Kelton, Louis L'Amour, C.S. Lewis, Max Lucado, Brennan Manning, Calvin Miller, John Ortberg, Eugene Peterson, Chester Swor, George W. Truett, Dallas Willard, Philip Yancey, and Mike Yaconelli.
His favorite musicians include Rich Mullins, John Denver, Jeff Gore, Geoff Moore, Amy Grant, and Michael Martin Murphey. He also collects western soundtracks.
1 The Souljourn –Where it all begins – "Come...follow...Me!"
2 Outfitted for Life –The One who calls us to souljourn more than adequately equips us for souljourn.
3 A Host of Friends –Our holy host of path partners who are as imperfect as they are impressive.
4 The Ancient Path -The well-marked trail of souljourn blazed by God Himself, often obscured by the uncertain steps of the stampede of humanity.
5 Walk the High Country –God’s trail beckons upward, from the poisonous oxides of normal to the rarified air of grace.
6 Trail of the Wild Goose - Untamed unpredictability may or may not sum up the indefinable Holy Spirit, who continually beckons the souljourner to stretch beyond the bounds of rationale to traipse the path of reckless faith.
7 Kingdom of the Unexpected –God delights in surprising souljourners with serendipitous ministry opportunities and moments where faith bursts forth from the crags of every day living.
8 Donuts in the Desert –When our souljourn becomes a meandering spiral.
9 The Big Empty - Even the most diligent pilgrim can become swallowed up in the enormity of the journey. When such times occure, we must turn to the Trailblazer to make sense of it, find truth in it, and praise God through it.
10 The Lodge at Brook Besor - Over-exertion, over-acknowledgement of doubt, and over-acceeleration of pace eventually take their toll on the souljourner. For the weary and faint of heart, there is good news: God encouragers rest.
11 Settling for Mount Transfiguration -Letting go of the blessing at hand for an even greater moment reserved for you down the trail.
12 Pressing On - The final chapter is up to the reader. The sun is up. The day is fresh. Let us pursue the journery marked out for us while we can and not miss a single mile ordained for our steps.
Howdy! My name is Robert M. Barge and I am the founder of Wherever Ministries. Wherever is a ministry that is committed to challenging the local church through revival and renewal - and engaging the culture through outside-the-walls events. With 27 years of local church experience as a pastor and minister of youth and 5 years of full-time on-the-road revival experience, God is using Wherever Ministries to challenge adults and young people alike.
Wherever! That word has always held an intriguing attraction for me. It carries with it a sense of adventure - a notion of the unknown - a hint of what it really means to follow Jesus. I was first captured by that word while singing hymns as a child. "I'll follow my Christ who loves me so, wherever He leads I'll go." "We will follow the steps of Jesus wherever they go."
The spirit of "wherever" is what Jesus desires of His followers. Christians should be the most uprooted people on the planet. We should be ready to respond to the voice of God's leading at the drop of a net. When I first felt the Spirit's prompting to begin this new ministry, "Wherever" seemed the most fitting of titles. I am committed to go and preach God's Word wherever. Small church, big church....church size doesn't matter! Church-wide revival or youth retreat weekend - the situation doesn't matter! Texas or Georgia, across the nation or around the globe....distance doesn't matter!
If God should lead you to use me, I am willing and ready. I can be contacted at whereverministries@yahoo.com. His Word is our assurance - "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:8 - NIV)
God's grace to you!
Robert
Wherever Ministries P.O. Box 1145 Fort Davis, TX 79734
