DAILY VIDEO DEVOTIONAL
One of the most interesting cities in the world is Belfast, Northern Ireland. I’ll never forget the first time I visited. As I landed in the international airport, I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the countryside. Of course, Belfast was full of intrigue. At the time, Catholic terrorists and Protestant terrorists operated out of the city. Police stations had the appearance of war zones.
But the most interesting sight for me had nothing to do with the political upheaval. It was an old Presbyterian church. As we passed the church, a pastor friend began to tell about an Irish evangelist, W. P. Nicholson, who lived in the early part of the twentieth century. When he preached a meeting in that church, the crowds were so large the building wouldn’t hold everyone. My pastor friend said the old-timers still spoke of a great revival that took place.
I asked, “What was the chief characteristic of that revival?”
He said, “The fruit of repentance.”
When people came to Christ or Christians were restored in their walk with God, he said, they wanted to make things right with their fellow man. Many people returned stolen items to the church so they could be restored to their previous owners. Others wanted to make restitution for previous debts. So much restitution was made, there wasn’t room in the church for all the goods. They had to rent a warehouse at the docks to keep all the goods until they were returned to their rightful owners.
Revival begins when God’s people get honest with Him — and with one another. That may mean we return items, ask forgiveness, or even mend a broken relationship. The Bible calls it the fruit of repentance. John the Baptist said to a group of religious people, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8).
Imagine if churches today had to rent warehouses because so much restitution was being made. Revival is not an escape from reality. Instead, revival confronts us with the reality of our own sin. We become broken and are willing to make things right with God, no matter the cost. Speaking of the cost, it may be the fruit of repentance.
Matthew : Chapter 3
7) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8) Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9) And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10) The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11) “I baptize you with[b] water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with[c] the Holy Spirit and fire. 12) His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” The Baptism of Jesus
Book of the Month
Sammy Tippit told his fiancée, “I can’t promise we’ll be rich, but life won’t be boring.”
Sammy had no idea what an understatement that would become. Beginning in the bars of Baton Rouge and the nightclubs of Chicago, Tippit has shared the news of life-changing faith in Christ all over the world – including in the middle of a revolution in Romania, the aftermath of genocide in Rwanda, and war in Burundi and the Congo.
Sammy’s lifelong adventure has come at a great price. He’s been cursed, threatened, arrested, deported, and blacklisted. He’s also been personally broken, ravaged with illness, and devastated by grief.
Yet he continues to preach to in stadiums, in open fields, and via satellite technology to hundreds of thousands around the globe. For all other books…
About Sammy Tippit Ministries
STM has been providing inspiration and help around the world for nearly 50 years. Sammy Tippit, founder and president, is a world renowned counselor, teacher and evangelist with experience serving and helping people in over 80 countries. Sammy provides materials that help people tackle a broad array of social, societal, psychological and spiritual issues. He is particularly passionate about making materials accessible to other countries around the world. Sammy is married to Debara “Tex” Tippit, and they have two children and five grandchildren.
Sammy Tippit Ministries is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization.
Contact: info@sammytippit.org
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