The Month of May 2016

In the Revival Ministry of Dr. Rick Flanders

We have enjoyed the blessings of God in the month of May, 2016, and want to share those blessings with those who were praying for us.  Thank you, and let me report to you some of what happened at these places:

• GOSPEL BAPTIST CHURCH, Poland, Ohio (by Youngstown), on May 1. Toni and I came to this wonderful church on Saturday to help out on the first day of the month while Pastor Ron Royalty was away.  What a good pastor and a godly man he is!  I sought to do all the good I could for the people gathered here on this Lord’s Day.  In Sunday school the Lord had us learn in Daniel 4 about how the emperor came to God, and we were taught from the first four chapters of the book about influencing the influential toward the Lord.  In the morning service, I preached from a remarkable revival passage in Hosea 14 about how to turn to God by taking words with you.  Read that chapter and see how the prophet helps us with a simple means of obtaining revival.  Sunday night I preached and taught about avoiding temptation based on Matthew 6:13.  Any Christian can have a good day by entering into temptation!
• CLEVELAND BAPTIST CHURCH on May 2. On this Monday I attended an important meeting with preachers to discuss having a revival conference in this great city next year.  Things look good.  We will plan the conference for September of 2017.  God’s people in Cleveland are also working on plans to get the Gospel to the multitude that will gather for the Republican Convention.
• LAGRANGE BAPTIST CHURCH, Lagrange, Indiana, on Mother’s Day, May 8. I had been asked to help with some special events this week by preaching in the church for my friend Pastor Jeff Farnham.  We began a conference this day that commemorated his forty years of faithfully preaching the Bible.  In the Sunday school hour I spoke on “You and the Preacher at the Judgment” from Hebrews 13:17.  Then I spoke on “Mother” from Matthew 14 and 15 in the morning service.  Sunday night the sermon was on “Where Preachers Come From” and was based on the call of Moses at the burning bush.  It was really about where we all come from, and the purpose of our lives.  God gave us a good day, with a soul saved!
• INDIANA BAPTIST COLLEGE in Indianapolis, May 9-13, teaching History of Revival. This year I had a great class of both seminary and undergraduate students, including pastors’ and missionaries’ kids, and also my friend, Dr. Tom Johnson of Cambodia.  Johnson has had me serve Christ with him in that needy country, speaking in revival conferences.  What a remarkable man of God he is, and what an honor it was to have him participate in this important class!  IBC is a good school, and its president, Paul Reed, is an intelligent, hard-working, spiritual man, and I am glad to serve there as the Lord directs.
• CROSSROADS BAPTIST CHURCH, Indianapolis, on Wednesday night, May 11. Pastor Guy Solarek asked me to preach for him while I was in town, and I spoke from the story of Elijah on “The Still, Small Voice.” It dealt with our emotions and with the key to handling them, which is communicating with God.
• GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH of Springfield, Illinois, May 15-20. I had the opportunity to preach for a revival campaign in this significant church, which currently is without a permanent senior pastor.  The Lord had us follow a revival progression, beginning in Sunday school with a lesson from the first chapters of John on introducing people to Jesus Christ.  Then we learned important facts about Jesus and eternal life from the third chapter of John in the Sunday morning service.  The sermon Sunday night came from Malachi 3 and was about the need of God’s people to be purged from sin in revival.  Monday’s sermon was titled, “Are You Worldly?”, and actually dealt with the issue of self in revival (as Sunday night’s dealt with the issue of sin).  Tuesday the sermon was “Are You Carnal?”, and dealt with our relationship with the Spirit of God.  Then Wednesday brought us to the full Christian life with the theme of “Abide in Me” from John 15, and emphasized the joy of real Christianity.  On Thursday I was led to talk about the secret of prayer, which is knowing what the Lord wants to give.  And then Friday night I spoke from Matthew 10 on “The Public Christian.”  We saw people make good decisions all week, including two folks who got saved, and a big number of public decisions on the last night.  “All is vain unless the Spirit of the Lord comes down,” and your prayers for us helped bring the blessing.  Pray for this important church to have wisdom to settle the pastor question.
• FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH of Greenfield, Missouri, May 22-25. This was a revival campaign in a church Toni and I had visited in the past, and this time I gave it a family emphasis.  Although the town and church are relatively small, I think that God is doing important things here, and preparing for greater works to come (John 14:12-14).  We began with a Sunday school lesson about “What revival can do for your family” (taught from Ephesians 5).  Then we saw in the morning service what happens when salvation comes to a house, and how it comes (Luke 19:1-10).  The meetings went well, and we saw several notable answers to prayer, as well as the salvation of two.  On the final night (Wednesday) I preached from Isaiah 6 on “The Transforming Experience,” and I believe we saw more than one make a transforming decision of dedication to Christ.  Pray this summer for Pastor Brian Bach and his flock, for full-scale revival in their midst that will lead to evangelistic fruit and church growth.

You’ve got to come to the “Waiting on God” conference at Victory Baptist Church in Marysville, Michigan, June 5-8!  This very unusual gathering will focus on the vital subject of prevailing prayer and its role in revival.  Quite a lot of interest is being shown in the conference, and I am glad to be speaking in it.  Call Pastor Don Barth at 810.334.9181 to get more information about it, and perhaps facts about motel accommodations in the Port Huron area.  Do pray for this key revival conference, and attend as much of it as you can.  I will be speaking in various good churches in Michigan on Sundays the rest of this summer: June 12 at Ann Arbor Baptist Church; July 17 at Landmark Baptist Church in Clio; July 24 at Fellowship Baptist Church in Clarklake; July 31 at Melvin Baptist Church; August 7 at Beth Haven Baptist Church in Sheridan (near Greenville); and August 14 at Fostoria Baptist Church.  These are all good churches, and if you live in their vicinity and are looking for a good church, or if you are on vacation nearby, come and visit while I am there.  No matter what, pray for revival in all these places.  Pray with me also for a band director needed by a local church Christian school.  Hope to see you this summer, and that we will all see answers to our prayers.

RICK FLANDERS