There are ongoing efforts today to remove every semblance of God from our society. Ironically, those who are pushing these efforts from a platform of “tolerance” are increasingly intolerant of Judeo-Christian values and beliefs.

Historical precedence, however, points to America’s Christian heritage in which many of our political leaders recognized our need for God. All through our history, even in recent years, our leaders have offered public prayers seeking the hand of God’s blessing. (more…)

One of the highlights of the year at Lancaster Baptist Church is our annual winter revival with Dr. John Goetsch. I look forward these meetings every year—both for my own spiritual growth and for the growth it brings in the lives of our people. Several days of concentrated meetings are spiritually fruitful because the culmination of attending each evening allows the preaching of God’s Word to gain momentum in our lives as we press on in spiritual battle.

Dr. Goetsch preached on the theme of “Humanly Impossible,” and each service highlighted God’s ability to overcome the humanly impossible strongholds in our lives and give us victory through Christ. The messages (audio and video) are posted at http://preaching.lancasterbaptist.org/winter-revival-by-his-spirit. You will be blessed, convicted, challenged, and encouraged by them.

I rejoice in the privilege of knowing and serving a God with whom nothing is impossible! Please continue to pray for Larry’s healing and for his strength during these weeks of chemotherapy treatments.

Although the times in which we live are in many ways alarming and perplexing, for the servant of the Lord, they are full of ministry opportunities—to a greater extent than ever before.

To effectively serve the Lord and take advantage of the ministry opportunities before us, we must be like David’s warriors of old, “men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (1 Chronicles 12:32).

Like never before, God’s people need an understanding of the times—an awareness of the need of the hour. (more…)

In the early years of our ministry here at Lancaster Baptist, we did not always have the budget to provide a hotel room for our guest speakers, so Terrie and I often hosted these men in our home. One of the men I looked forward to spending time with was Dr. John Goetsch who came every year to preach our Winter Revival meetings in January. One night after preaching the evening service he came back to our home and commented on the good spirit of the service. At the end of our brief conversation, he mentioned that he did not want to wake or alarm anyone when he got up early the next morning to run. I thought to myself, “Does he think I am some kind of sluggard? He is going to run—from my house. I have running shoes…” So I told him, “Well, since I’ll be up anyway, I’ll just go ahead and run with you.” Out of respect, he did not smile on the outside, but I am fairly certain he was smiling on the inside!

Now, my idea of running starts by just getting loose and walking a bit. That walking leisurely transitions into a slow-pace jog to get the cardio to ramp up! Eventually, that jogging leads to a full run which needs to notch back down to a jog, so the cardio doesn’t get stuck at that high rate! That is not how Dr. Goetsch views running. He does not care if his cardio gets stuck at a high rate. He runs seven miles every day!

Our morning run came a little too soon for me, but as we started, I was feeling pretty good. I was staying up with him and even pushing him a little. That lasted a good 100-200 yards, but then several parts of my body began to protest. I began to experience charlie-horses and cramps. My feet, ankles, legs, heart, and lungs conspired in mutiny. You might think that Dr. Goetsch stopped for a moment to help or say, “See you back at the house,” but as I began my walk back to the house, he never even looked back.

Sometimes the race of the Christian life gets tough. We can experience the aches and pains of trials and circumstances. We can be discouraged by media and the economy. But, by the grace of God, we can finish our race. God promises to supply us with the strength we need to fulfill the course that He has set before us, and He promises to run alongside to encourage and lift us when we fall.

So, the next time you experience those spiritual charlie-horses, go to the Cross, get to the altar, and spend time with God. Don’t give up! Stay in the race! And renew your strength in the Lord.

I am greatly anticipating our Winter Revival meetings that will be held this next week. Dr. John Goetsch has preached at our revival meeting for over twenty years, and the messages God has laid on his heart have helped our church family tremendously. As we head into this week, I ask that you would pray for God to do a great work in our lives.

There has never been a revival that did not begin with prayer. The Rochester Revival of 1829 was no different. It was during the evangelistic ministry of Charles Finney that over 500,000 people publicly responded to receive Christ. Businessmen, doctors, lawyers, and others in many different walks of life were converted. It has been said that during the Rochester Revival, “the place was shaken to its foundation.” The far-reaching impact of this revival was felt throughout the state and eventually across the oceans.

Later in life, Charles Finney was interviewed regarding the great revival meetings that took place. Mr. Finney attributed what had taken place to the spirit of prayer. James 5:16 says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Mr. Finney then went on to say, “Prevailing or effectual prayer is that prayer which attains the blessing that it seeks. It is that prayer which effectually moves God. The very idea of effectual prayer is that it effects its objects.”

May we seek to have this kind of effectual prayer throughout this year and throughout this week, especially as we open our hearts to the message of God’s Word.