Thursday, September 20, 2018

                           Max Solbrekken preaching in Drammen, Norway
                                                              QUESTIONS 
CHRISTIANS MUST ANSWER
BEFORE REVIVAL WILL COME
By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
   Before a genuine Revival of biblical proportions can occur in our churches, our communities and our nation, there are a number of things that must happen and some questions that we all must honestly answer. There is a price to pay that such a revival will break out and Jesus Christ will be glorified among us!
   Prophet Isaiah prayed: “Oh that thou wouldest rend the Heavens, that Thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at Thy presence. As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make Thy name known to Thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Thy presence!” (Is. 64: 1,2). We often pray that Almighty God will rend the Heavens and come down among us as in old time power, however, He has come down among us.
    When the Son of God left His Father's Right Hand and was incarnated to die on the Cross as our substitute, God came down among us. When He raised Jesus Christ from the dead, God came down among us. When Jesus Christ poured out the Holy Spirit upon His Church on the Day of Pentecost, God came down among us. And when He sends His Spirit-filled Missionaries, Evangelists and Pastors out across the world to proclaim His glorious Gospel with signs, wonders and miracles, He has come down among us!
   The Great Evangelist, D.L. Moody stated: “Shame on the Christianity of the 19th Century. It is a weak and sickly thing. Would to God that we had a few men like Daniel living here today.”
   VANCE HAVNER the powerful Baptist Preacher, stated: “Many years ago in Scotland in a certain community the fires had all gone out. They searched everywhere to see if anyone had fire. Finally they found a humble house where the hearth stone glowed with a cheery flame. Soon they were carrying coals here and there to replenish their own blackened fire places. Today, there are weary hearts, discouraged souls, needy churches looking for a soul with fire, someone kept aglo in spite of the world, flesh and the Devil.”
    Robert Murray Mcheyne said: “Men return again and again to the few who have mastered the spiritual secret, whose life has been hid with Christ in God. These are of the Old Time Religion, hung to the nails of the cross.”      LEONARD RAVENHILL stated: “The greatest tragedy is a sick church in a dying world.”
The Bible says: “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
                             HARVEST IS TRULY PLENTEOUS!
   “Then saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest, that He will send forth more labourers into His harvest.” (Matt. 9: 35-38)
  The Bible says: “Be patient therefore, unto the Coming of the Lord. Behold the husbandman waiteth for the PRECIOUS FRUIT of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and the latter rain. Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the COMING of the Lord draweth nigh.” (James 5: 7, 8)
    We are asked to be patient with a long patience and not give up, throw in the towel or stop in our quest for souls. The work of sowing and reaping must continue. We cannot, must not and will not stop until our Lord returns. He is counting on us to finish the work He began so long ago at such a tremendous cost!
   The Bible states: “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God the Father.” (Gal.1: 3, 4)
   “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justifications.” (Rom, 4: 24, 25)
    “For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold but with the precious BLOOD of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish or without spot, Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world. But was manifest in these last times for you.
    “Who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory, that your faith and your hope might be in God.” (1 Peter 1: 18-21).
    JESUS said: “Say not ye, There are yet for months and then cometh Harvest, Behold I say unto you, Lift up your eyes and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.” (John 4: 35, 36)
     “I must work the works of Him Who sent Me (Father in Heaven)while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the LIGHT of the world.” (John 9: 4, 5)
   DR. CALVIN MILLER wrote: "Missions is a divine madness that hears the voice of God's only begotten, crying from a mountaintop, into all the world (Matt. 28:18-20). It takes this cry to bed and pillow every night. It wakes at every dawn, as Christ whispers in the heart, "I was dead, but look--   I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades. You must arise for I have come to seek and to save that which was lost. There is no time to waste, the world is loved and doesn't know it.”
   In his (1948) book, ‘The Fire of God’, Dr. Oswald J. Smith, founder of People’s Church in Toronto, wrote: “Evangelism! God’s Answer to this Groaning World. I am not a professional evangelist but I have carried on evangelistic work and I know that the only hope of our day is a new manifestation of the power of God. I have been in countries where I have seen that power in operation and I am confident that we can have here what I have witnessed there.
     “Evangelism is the order of the day, the need of the hour. Without revival, life as we know it, must perish. We must evangelize or fossilize. The very first crusade I had in Toronto lasted for six months without the break of a night, Saturdays included, and generally two or three services on the Sundays…The crowds increased from week to week. Interest was intense and before it was over, many hundreds of souls had been saved, so that the work was greatly strengthened as a result.”
                                 HARPER'S LAST CONVERT!
   RMS Titanic with 2,224 passengers and crew aboard on its maiden journey from Southampton to New York City, sank in the North Atlantic Ocean at about 2 AM April 15, 1912. Four days after their launch they struck a massive ice berg and sank a couple hours later. Some were so sure they would be rescued and refused to get into the life boats, so many left less than filled.
   There were only enough lifeboats for half of those aboard. Between 1490 and 1635 perished. They had received 6 warnings of sea ice on April 14, but the owner refused to slow down or take a longer and safer route. They wanted to set a record. The Owner stated that nothing could sink the Titanic and the builder had boasted, “Not even God could sink that ship!”
   A Baptist preacher John Harper gave his life jacket to an unsaved person and had the band play 'Nearer my God to Thee'. Harper carried his little daughter to the life boat and kissed her goodbye. He went about urging people to pray and call upon the Lord. He said, “Let the women, children and the unsaved into the boats.”
   When the ship went down he found himself in the freezing water holding on to a piece of the wreckage. People were crying, praying and screaming all around. He noticed a young man near him and shouted: “Young man, are you saved?” He answered, “No.” The preacher shouted, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” A wave came and carried him away.
   A few minutes later, he saw the young man near him again and he shouted: “Are you saved now?” The young man answered, “Not yet.” John Harper shouted, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” And then, the young man saw the preacher's hands lose their grip and watched him slide down into the water.
   A couple weeks later, a young man rose to his feet in a Gospel meeting in New York City to give his testimony. He recounted what I have just written. In closing he said, “I am that young man and I'm here to tell you that with several miles of water under me I believed and I'm here to tell you that I am John Harper's Last Convert.”
1. HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE AWFULNESS OF SIN?
   Sin is hurtful. It is divisive and destructive. It is the enemy of God and man. It is an affront to God's authority and a transgression of His righteous laws. It is perversion in it's highest form. Sin is the creation of Satanic origin and the fruit of vulnerability on the part of Adam and Eve. It is diabolical at its roots, a stench in God's nostrils and an abomination in His sight.
   In 'Sin an Ugly Three-letter Word', I quote from famed psychiatrist Dr. Karl Menninger's book, Whatever Became of Sin? He describes the subject as 'a transgression of the law of God, disobedience of the divine will; moral failure...Sin has a defiant, or disloyal quality; someone is defiled or offended or hurt'.
   Sin brought fear into the world: “And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him: Where art thou? And he said, I heard Thy voice in the Garden and I was afraid, because I was naked and I hid myself.” (Gen.3:3: 9). 
   Fear was unknown before 'the Fall'. Fear is a crippling thing and unknown in Heaven. It was conquored by Christ's Victory over Satan through the 'Blood of His Cross'. The Bible says: “God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.” (2 Tm.1:7)
    Sin brought death to the human race. God spoke to Adam after his sin of high treason: “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, til thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Gen. 3: 19).
   Sin separated God from man: “Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of tree of life .” (Gen. 3: 24, 25)
Sin brought murder into the human family: “And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.” (Gen. 4: 8). Sin brings condemnation, guilt and fear. It brings sickness, sorrow, death and war: With sin came also unbelief, condemnation, oppression, fear, hatred, and pain.
   “The Bible says: “For when ye were servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness, What fruit had ye then in those things ye whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now, being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 6: 20 -23)
   Sin brings separation between families, loved ones and friends for time and eternity: Sin causes infidelity, adultery, divorce which tears families apart. It causes break up of the home, depression, fears, anger and sometimes suicides and murder! Sin separates loved ones here on earth and also in eternity. Those who receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour receive eternal life, and those who do not are lost forever separated from Christ and their loved ones.
    “Then shall He say unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. And these shall go way into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Matt. 25: 41, 46)
2.  HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE AWFUL COST OF SALVATION?
   The world was lost in sin, fear, torment and eternal death. Satan the enemy of God and man had perverted the human race with his lies about the Creator, Almighty God. He had tried to subvert the angels in Heaven with his deception.
   The Bible says: “And there was war in Heaven: Michael and his angels fought and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place any more in Heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
    “And I heard a loud voice in Heaven saying, Now is come salvation, and strength and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev. 12: 7-11)
   The Sovereignty of God demanded punishment for SIN and the CROSS provided the Final Solution! For a time God winked at or overlooked sin in His great mercy and kindness by allowing the sacrifice of innocent animals, lambs, goats and bullocks (also a red heifer) to suffice. When the fullness of time had come, our Heavenly Father gave Himself in His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
  The word propitiation means covering, mercy seat, satisfaction and expiation. Jesus of Nazareth, the only perfect, righteous One had to die to cover and forgive our sins to satisfy the righteous demands of Divine Justice: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God: Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
     “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (satisfaction) through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of them which believeth in Jesus.” (Rom.3: 23-26)
  God's Word states: “...Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission.” (Heb.9: 22); “...For it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul.” (Lev. 17:11); “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7); “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 6: 23)
                            WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?
   John the Baptist declared: “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world.” Jesus of Nazareth stated: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life. Verily verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live." (John 5: 24,25)
   Jesus said: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19: 10); “I am the good shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
   “Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received from My Father.” (John 10: 14-18).
   For a very long time a public CRY was made from the Synagogue. Jewish theologian Alfred Edersheim wrote: “And still the Cry of the Synagogue comes to us through these many centuries of past unbelief and ignorance: 'Let one innocent come and make atonement for the guilty', to which no other response can ever be made then that of the apostle: “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” (Heb. 7:26) – From 'The Temple, its Ministry and Service'
   The Jews knew that all their ceremonial duties and traditional teaching could not free them from guilt and condemnation, so they waited for the Messiah who would take away their guilt and give them eternal peace. Then one day, John the Baptist declared: “Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29). 
   The INNOCENT ONE had come, but He was rejected. For thousands of years the Jews had awaited their Messiah, but when He came they rejected Him. Many still sit in spiritual darkness. How sad! There will, however, be a remnant that will believe on Him and be saved. (Rom. 9:27)
   You may ask, “Why did Jesus of Nazareth have to die?” Adam committed high treason against His Creator and God by obeying the voice of Lucifer and rebelled against Almighty God. The sins of Adam were imputed to the human race bringing God's judgment upon us all. 
    The Bible states: “For when we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. But God commendeth His Love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” (Rom. 5: 6-9)
3.  HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE MASSES OF LOST SOULS FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED?
   When Jesus Christ hung on Calvary's Cross, He fulfilled the Holy Scriptures that said: “But He was wounded for or transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him: and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Is. 53: 5,6)
    The Golden Text of the New Testament shows the love that God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord has for all the people on earth. His mercy extends to all people everywhere who will repent and accept His love, mercy and grace. Presently, the world's population stands at 7.6 billion.  These are souls for whom Jesus Christ shed His precious blood! These are souls for which we, as the body of Christ, are responsible!
     “For God so Loved the WORLD that He Gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the WORLD, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3: 16, 17)
    The Bible says: “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.” (Gal. 1:4)
    “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in Himself: He that believeth not hath made Him a liar: because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1 John 5: 10-12)
    There was no sickness, disease or death in the Garden of Eden. Sin brought a curse upon the earth that touched every man, woman and child. Jesus of Nazareth, however, broke that curse when He bore that curse for us all: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us for it is written, Cursed is every man that hangeth on a tree.” (Gal.3:13)
     Our Lord stated: “...Go ye into all the WORLD, and preach the Gospel to EVERY CREATURE. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and thy shall recover.” (Mark 16: 15-18)

4. HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE GREATNESS OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST?
   Do you understand the meaning of the born again experience, becoming a partaker of God's nature and the amazing process of adoption into His kingdom? You may ask: “Why is Jesus so special?” and, “What does His death and resurrection mean to me personally?” Those are two very good questions: Jesus of Nazareth was God the Son from eternity who was incarnated in human flesh so that He could bring us back to God. He wanted His Father to be our Father also. Because of the great rebellion of Lucifer the fallen archangel, sin had come into the world.
   Through his deception, lies and hatred for our Heavenly Father and life giver, Satan tempted our first parents to disobey their Maker and God.             Through their sin of high treason against their Heavenly Father, they were driven out of the Garden of Eden which He had created for them. Their rebellion plunged the entire human race into a state of unbelief and hopelessness. When the fullness of time had come, Jesus Christ came to planet earth to destroy Satan's power over us and to bring us all back into fellowship with His Father!
     Because the enormity of Adam's sin, Jesus had to die as God's Paschal Lamb, to atone for the sins of the entire world, past, present and future. His precious blood alone brings forgiveness, peace, healing and deliverance to sinful, fearful and dying people across the world today! All honour, praise and glory be unto our precious Lord Jesus, who was CRUCIFIED, but is alive forevermore!
   The Bible declares: “Christ was delivered (to the cross) for our offences (sins), and was raised again for our justification. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 4: 25; 5:1). The word justified means to be declared or made righteous in the sight of God!
    Christ knew about us before the foundation of the world. (Rom. 8:28, 29). He was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. (Rev.13: 8). He was demeaned, blasphemed, beaten and scourged with the Roman cat-of- nine-tails whip and nailed to the cross for us all. Jesus Christ bore our sins, fears, sicknesses, diseases and pains on that cursed tree. His vicarious death purchased our eternal salvation by meeting the righteous demands of Divine Justice by pouring out His pure and precious sinless BLOOD on our behalf.
    “According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved.” (Eph. 1:4-7)
    Jesus Christ has provided for us a complete salvation which began the moment we received Christ as our personal Saviour and will keep us until we sit down with Him in His Heavenly Kingdom! “For since by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His Coming.” (1 Cor. 15: 21-23)
    “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit (that is) that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
      “For He hath made Him to be sin (sin offering) for us, who knew no sin; that we might be the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor. 5: 17-19, 21); “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from or Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father; to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Gal. 1:3-5);
   “In whom we have redemption through His blood. (Eph. 1: 7) ; “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (lifestyle) received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
   "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. Who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory: that your faith and hope might be in God.” (1 Peter 1: 18, 19)
    The Bible says: “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” (Rev. 5: 6)
    The Bible says: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a m and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
   “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow o things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2: 5-11)

5.   HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE LATENESS OF THE HOUR!
   The first thing that I noticed when I began reading the Holy Bible regularly was the urgency with which Jesus spoke. A sense of urgency permeated His teachings and His ministry:
    “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee saw two brethren Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. And He saith unto them, Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matt. 4: 17-19)
   He had just returned from His wilderness temptation and He was already beginning to assemble His disciple team! He rose early in the morning for communion with His Father. There were times that He prayed all night and He encouraged His disciples to pray and to fast.
    “And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto Him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. And Simon and they that were with Him followed after Him. And when they had found Him, they said unto Him, All men seek for thee.
    “And He said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. And He preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee and cast out devils.” (Mark 1: 32, 37, 38). He spoke of the cares and pleasures of the world and He warned that Satan was a thief and killer. (John 8: 44; 10: 10)
   Jesus taught about planting the seed of God's Word and of the coming harvest. The closer He got to the time of His death He assured His disciples that He had come to suffer and die to purchase redemption for all sinners. And He warned about persecution for His name's sake. (Matt 10:16-22; John 16: 18-21).
   And He promised to send the blessed Holy Spirit to lead, guide and empower them to preach His Gospel to the ends of the earth: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And ye now therefore have sorrow; but I will see again and your hearts shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
    “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you.” (John 16: 7, 22-23)
6.    HAS THE HOLY SPIRIT BREATHED HIS PROMISE INTO YOUR SPIRIT?
    Have you heard His voice asking you to surrender totally to His CALL on your life? Has the Holy Spirit breathed into your heart the assurance that  He will be with you always, help you through all problems and give you the power to preach the Gospel, heal the sick, cast out devils and work the works of  Christ? Have you heard the call of  the Holy Spirit to pray for labourers for His  Vineyard? Are you prepared to lay your all on the altar of sacrifice for Jesus Christ?
   The Bible says: “Jesus said unto them, come ye after Me, and I shall make you to become fishers of men.” (Mark 1: 17); "And when He had called the people unto him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.     For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
   “For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Whosoever, therefore, shall be ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the Holy angels.” (Mark 8: 34-38)
     “And another also said, Lord, I will follow Thee; BUT let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home in my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9: 61, 62)
                        TAKE UP THY CROSS AND FOLLOW ME!
    Alfred H. Ackleyn wrote these absolutely wonderful words in 1922. It has been a greatly loved hymn to many people over many years. There has been times when it has brought me to tears
I walked one day along a country road,
And there a stranger journeyed too,
Bent low beneath the burden of His load:
It was a cross, a cross I knew.


Take up thy cross and follow Me,
I hear the blessed Savior call;
How can I make a lesser sacrifice,
When Jesus gave His all?

I cried, Lord Jesus, and He spoke my name;
I saw His hands all bruised and torn;
I stooped to kiss away the marks of shame,
The shame for me that He had borne.

Oh, let me bear Thy cross, dear Lord, I cried,
And, lo, a cross for me appeared,
The one, forgotten, I had cast aside,
The one, so long, that I had feared.

My cross I’ll carry till the crown appears—
The way I journey soon will end—
Where God Himself shall wipe away all tears,
And friend hold fellowship with friend.
   Pray that this paper on Revival will stir all our hearts to pray diligently, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and work heartily with great faith to make Christ known to as many as possible before He RETURNS to calls us Home! Amen.