This personal and partial vision of revival in New England centers on five qualities. First, the Church must proclaim the whole Gospel with boldness and clarity, accepting that truth will expose deception and provoke controversy.
Presentation given at ' Biblical Worldview Conference ' in Boston April 7,2006: I have been assigned the task of presenting a vision for revival in New England. I will begin with a disclaimer. therefore very partial and relative in its content. I do not pretend to be giving a “Thus saith the Lord,” or to be declaring absolute, incontestable truth.
Our spiritual journey is a dynamic interplay between God’s magnificent grace and our earnest human response. It begins with a desperate plea for divine enlightenment, for our inherent blindness prevents us from truly grasping the "wondrous things" already present in God's Word.
Seeing to Strive: The Believer's Path to Christlikeness Psalms 119:18 • Philippians 3:13-14
God's preservation in our lives is never an end in itself, but a divine equipping to enable us to complete the unique assignments He has laid before us. We are called to resist the temptation to retire from active service, leveraging our seasoned faith and God-given strength to confront the challenges of our generation.
Enduring Fidelity: Fulfilling God's Purpose Through Sustained Obedience Joshua 14:10 • 2 Timothy 4:5
Our journey of faith consistently calls us to actively participate in God's purposes, yet we are threatened by a debilitating inertia that delays possessing divine gifts and an active discontent that poisons communal life. These spiritual failures arise from an incomplete trust in God's character and sovereignty.
Claiming Our Inheritance: Overcoming Sloth and Strife in the Life of Faith Joshua 18:3 • Philippians 2:14
We must work out our salvation with holy fear, focused effort, and personal responsibility, while recognizing that God works within us to will and act according to his purpose. Our faith cannot depend on pastors, church attention, or admired believers, because people may fail us; we must remain directly connected to Jesus through prayer, Scripture, the Holy Spirit, obedience, and service.
We are going to read Philippians chapter 2 verse 12 & 13, and this part is very important as we are going to explore this further: "Therefore my dear friends, as you have always obeyed not only in my presence but also in Apostle Paul now in jail writes this letter to his brothers in Philippy to share the council from his heart about how they can grow as christians.
Our timeless wisdom from God's Word consistently shows that divine support and ultimate reward are exclusively for those who commit to His ways without compromise. This calls us to an unwavering internal devotion—an undivided heart—and a disciplined external walk, competing "according to the rules" He has set.
The Path to True Victory: Wholehearted Devotion and Disciplined Faith 2 Chronicles 16:9 • 2 Timothy 2:5
Our individual declaration of faith in God's steadfast goodness is profoundly connected to the global expansion of His kingdom. This dynamic force not only preserves us through personal crises, allowing us to see His goodness in our lives today, but also propels His universal mission.
The Unfolding Tapestry of Divine Goodness: From Personal Trust to Global Life Psalms 27:13 • Acts 11:1
Ministry in a skeptical, rapidly changing culture is daunting but not hopeless. We cannot ignore contemporary intellectual currents or the genuine struggles and criticisms encountered by seekers and believers.
Today you set out on a journey that is glorious, but also daunting. This graduating class will have to minister in large degree to a culture that, perhaps like never before in American history, is alienated and skeptical will make it increasingly difficult to carry out ministries that will be attractive to the prevailing ethos and at the same time biblically faithful. The challenges and temptations you will face over the course of your m