DAILY VIDEO DEVOTIONAL
The greatest issue facing this generation is that of character. Without a change of character in politicians, pastors, and common people, western society will continue downward on a slippery slope. But I hold on to one great hope. The greatest moments of spiritual renewal have always occurred during times of great darkness, and the brightest stars have always shone on the darkest nights.
Such was the situation at the eve of the twentieth century in the nation of Wales. A young man, Evan Roberts, heard an evangelist speaking on the subject, “Bend the church and save the people.” Young Roberts found himself on his face at the close of the service, crying out to God, “Bend me, O God, bend me.”
Later, Roberts asked his pastor if he could share a testimony of what God had done in his heart. The pastor gave permission, and the Spirit of God fell on that small band of people. The fires of revival began to sweep across the tiny nation of Wales. Within a year, Evan Roberts had seen 100,000 people converted to Christ. Pubs had to close because of a lack of business. The crime rate dropped to virtually zero. Police had two responsibilities: crime control and crowd control. Since there was so little crime, they went to where the crowds were assembling. That was in the churches. Police formed gospel singing groups and sang in the churches.
Oh, how my heart longs to see the day the police have to be at the church houses in this country because the masses are hungry to hear the Word of God. It happened in Wales when a young man had the courage to pray, “Bend me, O God, bend me.”
Do you have the courage to pray that prayer? Brokenness releases God’s Spirit to work deeply within our lives, and Christlike character emerges from a broken and contrite heart. Character is a result of God’s grace being applied to our hearts. We are what we are by the grace of God. We become what we need to become by the grace of God.
But God’s grace can be applied only to a heart that’s rooted in humility. And humility often enters our hearts when we’ve been broken. That’s why my prayer today is, “Bend the church and save the people.”
1 Timothy : Chapter 3
1) Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2) Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3) not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4) He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full[a] respect. 5) (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7) He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.
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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