September, 2015 Prayer Update

PRAYING IN SEPTEMBER

A Report for People Who Pray for the Revival Ministry of Dr. Rick Flanders

Thank you for praying for us this month.  September of 2015 has been a wonderful month of blessing for us, coming in answer to prayer.  Let us remember and reflect upon the words of Jesus about prayer and its power in John 14:12-14, 15:7 and 16, and 16:23-28, as I report on where I went and what happened.

• IRELAND: How glad I was to serve with my friend Pastor David O’Gorman of the Lifegate Bible Baptist Church of Tallaght, which is outside of Dublin, Ireland, in a men’s conference and in revival meetings, September 5-11. The Lord led and blessed all day in the men’s conference which was for Christian men throughout the country all day on a Saturday.  We began by talking from First Timothy about the male role in the church, and went on to discover what a man really is from the book of Genesis.  Then we talked and prayed about reaching Ireland with the Gospel in the power of the Spirit.  It was a great day, and lives were truly transformed.  Then Sunday through the next Thursday we held revival meetings in the church, and concentrated on the basics of the real Christian life as taught by the Lord Jesus in John 13-17.  We had some conversions, some near-conversions with people we are still bringing before the Throne, and some remarkable revival decisions among believers.  I can’t tell you all the blessings that came.  I think the church is in better shape, but I ask you to keep praying for revival there.  They have a very influential ministry, including a residential addictions program and the evangelistic/church-planting work of the mission called Christ for Ireland (look for their website).  Keep on praying.
• CAMP COBEAC: Then I was able to go up to the Houghton Lake region of Michigan to teach Revival History at the CoBeAc Baptist Bible Institute. This school is located on the beautiful property of Camp CoBeAc, a well-known and long-standing Baptist conference grounds now overseen by my friend Aaron Wilson.  Brother Wilson is a revival-minded man who chose to start the semester with a revival emphasis.  My class was held September 14-17, with the exam on the 18^th.  The institute is organized to meet the spiritual needs of after-high-school young adults who are seeking God’s direction in their lives.  The Lord helped us this week, and we decided to take that last class hour and go soul winning in the town.  Brother Wilson says that they are going to do this each week this fall.
• CHURCH WORKERS’ CONFERENCE: Then I was privileged to be a speaker and a workshop teacher at the annual Church Workers’ Conference at the Emmanuel Baptist Church of South Haven in Valparaiso, Indiana. It is a large gathering of folks who minister in local churches, and I was happy to accept Pastor John Allen’s invitation to help out.  The conference took place on the 19^th, and I got to bring a general-session message on “Glory in the Church” (from Ephesians 3), and two workshop presentations that focused on revival and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
• GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH: Toni joined me in the Charlotte, Michigan, area that evening as we prepared to work in a revival campaign at the Grace Baptist Church of Eaton, Rapids, September 20-24. We have seen this church grow in size and health and strength over several years of preaching there is revival campaigns, and are always excited about going back.  This year, the preaching, mostly from the book of Matthew, brought amazing response from the people night after night.  We also had some good prayer meetings and opportunities to give the Gospel out.  The attendance at the meetings was very good and we have reason to think that important victories were won.  The emphasis one night on “going public” with your Christianity seemed to have an especially widespread and powerful impact.
• AMBASSADOR BAPTIST CHURCH: My next appointment from the Lord was to go over to Sparta, Wisconsin (in the west, near the Mississippi River) for a revival campaign at the Ambassador Baptist Church there, September 27-October 1. Good people came across the river from Minnesota and joined the congregation for these meetings to seek God, and the Lord is giving us help.  I know of several individuals who have been especially helped with certain important issues in their lives.  This part of the state is unusually beautiful.  Before we first came here several years ago, I didn’t know about the startling buttes that are here, which remind you of the deserts out west, except that they are surrounded by trees and greenery.  All of them were apparently left by the Great Flood.  The Lord sent us mostly into the inspired writings of Luke, and He is obviously at work in our midst.  Of course, the campaign is still going on, and we are in need of your prayers yet today and tomorrow.  Pray for those who need to go all the way into revival, and for sinners who yet need to be saved.  I will tell you more next time.

The rest of 2015 will include revival campaigns in Jackson (Bethel Baptist Church, October 11-16) and Franklin (Spring Meadow Baptist Church, October 18-23), Tennessee; in Harrisonville, Missouri (Grace Baptist Church, October 25-28); in Pleasantville, Iowa (Pleasantville Baptist Church, November 1-6); and in Burt Lake, Michigan (Northern Michigan Baptist Bible Church, November 8-13).  I am to preach in revival conferences in West Virginia (November 20-22), and in the Bahamas (November 29-December 4).  I am also a speaker at the great “Old-School Gathering” at the Fundamental Baptist Church of Kinross, Michigan on October 5.  I will be speaking at the Lighthouse Baptist Church of South Bend for a day of praise for answered prayer on November 15, and will be teaching First Corinthians at the Baptist College of Ministry in December.  So keep on praying for me, and for revival everywhere.

I am sending out a paper I wrote several years ago when I was a pastor, about the different roles of pastors and deacons in the New Testament.  I gave this article to our church leaders, and we studied the scriptures together to find our God-given roles.  I am giving it to you because I think it will help many of us at this point in our lives, and be useful in the churches.  Read and study it, along with your Bible, and use it any way that will help in your own service to Christ.

We appreciate so very much your friendship, and your prayers!

RICK FLANDERS