The following material is taken from
"Revival God's Way" by the late Leonard Ravenhill and is offered in his honor
and memory. The Watchword ministry has been greatly blessed and influenced by Mr.
Ravenhill's preaching and writings. His ministry has greatly helped to confirm our calling
and challenged us to greater zeal and love for our Lord Jesus Christ. Over the past 73
years Mr. Ravenhill called the Church to reform and revival. Because of his faithfulness
whole generations have been called to account and left without excuse. We urge you now to
receive gladly this message by brother Ravenhill which was so typical of his overall
service to Christ. ~ Editor ( D. S.)
"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." (Ps. 126:5). This is the divine
edict. This is more than preaching with zeal. This is more than scholarly exposition. This
is more than delivering sermons of exegetical exactitude and homiletical perfection. Such
a man, whether preacher or pew dweller, is appalled at the shrinking authority of the
Church in the present drama of cruelty in the world. And he cringes with sorrow that men
turn a deaf ear to the Gospel and willingly risk eternal hell in the process. Under this
complex burden, his heart is crushed to tears.
The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church, grieved at the
blindness of the Church, grieved at the corruption in the Church, grieved at the
toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church. He is
disturbed that the corporate prayer of the Church no longer pulls down the strongholds of
the devil. He is embarrassed that the Church folks no longer cry in their despair before a
devil-ridden, sin-mad society, "Why could we not cast him out?" (Matt. 17:19).
Many of us have no heart-sickness for the former glory of the Church because we have never
known what true revival is. We stagnate in the status quo and sleep easy at night while
our generation moves swiftly to the eternal night of hell. Shame, shame on us! Jesus
whipped some money changers out of the temple; but before He whipped them, He wept over
them. He knew how near their judgment was The Apostle Paul sent a tear-stained letter to
the Philippian saints, writing: "I have told you often and now tell you even weeping,
that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ" (Phil. 3:18). Notice that he does
not say they are enemies of Christ; they are, rather, the enemies of the cross of Christ.
They deny or diminish the redemptive values of the cross. There are many like this today.
The church of Rome does not stand as an enemy of Christ; it traces heavily on His holy
name. Yet it denies the cross by saying that the Blessed Virgin is co-redemptive. If this
is so, why was she not also crucified? The Mormons use the name of Christ, yet they are
astray on the atonement. Have we tears for them? Shall we face them without a blush when
they accuse us of inertia at the Judgment Seat saying that they were our neighbors and an
offense to us, but not a burden because they were lost?
The Salvationists can scarcely read their flaming evangelical history without tears. Has
the glory of the evangelical revival under Wesley ever gripped the hearts of the
Methodists of today? Have they read of the fire-baptized men in Wesley's team? Men like
John Nelson, Thomas Walsh, and a host of others whose names are written in the Book of
Life; men persecuted and kicked in the streets when they held street meetings? Yet as
their blood flowed from their wounds, their tears flowed from their eyes. Have the
Holiness people set a guard at the door of the beauty parlors lest any sister should enter
to get her hair curled, while a block away there is a string of prostitutes trying to sell
their sin-wracked bodies with none to tell them of eternal love? Do the Pentecostals look
back with shame as they remember when they dwelt across the theological tracks, but with
the glory of the Lord in their midst? When they had a normal church life, which meant
nights of prayers, followed by signs and wonders, and diverse miracles, and genuine gifts
of the Holy Ghost? When they were not clock watchers, and their meetings lasted for hours,
saturated with holy power? Have we no tears for these memories, or shame that our children
know nothing of such power? Other denominations had their Glory Days of revival. Think of
the mighty visitations to the Presbyterians in Korea. Remember the earth-shaking revival
in Shantung. Are those days gone forever? Have we no tears for revival?
We strongly recommend the following books by ~ Leonard Ravenhill
From: A Revival Source Center