Monday, October 22, 2007

462 - Revive Us Again, Oh Lord.

Dear Father, yesterday we had our church revival starting up. We have an evangelist from Maryville, Tn. named Morris Anderson. He was born down in Metropolis,Il. and pastored his first church in Eldorado and is now in Maryville, Tn. traveling each week for revivals. It is kind of a funny thought, I didn't know churches still had revivals. Not that God could not come by and revive a church, but I didn't know churches still set aside times for this to take place. To say all that, it has been awesome and we are only into the first day!!

Last night was so wonderful. He spoke from Ps. 84:6 "Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?" He had a wonderful sermon how revival must start with you, or me, individually. That only God can bring it about, and that it will cause for some serious rejoicing! I like that part so much!!

The most sure fire way i know how to revive a dead spirit within myself is to give. Give my time, my money, give of myself, and especially give of the gospel. The latter is the most effective in my life. I have pretty much always been a Christian. I came to know Him at a very young age and so I don't know the story so much of having to deal without Jesus in my life and feeling hopeless and in despair. I knew there was a need in my life, I was presented a way to "get" to heaven, and I wanted to be with my best friend Kathryn Kenderdine. It was just a simple 8 year old problem and Jesus was my answer. I say all that to say that i don't understand completely someone living life for some extended amount of time and knowing something is missing, but not sure what it is. Just going through life knowing there is void and not having the right thing to remedy that.

Friday night as I spoke the ladies were really hanging with me. This church did things a bit different and had me speak first around 6:45pm and them everyone ate after. It was pressure to make sure they didn't just get up and go eat - ha ha. I was wanting to eat myself. But as I rounded the last few minutes I came to my time of asking the ladies if they knew Jesus as their Savior. I had one retarded girl or woman raise her hand and one 4 year old that was sweet as pie also respond. (I have no idea to what degree they understood what they were agreeing too.) I was just about the close that time when a sweet precious little older lady raised her hand on the front row. You could tell she was so scared! She had thought about her decision and finally got up the courage to raise her hand. I am not sure of her age, probably around 65, she prayed to receive Jesus as her Savior!!! That right there is reason for some shoutin' and can revive any soul!! I don't know the other occasions that God has knocked on her door, but isn't it amazing that at 65 years old, or there about, the rest of her life can be dramatically different. Wow! Her heart was given a revival and yet mine was too!! "It is in giving that we receive".

So that was a great evening and such a special time! Thank you, Lord!! Then we got up Saturday and Tucker went over to a friends. Clay, the girls, a friend, and I went to church for a can food collection visitation. We walked up and down some streets of our new house introducing ourselves to our neighbors and asking for donations of canned foods. It was such a neat way to introduce ourselves to the neighbors and surrounding friends. I think most people thought we were trick - o - treating. We were a funny sight. 2 adults and 4 little girls all walking from house to house carrying grocery bags just not with costumes on. But I loved every minute of it. Besides missing Tucker, it was my family doing and giving to the Lord Jesus and the kids could understand why we were doing it. It set in revival!

To me, you can not ask for a better weekend. One where we did something constructive for the Lord as a family and in some small way made a difference in someones life that we may never know or meet. That is enough for me!! Thank you thank you thank you Father for allowing me to be part of that! Thank you that the girls did so well! Thank you for Clay leading us from house to house and being so bold. Thank you for the revival in my heart and what you have going on throughout Carmi and my little church. All in all we had probably 25 or 30 people come to know the Lord yesterday!! One was my friend and her husband and daughter!! It was worth boo-hooing over!!! I love you, Lord. Revive us again!!!

Tonight is Women's and Kids night. Pizza party for the kids at 6pm and then the service. I can't wait!!!

14 comments:

ThreeGirlyGirls said...

I'm so glad that God was faithful to you as you spoke this weekend! WOW!!! Sounds amazing!! Rejoicing with you!! Have a great time at your revival...I really would love to be apart of something like that one day. I don't know if Hickory Grove would ever do something like that or not!

Have a great day!!

Fran said...

That is one awesome weekend leigh!!
We all need that revival at some point in time. I love those bursts of Jesus! :)

Thanks for sharing and encouragine us!

Blessings~

Speaking Thru Me Ministries said...

Nicki - I think Bailey Smith was Revival to HGBC. I don't know if they even do that anymore either.

Love, Leigh

Speaking Thru Me Ministries said...

Fran - I am coming down next weekend..........i am so pumped!!!

Hope, pray, will try, will do everything I can to see you even for a moment!!!

Thanks, Leigh

jennyhope said...

girl i need me some reviving! I kept losing you off of my blog roll whenever I changed set ups so got you back again. :) thanks for always sharing!

Unknown said...

Wow, sounds wonderful! Praise the Lord for the souls that were saved and for revival! Our church is starting revival Sunday and I can't wait!

Fran said...

Leigh....
Is it this weekend or the next?? Give me the date..and you are on my calendar and then i'll email you my cell number if you have a chance to call. :)
Fran

Lindsee Lou said...

Praying for YOUR revival this week. Ours ended so sweetly. Thank you for your prayers! I will update soon. It's so funny that our revivals were so close to eachother, because, I too had not heard of many churches setting aside times for "revival!" But, it is a sweet thing.

Have a splendid Monday!

Lindsee

Praise and Coffee said...

Wonderful testimony of the Lord's faithfulness!

Blessings,
Sue

A Place For Ministry Wives/A Place For Me said...

How wonderful that God showed up in a BIG way...just like you asked him to. :-)

Speaking Thru Me Ministries said...

amen sister - if it was a big enough deal to have a party in heaven, then it is a big enough deal to do some shoutin' here!! Yeah!!! Praise You Lord!!

ocean mommy said...

Praise the Lord for those sweet ladies.

Thanks for sharing about the older lady who raised that hand. It gives me such hope. We are still praying for my 90 year old grandmother who we believe is lost. She's played church, but the older she has become, the less we believe she has had a true encounter with Jesus. So this encouraged me to keep praying!!

Connie Barris said...

what if your whole purpose in life was for that one little lady???

WOW.....

and all the rest was icing on the cake....

Love you girl...

Speaking Thru Me Ministries said...

Connie,
wow - wow, something to think about.... the icing is even more awesome...

hope you are doing well.

love, Leigh