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blogging, churches, faith, hope, insanitybytes, Leonard Ravenhill, life
A dear friend sent me a video of Leonard Ravenhill and I have been busy stalking him for a few days now. My heart’s on fire. What a precious man of faith! He so speaks to me. I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface and yet I could write volumes already. The man is just a treasure trove of wisdom and encouragement. He is also quite quote worthy.
Today I just want to take one little quote and elaborate for a moment because I just love it. He says, “One of these days some simple soul will pick up the book of God, read it, and believe it. Then the rest of us will be embarrassed.”
― Leonard Ravenhill
Yes, amen! As I often try to say, “just read the instruction manual, it explains everything.”
We don’t read the instruction manual, and when we do those words often become flat, two dimensional, lacking heart and soul, lacking love. Not all of us, but so, so many. I’m a Christian, I just don’t believe in the bible, I just don’t believe in prayer, I just don’t go to church, or my personal favorite, I just don’t really believe in the need for grace. Beware the grace-less ones, they can get scary.
I am properly embarrased. I am embarassed by the fact that we, as the church, so often miss the basic things of faith, the beauty of God in the banal things, the simple truth of who we are and Who we belong to and why. That simple, child-like faith, what a powerful thing.
I’ve read some articles and spoken to some bloggers about how the church allegedly owes people an explaination, mostly as a lamentation over politics. There is some controversy over people attacking “the church,” when the church, meaning each one of us in the body of Christ, is actually one of the bright spots in this world, in people’s lives. You don’t attack what’s working to try to fix what’s not. I agree with that, I am on the same page there.
Just the same, deep within my soul, I am properly embarassed, as Leonard Ravenhill would say, I feel the weight of how far we have strayed and I am reminded that the book of Revelation doesn’t jump in to judge non believers and assorted sinners, The Word speaks directly to the 7 churches. The lukewarm church, the church idolotry, the poverty, the church that has lost it’s first love…
These are all real things in our world right now and perhaps they have been with us always, but they press on me and have for a few years now. I am not attacking the church, I am lamenting because we could do so much better, we were designed to do so, so much better. We are not attending a wedding here, we are not called to sit politely and admire the bride, we are called to actually be the bride. Faith and church is not a spectator sport, we are not cultural Christians simply invited to attend a wedding.…..with no oil in our lamps.
See, there's this thing called biology... 
I would like to think I am a simple soul, but I have never been able to anything as simple as I should.
It is said wisdom comes with age. When I was young, I wanted to be a great man. I did not realize being great just meant being the servant of all. So I tried too hard to impress. As I grew older, all the things I once thought so simple grew more complicated. I slowly came to understand that was because I was trying to fix the world, but I was only responsible for fixing me. Finally, in my fifties I read the Bible. Then it all became much more simple. I just had to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. I just wish I could that properly.
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Well said, Tom.
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“No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. The pulpit can be a shopwindow to display one’s talents; the prayer closet allows no showing off.”
–Leonard Ravenhill
The Spirit of a Prophet
“Preachers make pulpits famous; prophets make prisons famous.”
–Leonard Ravenhill
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That was wonderful,thank you.
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Want me to stir a theological pot here IB? LOL. I am not sure yet of my own thoughts on this matter, so please nobody start knocking me around. It is still under advisement for me. It involves the Wedding Supper of the Lamb, and the Bride.
I serve with some who would say that the Bride is not necessarily all believers. We may all be at the wedding, but perhaps…as guests. As I said, I am not ready or looking to argue about this, but makes me wonder about those who consider faith and church as merely a spectator sport as you said. Have they kept themselves as stated in Ephesians 5:27
“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
Just a little something to consider.
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You can always stir the theology pot, Wally. 🙂
Are we talking eschatology here? I don’t have any real answers or even any ideas. I just know that I will meet Christ in person someday. Either He’s coming here or I’m going there, whatever happens first.
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Well I guess It is eschatology and I don’t have answers either really but your post made me think
Many feel all believers are part of the bride. Many do not feel that way. There seems to be Biblical support for both
I even know some people known as “Baptist Briders ” These would go to the extreme as to say only members in good standing of a Missionary Baptist Church are part of the Bride. Fyi I am NOT one if those lol,just to clarify.
But yes we will indeed see Him someday and I suppose the where and when pale in comparison to the simple fact that we will.
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Ah yes, I met a Baptist brider on the internet and upset him because I went and said John the Baptist wasn’t a Baptist, just as Martin Luther wasn’t a Lutheran and Jesus Christ was actually not a Christian. My bad, but it’s the truth. 🙂
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Ha yeah we can be that way. I have learned much using the limits of people like that and demanding they show me why we believe what we do. What I learned is many don’t have a clue for why they believe what we believe. Turns out in think we got must of it right lol, but I have had to figure most of it out myself. Kind of fun to go back to the original person and explain things to them
Gosh we went way off course…sorry
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“..we were designed to do so, so much better.” Wow, it’s in our new DNA. This is the second or third reference to Ravenhill I’ve heard recently. Okay, my turn to start looking him up. Have you heard of Derick Prince?
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Indeed, Leonard Ravenhill was a model disciple upon whose teachings a then modern revival sprang, inspiring the creation of “The Last Days” ministry of Keith Green – popular song writer/musician whose albums won several awards, but more importantly were used to worship and glorify God in the hearts of millions of youth in the 70’s – 80’s. I am a product of that ‘movement’.
For those interested in ‘catching the fire’ Ravenhill’s ministry promotes, his audio messages are available online – just Google his name. Charles Finney was another ‘great revivalist’ who spawned what history calls the “Great Awakening”, whose writings were also promoted by Green, a century before Ravenhill. Finney was to the 19th century what John the Baptist was to the 1st. One quote of his reveals his true mind-set, although many ridiculed him as being too much of a ‘fire and brimstone’ preacher. “A state of mind that sees God in everything is evidence of growth in grace and a thankful heart.”
Ravenhill was just as passionate about saving souls, but his message focused more on the practical application of salvation, rather than Finney’s plea to come to Christ. Finney proclaimed Christ to the lost while calling the saved into active evangelism. Ravenhill modeled how to be a relevant Christian. He promoted a balanced introspection by what he said, “”Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?”
Ravenhill died on 27 November 1994 and is interred at Garden Valley Cemetery in Garden Valley, Texas, near the grave of Contemporary Christian music artist Keith Green, who was ‘raptured’ when his plane crashed on take-off on July 28, 1982.
Thanks for conjuring up some wonderful memories and an important reminder to never stop celebrating our “1st love”! May the Lord continue to direct your paths, working in and though you to spread a timely message.
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