An Update on the Revival Ministry of Dr. Rick Flanders in April of 2018 for People Who Pray

WHAT HAPPENED IN APRIL

An Update on the Revival Ministry of Dr. Rick Flanders in April of 2018 for People Who Pray

Here is a summation of where I was and what I did, and what God did with me last month:

• PRINCE ALBERT, SASKATCHEWAN.  On Easter Day, April 1, I preached at the Prince Albert Baptist Church on Sunday morning, and we saw people come to Christ.  This day and into the conference that followed Monday through Wednesday, my theme was “Living Proof,” emphasizing the proof we now have that Jesus rose from the dead and is at the right hand of the Father.  The annual conference is called the “Western Revival Conference,” is led by Pastor/Evangelist Dave Webster, and brings us back to the truths that generate revival among God’s people.  I was joined by Pastor Jeff Farnham from Lagrange, Indiana, who preached several effective and enlightening sermons on revival subjects.  My sermons on the “Living Proof” focused on assurance of salvation, effective praying, and victorious living, provided by the indwelling Spirit of God, Who was sent on the Day of Pentecost to believers in Jesus Christ.
• KRONENWETTER, WISCONSIN.  Every year, the Fellowship Baptist Church, shepherded by Pastor Larry Moodie, sponsors a family conference, and this year I got to speak in this excellent event, which happened in six sessions on April 8.  I also was privileged to preach in the church on Sunday, the following day.  We covered a wide range of subjects, and the folks were wonderfully responsive!
• HOPKINSVILLE, KENTUCKY.  I was back this year at the wonderful Greater Cumberland Baptist Church for their annual Conference on Prayer and Revival, April 11-13.  The conference this year ended powerfully with an all-day “Bended Knee” prayer seminar on Friday, which was attended by area pastors.
• MENOMONEE FALLS, WISCONSIN.  I flew down to Nashville from Milwaukee on the tenth for the conference which began April 11, leaving my car with friends.  Then I flew back on Saturday the 14^th into a storm of bad winter weather.  It was bad enough that I could not drive to my next assignment on Saturday as I had planned, and had to stay the weekend in Milwaukee.  One of the other speakers at the Hopkinsville conference was Dr. Wayne Van Gelderen, who also flew into Milwaukee the same day.  The Lord led him to have me preach one of my conference sermons at his church, Falls Baptist Church of Menomonee Falls, (near Milwaukee) on Sunday the 15^th.  I did this on Sunday morning, and it was evident that God was in the whole thing.  The message was on “The Predicament in Milwaukee,” and was taken from the concluding verses of Matthew 9.  The Lord Jesus taught us, and it is clearly true today, that we are always on the verge of a great awakening among sinners, with the need being for the disciples of Jesus to be equipped to be laborers in the harvest.  Falls Baptist Church is being moved by the Lord to the place where many are learning to abide daily in Jesus, and to bear His fruit (John 15:1-5).
• SEYMOUR, WISCONSIN.  I eventually drove north for a revival campaign at the Riverview Baptist Church of Seymour, which is near Green Bay, set for April 15-20.  Of course, I didn’t get there on Sunday because of a blizzard that dumped two to three feet of snow on the area, and closed all of the churches.  My trip to Green Bay ended up happening on Monday the sixteenth.  The roads had been cleared by the remarkable Wisconsin road crews, but mountains of frozen snow on the sides hindered visibility at the intersections.  We were thankful that pretty well the whole core of the church was there for the first revival service Monday night.  It seemed that the theme each night was faith.  I preached on this all-important subject the first night, and then on Bible subjects every other night that moved us back to the matter of faith.  And God blessed the faith that was exercised that week with startling answers to prayer, souls saved, and wonderful deliverances.  The pastor is Scotty Backhaus, whom I met some time ago when he was serving the Lord in Tennessee.  He has been in Wisconsin for a couple of years, and is very capably leading this flock down a biblical and revival-oriented path.  Things are good at Riverview, and we expect will be better because of the revival God gave us in these well-attended meetings.  I think you can (and should) hear the sermons by going to the church website.  Pastor Backhaus is Associate Editor of the new edition of Ed Reese’s monumental Chronological Bible, published by Bethany House.  It is a valuable reference volume with lots of information concerning the background and chronology of the Bible books, and well worth the cost of buying a copy.
• TARBORO, NORTH CAROLINA.  Toni and I have anticipated for a while the revival campaign at the New Grace Baptist Church, which began on April 28 with a ladies’ meal and meeting where Toni spoke.  The pastor is passionate and believing about revival.  He is Mike Barnett, and interestingly for us, is the grandson of Jim Stoutenborough, long-time associate of Bill Rice, and his amazing song-leader.  Pastor and I prayed together Saturday night (along with his son Judson) based on the promises in Matthew 18:18-20, and the next day big things started to happen!  Folks, we pray for a revival of the saints that will lead to a harvest of lost souls, and that is what we saw in Tarboro!  Sunday morning there was an unforgettable response to the Bible truth that was preached, evidenced by many coming forward and publically dealing with issues between them and God.  Then Pastor asked the folks to stay for a prayer meeting, and pretty well everybody did.  We prayed for a long time, and God manifested Himself among us.  He also answered our prayers in the following days (this very week), with many souls saved, many saints revived, many more prayer meetings, and powerful revival meetings.  We are still in the campaign as I write these words, so please pray for us, and expect a fuller report later.  NOW THERE WAS A DELAY in my sending out this prayer update due to my lack of e-mail skills, and so many of you are getting this after the Tarboro campaign, but let me say that the Lord showed Himself able to do more than we could ask or think.  Many were revived, experienced the revived life that week, and saw many saved in personal witnessing.  Praise God!  Pastor Barnett posted  reports on Facebook, some with video or photo images, and if you know how to access them you will want to do it.

In May I am set to preach in a revival effort at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Brogue, PA (May 6-9), to speak in meetings at the Charity Baptist Church of Wilmot, Nova Scotia (May 13-20), to participate in another “Bended Knee” seminar at the Pleasantville Baptist Church in Pleasantville, Iowa (May 24—also in their midweek service on the 23^rd), and to preach in a revival campaign in Alpena, MI (contact Pastor C.W. Price, May 27-June 1).  Keep on praying for me, and for revival.  God is answering our prayers!

RICK FLANDERS