Revolution

Many churches and believers are not reaching out to lost and hurting people today.

Most church-goers today are drained of enthusiasm. If they went for a checkup---the doctors would most likely sound a "code-blue" alert. Medical technicians would be standing by their heart-start machines with their paddles ready to apply the voltage straight to the chests of the dying patients.

All God's children should be excited about reaching precious lost souls. You'd think our compassion would compel us to reach out, but the Church stands on the sidelines, watching neighbors, friends and co-workers live out their lives not knowing Jesus Christ. Many of us defer to government programs or relief organizations to provide assistance, yet many precious souls around us need spiritual help---or maybe just a friend who cares enough to tell them how knowing Christ has changed their life.

Most Christian leaders know the church is in critical condition today. Like Ephesus and Laodicea, many churches are in trouble.

But few of these same leaders know what to do about it---or else they're reluctant to try.

The overall picture is alarming, but there are a few bright spots of renewal and growth. We need to heed the voice of the Holy Spirit of God and GET GOING WITH THE GOSPEL!

I have traveled millions of miles in the past 45 years, crisscrossing North America, to work with pastors and Christian leaders. Many of these men and women of God, who have a heart for sharing the Gospel, have shared their circumstances with me and our area directors. What we see in nearly every city and town is pastors and evangelistic Christian leaders who are discouraged and stressed out.

G. K. Chesterton said, "Cynicism doesn't come from becoming tired of doing evil, but from a weariness of doing good." This cynicism is present in many pastors' hearts today. Their churches are not growing and congregations are lethargic. A recent George Barna survey shows 85% of the churches in America are leveled out or declining in membership.

Jesus taught us, and showed us through His own life, death and resurrection, the important principle that a seed must die before it can bear fruit. Ask yourself this question: Is there a seed of revival in the church today? --in America? If so, has it fallen and died so it can bear fruit?

"I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain" (John 12:24).

If we're striving too much in our own strength and ignoring the leading of the Holy Spirit, we're not going anywhere. If we're designing our own power structure instead of fitting into God's order, we're only headed for a fall. Jesus said,

In recent decades, the church in America has been like an athlete on a diving board. The spring of the board propels the diver higher on each succeeding jump and, as the diver comes down, the board bows lower each time, developing more spring, until sufficient height is attained for the dive into the pool. Champion divers let the board do the work while they concentrate on their position, ensuring they are aligned correctly for the dive.

I believe God has both the church and our nation ready and poised for a spiritual revival and we must let Him provide the power while we concentrate on our position and alignment.

I am encouraged and believe America is in the early stages of a great revival. Let's expect God to soon work many wonderful things through His Spirit. Submit to Him and look for Him to use you in a vast expansion of His kingdom in your area in the months and years to come.

We can expect more true Christians will make lost and hurting people their "first love."

"Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love" (Revelation 2:4).

But God gave the Ephesians a way out of their spiritual stupor. It's spelled out for them, step-by-step, in the very next verse:

"Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works" (Revelation 2:4).

The Ephesian's condition was so serious in the eyes of the Lord, that if they didn't act on this three-step plan of restoration, their light would quickly be taken out!

"...or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place" (Revelation 2:4).

Let's ask God in prayer what we need to do to keep our lampstands. Take a closer look at God's three-step plan. We should consider using it in our own churches today.

God wants to do a great work in His church and we must not resist. Remember how the church in America was when the nation was young? There are many fine books written about this important subject by Christian authors, "The Light and the Glory" and "From Sea to Shining Sea" by Peter Marshall Jr. and David Manuel to name two. As you read these fascinating books, don't just dwell on past successes of early American believers--some of the best lessons are learned from our mistakes.

Turn to God. Be willing to change. Pray unceasingly. As you seek Him about this subject matter, compare the condition of the early American believers with the condition of the church in America today. Turn to God in prayer about the things you are reading and hearing. Ask Him to show you where we've gotten off track. Ask for His forgiveness and ask Him to reveal ways of turning back to Him and pleasing Him. Pray for the harvest. Ask God to use you in harness with your fellow believers in a powerful way to reach precious lost souls for Jesus Christ. Listen and watch for His answers.

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment" (Matthew 22:37-38).

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39).

"On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:40).

We can express our love to God by praying, worshiping Him, keeping His commandments and serving others with kindness and grace. God looks on our hearts. He knows if we truly love Him or not and if we love our neighbor or not.

When it comes to loving our neighbor, Jesus said to Peter three times: "If you love Me, feed My sheep" (see John 21:15-17). The Bible gives us several ways we can express our love for our neighbors:

3. Feed the hungry 4. Bring strangers home 5. Give away clothing 6. Call on the sick 7. Visit prisoners

When our hearts are filled with compassion and we reach out to love the unlovely, we touch the heart of God.

"Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me" (Matthew 25:40).

It's possible to do these things out of a sense of duty or out of a belief that works will earn us favor with God, but we can't fool God. He knows our motives and He is looking for compassion. We need our hearts to be right in order to please Him. We need His Holy Spirit to give us a right heart. We can't do it ourselves. Let's always be open to God softening and renewing our hearts and minds.

Jesus taught us by His own example that we should have compassion on the lost and reveal the love of God to them.

"And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things" (Mark 6:34).

Let's not forget how the prodigal son left his father's house for the country and wasted his money on prostitutes, drinking and partying, and all manner of lawless living. But, the lower he fell--even to the level of the hog lot--the more he remembered the goodness of his father.

Once he started remember how life was at home, it didn't take long for him to leave the pig-pen and head back to his father's house.

We can expect more churches to build bridges into our communities, reaching lost and hurting people in our world with true compassion.

My dear friend in Christ, there is a growing underclass of millions of citizens who have failed to find God's love. Many are disenfranchised outcasts that can be found in every city. Others are well-to-do financially, but lost and hurting spiritually. Some have ruined their health on drugs or alcohol, trying to fill the void in their heart from not knowing Christ. They are crying out in pain. They need to know that God is good and truly loves and cares about them. We can show them we care and stand ready to welcome them home like the father did for his prodigal son.

Depending on where you live, there are literally hundreds, maybe even thousands, of these precious lost souls living within 20 minutes of your church. They are living in their own self-imposed hell and are headed for the lake of fire. They need Jesus Christ now. They are our future church members. Are we truly doing everything we can to help them find Christ? Or are we more like the Church of Laodicea---blind to lost and hurting people, not able to see our own spiritual bankruptcy.

"Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked--I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see" (Revelation 3:17-18).

Christ calls us to reach the lost with acts of kindness, in spite of costs and personal sacrifices. He tells us to help orphans, minister to widows, feed the hungry, bring in strangers, give away clothing, call on the sick, and visit prisoners. Sometimes we can do these things on our own but more often it's best to volunteer for an organization that is established and qualified so we can receive appropriate training and instruction. We can also give to outreach ministries and churches so they can help us do these things. These things cost time and money, but they opens wonderful doors for us to show Christ's love and gives us priceless opportunities to invite those who need the Lord to hear the Gospel.

"...for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me" (Matthew 25:35&36).

"Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness" (2 Corinthians 9:10).

If we don't know anyone to invite to church or special Christian events, it may mean we aren't helping people. We must not think welfare is exclusively the government's responsibility today through our tax dollars and, therefore, the church is no longer needed. Jesus clearly wants His people to have compassion and His church to be involved so lost souls can receive the love of God with a personal touch.

Likewise, we must not think we can fulfill Jesus' directives by reaching out exclusively to hurting people within our own congregations---and no further. It's so much easier than getting to know new people outside the church. While it's fine to help people in our own church, we must not neglect people outside the church walls. If we're truly doing what Christ taught, we should always have at least a few un-churched friends who need the Lord who we could witness to and/or invite.

We should have heartfelt compassion for hurting people and, as a result of this attitude of love, we'll soon earn the trust of precious lost souls we meet as we reach out to help. But we must go beyond the walls of the church and not abdicate to welfare programs in order to personally reach those in our neighborhoods, work places, hospitals, prisons, etc. Then it will soon become natural to share from our life experiences or to invite them to an gospel event or church service or to share the truth of Jesus Christ with those who need hope. J.B. Phillips once said, "People can only be loved into the kingdom."

We've found in our citywide outreaches that a vast majority of those who give their lives to Christ, were invited and brought to the meetings by a Christian friend who had been praying for them and showing them they care through acts of kindness. As you help orphans, minister to widows, feed the hungry, bring strangers home, give away clothing, call on the sick and visit prisoners, you are touching the heart of God and making new friends along the way. Your new friends may be social workers in welfare agencies or they may be the recipients of welfare. Either way, they'll see the love of Christ in you. Depending on the situation, you may have an opportunity to share what Christ has done in your life and it might be appropriate to invite them to church or special events where they can hear the Gospel and receive and invitation to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Pastors will be criticized just as the Pharisees criticized Jesus for being a friend of tax gatherers and sinners. But, they'll get the results they're looking for if they're willing to spend time loving the unlovely!

All of the largest churches in America, from Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Huston, where 25,000 attend, to Creflo Dollar's Church near Atlanta with 23,000, to Tommy Barnett's Church in Phoenix with 17,500, to Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA, with 20,000--are all led by men with vision reaching past their local church.

Who are the true evangelists? First, let me describe some "mistakes in identity" that have seriously undermined the work of evangelists.

Just because a man or woman of God travels in a motor home or bus, and sings and preaches, does not qualify him or her as an evangelist. There are families and groups who have wonderful ministries, traveling, singing, and preaching. They can be a great blessing to congregations and even have a heart for souls...yet the altars are empty, with very few new converts or any lasting results. Unless the power of God is present and tears of repentance flow, it will become increasingly difficult to get people to attend these meetings because they become "business-as-usual." This is why many pastors say, "People don't attend evangelistic meetings anymore."

But the truth is: They didn't get an evangelist--they got an itinerate preacher or a traveling musical group.

Fundamental, evangelical, charismatic and Pentecostal denominations have "revivalists" who preach to the saints---pointing out our their foibles and inconsistencies. Their meetings can get people excited about change, but the saints leave wondering what to do next. No soulwinning plan was worked out in advance of the meeting or proposed for future outreaches. Most pastors don't know how to translate short lived enthusiasm generated by these inspired revivalists into kingdom results. An experienced evangelist could provide the "second punch" but wasn't thought to be needed. So, instead of a "one-two punch," we have "hope differed." Pastors will say, "I had a revival. I invited ‘So-and-so’ who came for meetings, but our people didn't bring any friends and we didn't see the results we'd hoped for."

There is a supporting bond of fellowship and prayer among ministers. Pastors sometimes like to call on their fellow preacher-friends to hold a few days of "Revival" or occasionally hold a special inter-denominational evening meeting. They enjoy visiting, praying together and going places together. The services may be accompanied by a lot of sound and fury or be a refreshing change of style, but there are few, if any, unbelievers in attendance and a lack of conviction of sin. There is little or no trembling over the holiness of God, or even a gripping call to reach out to the lost. Now dedicated pastors need encouraging support and fellowship like all of us. This is fine and to be desired, but we must never confuse this with the ministry of a gifted evangelist. What was billed as a "Revival" was simply another "believer's meeting."

Don't make the mistake of expecting a person with a pastoral gift to effectively fill the office of an evangelist.

God-gifted evangelists seldom become big media personalities. The reason is there's a great expense and effort involved which distracts an evangelist from soulwinning in order to pay the bills. Thousands of gifted evangelists have learned how to keep expenses low and use local media effectively. They have developed this ability so they can help local churches reach their communities for Christ. Inviting media personalities can increase costs more than anything else, but most experienced evangelists know how to get unbelievers into meetings and are gifted at "drawing the net" in mixed audiences. Media personalities may have wonderful ministries, but they must deal with expensive mass-media techniques, day-in and day-out. They are generally unfamiliar with fugal ways of promoting local events. People will say, "The place was packed with people from many different churches and the services were exciting, but it sure cost a lot for the results we have seen."

The mistake is they were attracted to a media personality to draw a crowd instead of inviting an dedicated, experienced evangelist, who knows how to reach unbelievers in the community cost effectively.

5. People with healing ministries are quite often called evangelists when they're not.

God gives some minister a powerful gift of healing. Healing ministers will preach the Word faithfully, call out words of knowledge describing medical conditions and other problems and have people come forward for healing. While many receive healings from God and the praise and worship is wonderful, the emphasis is on healing. The opportunity to give an invitation for people to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior was not the focal point of the evening and may even be passed up altogether. The advance planning, training and equipping did not prepare the saints to meet, pray with and follow up with new believers in Christ. No counselors were trained on how to help first-time converts get established in the Word of God, no bible study leaders were trained on how to have a home groups, no follow up program was organized to help the new believers find a church family. People will say, "That evangelist sure held a power meeting and some received miracles! You'd think the word would have spread and church attendance would be up--but it's not."

The reason for these missed expectations is that the minister who led the meeting was mistakenly referred to as an "evangelist" instead of someone with a "healing ministry."

They are God-called men and women with a divine gift for leading people to Jesus Christ.

Paul the Apostle lists evangelists among the five ministries that are central to God's plan for achieving "unity of the faith":

While it's true only some have these gifts, it's equally clear God expects all of us to benefit from them. As a result of Him giving these gifts to our Christian leaders, He expects all of us to become better equipped, encouraged and unified.

We should observe those who have these ministries today and study those who had them in previous generations. According to Paul, the ultimate goal of this "equipping" and "edifying," is "unity of the faith." These five ministries are not intended to simply bless us as individuals, but to give us a "oneness" and set an example of working together. Why is unity of the faith so important? Jesus says,

"I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me" (John 17:23.)

The great purpose in us being made "perfect in one" is so the world will know that God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to demonstrate His great love for mankind. Friend, we must not let ourselves be divided. Our oneness helps others find Christ. What a miracle to be one with Christ! All of us believers have this in common. It's the unity of the faith.

Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers have the responsibility of lifting up one another. They must do this in their discussions with new believers and their sermons to the congregations so that they demonstrate the love and unity of faith Jesus sought for us. To point out short comings in one another down cannot build up the saints or reveal the Father's love.

Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers may have different messages, but their messages must line up with the Word of God. In His great wisdom, God has provided checks and balances in His kingdom work and some tension is to be expected. But in an atmosphere of love and respect, the tension will brings growth that results in equipping and edifying the whole body.

Both the Old and New Testaments show how God has this balance in His Kingdom to help ensure His saints are well equipped. In the Old Testament, He appointed the priests and Levites to carry on the regular routine of spiritual duties, but He also had the free-wheeling prophets, who would cry out against the religious backsliding and sins of God's people.

There was a constant tension between the priests and Levites and the prophets. The Bible says,

Today, there is also tension just as it was back in the Old Testament. This tension is energizing in an open atmosphere full of grace. But it can also be destructive in an atmosphere of distrust.

What happens if a false apostle comes around? Christ gives credit to the Church at Ephesus for the way they exposed false apostles.

"...you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars" (see Revelation 2:2).

Paul had instructed this same church years earlier when he wrote to them saying:

"...have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." (Ephesians 5:11).

The Ephesians tested those who claimed to be apostles and found some were not what they claimed. So we should test those who say they are apostles, but here are a couple of things to carefully avoid: 1) We must not go overboard. Even small accusations can trigger a witch hunt, and 2) we must not discredit all apostles because one is found to be a liar. Both these things tear down the unity that God wants to build up--the unity Paul describes as "the unity of the faith." Likewise, if false prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers are found--we must never let that lead us to distrust or discredit all prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers.

Now let's get back the question: Who are evangelists? Evangelists are God-called men and women with a divine gift for leading people to Jesus Christ. When reaching the lost, the evangelist should be on the frontlines, but with plenty of much needed support.

Like a soldier in the forward-most position in battle, the evangelist needs both a supply line and follow up teams. Evangelists need pastors to help prepare their congregations for the work of revival and they need teachers to disciple the new believers.

Evangelists may be drawing the net successfully in culmination of years--sometimes decades--of preparation on the part of local pastors. Similarly, the evangelist may have years--sometimes decades--of practice drawing the net. Mutual respect and the ability to work together are essential. These characteristics are important in winning and discipling new believers as well as energizing and motivating mature believers. We all need to see the love of Christ functioning with great effectiveness in the church and what better way than to see a dynamic partnership between pastors and an evangelists.

Some time ago a leading Southern Baptist evangelist told me, "Lowell, pastors call me to their churches and they want to have a revival without having a revival. They have backslidden members in their churches who are not living holy lives, but have big money. They don't want me preaching against sin because it will upset the church apple-cart."

Now I believe the Holy Spirit can help us here. If the pastors are unsure what the evangelist might say, then an element of distrust is present. Pastors who feel this way should ask themselves in prayer, "Is there anything in God's Word I wouldn't want an evangelist to preach right now?" If the evangelists thinks the pastor is concerned about offending wealthy supporters, then an element of suspicion is present. They should ask themselves in prayer, "Can I deliver a message that will help win lost and backslidden folks in this congregation while increasing the financial support for the church at the same time." A shaking up can shake loose additional offerings as well as resulting in lives forever changed. I've seen it happen many times under the power of the Holy Spirit.

I've been an evangelist for over four decades and I also pastor Celebration Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I know from my own experience that many pastors fear an evangelist who might "rock-the-boat." I'll never forget the time in Kansas City when I preached a sermon in a church on why Christians are commanded by Jesus Christ to feed the hungry, invite the poor, maimed and blind to their homes, give clothing to the poor, visit the sick and go to the inmates in jails. I concluded my message by asking, while they bowed their heads, how many in the congregation had been doing these things. Few raised their hands--so I led the majority in a prayer of rededication.

Afterward, the pastor came to me trembling with anger. He blurted out, "Lowell, you embarrassed me! We had an official from headquarters visiting today. And right in front of him, you pointed out in your preaching where our congregation is falling short."

Now there was no question in my mind that I preached the right message that morning. The pastor just wasn't seeing it right--but what was the right way to see it? Looking back, the Lord might have been giving us an opportunity that day. The pastor and I could have cooled down and looked up that official before he left. I could have told him how some messages are best delivered by someone outside the church and that although it's difficult, it's often wisdom to have a guest speaker from time to time and I appreciated the pastor having me.

We need to be prepared for Judgment Day when the "Official-of-All-Officials" will be asking if we were obedient disciples.

It's true that there is a tension between pastors and evangelists today, just as there was between the priests and prophets in the Old Testament; but, the Holy Spirit can turn that tension into a great creative power if we humble ourselves, stay in prayer and seek out one another, instead of letting things get to us.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose" (Romans 8:28).

Not every evangelist has been wise and caring with his words and actions. But, there is a great need in the church today for truly gifted evangelists to come along side pastors in mobilizing their members. God has positions for all of us on His soulwinning team. We need to recognize the evangelist's and the pastor's true roles or we could be letting a great harvest go un-gathered.

My brother Larry traveled with me for 21 years as a musician and road manager. He's been on his own for many years now and has won thousands to Christ. Sometime ago he appeared at a church in Minnesota where forty-one people stepped forward in tears to repent of their sins. Afterwards the pastor said, "Larry, I don't understand why these people would respond so quickly to your message. They have heard me preach these same truths at least 100 times without making a commitment."

The answer is easy. Larry has the gift of an evangelist--the other minister has the gift of a pastor. This is why Jesus said,

"And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors." (John 4:36-38).

Wow! Pastors and evangelists are to rejoice together as precious souls come to Christ. This pastor had been sowing--Larry reaped--and it was Larry who entered into the labor of the pastor and the joy of the harvest was experienced together.

Let's encourage the ministry of evangelists and pastors working hand-in-hand so we can reap the great harvest that is going un-gathered today. If we all work together under the leadership of pastors and evangelists who recognize each other's God-given gifts--we will see a true awakening in America!

Much of the church's time is consumed by running the religious machine--rather than reaching the lost of our communities. The early Methodists, in their "Book of Disciplines," clearly stated to ministers, "You have nothing to do but to save lost souls." They truly recognized the importance of evangelizing their communities for Jesus Christ. We need that wonderful discipline today and we can have it easily if we drop a few barriers that have been built in our minds between pastors and evangelists.

A recent George Barna poll revealed that only nine percent of pastors feel they have the gift of evangelism and only 28 percent say they receive their greatest sense of accomplishment by leading a lost soul to Jesus Christ. Think of it: Only one in ten pastors have the gift of evangelism and less than one in three receive their greatest pleasure by leading people to Jesus Christ. This is because God called them to be a pastor---not an evangelist.

Evangelists, on the other hand, have a passionate desire for lost souls. They know many effective ways to reach unbelievers with the Gospel and lead them to Christ. When a true evangelist leads a meeting, the music, prayers, message, testimonies, illustrations, all lead to creating that precious holy moment when the invitation is given to come to Jesus. Most evangelists do not get a lot of satisfaction from spending time with people who are saved because they want to spend their time sharing the truth of the Gospel with the unsaved. This is because God called them to be an evangelist---not a pastor.

A powerful and natural partnership can be formed between pastors and evangelists. I have seen God use this partnership in area-wide crusades to involve many churches, reaching their area for Christ. It is one of the most remarkable joys in life that anyone can be involved with---not just the Christians, but the entire community!

One reason for such a great release of power is the synergistic nature of the pastor-evangelist partnership. For example, pastors have already equipped the saints and earned their trust and respect. This puts pastors in the ideal position to mobilize their church around a series of rallying points. Evangelists provide rallying points that have something of general interest to unbelievers. Pastors begin describing these to their congregations and prayer focus begins to increase. Evangelists provide pre-event training classes, materials and schedules for the saints. This builds a channel through which the love and teaching built up in the saints over the years by the pastors can flow into the community. The community gets a glimpse of the love of God as revealed by believers from many different churches working together. They hear about the public events in the news as well as from Christian friends and neighbors. Many precious lost souls in the community are drawn to Christ. You'll see them at the public events. Most are brought there by a Christian friend who has been praying for them. Many will decide to follow Christ and publicly declare it. They will meet several mature believers and pastors of nearby churches who will pray with them and follow-up with them over the next few weeks. On the following Sunday, many will turn out to worship God.

If ministers with different gifts get better acquainted and start working as partners, God will use them as a key to the coming revival. The pastor-evangelist partnership can truly be a "Kingdom resource." Don't let the enemy put up mental barriers in your mind that keep us from joining hands for the harvest. I believe if you search your heart, you'll agree that God wants many partnerships between offices and denominations. Pray for this teamwork to come about in your community. He plans to use us together mightily to reach precious lost and hurting souls with the wonderful Good News of Christ. The Bible describes a powerful partnership between Paul and Barnabas which resulted in the transformation of Antioch in a week. Paul writes,

"On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God" (Acts 13:44).

We can continue to try to "go it alone," but we will find empty altars, limited church growth, burned out pastors and evangelists and lukewarm saints. Pray the Antioch miracle for your town.

As I was reading what the prophet Joel proclaimed to backslidden, indifferent Israel, and realized God has a plan already in place to restore our land.

"The field is wasted, The land mourns; For the grain is ruined, The new wine is dried up, The oil fails." (Joel 1:10).

As I read the above verse, it struck me that these words could well describe our spiritual condition today. Our harvest is going un-gathered, the very ground is groaning for revival, the enthusiasm of knowing our first love has waned, and the Holy Spirit is not as strong in our daily lives as He should be.

"All the trees of the field are withered; Surely joy has withered away from the sons of men." (Joel 1:12b).

Then the image of withered trees made me think of us as believers asleep while there is plenty of work to be done in the Lord's harvest. We're missing the joy of working together in the harvest. I kept reading...

"'Now, therefore,' says the Lord, 'Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.' So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him-- A grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God?" (Joel 2:12-14).

It is like these words in Joel are calling the church today to repent and seek God earnestly for REVIVAL! Send me Lord into your harvest with Your Word and Your Spirit!

Make clear, easy-to-read announcements for every revival event in your community. Write and call everyone on church mailing lists---members, friends, Sunday school attendees etc. Announce the events publicly for at least 90 days in the newspaper, on radio, TV, and with door-to-door literature. You don’t need to waste money foolishly--get an experienced evangelist’s advise on the most effective ways.

Blow the trumpet so loudly that every person young and old in your town will know well in advance that something significant is about to happen.

Prior to the meetings, begin fasting and praying regularly. Help people organize their prayer time and suggest one of the major focuses of their prayer time be revival in your area.

Ask God to use believers and revival meetings in a powerful way for His kingdom purposes. Find a neutral spot for prayer if possible, so leaders from every church will feel equally at home.

Gather the leadership of your church for prayer and solemn discussions about the spiritual needs of your church and community. Chuck Colson, Chairman of Prison Fellowship Ministries, said, "The church has to come together on its knees. The people of God must seek God's will because this battle is a spiritual one." Gather as many pastors and Christian leaders in your community together as want to be associated with this outreach in anyway. Pray together, seeking God for direction.

"...then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).

God likes crowds. The Bible says, "He is not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Remember, Jesus told the parable about the man who prepared the wedding feast for many who would not come. When hearing that attendance at the feast was going to be low, the king sent his messenger into the highways and byways to compel strangers to come in, so his house could be full.

Don't spiritualize empty pews by saying, "We don't have many--but they're good ones." The remnants of the Bible always had an important purpose--so if you have a small congregation, everyone should know what your purpose is as a church. Taking the Gospel to the lost is our great commission. Promotion and preparation, when done with wisdom and experience, will draw inquirers. Encourage everyone to bring as many friends as possible with them to these revival meetings. The evangelist you are working with should have helpful materials and ideas about how to turn out those who need the Lord.

Remember the king sent his messenger into the streets to compel strangers to come in, so his house could be full (see Matthew 22:9-10).

The world culture has crept into the church to great measure. Many Christians are comfortable with this, but it's important to realize that accepting something means we no longer have a desire to change it. George Barna has given us the following conclusion: "Charged by Christ Himself to be agents, to change the world rather than to be changed by the world, we have been mesmerized by the lures of modern culture."

Many church members may have become entangled with hidden sins because of this attitude of acceptance. Many people are having sex together, drinking, night clubbing, dancing, watching dirty movies and videos, gambling, smoking, overeating, holding grudges, fighting with their mates, etc.

A minister who thinks preaching against these sins is old fashioned and not progressive or open-minded enough--needs to read the Bible again and notice how clearly our sin separates us from God.

Without holiness no man will see the Lord--and from Genesis to Revelation every passage of Scripture is clear that God is against His children compromising with the world. He wants us to dwell on the things of God.

"Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophesies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil." ( 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22).

Dr. Paul A. Cedar, Chairman of Mission America and former President of the Evangelical Free Church of America says, "The church has developed a theology that doesn't require much repentance. We have a theology that is uncomfortable with the very term 'Jesus is Lord.'"

Remember anyone who thinks preaching against sin is old fashioned needs to read the Bible again while noting how clearly it shows sin separates us from God and what happens if God's people fail to say or do anything about it.

Don't let the mature Christians--no matter what their age--sit out the special series of meetings you are planning.

You need the older generation to pray and intercede as well as to provide spiritual depth to both your project and your audience. And you'll need youth as I'll point out through Joel's prophecies in a few paragraphs. But the silver-haired saints need to realize how truly important their participation is. They can counsel and pray with people who come to the alter, seeking God and confessing their sins. Retirement-age believers often have time to serve on committees and serve food for the times of fellowship after the meetings.

Several years ago, while conducting a crusade in the retirement community of Port Charlotte, Florida, the Holy Spirit gave me a sermon for senior citizens and a title to go with it. Tell this to your silver-haired saints:

Whatever happened to the Sunday School Revival of years ago? Why did we abandon our Sunday school buses and vans? Let's do what the Bible says and gather the children. Remember youth may be only 35 percent of our present number, but they are 100 percent of our future.

In all of our area-wide outreaches, the Kid’s Crusade is a major event held in a separate but nearby location. Often when I'm preaching to the main assembly, you can hear the kids having a great time in the distance. I'll never forget that

joyful noise and I always look forward to hearing it again. Literally hundreds of kids make decisions for Christ at every crusade.

Church leader and pastor: Let's get our vans and buses rolling again. Let's help our children gather with joy in the name of the Lord. God is causing a revival among our young people. You can see the fruit today. As children become teens, the great potential of youth is evident in the ministries of leaders like Lou Engel, Josh McDowell and many others are helping shape the coming revival.

The excitement and enthusiasm of youngsters is contagious and a much needed part of revival.

8. LET THE BRIDEGROOM GO FORTH OUT OF HIS CHAMBER AND THE BRIDE OUT OF HER CLOSET.

Young married couples need to report for duty. They must seek God more earnestly and dedicate their marriages and young children to the cause of winning others to Jesus Christ. The need to think of themselves as a "Kingdom Couple" raising a "Kingdom Family," realizing the Lord has brought together with a Godly purpose in mind.

Now don’t get caught in this trap: Most young married couples think they are too busy to be effective witnesses for Jesus Christ:

Sunday morning: Pastors have their people from 10:30 am until about noon on Sundays, and many members don't want to be bothered after that because they have other plans for the rest of the day.

If we are going to have a true revival, we must get our young couples to see they must---note this word: rearrange their priorities and schedules to allow God to work in their hearts--and to have time to help God minister to the needy and broken people of their communities.

It won't do any lasting good for preachers to admonish parishioners just to attend another religious service. Ministers should ask themselves if they themselves would attend all of the regular services of their church. Here's a helpful checklist for reviewing church services and activities. click here for checklist

The church needs the energy of young families to carry forward the work of God.

God wants pastors, teachers, missionaries, evangelists, prophets and apostles, and everyone involved in His work to really take His Kingdom to heart.

People all around us are falling victim to rapists, murderers, molesters, thieves, abusers, drug dealers, etc., yet few who claim to follow the Lord, really take it to heart.

"And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things." (Mark 6:34).

...we become religious robots, working like slaves to keep our church machines rolling.

Years ago a man came up to me and said, "Lowell, many are in God's business, and others are in the "god-business." We must learn the difference in these two statements.

A pastor of a large church told me, "Lowell, my people have a callous around their hearts about a foot and a half thick. They have become hardened and callused to the news reports so they will no longer have to feel the pain of our dying culture."

"I know your reputation as a live and active church, but you are dead" (Revelation 3:1).

But don't loose hope. Where there is compassion, there is hope. Pray fervently for those who don't know the Lord--for none of us were truly alive until we decided to give our lives to Christ. Yes, pray for new life and for a heaven-sent re-awakening.

Regardless of the conditions, we can have a true awakening now. America is thirsty for reality. You can tell by the popularity of reality TV shows. There is nothing more real than being born of the Spirit into the eternal Kingdom of God through a relationship with Jesus Christ. There is a religious stirring now in progress. America is ripe and ready for revival. Ask God to send a great spiritual renewal to your area.

"...the Lord will be zealous for His land, And pity His people. The Lord will answer..." (Joel 2:18-19).

One final thought--our motivation is the most powerful, our leadership is flawless and our rewards are unsurpassed.

God is able to accomplish the harvest without us, but He doesn't want it that way. He wants to put us together as a team to get the job of the harvest done.

When it comes to soulwinning, we're not individuals standing alone. In fact, we're on the winning team with the greatest of all team leaders.

Our leadership is unsurpassed and all-powerful. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit, saying,

"I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever" (John 14:16).

We are spiritually equipped and God's resources are rich and glorious. The Apostle Paul wrote,

"And that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory" (Romans 9:23 New King James Version).

Can you imagine the excitement you and I will experience when we get to heaven and meet the many precious people we've helped win to the Lord together.

Each of us has a winning part on a winning team, reaching out to lost and hurting people. We must honor our team members---recognizing, respecting and encouraging their God given gifts---and giving plenty of time and energy to the coordination of our activities. We must keep our eyes on our team leader--who is the Holy Spirit. We must win as many for Christ as possible before it's forever too late. Yes, we can have revival now and when we're all gathered around the throne of God, there will be great shouts of joy and victory because of what the Lord has done.