Revival in February 2016

Prayer Update for the Ministry of Dr. Rick Flanders

It was my joy and privilege to spend this past month in the service of the Lord, spreading the good news of New Testament Christianity.  It is also my joy to have you as a friend who prays for Toni and me as we travel with the message.  Here is where I went.

• BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH OF NORTH PORT, FLORIDA. I flew to Florida on January 30 for several very important revival appointments.  The first was with my long-time co-worker at Juniata, Brother Marc Knoedler.  Many of you know that he pastors this church, which was founded through the ministries of Dr. Earl Jessup and Bro. Jeremy Rowland.  At this time, the congregation is meeting in an auction hall, and this is where we held revival meetings January 31-February 3.  You may also know that the church is experiencing a trial of faith in regard to their meeting-place; since authorities will not let them occupy a nice building they have built until they are able to pave the parking lot and make other improvements to the property.  Doors seem to be opening that may solve the problem, but these good people still request need prayer for the situation.  We had several visitors, and saw good decisions.  I believe we also made progress in putting or keeping the church operating on revival principles.  Another blessing was when Pastor Knoedler and I got to visit with Phil Anthony, my first boss and mentor, who lives in the area.  I served under him at the Loomis Park Baptist Church of Jackson, Michigan back in the 1970s, where he was pastor and I was his assistant.  After the campaign, we participated in The Florida Symphony of Prayer in Tampa, a gathering of God’s men to pray for revival which had been organized by Pastor Knoedler.  The Lord Jesus met with us as He said He would (Matthew 18:18-20), and I believe much good was accomplished in these days (the 5^th and 6^th).
• BIBLE BAPTIST CHURCH OF NEW PORT RICHEY, FLORIDA. One of the pastors who attended the FSP was Matt Stidham, who leads this church outside of Tampa. He took me to his church, where I spoke at their “Sweetheart Banquet” on the source of love, February 7.  We began a revival campaign at the church on the eighth (and continued through the 11^th), and emphasized at the beginning what Jesus said about His church.  God gave the meetings a revival spirit, and many folks took revival steps.  While in that area, I got to meet with my prayer-partner, Pastor Joe Brown.  What a blessing and help it was for me to spend an hour with him.  We went to high school together, and then re-connected years ago while I was pastoring.  He is a man of God who spends a lot of his time praying.  He understands revival, and in an instrument of revival, and I have been privileged to have him praying for me as I go places to promote the reviving of God’s saints, starting way back years ago.  This was the first time I have seen him since 1965!  The Lord also opened the door for me to visit with my first cousin Dene, who has an insurance business in this part of Florida.  I had not seen her since 1960, and was happy to get re-acquainted, and also to share with her what Jesus Christ has done in my life.  Pastor Stidham is a good pastor and a good soul winner, and I am happy to get to know him.  The Lord opened doors for the Gospel all week, and did great things.
• VICTORY BAPTIST CHURCH OF MARYSVILLE, MICHIGAN. Here is a church I know that is being built on the truths of revival, and is being led humanly by a remarkable revival man.  Toni and I spoke at a Couple’s Retreat in their recently-acquired facility on February 13, and I got to preach for them on Sunday the 14^th.  Very recently, the congregation has seen amazing answers to prayer, to the glory of God, and is being driven and empowered by prayer meetings (no kidding).  The building they now occupy came to them in answer to believing prayer in a pretty-well miraculous way. A number of people made important decisions on Bible truths, and we are seeing the church move forward down the revival road.  Pray for Pastor Don Barth and for what God is doing in Marysville.
• MELVIN BAPTIST CHURCH OF MELVIN, MICHIGAN. February approached its end with an eight-day revival campaign at this good church, February 21-28.  Our stated goal for the first day was to see God revive His people so that we can win others to Jesus.  In the middle of the week, the Lord gave us a blizzard that dumped almost a foot of snow on Melvin and on our neighborhood about an hour away.  But God did some wonderful things for us this week, and answered prayers.  Several in this church are on the revival road, so join me in praying for them and for this town.
• FALLS BAPTIST CHURCH OF MENOMONEE FALLS, WISCONSIN. This year’s Victory Conference at Menomonee Falls (February 29 through March 3) features the preaching of such men as R.B. Ouellette, Phil Prettyman, Harold Vaughan, Mark Gilmore, Jim Van Gelderen, David O’Gorman, and Wayne Van Gelderen.  I presented two “workshop” sessions, one on prayer meetings, and one on the ministry of the Holy Spirit to believers, and I preached Tuesday evening on Joel 2.  You will want to hear the sessions of lessons and messages of this significant conference, which was dedicated to learning about effective praying.  Toni and I returned home on March 4, to find our home church, First Baptist, with revival still burning through the congregation.  Pray for Pastor Ouellette and us every day this month.

Keep on praying for us this spring.  March 12-16, I will be preaching at the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Grand Rapids for their missions conference.  Then the 20^th through the 20^th, I will be preaching in a revival campaign at the Grace Baptist Church of West Columbia, South Carolina.  On March 28^th we begin the Western Revival Conference in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan (I’ll preach on Easter at the Prince Albert Baptist Church).  Dr. Jim Van Gelderen will join me for this important gathering.  Do pray for us during these days (through April 1^st) for the saints of Canada to experience revival, and against the devil, who wants to prevent revival.  April 3-6 Toni and I will be at a family conference at the Vision Baptist Church in Leduc (near Edmonton), Alberta.  The rest of the month, we will be in Illinois, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.  So keep praying for revival, for our ministry, and for us.

RICK FLANDERS

Acts 1:8