A Call To The Remnant

It is true that we have seen man’s best endeavor in the field of evangelism leaving communities untouched. We have seen crowded churches. We have seen many professions. We have seen hundreds, yes and thousands responding to what you speak of here as the altar call. But I want to say this dear people, and I say it without fear of contradiction, that you can have all that without God! Now that may startle you, but I say again, you can have all that on mere human levels. Howard Spring was right when he wrote ” The Kingdom of God is not going to advance by our churches becoming filled by men, but by men in churches becoming filled by God.” And there’s a difference! Crowded churches, deep interest in church activity is possible on mere human levels, leaving the community untouched. (Duncan Campbell)

If your salvation was a “get out of hell,” transaction then it’s highly likely you are not saved. It’s when the wretchedness of our condition, as exposed by the Holy Spirit of conviction, collides with the love and the mercy and the grace as revealed by Calvary, that a man or a woman repents and turns 180 degrees from the sinful lives they led and are saved. Much of the religious industrial complex, having avoided this themselves, cause others to be lost in their ignorance. They are fooled into believing that a “sinners prayer,” has saved their souls from eternal death and that church attendance and sacraments will see them “home,” safe.

Deep conviction of sin was the mark of the great awakenings and revivals of note. It did not come by persuasive words or the clever skills and oratory gifts of men. It advances when the Holy Spirit comes down and lights up the darkness that lies within men. And in the realization of that darkness and the utter wretchedness of our sinful ways, we come face to face with the mercy of God. The wonder of it all will overwhelm a mans wicked heart. He will tear his shirt and fall on his face and cry out to the living God. And in that moment, as opposed to “hands up who does not want to go to hell,” (an altar call that I have actually heard) the eternal consequences of his ways will tear through a mans soul. In his surrender and in his repentance, his very soul will be flooded by grace and the transformation will be astounding.

In most of our churches, the Holy Spirit of conviction, having been driven out a long time ago, has been replaced with persuasive words, emotionalism and manipulation, typically through music. The music team will be told to come up. The people will be told to put their hands up, to stand up, to cry out, to come forward. The support team will be told to come forward, the prayer team will be told to come forward. The truth is brothers and sisters, when the Holy Spirit of conviction comes down, He alone is affecting the hearts and spirits of men. In the soulish realm, men need instructions. When the might and power of men have failed, then its the Spirit that causes men to “rent their shirts,” and cry out “what must we do to be saved.” Echoing through the people will be cries of “is their mercy for me.”

I believe the Holy Spirit of conviction is not done with us. Yet we must travail in prayer. We must be diligent and cry out to the Lord. And we must keep on doing that until we see the breakthrough. Most of all, we must believe that He is, and that that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, for without this kind of faith it is impossible to please Him (Heb 3:6) The keys to this kind of encounter comes through earnest and steadfast prayer. Where is the prayer meeting? Where are the faithful people of God who know that in order to see Him move, He alone must come down. An old poet wrote ” The promise can’t save though the promise is sure. It is the Blood we get under that cleanses us through. It cleanses me now, hallelujah to God! I rest on the promise but I’m under the Blood.”

Can you see what is being said? Men have abandoned the Holy Spirit and now rest upon a text of Scripture as opposed to the one who is the Scripture. Words cannot save us, only Jesus can. He is the Word made flesh. It rests upon Him alone and the power of the Holy Spirit to convict men and to open up their hearts and to rent asunder the veil that clouds their minds from their true state. Mercy and truth must collide. The truth of our state and the mercy that shall cleanse it. And only then shall righteousness and peace kiss. Jesus says in Luke 12 “I have come to send fire on the earth!.” Jesus came to bring fire, a burning all consuming fire that will burn up the wretchedness of men. When the monstrous iniquity of men’s state, collides with the fire of God that rains down upon their hearts through the Holy Spirit, we shall have our revival. Lord send down your fire and burn the hearts of men once again.