HAVE We NO TEARS For REVIVAL?

HAVE We NO TEARS For REVIVAL?
by Leonard Ravenhill

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." (Ps. 126:5).

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 Wesley's 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. 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? Other denominations had their Glory Days
of revival. Think of the mighty visitations to the Presbyterians in
Korea. Remember the earth-shaking revival in Shantung. Are those
days gone forever? Have we no tears for revival? 

-Leonard Ravenhill - source - http://www.sermonindex.net