Live Blogging from the Alabama Revival Conference - July 11, 2006

Pre-Conference Session

Jefferson County Civic Center, Birmingham, Alabama

Bro. Patterson and I are here in Birmingham for the Alabama Revival Conference. We drove up today (without an accident or a ticket, this info is for my wife who probably isn’t reading this blog) and arrived around 4 PM. We managed to get checked in and situated at the Quality Inn at the Oxmoor Road Exit.

After having to take a foray out and pick up some dress shoes because I inadvertently left them in Dothan we were ready to go to the Jefferson County Civic Center. The reason that I left my shoes in Dothan was because I was interrupted in my packing process by none other than Stacy Cureton. She called me about the time that I was loading up and had to ask some questions about how we got the Bible and the translation methods, etc. So her call helped me to forget my shoes and now I have some new “Sunday” shoes. I haven’t had any new “Sunday” shoes for about 3 years now. . . Thanks, Stacy. . . I needed to retire my old ones.

Anyway, we got to BJCC around 6 PM and after meeting a few other pastors and their wives we settled down to some important business. . . . eating. At our table, was Pastor J. B. Sims and his wife along with Bro. Patterson and myself. However, the sole purpose was not to eat but rather to pull together the steering committee and the sponsors for the Alabama Revival Conference.

Bro. Patterson has been on the steering committee since 1993 and our church has been a sponsor also. This is my first year of being able to come to the ARC and it appears that it is going to be a very good opportunity for spiritual growth and also a time of challenge and direction.

The official “meeting” part was opened up by Pastor Greg Wilbanks who is the official head of the steering committee. Other steering committee members are: Pastors Stan Davidson (Gadsden), Philip Blaylock (Sulligent), Barry Sutton (Birmingham), Rick Craft (Athens), and Charles Shearer (Saraland, who will be arriving tomorrow). Sponsors include: Pastors J. B. Sims (Foley), Perry Wells (Vincent), Bro. Bertram (Bessemer), Bro. Markham (West Blocton). Also in attendance was Evangelist Sam and Sis. Emory, Pastor Murrell Cornwell (Wichita, KS), and Bro. Jeremy Wilbanks and his wife.

Bro. Wilbanks asked Bro. Cornwell to come and set the direction for the meeting and then there would be a time following for prayer. I have only heard Bro. Cornwell preach twice and both of those times were at Because of the Times. He was very challenging both times and his messages were always focused on revival and evangelism.

I will give you some of the notes that I jotted down while he was speaking:

-Matthew 5-7 is the greatest piece of literature that has ever been written. It outpaces any and all of works that the world deems as classical literature. The reason is because this was literally the voice of God speaking through a body that had been sent to the earth.

-It is the benchmark for a lifestyle that could transform the entire world.

-This message was not for the masses. This message was actually for only twelve. The masses had gone for the day and only the disciples had gone up “mount” to hear what the Lord had to say. Any spiritual progress is always going to be preceded with struggle. Therefore, to gain the wisdom of the ages, there will be certain “mounts” that you will have to climb in your walk with God. It does not matter who this person may be. . . one simply in the Kingdom or those who called to spiritual leadership.

-The Sermon on the Mount was given to those who were willing to struggle to the top of the mountain. It cannot be stressed too much that spiritual progress always has a wearying climb, a taxing climbing, an exerting climb.

-Sometimes God will just give us a word and we have to go on that particular word. Of course we have the Bible and this stands forever but there are single words that God gives to us sometimes that can be of great comfort and direction in the midst of the most trying circumstances.

-In Matthew 10, the Lord gave the disciples power over unclean spirits. But when He gave them that power He also directed them that they could not go into Samaria nor could they work with the Gentiles. They were explicitly directed to leave them alone.

-Yet in John 4, we find the Lord doing exactly what He commanded His disciples not to do going to Samaria and talking to a Gentile. The reason that the Lord did not send the disciples to the Gentiles and the Samaritans was because they did not love them.

-In Matthew 15, we find the Lord working with the woman from Canaan. Initially, the disciples wanted to turn her away as did the Lord. Interestingly, the Lord did have compassion on this woman’s daughter and cast the unclean spirit out of her. He was driven by compassion.

-In Matthew 17, the disciples again were confronted with an inability to heal a man’s son. The Lord did remark about their faith not being at a point to be of service. But there is a point of consideration to be taken in all of these cases. . . . . you can never effectively really minister to someone unless you love them!

-This is a difficult lesson for us to learn in our generation.

-In Acts, God had to distract the Jewish church with persecution to save the Gentiles. Peter struggled with the issue of the Gentiles. In Acts 10, an angel visited Cornelius once and told him about Peter and that he would be able to tell him what to do. Yet, God had to visit Peter three times with a vision to get him to go to the Gentiles. For the church to really do what is intended for us to do, we must get out into the places where those who need the Lord are. Instead of the sinners looking for the saved. . . . . the saved has to look for the sinners!!!

-It is imperative for every church to have revival in this hour. We have a marvelous message and everything that the world is pursuing is confined in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

-There is no room for envy, jealousy, and discord among any church or any leaders in that church. We must seek to advance the cause of Christ.

-The tribe of Isachaar were men who had an understanding of the times. Our times are different but the message is unchanging.

-Numbers 1-3 gives the numbering of Israel’s warriors after leaving Egypt. They numbered 699,000+. Pharaoh’s armies at the time of Ramses ll was somewhere around 28,000 foot soldiers and 7000 charioteers who had 1000 chariots (this is according to a non-biblical historian).

-Pharaoh had so hoodwinked Israel into a slave mentality that God had to take one man (Moses) from the middle of a desert and bring him to Egypt to lead Israel out. The Israelites could have overpowered their captors with hardly any effort or loss at all and yet they were captured by a “slave” mentality.

-If ever this generation needed a rambunctious revival church it is now. . . the huge problem is that so many live in a “slave” mentality that they allow the devil, their flesh, the world, and their circumstances to overwhelm them into inactivity and simply plodding through the routine.

-If God is going to use us to change the world, then we have to change our thinking about who we are. . . . you are much more important and valuable to God than you are aware of.

Bro. Cornwell did not bring this out but I thought about some of the things that I had studied in the past concerning this very issue. In Romans 4:20, Paul wrote (under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost) stated the Abraham “staggered not” at the promises of God. However, when I read the Genesis account of Abraham, I find he was disobedient (taking Lot with him), was doubtful (about having a son), tried to manipulate God’s plan (his tryst with Hagar that produced Ishmael) and was a liar (about the identity of his wife). It appeared to me that he did not “stagger” he literally stumbled and fell. But I believe that God inspired me to see from Romans 4:20 that God and others often have a higher view of us than we have of our own lives. This is called the grace of God!

Bro. Cornwell said a few other things but I am not spilling the beans on that because I know that God used his words to plant a few seeds for messages that I am sure I will preach in Dothan in the coming weeks and months.

For those who are out of town, the services begin nightly at 7:00 PM and the day services will begin at 10:00 AM. Tomorrow night is Bro. Kenneth Haney, the General Superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church, Int.

By the way. . . . this is for Stacy. . . . . This is a picture of my new “Sunday” shoes. . . Rick Warren needs to eat his heart out!