CBN.com - "They that sow
in tears shall reap in joy." (Ps. 126:5). This is the divine edict. This is more
than preaching with zeal. This is more than scholarly exposition. This is more
than delivering sermons of exegetical exactitude and homiletical perfection. Such
a man, whether preacher or pew dweller, is appalled at the shrinking authority
of the Church in the present drama of cruelty in the world. And he cringes with
sorrow that men turn a deaf ear to the Gospel and willingly risk eternal hell
in the process. Under this complex burden, his heart is crushed to tears.
The
true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church, grieved
at the blindness of the Church, grieved at the corruption in the Church, grieved
at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church.
He is disturbed that the corporate prayer of the Church no longer pulls down the
strongholds of the devil. He is embarrassed that the Church folks no longer cry
in their despair before a devil-ridden, sin-mad society, "Why could we not cast
him out?" (Matt. 17:19).
Many of us have no heart-sickness for the former
glory of the Church because we have never known what true revival is. We stagnate
in the status quo and sleep easy at night while our generation moves swiftly to
the eternal night of hell. Shame, shame on us! Jesus whipped some money changers
out of the temple; but before He whipped them, He wept over them. He knew how
near their judgment was. The Apostle Paul sent a tear-stained letter to the Philippian
saints, writing: "I have told you often and now tell you even weeping, that they
are the enemies of the cross of Christ" (Phil. 3:18).
Notice that he does
not say they are enemies of Christ; they are, rather, the enemies of the cross
of Christ. They deny or diminish the redemptive values of the cross. There are
many like this today. The church of Rome does not stand as an enemy of Christ;
it traces heavily on His holy name. Yet it denies the cross by saying that the
Blessed Virgin is co-redemptive. If this is so, why was she not also crucified?
The Mormons use the name of Christ, yet they are astray on the atonement. Have
we tears for them? Shall we face them without a blush when they accuse us of inertia
at the Judgment Seat saying that they were our neighbors and an offense to us,
but not a burden because they were lost?
The Salvationists can scarcely
read their flaming evangelical history without tears. Has the glory of the evangelical
revival under Wesley ever gripped the hearts of the Methodists of today? Have
they read of the fire-baptized men in Wesleys team? Men like John Nelson, Thomas
Walsh, and a host of others whose names are written in the Book of Life; men persecuted
and kicked in the streets when they held street meetings? Yet as their blood flowed
from their wounds, their tears flowed from their eyes.
Have the Holiness
people set a guard at the door of the beauty parlors lest any sister should enter
to get her hair curled, while a block away there is a string of prostitutes trying
to sell their sin-wracked bodies with none to tell them of eternal love? Do the
Pentecostals look back with shame as they remember when they dwelt across the
theological tracks, but with the glory of the Lord in their midst? When they had
a normal church life, which meant nights of prayers, followed by signs and wonders,
and diverse miracles, and genuine gifts of the Holy Ghost? When they were not
clock watchers, and their meetings lasted for hours, saturated with holy power?
Have we no tears for these memories, or shame that our children know nothing
of such power? Have we no tears for revival?
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