“LET’S DIG IN”
Lighthouse Worship Center
Sept, 7, 2008 Am
INTRODUCTION:
During the week we had revival, with our Evangelist, God spoke to my heart and I was prophesied over. As I lay on the floor that night God spoke to my heart a profundity I didn’t understand for a moment. He spoke a simple thing to me. He said, “THIS IS FOR THE HOUSE!”
I lay there not knowing what that meant. I asked the Lord, “What does that mean?” Again, the Lord spoke to me saying simply, “THIS IS FOR THE HOUSE!” I began to weep and cry out to Him! I didn’t say anything else I just began to sob & weep and then speak in my prayer language. You may think that weird or simply stupid but I don’t care. I know what God spoke to my heart.
It wasn’t long before I began to understand what He was saying to me! What was happening was for “THIS HOUSE, FOR THIS MOMENT!” but the indication to me was that what happens next will “NOT BE FOR THE HOUSE ALONE” but will be for “OUTSIDE THE HOUSE!” A move that will reach “OUTSIDE THESE WALLS!” With that in mind I understood in my spirit that we had to “PREPARE” for that happening! That is what I want to share with you this morning!
There is a “BATTLE FOR REVIVAL!” The enemy does not want “REVIVAL” to come to Lighthouse Worship Center! But “GOD DOES!”
Turn with me to my Text: Read from Bible II Kings 3:1-17a.
“ ‘Thus says the Lord, ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’ ”
II Kings 3:16
Digging Ditches is as much for YOU as it is for the CHURCH & for “REVIVAL!” We as a Church need to “DIG DITCHES” but “YOU” as individuals need some “DITCH DIGGING” as well!
It takes “TOTAL COMMITMENT” to please God, not Half-Hearted Commitment! You may be sitting there saying to yourself, “That offends me! I want to see “REVIVAL” in this Church as much as the next person!” But do You? Do You really want to see “REVIVAL” in this Church? Because “REVIVAL” in this Church is going to take “TOTAL COMMITMENT” & it starts in “YOUR HEART!”
It starts with YOUR LOVING GOD MORE THAN SELF & LOVING PEOPLE MORE THAN SELF! YOURS IS A “HIGHER CALLING” THAN THAT OF SELF! THERE IS ALWAYS A “PRICE & COST OF REVIVAL” & IF IT IS EVER GOING TO BE REALIZED IT HAS TO BE PAID!
REVIVAL comes from God as it is stirred in the HEARTS OF GOD’S PEOPLE SEEKING HIS FACE, HIS WILL & HIS WAY! REVIVAL doesn’t start in the ALTARS! REVIVAL doesn’t start at CHURCH! REVIVAL doesn’t start in the HEAVENS!
REVIVAL STARTS IN THE HEARTS OF GOD’S PEOPLE WHEN GOD BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT TO THEM THAN SELF & OTHERS BECOME MORE IMPORTANT TO THEM THAN SELF! THAT’S SERVANTHOOD!
THEN YOU’LL SEE REVIVAL!
IF YOU’RE "NOT" WILLING TO “DIG SOME DITCHES” IN YOUR LIFE, FOR YOUR LIFE & THIS CHURCH THEN YOU’RE “NOT REALLY COMMITTED TO REVIVAL!”
YOU’RE “NOT REALLY COMMITTED TO REVIVAL” TO SEEING THIS CHURCH GO FORWARD FOR THE CAUSE OF SOULS, SALVATION, BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, HEALINGS, DELIVERANCES, MOVES OF GOD LIKE GRANDMA & GRANDPA USED TO TALK ABOUT!
Folk, if we’re going to see “REVIVAL”, then we’ve got to “DIG SOME DITCHES” in our lives!
These #3 Kings & their Armies were without water! They were facing a battle they were going to lose & THEY KNEW IT! They had two battle fronts going on at the same time! THEY WERE FACING WAR & LACK OF WATER! They were not going to win this battle & they knew it!
They were “DESPERATE IN A DESPERATE SITUATION!” One of them said “WE’VE BEEN CALLED TOGETHER TO BE DELIVERED TO THE MOAB!”
Then Jehoshaphat said, “LET’S CALL ON GOD!” They went to the Prophet & God spoke through him saying, “MAKE THIS VALLEY FULL OF DITCHES!” I can hear them now! “YEA! I’LL BET HE DID! MAKE THIS VALLEY FULL OF DITCHES! WHAT DOES THAT MEAN! HOW STUPID IS THAT! WE’RE FACING A WAR & WE SUPPOSED TO WHAT?”
I’ll admit it didn’t sound like a Prudent Idea to me when I read it, but then much of what God tells me to do I wouldn’t have done on my own, much less thought of it!
Folk, we can never leave (OUT) the “LEADERSHIP” of the HOLY SPIRIT in our LIVES & OUR CHURCH! Even though it sounds kooky & a little odd if not eccentric. If God said to do it then it must be done!
I KNOW IN MY HEART THAT GOD WANTS TO SEND “REVIVAL” TO THIS CHURCH, THIS TOWN, THIS NATION!
Did you know that the “VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE”, Sara Palin, is a “SPIRIT FILLED, ASSEMBLY OF GOD WOMAN!” I told someone this week that this may be the LAST HURRAH from GOD for this nation to turn to HIM FOR “REVIVAL” BEFORE THE END TIME & JUDGEMENT FALLS ON THIS NATION!
This Church is in a “BATTLE!” The enemy doesn’t want “REVIVAL” to come & fall on this Congregation or Church because of the “DAMAGE” that would do to his cause, BUT GOD....
GOD wants to bring “REVIVAL” to this Church & Congregation for the “GLORY & VICTORY” it will bring to HIS CAUSE & KINGDOM! FOR THE SOULS OUT THERE THAT NEED HIM! THAT NEED SALVATION, THE HOLY SPIRIT, DELIVERANCE, & RIGHTEOUS LIVING!
The enemy has pulled out all stops BUT GOD.... The King of Kings has pulled out all stops as well, but there is one thing that will hold “REVIVAL” back from this Church & that is the LACK OF COMMITMENT, FAITH IN GOD, OBEDIENCE TO HIM & DESIRE ON OUR PARTS!
FOLK, SAYING & HOPING FOR IT, IT IS NOT ENOUGH! If it were enough then we’d have this place full of people every Sunday!
We have got to have a “WANT” so Great that WE’LL PULL OUT ALL STOPS TO HAVE THE “REVIVAL” GOD WANTS TO GIVE TO US!
IT’S GOING TO TAKE US “DIGGING SOME DITCHES!”
Here are 3 Kings who had done all they knew to do & it just wasn’t working till one of them said, “LET’S CALL ON GOD!”
What that tells me is YOU CAN DO ALL THE “RIGHT” THINGS FOR ALL THE “RIGHT” REASONS & THEY STILL NOT WORK OUT! WHY? BECAUSE ONE HAS LEFT OUT THE “FOUNDATION” OF ALL THAT IS GOOD, RIGHT & HOLY! GOD!
We’re like the 3 Kings I speak of. It seems we’ve done all we know to do but it’s just not working! I’m not saying we’ve left God out on “PURPOSE OR NOT!” But without a “SEEKING GOD” in such a manner that HE becomes “MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE” in our lives, we’ll never see “REVIVAL” the way God desires for us!
We need a “STIRRING IN OUR HEARTS” that causes us to draw closer to HIM, to REALIZE OUR NEED more than our PERCEIVED NEEDS, more than OUR NEXT MEAL, OUR NEXT PAYCHECK, OUR NEXT BREATH!
You know as well as I do, that if you want something bad enough you’ll “FIND A WAY” to get it whether you can afford it or not!
If you want “REVIVAL” bad enough you’ll “FIND A WAY” to let God know you “DESIRE & NEED” HIM MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE!
WE NEED REVIVAL! A “REVIVAL & MOVE OF GOD” THAT’LL SHAKE THE FOUNDATIONS OF OUR WORLD, OUR LIVES, OUR HOMES, & OUR CHURCH!
That week the through the Evangelist. GOD Spoke some things to my heart in a PROFOUND MANNER & WAY! & one of them was about “DIGGING DITCHES!”
These Three Kings were “DESPERATE IN A DESPERATE SITUATION!” Folk, we are “DESPERATE IN A DESPERATE SITUATION!”
Not for money, not for numbers but for “REVIVAL!” They called on God as should we call on God.
God told them they would not see ‘WIND NOR RAIN, YET THAT VALLEY WOULD BE FILLED WITH WATER, SO THAT YOU, YOUR CATTLE & YOUR ANIMALS SHALL DRINK!”
AND OUT OF THE “WILDERNESS OF EDOM” THE ANSWER CAME! FOLK, GOD WILL BRING “PROVISION” FROM WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECT IT! BUT HE WILL BRING IT!
“REVIVAL” IS & WILL BE THE “GREATEST PROVISION” OF HIS HAND FOR THIS CHURCH, YOU & FOR BEAUMONT!
I prayed to God how I would keep the momentum of “REVIVAL ALIVE” as our Evangelist was scheduled to come back in few weeks & I realized my job was to get us to “GET PREPARED” for the “REVIVAL” to come.
CONCLUSION:
FOLK, LET’S “GET PREPARED” FOR WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO! BY “FASTING & PRAYING” FOR...HIS WILL, HIS WAY & HIS PRESENCE!
LET’S COME DOWN TO THESE ALTARS & LET’S SEEK GOD!
