August, 2015 Prayer Update

PROMOTING REVIVAL IN AUGUST

Update on the ministry of Dr. Rick Flanders

Mr. Finney’s third revival lecture is titled “How to Promote a Revival.”  Often it is not understood that revival in the lives of Christians can be promoted.  Certainly it must be said that this is work in which I am involved, and for which you are praying.  Let me report on a wonderful month of seeking revival and seeing it.  Here is where I went, and what happened.

• MELVIN BAPTIST CHURCH of Melvin, Michigan, in a men’s conference on Saturday, August 1, and on Sunday, August 2. I really think the Lord did something amazing with the men at their conference.  Several men preached, and I got to preach twice on revival.  We ended the day in a prayer meeting that we had not scheduled ahead of time, and some say the meetings brought them to a turning point.  Sunday was wonderful, as it always is at Melvin.  The Lord is working in this place, and I was glad to have a role to play.
• GREATER CUMBERLAND BAPTIST CHURCH in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, for the National Conference for Prayer and Revival, August 9-14. This ended up being a phenomenal meeting, and I am very grateful for all of you folks who prayed for it.  The men who spoke were Pastor Ken Shaver, Missionary Jonathan Cloud, me, Evangelist Chris Miller, Dr. John R. Van Gelderen, Dr. R.B. Ouellette, and Pastor Tim Young.  As often happens, God orchestrated and directed the unfolding of revival truth throughout the week so that we all got a new understanding of the Lord’s ways.  Especially memorable were sermons on salvation and assurance, on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, on New Testament Christianity, on “I can do all things through Christ,” on bitterness, and on revival.  But each message was a significant part of the whole.  Go to the church website to hear as much of the NCPR as you can.
• CLEVELAND BAPTIST CHURCH on Sunday, August 16. Some months ago, Pastor Kevin Folger asked me to come on this day and preach about, and I can say that the Lord gave us a measure of true revival in this great church.  I spoke in Sunday school, and in both the morning and evening church services.  God had me stay in the book of James (a key revival book of the New Testament) all day.  We learned first from the first three chapters about the need for revival in our lives and in the churches.  Then we found the way of revival in the first ten verses of chapter 4.  There was a wonderful response to the truth among the congregation, a man professed faith in Christ, and the pastor spoke publicly about the needs of the church and his intention to work with me in the future for a more extended revival effort.
• THE STRAITGATE CHURCH of Minneapolis, in their family camp at Camp Chetek in Wisconsin, August 20-22. I have been acquainted with this fundamental church for several years, and am always glad to help them.  So I was glad to respond to an invitation from Pastor Peter Magnuson (whose father founded the church in the heart of the city some time ago) to speak to the congregation as they gathered for a church camp.  I preached on revival themes and some great things happened in people’s lives.  I pray regularly for this church, and hope you will too, as they seek to reach the masses in downtown Minneapolis with the Gospel of Christ.
• GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH of Urbana, Ohio, for revival meetings, August 23-26. I drove directly from Wisconsin (more than 10 hours) on Saturday to meet Toni in Ohio for a campaign with this good church.  God was with us as we labored with Him for revival among the saints and the salvation of sinners.  I preached in church all day, in revival meetings at night, and in the Christian school chapels Monday through Wednesday.  We did see souls saved, and Christians deciding on God’s side on important issues in their lives.  There is a work of revival going on in this church.  During the week I got acquainted with some pastors and believers from other churches in this part of Ohio, and re-acquainted with people we know from the Troy Baptist Temple, where our daughter and her family used to serve.
• BLUELICK BIBLE CHURCH on Sunday, August 30. You would say that my theme for the day at this independent Baptist church in Lima, Ohio, was “Living Water.”  We looked in the morning at a promise Jesus made in John 4, and at night we looked at a related promise about the living water in John 7.  The Lord met many needs, I believe, as we emphasized to Christians the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and to the unsaved the gift of everlasting life. One young man professed faith in Christ.  In Sunday school, I spoke of the murder and martyrdom of John Birch and taught the connection between life and death.  We must be willing to die for Jesus before we can really live for Him.  What a good day!  Pastor Jim Neighbors was away on vacation and we all really missed him.

As you pray in the days ahead, please remember me as I minister at First Baptist Church of Bridgeport, Michigan on September 2; the Lifegate Bible Baptist Church (September 5-11); the CoBeAc Baptist Bible Institute in northern Michigan (September 14-18); the Church Workers’ Seminar at Emmanuel Baptist Church of Valparaiso, Indiana (September 19); Grace Baptist Church of Eaton Rapids, Michigan (September 20-24); and the Ambassador Baptist Church of Sparta, Wisconsin (September 27-October 1).  Check with these good people to get more information on the meetings where I will be preaching.

Let me remind you, finally, to plan to gather with like-minded people in the next twelve months for the great conferences on revival that will be taking place.  Among them will be the Church Triumphant Conference at the First Baptist Church of Bridgeport, Michigan (October 19-20); the Western Revival Conference at the Prince Albert Baptist Church in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan (March 28-April 1); and the Victory Conference at the Falls Baptist Church in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin (February 29-March 3).  The theme of the 2016 Victory Conference will be prayer, and the name is the “BENDED KNEE Conference.”  I don’t think you will want to miss this one (speakers will include Harold Vaughan, R.B. Ouellette, Wayne and Jim Van Gelderen, and me).

May the Lord use you to bring forth His fruit this month!  We do appreciate you.

RICK FLANDERS Acts 1:8