One person can change the world around him! Look in even American newspapers and you will find reports from the Welsh revival.
Student Evan Roberts started the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival in his first year of college and it caused such a stir that bars and gambling houses had to close. Prostitution ceased. Even the courts had to close because there was no crime. They had to have a meeting to decide what to do with the police! They wanted an account for their time to continue to pay them. The police responded, we go where the people are. They ended up singing for the churches. The miner’s ponies wouldn’t obey their masters’ commands any longer because they had cleaned up their speech.
Evan Roberts left college and went to his home town of Loughor, Wales in 1904 after receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit in a church meeting. He had a desire to reach 100,000 people for Christ and set out on what would turn out to be a 5 month journey which exceeded his dream.
We need that now, right?
How did he accomplish this? He wasn’t a learned man. He came from a simple Methodist family. However, he was known as even a young man to spend hours in prayer. We who are much older can learn from his example. Prayer accomplishes much. No prayer from a believer goes up to Heaven unheard. Prayer and worship are powerful weapons in this battlefield of life.
His first sermon started like this: “I have a message for you from the Lord. You must confess any known sin and put any wrong done to man right again. Second, you must put away any doubtful habit. Third, you must obey the Spirit promptly. Finally, you must confess your faith publicly.”
In order to preach this message, he had to experience this for himself. He had to break down in godly sorrow and repent of everything and ask for God’s forgiveness and mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ. God is rich in mercy, but we have to ask for it. He also had to have become accustomed to obeying the Spirit instantly (which is not easy, but gets easier with practice). Once we don’t obey the Spirit, He can’t use us. I’m learning this and by no means am I an expert at it. When I obey, the peace of God floods me. It’s like a holy fist bump.
Once we have grown in the Lord, we have to pass on the lessons we have learned to others. Discipling is not an option; it’s a New Testament command from Jesus. Go and make disciples. We have to do it. If we stay in our churches and don’t go to the lost, how will they hear? Leave your holy huddles when God directs to reach out to the lost. If we are so busy with work, hobbies or friends that we don’t have time to evangelize and disciple, something has to go. For me, it was a side gig which I enjoyed very much and so it was hard to let it go. I’ve found I am happier now because I have quantity time for God and for ministry. God was right. He always is.
We have to ask God for a plan for ministry. If you are a follower of Christ you are called to ministry. There’s thousands of people around you that will spend eternity in hell if they don’t hear the true gospel. What’s it going to take for God to reach them? It may involve you. Ask God what his mission for you is. The harvest is ripe, but the laborers are few. Are you ready to yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to use you to reach your neighborhood for Christ? Listen for His commands because you may be the instrument for revival for your city. God doesn’t require a big, long skill set; he just requires availability.
Are you revived from the time in your prayer closet so that you can reach people for Christ? If not, go, shut the door behind you because God is waiting for you. My prayer for us, is to be God’s instruments for revival.
Following Jesus 