John Wesley once said, “Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth.” As I recently read that quote again, I realized how much I agree with him. That is aside from the exclusive language of his day…for if I were to hand-pick those one hundred preachers I have little doubt that a majority of them might be women! Regardless, he has found the secret to success in ushering in the Kingdom. Read about any of the great awakenings of the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, or Twentieth Centuries and you will find that lay persons were generally more instrumental than clergy in every revival. Furthermore, if we are to realize revival in the Twenty-first Century, it matters not if it is led by lay or clergy, male or female, servant or mystic…what matters is that we “desire nothing but God and fear nothing but sin.” That is the person who will spark revival in the hearts of others. Unfortunately in our world too many desire everything but God and too few fear sin (though many do fear being caught in sin). My prayer for both you and for myself is that we would not be one in a million…but one of a hundred!
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In the words of Todd Beamer, who was killed in the plane that struck the Pentagon on 9/11, "Let's Roll!" I'm thinking of scriptures where we are promised 100 fold for the seeds that are sown. Also the "harvest principle" that one ear of corn has, on average, eight hundred kernels, and every kernel is an individual seed. Some varieties of corn produce six ears (they are called six-shooters). From one seed comes six ears with eight hundred kernels each, for a total of 4800 kernel seeds. If each is planted the next spring, the resulting harvest would be 23,040,000 seeds. Oh,if we would all JUST be obedient to His call wouldn't it be awesome? As Co-Director of Lay Speaking in Cache River District, thanks for your words of inclusiveness for the laity and women of our church!
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