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View Full Version : Is Texas where the GREAT REVIVAL is to start?



augercreek
07-12-2021, 06:47 AM
With so many mega church's in Texas, surely the great revival of our country will start from there ! Or are they just like the rest of us do nothings? You watch any of these programs and the congregations are shouting and clapping and ready to be raptured, yet you never hear of any great revival happening. How come?

JimB..
07-12-2021, 07:54 AM
Because everyone is comfortable.

GhostHawk
07-12-2021, 08:02 AM
IMO too many preachers in too many churches won't preach anything that could/would upset their flock.

If a revival comes it will be from the churchless but strong in their faith.

Our nation as a whole needs to fall on its knees and repent. And I don't see it happening.

Alas Babylon that City on a hill that sent forth a clear shining light for all to see.

The light is dimmed now. I am afraid we are doomed to follow the Jews and the torment they suffered through.

You want it to change, or stop. We as a people need to be less concerned about this life and more concerned about the one to come after this one.
We need to put our trust in the Lord not ourselves.

MUSTANG
07-12-2021, 08:04 AM
Because Christianity should be about an individual and his/her relationship with the Lord - while the Mega Church/Revival is about showmanship and the big bucks.

Concerning "Revivals": My dad as a young man was a helllion. One can explain it by being a child of the depression, having a father who was a drunk (WW-I vet), losing his mother and dropping out of grade school in 3rd grade to care for younger sisters, and... He tells the story of going to a "Traveling Revival" meeting near Shamrock Texas where he witnessed a crippled man throw his crutches away and walk - totally healed. He was so impressed that he followed the "Revival" to the next community; where he witnessed the same man on crutches throw them away and walk once again. He was agnostic until my mother convinced him that Christianity was about the individual and their relationship with the Lord.

And yes JimB; everyone today is comfortable - even those unemployed and those on Public Assistance of all forms. (Not a recipe for christianity I read about in my bible).

dverna
07-12-2021, 01:15 PM
If you believe God is omniscient, He already knows what will happen to this country. He has a plan, and our prayers and repentance will not affect the result of His plan. Our "charge" is to use our free will to live as He wants us to live and to find our comfort in Him.

IMO praying for our nation is "feel good" stuff. If His plan requires our nation to fall, such is His will and it will be done. We can pray for strength and wisdom to deal with what may happen but we cannot pray to undo or change His plan. He is our God...He does not answer to us or our wishes.

There is no mention of a nation like ours in the Bible. God's interest is not in nations (save possibly the Jewish nation), but in His children. America does not hold a special place in God's Kingdom.

Preacher Jim
07-12-2021, 02:47 PM
Every great revival started in a prayer meeting. Everyone was convicted of their sins and started confessing them to the Lord asking forgiveness for their sins. It spread till folks quit confessing sins and preachers got involved. Want a revival it starts with confessing sins and turning to the Lord and following his word, the Bible.

Char-Gar
07-12-2021, 02:55 PM
With so many mega church's in Texas, surely the great revival of our country will start from there ! Or are they just like the rest of us do nothings? You watch any of these programs and the congregations are shouting and clapping and ready to be raptured, yet you never hear of any great revival happening. How come?

What you are watching is church entertainment. Jesus show biz, if you will. Folks go for the entertainment and the adrenalin high. That wears off and then they go back for their next fix. Lots of emotion, but very little actual substance. basically these services are music events, with a motivational speech thrown in, sprinkled with Jesus words. Do not expect the birth of a spiritual movement and you won't be disappointed. Jesus Inc. is big business now.

1hole
07-12-2021, 02:55 PM
... you never hear of any great revival happening. How come?

Auger, what I mean is, what do you think such a revival would look like? Some folk think it would be a rush of the Holy Spirit bringing in new converts. Others think it would be a flood of recommitments from those of us who are already Christian.

To me, the word itself suggests the second, i.e., a personal RE-vival of an old spiritual intensity and an internal - heart - refocusing on Godly living before the world. What say you?

Char-Gar
07-12-2021, 03:10 PM
I dunno; what do you think such a revival would look like?

I have been the preacher at well over a hundred revivals. Some have been good meetings with folks doing serious business with the Lord. That said, I have seen one genuine "Holy Ghost Revival" in my life. It was both wonderful and scary at the same time. When it happens, you know it is the product of the Spirit and not anything human about it. It can't be control or channeled, you just have to let the Spirit go where he wishes. It scared the bejabbers out of me and on paper I was the one in charge. It happened at Brooklyn United Methodist Church in Baltimore in the winter of 1977. Folks from many churches came, as the word spread. Protestants of all stripes and Catholics as well. Some drove a hundred miles in the snow just to be there. Standing room only for ten days. I preached the same sermons and taught the same breakfast Bible studies that I have used dozens of times, and nothing like that happened before, so I know it was not me. It is a once in a lifetime experience and it forever changes you. You know that from time to time God still will assert his authority and do what cannot be explained.

Winger Ed.
07-12-2021, 04:55 PM
With so many mega church's in Texas, surely the great revival of our country will start from there

They're all about begging for money, and getting lots of it.
Their flock is mostly gullible fools trying to buy, or con their way into heaven.

Our local news has stories of their deceit and corruption all too often.

augercreek
07-13-2021, 07:29 AM
Well, there are a few different views here aren't there. If God won't change His plan, then why pray for our country? Why pray at all?

Wayne Smith
07-13-2021, 07:56 AM
We were in a Baptist Church in Concord, NH years ago - and I mean more than 25 years ago. We had a Mission's program and the lead speaker was a man in his 70's who was then head of TEAM. He told us that when he was a teenager he and his brother went to a summer camp in Cape Cod, MA. He and his brother were saved at that camp. He told us that he, his brother, and his mother went from 'Church' to 'Church' in Boston for six months before they found one that knew what it meant to be 'born again'. His point was that New England has been in a tremendous revival for the past 50 years - but you don't see it when you are in the midst because all you see is the battle. There are bible believing Churches all over New England today. They are still in a battle.

I firmly believe that there are many more Churchians in the Church today than there are Christians. That is, there are many more who believe in the Church or the pastor than there are who believe in Christ.

JimB..
07-13-2021, 09:16 AM
Well, there are a few different views here aren't there. If God won't change His plan, then why pray for our country? Why pray at all?
This deserves it’s own topic of you feel like starting another.

Prayer can be many things, but I struggle with the value of intercessory prayer. I get that it’s modeling what Jesus did for us, but I fail to understand why. Sometimes it feels like it’s just about having something to do when there is nothing else you can do. Sometimes it feels like it helps to know that the community is trying to help. Praying for the country, I think it’s probably more effective to spend that time talking to a young person.

Char-Gar
07-13-2021, 10:45 AM
This deserves it’s own topic of you feel like starting another.

Prayer can be many things, but I struggle with the value of intercessory prayer. I get that it’s modeling what Jesus did for us, but I fail to understand why. Sometimes it feels like it’s just about having something to do when there is nothing else you can do. Sometimes it feels like it helps to know that the community is trying to help. Praying for the country, I think it’s probably more effective to spend that time talking to a young person.

Q: Does prayer change God's mind, or does prayer change out minds?

A:

Q: Does prayer align God's will with ours, or does prayer align our will with God's?

A:

square butte
07-13-2021, 10:50 AM
Both questions - Either one, the other, or both - Whatever God intends it to be - Our understanding is limited

1hole
07-13-2021, 11:50 AM
They're all about begging for money, and getting lots of it.

Well, "all" is pretty harsh. I believe most mega-churches are mega because they're good churches and it seems most of them handle money fairly well. Your thoughts about TV show-biz mega-churches are dead on but they aren't "all" mega-churches by any means. The flamboyant fakes are just the most visible because they are fakes.


Their flock is mostly gullible fools trying to buy, or con their way into heaven.

Perhaps. Those who fit that description are fooling themselves but, sadly, many of them are just well meaning dupes.


Our local news has stories of their deceit and corruption all too often.

The fact that church deceit and corruption is "news" says it's outside the norm. I have faith that most ministers and churches (of any size) are honest.

God's good workers - and there are many - will be rewarded in the hereafter. But self-indulgent religious show biz pretenders like Joel Osteen, Benny Hind, Jim/Tammy Baker, Joyce Myers, et al, better enjoy their vainglory and sly theft of God's wealth now because Jesus says they're in for hellz correction later. Jesus quite clearly speaks of hard working but self deluded churchists who really work for themselves in Mt 7:21-23: "... depart from me ..."

Come quickly Lord Jesus!

Char-Gar
07-13-2021, 12:07 PM
Both questions - Either one, the other, or both - Whatever God intends it to be - Our understanding is limited

Our understanding is indeed limited, but it is not non-existent.

Winger Ed.
07-13-2021, 12:44 PM
Well, "all" is pretty harsh. I believe most mega-churches are mega because they're good churches and it seems most of them handle money fairly well. [/I]

Seeing some of them in the light that I have, I guess I look at them as some of us do lawyers:
'Sure there are some good ones, but the other 95% give the rest of them a bad name'.

Such as when a real missionary in some horrible place was interviewed by a news agency.
He talked of mega church camera crews coming in and only wanting to photograph the worst of the worst living conditions.
They'd take a bunch of pictures, go home, and the preacher would use them as he cried, and begged for money.
Then, not a dime came back to those places where the local missionary was actually bringing the Gospel to the heathens..

MUSTANG
07-13-2021, 12:47 PM
Seeing some of them in the light that I have, I guess I look at them as some of us do lawyers:
'Sure there are some good ones, but the other 95% give the rest of them a bad name'.

Such as when a real missionary in some horrible place was interviewed by a news agency.
He talked of mega church camera crews coming in and only wanting to photograph the worst of the worst living conditions.
They'd take a bunch of pictures, go home, and the preacher would use them as he cried, and begged for money.
Then, not a dime came back to those places where the local missionary was actually bringing the Gospel to the heathens..

Winger Ed - An analogy to the "Missionary" aspect of large/mega churches is the desire to go to some other far away country and improve the lives of those there - yet they can't go down the road a mile in any direction and improve the lives of those closer to home.

JimB..
07-13-2021, 12:50 PM
Q: Does prayer change God's mind, or does prayer change out minds?

A:

Q: Does prayer align God's will with ours, or does prayer align our will with God's?

A:

In both cases, not the former and sometimes the latter.

augercreek
07-13-2021, 01:00 PM
In both cases, not the former and sometimes the latter.

I believe this to be true!

Winger Ed.
07-13-2021, 01:15 PM
Winger Ed - An analogy to the "Missionary" aspect of large/mega churches is the desire to go to some other far away country and improve the lives of those there - yet they can't go down the road a mile in any direction and improve the lives of those closer to home.

From what I've seen, they don't do either one.

When we lived in the city, Robt. Tilton's big church was about 3/4 mile away.
My Aunt was one of his flock that gave darn near every dollar she had to him.
I always figured she thought she was buying her way into Heaven.

This is a guy who would fly in from California, in his private jet, to stay in Dallas for Sat. and his service on Sunday.
And yeah, both of his houses were almost big enough to have their own zip codes.

One of his deals was dedicated checks/donations-
The checks he promised to personally pray over, along with a letter of what you wished for........
Boxes of them were found cancelled, and inside a dumpster in Oklahoma.

One family of his flock was on the news, they fell on hard times, and drove in for some promised help.
Upon arrival, Security ran them out of the parking lot.

There is or was a couple more cut from the same cloth around town, but they were smaller, and kept a lower profile.

Hogtamer
07-13-2021, 01:23 PM
Prayer has nothing to do with changing God. Fervent prayer (let the reader understand) changes us profoundly, transforming our minds into something acceptable to God. Our faith is thus multiplied. I have never moved mountains so my faith is small. Even so I have witnessed miracles of grace and healing as my prayers were joined with others called to pray in specific circumstances.

Winger Ed.
07-13-2021, 01:50 PM
This reminds me of when I worked in the deepest, darkest part of S. West Dallas.
Our store wasn't in the ghetto, but you could see it from there.

A local church there sold and delivered plate lunches pretty frequently to the neighborhood businesses and homes.
They were a little more expensive than if you went to the drive up window at 'burger Biggie',,,, however;
You haven't lived until you've had a plate lunch made by some 60-odd year old, Southern born & bred, big, fat, black guy.
Gosh they were good.

They were always actively seeking donations, but all their proceeds also stayed in the neighborhood.
They had their own 'meals on wheels' program for old and disabled folks who couldn't get out.
They gave away clothes and coats to kids & homeless, and offered tutoring to school kids.

Great folks, and I always looked forward to those lunches.
I think they charged $8-9 bucks. After the first one I had, I always gave them a $20. to be sure
they came by our store the next time they made them.

1hole
07-14-2021, 09:44 AM
Winger Ed - An analogy to the "Missionary" aspect of large/mega churches is the desire to go to some other far away country and improve the lives of those there - yet they can't go down the road a mile in any direction and improve the lives of those closer to home.

Wanting other people to improve the lives of the poor is a noble idea ... and it's feel good easy too. But, the primary purpose of the church is to spread the spiritual gospel of eternal life through the accomplished work of Jesus, not to be a world wide soup kitchen.

America has huge numbers of "poor" folk, and some of it'a legitimate, but if we look just a little below the surface we can quickly find why there are so many people who live looking like open mouth little birds in a nest waiting to be fed by someone else.

Sadly, the small numbers of Christians is overwhelmed by the huge numbers who need daily helping. Even more sad is how many of the poor actively avoid helping themselves to anything but the largess of others; were it not for the vast numbers of the useless, our temporal helping of the truly needy would be much more effective.

Bottom line, living free doesn't mean getting to live for free! The church is only charged to aid the needy people within the church but we do much more than that. There are valid reasons the truly poor and the truly useless run terrible risks and go to such extremes to get here; the USA has the fattest, best dressed and best cared for "poor" in the world.

sghart3578
07-14-2021, 10:08 AM
The modern commercialized church in this country has sold out to political correctness. It is as far from Godly as anything I have seen.

Until the megachurches stand up against the moral decay instead of embracing it no true revival will be possible through them.

Perhaps a groundswell of laymen who buck the liberal megachurches will come about.


Steve in N CA

pmer
07-14-2021, 03:40 PM
This is what I thought the OP was about.

https://promisekeepersevent.com/

mobilemail
07-15-2021, 08:00 PM
I've been pondering on Matthew 7:21-23 lately. It seems apparent that the heart of God's will for us is more than amazing miracles. We are about to be about "the family business" of introducing people to Jesus, and loving them as Jesus loves them. Matthew 25:35-40 seems to really get to the heart of our duties as Christ's ambassadors. I think the Lord is asking what I can point to, specifically, in my life that fills his command to clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned, feed the hungry and welcome the stranger.
When a local community of believers is moved to fulfill these things that remain at the heart of God, I believe His favor will show up and revival occur. Because, lets face it, for revival you have to have..."vival".

exile
02-23-2023, 03:05 AM
I don't know? How about the revival going on right now at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky?

I really think we ought to be praying for what is going on there.

exile

Good Cheer
02-23-2023, 07:35 AM
Concerning the mega churches, often what you're seeing is not only using God as a stage prop for show business but also (and there's nothing new about this) it's government business. And not just the US government. Be aware of who you serve.

GhostHawk
02-23-2023, 11:13 AM
3 years ago we were lucky enough to spend 7 weeks in New Orleans with my Aunt Skelly. Skelly grew up next door to my mom. And her home life was troubled so she spent a lot of time with Aunt Thelma and Uncle Robert, my maternal grandparents.

About the 3rd week we were there she asked if we were coming to church?
Now normally her daughter would pick her up and take her. But this week she was tied up with something.
Now I did not bring any church clothes. But I showered and got into my best shirt and pants, loaded us up and went and found the church.

Little Farms United Church of Christ

4201 Transcontinental Drive
Metairie, LA 70006

https://www.lfucc.org/

Now this is a mission based church.
They do not have a big fancy building. Their pastor works for a living same as everyone else.
And she did not have a new car.

What really struck me was when she opened the service, she told them to great their neighbors.
Then came walking down the aisle to find out who WE were.

It was the warmest most honest welcome I had ever received in a church. We truly felt welcome and at home.

Every month, Little Farms UCC donates a specified collection of items to support local community partners.
In 2018, LFUCC members donated 1,680 pounds of food to The Dorothy B. Watson Community Center, and in 2019 we exceeded our annual goal to donate a ton of food to the Watson Center, literally, a ton (2000 pounds) of food.
In 2020 and 2021, our monthly donations were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the damages to our Church building by Hurricane Ida, but we are proud to have been able to support Covenant House New Orleans, Animal Rescue New Orleans, Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, MS, and The Dorothy B. Watson Community Center in Metairie, LA.

Here is a church who is taking care of those a mile down the road. They had programs for helping the homeless in the inner city.
They are reaching out to those near to them in need and doing what they can.

Now THAT is a church.

Electrod47
02-23-2023, 12:02 PM
If Jesus was to walk up to a Mega-Church in Texas he'd start tearing it up and whippin' the money changers. He did it before and is going to do it again. Some people just never learn.

groundpounder
02-23-2023, 01:01 PM
Wow, don’t know whether this is the start of “the great revival” but this thread has revived after a year and seven months. Churchian is a new term for me and appropriate for some and I am adding it to my vocabulary.

To the question, revival will start when each one of us looks in the mirror and sees the “man of sin”, humbles himself “under God” and THEN we will hear from heaven and he will heal our land.

Sig556r
02-23-2023, 01:04 PM
It's mostly about tithe...disguised as spiritual.
Nowadays, political & social wokeness likewise abound both pro & anti in these gatherings to gain tithing share

Gobeyond
02-23-2023, 11:20 PM
The tithe is good. Shows your not in love with your money. Revival won’t bejesus coming down but a lot of hurting people giving their lives to God because of pressure from government and splinter groups. Feeling oppressed and needing somewhere to turn. Like the Vival in China. Like in a revolution here or after a dirty bomb. Hurting people wanting something better. That always gets them. Pain would make worship more meaningful. If somebody comes doing miracles it’s probably antichrist.

.429&H110
02-26-2023, 10:25 PM
We need more missionaries in America
to revive some of the failing, dying churches.
Church is not a spectator sport.
My church sponsors a missionary in Kharkiv
and a missionary in San Francisco

We haven't heard from San Francisco for a while
I hope they are ok.
Lord, bless our missionaries everywhere!

Revival begins at home
and works from witness to witness
hymn to hymn, prayer to prayer
from the ordinary to the miraculous.

The Book speaks of "stumblingstones"
and there certainly are some to trip over.

I believe America is not done with greatness yet.
Paradigm shifts are, by definition, unexpected.
Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly!

Good Cheer
02-27-2023, 08:23 AM
Revival does indeed begin at home.
Perhaps it is time for home churches.


PS,
Came back to say that yeah, Isaiah 26 has been on my mind.

Good Cheer
03-05-2023, 08:52 AM
Isaiah 26...
Recently heard a pastor comment that it's time to begin organizing home, some would call underground, churches.
Is it that time already? The more I think about it the more it does look that way.

brokeasajoke
03-05-2023, 09:45 AM
Heard a story about a local major tree company's owner grandson went to a particular church. He has tattoo sleeves and doesn't look "churchy". A decon asked him to leave as he was not welcome there. Sad just sad. We have got to get away from our four and no more. All denominations are on the same team. We all need to come together and be The Church and show the love that Christ showed the world. Revival starts on our knees

.429&H110
03-06-2023, 12:40 AM
Baptist joke from Arizona

Cowboy visited church
He looked like a cowboy walked like a cowboy
talked like a cowboy smelled like a cowboy
After service the preacher told the cowboy
to go home and pray about what to wear next Sunday.
The next Sunday the preacher asked the cowboy
"Didn't you pray to God about what to wear to church?"
"Yes I did" said the cowboy "God said He had never been to this church
so He wouldn't know what to wear, either"

It's their souls to save not their skins!
I am sorry we can't reach the teens before they use themselves for coloring books.
But maybe, just maybe they'll bring their kids.

Jesus could look at a man
and know what was in his heart.
I cannot.
Most people judge another in about 2 seconds.
First impressions are often wrong.

Alabama358
03-08-2023, 01:41 PM
Heard a story about a local major tree company's owner grandson went to a particular church. He has tattoo sleeves and doesn't look "churchy". A decon asked him to leave as he was not welcome there. Sad just sad. We have got to get away from our four and no more. All denominations are on the same team. We all need to come together and be The Church and show the love that Christ showed the world. Revival starts on our knees

All denominations are on the same team???
You mean like Baptist, Catholics, Mormons, Jews, Muslims, Buddhist?

Paul told the Galatians that the idea that they needed to believe on Christ and also be circumcised. (basically any type of works needed in addition to faith for salvation) was not only wrong but let that denomination be accursed.

His instruction was not to come together with them and be one big happy church

Galatians 1:6-9
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.


All that being said, if that fella got the Nike for having tattoos that would be wrong.
My guess is that there probably a little more to the story... like, was he there with his boyfriend or something along those lines.

farmbif
03-08-2023, 01:58 PM
dont know much about mega churches. but my own experience with local preachers is mixed. several years ago a local preacher came by with his son and wanted to dig ginseng off the mountain behind my house telling me the previous owner always let him. local ginseng usually sells for something like $600-$1000/lb. well i said o'k as long as we can split what you find, he didn't exactly like that but did do it. the digging got cut short because they lost the digging tool somewhere on the mountain and could not find it I got about 1/4lb from the digging. well several months later I was visiting with the elderly woman who sold me the property and asked her about all this. she said she never let anyone except her brother or children on the property to do anything. so that "preacher" flat out lied to me. last time I saw him was a few years ago at a neighbors thanksgiving dinner. the most religious person I know is the widow lady down the road and she refuses to go to the church on the other side of the mountain where they use rattlesnakes in the weekly service. the preachers wife got bit and died and preacher said she must not have loved Jesus with all her heart. but there are some good churches around that do good things. one of them puts together boxes of food every week and hands them out and delivers to old folks that cant get out. very good people doing very good things. every year or so someone will put up a big tent somewhere around town and have a 24 hour revival, pass the plate around then pack up the tent and be gone.