Praying for Revival — David Ravenhill

Unity in the Family of God

Tonight I often think of the story of Joseph who after many many years of being separated from his family finally met up with his brothers and of course he was anxious not disclosing who he was to find out if his father was still alive and so on began to pry a little bit and eventually of course you know he wanted to see the whole family and he asked about his younger brother Benjamin and could they bring Benjamin down to prove that they were telling the truth and so on.

And they basically said no. If we brought Benjamin down you know dad would die because he's already been separated from one son. And not realizing they were talking to that son and Joseph finally said he said you will not see my face again until all your brothers be with you.

You know I think there's a greater Joseph that he's saying you'll never see my face until the whole family is together. And I thank God that God is breaking down those barriers those dividing walls and beginning to bring us to the realization that we are redeemed by the same blood.

We're brothers and sisters no matter what the tag we may we wear we're still redeemed and part of the family of God. And I believe the more we come together the more we're going to see his face. And so thank you for coming.

It's been my joy to be here the last number of days with you. And tonight just before I begin let's pray again. Father once again we acknowledge again your headship your lordship the Lord these are your people again redeemed by your blood.

And we ask Lord that you would take your word that has everything that pertains to life and godliness all the exceeding great and precious promises that Lord you breathe life into them. Father come and teach us your ways give us understanding and revelation insight.

Father let there be an open heaven over this congregation that Lord you would do what you want to do tonight. Father we take our hands off and Lord we say have your way. Come and brood over this congregation.

Lord even as you brooded in the beginning and brought forth that which was a delight and a pleasure to you. Father we ask at the end of the service tonight the Lord you would see and say again it is good because of what you've done.

And so bless this time. We pray in Jesus name amen. Want to speak to you tonight on the habitation of God. I am convinced that one of the things that God is wanting to do is take the church from visitation to habitation.

From Visitation to Habitation

There has been some wonderful moves of the spirit of God in recent years in various parts of the country. We've seen see the visitation of God God coming down touching lives transforming lives. And yet I'm convinced there is something greater than visitation.

It's habitation. Jesus gave us a promise in John chapter 14 he says we will come and we will make our abode in you. And God doesn't want to just visit. He doesn't want visitation rights. He wants habitation rights.

We are familiar these days with visitation rights because families have been divided more rapidly than ever before the divorce rate now is unbelievable in this land. I travel every weekend somewhere and of course this time of the year you see children being put on the plane by one parent picked up by the other parent right across the country.

You see them going back again wearing a little tag around their neck. Mother picking them up a father picking them up. And father's got visitation rights. And mother's got visitation rights for the next two weeks next three weeks or whatever.

And children don't need visitation rights. They want habitation rights as we heard tonight. And I believe God is wanting habitation rights. There's a vast difference between visiting a place and dwelling in that place.

I have been visiting and very wonderfully hosted by our brother here brother Michael and sister Mona. They've been very very gracious hosts and they provided us with a wonderful room and a king-sized bed.

But you know I am visiting and so I'm not fussy about where I dwell even though it's been great but you see if they were to invite me to abide with them I may make some changes. I may rearrange the room I may redecorate I may bring it to my liking and maybe my color scheme and so on and so forth and rearrange the knickknacks and hang some different pictures up and so on.

Why. Because this is now my abode and I'm not visiting. I'm now dwelling there and I think God is wanting to make some changes in our life and it needs to be some changes made if we are to know what it is to have the abiding presence of God the first part of this service I'm going to be somewhat light-hearted.

Bear with me there's a reason for it and then we will get into the word but I want to take three or four words the word atmosphere the word environment the word culture the word habitation. We can create in this room an atmosphere.

There's already a wonderful atmosphere here because of the time of worship. But we could change the atmosphere. We could turn down the lights dim the lights maybe light the candle if that's a real one.

I'm not sure if but anyway we could light the candle we could have somebody stroll around with some music playing the violin and we could create a very romantic atmosphere. On the other hand we could brighten the lights open the windows bring somebody up on the organ you know pull out all the stops and have a militant atmosphere where there's a sense of marching and militancy and so on.

We can change the atmosphere. I believe God is looking and requires a certain atmosphere. He dwells in a certain atmosphere. The word environment is very similar to atmosphere these days the environmentalists are alive and well I passed it up in the northwest as did brother Michael.

And while there is the beauty of the northwest with all the magnificent trees and Puget Sound and mountains and so on I think there are as many environmentalists up there as there are trees and all you have to do is spit and they rope it off and declare it a national wetlands.

They are fanatics. Not quite but almost. And they will tell you if you destroy those trees that then you are going to destroy the habitation of certain plants or birds or bugs or whatever it is that they're trying to protect.

And they will tell you that there are certain elements that need to be in place. If those elements are in place then that plant or animal or whatever it is can survive. If those elements are destroyed those components if you like are not together then again that particular thing that they're trying to protect is not going to make it.

You see I believe again God is looking for a certain environment. There are certain elements that need to be in place again that are conducive if you like to God thriving in our lives corporately and individually.

The word habitation according to the dictionary means the usual place that a plant or an animal or a person is found. The usual place a zoo is not normally a good habitation. Years ago my wife and I took the children to San Diego not too far from here it was in those days and maybe still is reputed to be one of the best zoos in the world.

And I remember walking around looking in the enclosures. There were lions and giraffes and tigers and zebras and hippos and so on. I took a little bit of comfort in thinking well at least this is Southern California you know 80 90 degrees 100 degrees.

These animals are from South Africa. They're used to this sort of temperature and so while they may not have the vastness of the plains to roam in at least they've got the temperature they've got got part of their sort of normal habitation.

Then I came to another enclosure and there was a polar bear great big beautiful specimen and my heart went out to that polar bear. I thought this is not a good habitation for a polar bear you know ship at 2 ,000 or more miles north put it on a block of ice.

It may be a little happier than here in Southern California on a block of cement turn down the temperature about 100 degrees then minus it another 20 and that animal will be in its normal environment.

Our habitation. God is looking for a certain habitation. The Bible says in Ephesians we are becoming or growing into the habitation of God. In other words we are to be God's habitation and again habitation the usual place that someone or something is found.

We need to find out what is God's habitation. Finally the word culture. The word culture is an interesting study. I have lived in different countries born in England raised in Ireland lived in America various parts of America.

Seven years in Minnesota with all the Norwegians and Minnesotans here down to New Zealand to New Guinea traveled quite a bit and so I've been in various cultures and you see different cultures have different values.

What is accepted in one culture and maybe even considered important in one culture can be terrible in another culture. I first became aware of the difference in culture when my parents moved us as a family.

I was 14 years of age from England to America. My father settled in a Bible school. Holiness Bible school strong message on sanctification. I had only been there a matter of days playing with some kids my own age 13 14 15 year old kids staff members kids and I was horrified to hear them were swearing.

Terrible swear words. Swear words that I could not believe anybody was uttering especially at that age and let alone in the environment of a supposedly holiness Bible school. But then I was surprised to find out that they were horrified to find out what Leonard Ravenhill son was swearing also now the problem was I was not swearing in my culture.

I wasn't yours. They were not swearing in your culture but they were in mine. And I realized that even though we may speak a similar language that there is a difference in our cultures. Swear words in England are not necessarily swear words in America and vice versa.

And I'm not about now to try and differentiate between the two list. This tape brings my ministry to an abrupt halt. My wife and I lived in New Guinea. We had a friend who was translating the scriptures in that very remote country.

If you know anything about New Guinea one of the most primitive countries in the world 3 million people 700 languages not dialects distinct languages. You can have a mountain a little village on one side and on the other side another village and they speak two totally different languages cannot communicate.

And this gentleman was translating the scriptures working with one of the national workers there and he had been there for some time and the national worker noticed that when he blew his nose he took out a handkerchief.

Of course he didn't know it as a handkerchief and he proceeded to blow his nose and then very carefully of course he would fold it up and put it in his pocket. And this went on day after day. And finally you know he had to get an answer.

And so he said to the missionary he said I need to ask you a question why do you say that stuff and what you do with it. You see he had never seen a handkerchief before. He had seen that substance wasted.

I won't demonstrate. And being a budding entrepreneur I guess he thought listen I can cash this crop if I can figure out why he saves it and what he does with it and what value it has. Now again we laugh it is humorous but we grow up don't.

We were somebody grabbing a tissue rubbing our nose and we never think anything of it. But if you've never seen a handkerchief you see that cloth represented something of value. It was always nice and clean.

And you know the man very carefully saved this stuff and wrapped it up and so obviously it had value. But he just wanted to know what value after all was a whole village there that he could reap a harvest from when we were living in New Zealand our oldest daughter who is now a missionary in China was in college at the time and I went down one weekend to the city of Dunedin an old Scottish town to minister and to see her.

We were staying with some friends. I picked up a morning newspaper while I was waiting for the breakfast to be made and there on the front page of the Otago Daily Times the local newspaper there was a very interesting article.

It talked about a museum exhibit that was going through New Zealand on to Australia or up to Malaysia. It was a museum exhibit from the Inca civilization going back hundreds and hundreds of years. They had all sorts of artifacts various implements agricultural implements various weavings jewelry bits of gold you know pottery all sorts of things.

But the pride and joy of this exhibit according to the article was the mummified remains of an Inca person. This mummy was again five six seven eight hundred years of age. But the article said that in New Zealand it was not being displayed anywhere in New Zealand.

The New Zealand government had decided that it would not be put on public display for one reason less to defend the Maori people. The Maoris are the equivalent of our Native Americans. They're the original inhabitants of New Zealand.

They're very superstitious. I guess when it comes to things concerning death. And so the New Zealand government was sensitive to their culture and rather than offend them chose not to put that offensive item on display even though it was a sort of a pride and joy of that exhibit.

See the Bible says a brother offended. It's harder to be one than a strong city. And we can offend God because we don't understand God's culture. You see what is right in one culture is not necessarily right in another.

In some cultures it's appropriate in the middle of your meal to belch. And the louder and the longer the belch the more you are saying to your host I'm enjoying this. This is great meal. It's basically your tummy saying thank you.

But we don't do that in this culture. At least not when visitors are there. And if we do father looks at us a particular way mother kicks us under the table or vice versa. Brother nudges us and reminds us listen beyond your best behavior.

You know there's company here and try and suppress that next time. And so what we sort of disdain in some cultures is important. Now I could stand here all night tell you stories about culture just fascinating things.

I go to Germany periodically. And in Germany all the men where their wedding band on the right hand. Instead of left little things like that. Now I share that with you to say this that God has a culture.

The Bible simply calls it the ways of God. Let me say that again. The Bible calls it the ways of God. Your ways are not my ways. Lord your culture is not my culture your way of doing things. It's not my way of doing things.

Lord why do you put value on that. We don't. So Lord teach me about your culture. I hope that I'm gives you an understanding as to that little phrase. Because time after time we see it in the Word of God.

Moses said Lord teach me your ways. And Jesus. God said of course they're in the Word of God. You know my thoughts are not your thoughts. My ways are not your ways. And so on. So forth we have a difference in culture.

What you think is important. I don't think is important. What I think is important. You don't think it is important. And if two are going to walk together we need to agree. And what fellowship can light have with darkness.

And guess what we have to change to God's culture. He doesn't adapt to ours very well. Now turn with me if you have your Bible tonight to the book of Exodus. In Exodus chapter 25 we have the Lord appearing to Moses.

God’s Pattern for His Dwelling Place

And he says to Moses in verse 8 I want you to construct a sanctuary for me that I may dwell among them now. Notice this is not man beseeching begging God. It's not Moses at the end of 40 days of prayer and fasting saying God it's about time.

You came and paid us a visit. After all you're supposed to be our father. We're supposed to be your kids. And you know why don't you show up once in a while and so on. No this is God taking the initiative.

This is God saying to Moses I want to dwell with you. He is father and he loves his children. And so in verse 8 God expresses his desires or his request. Make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among you now I believe that's an eternal desire on the part of God.

I believe because he has no variableness no shadow of turning that he still longs to be with his family even as he did in the Old Testament he wants to dwell with us again. Notice he wants to dwell not visit.

He doesn't say to Moses. Listen. Just book me into motel 6 for a couple of nights. I just happen to be passing through thought I'd drop in for a visit. No he says listen build me a house. I'm gonna dwell there.

So this is an eternal request an eternal desire. Verse 9 according to all that I will show you as to the pattern of the house of the tabernacle and the pattern of all the furniture just so you shall construct it.

Verse 8 God's desire. Verse 9 God's demands. Verse 8 God's best. Verse 9 God's requirements. You see if one is eternal the other is eternal. Now we're learning something I trust about God the nature of God.

God is fussy. Use a good sort of Irish expression is finicky about where he dwells and he says listen Moses do me a house. But Moses before you get any idea of constructing something I'm going to give you the blueprint and I want you to make it exactly the way I tell you to make it now.

Of course God told Moses I want you to come up the mountain. Moses ascended the mountain left behind the children of Israel got up to the top a cloud came down. And I believe that God sort of parted the heavens and almost like he did with John.

He took Moses there into the dwelling place his eternal dwelling place and said Moses get a good look. This is my home. This is my eternal dwelling. I want you to replicate that on earth. I want you to duplicate it on earth.

I want to feel just as much at home as I do in heaven. I want the same environment that I have up here down here. I want the same conditions you see up here down here we know that to be a fact because the book of Hebrews says that the true tabernacle which is in heaven and the earthly tabernacle was a copy of the true tabernacle which is in heaven according to the Word of God.

And so it was an exact replica if you like or it may have been condensed somewhat but the ingredients the atmosphere the elements were exactly the same. Now we're talking of course in a New Testament sense God wants to come and he wants to make his abode in us.

But you see this is also an eternal principle. Make it exactly according to the pattern. You see God doesn't change. He hasn't sort of mellowed out so to speak over the centuries. And he says you know I used to be incredibly fussy.

I can't believe I was that fussy in the Old Testament. You know now listen anything they'll do you know futons are in that's fine. Just now he says the same thing his desire hasn't changed his demands haven't changed.

Make it exactly according to the pattern. Now you can tell a lot about a person by visiting their home. This is where those that I've been staying with get nervous so I won't embarrass them. But you know you can walk into a home.

And there's been times as I travel where a pastor has picked me up at the airport taking me to a home and said this is where you're going to be for the weekend. The board members both of them are working right now.

But they've given me the key they're gonna be home in. And just a little while maybe it's four o 'clock and they said they should be home by five o 'clock and they plan on taking you out for a meal and bringing you to the church and so we'll see you later.

And he ushers me into the house. Maybe shows me where the bedroom is and said listen feel free to have a rest. You know unpack if you like. And here I am in somebody's house. I have not met these people but I can tell you what they're like the moment I step into that house.

I can tell they're rich or poor. They're clean or unclean. They're neat. They're sloppy. They've got kids so they don't have kids. I can tell you the age of their kids or grandkids. I can tell you their likes and dislikes.

I can tell you whether they like fine art or modern art. I can tell you whether the musical or not. All I've got to do is be observant. If there's a piano then a violin and a guitar or whatever. I think somebody in this family is very musical.

Sometimes I look in the bookcase and I think well you know all these books are about law. This is the home of a lawyer. Maybe the books are about medicine. I think this is a you know doctor's home. Maybe I stroll into the den and you know there's some bass on the wall and on this side of the wall there's a couple of deer and some other animals mounted.

I think this guy obviously enjoys hunting and fishing. Maybe we come in through the garage and there's some skis and different things. I think these guys are into water sports and all I've got to do is look around that home.

I want you to know I never pry into anything private but at least the general area. If they told me to make myself at home and I could observe what sort of person lives there just by looking at the environment.

The Throne and Holiness of God

Turn with me to the book of Revelation. What we want to do now. We want to have a good look at God's home God's dwelling place. Because if we are going to become the earthly dwelling place of God it behooves us then to understand what his requirements are and where he dwells right now if you and I this very moment could be transported into heaven this is exactly what we would see.

And he says see to it. You make it according to the pattern. You'll notice as we work our way through this chapter that nothing ever varies with God. So let's begin in Revelation 4 in verse 1 after these things I looked.

John said and behold the door standing open in heaven. So even God's house has got a door. Obviously this is somewhat figurative I'm sure. But the door opens and from inside there is a voice and John is welcomed beckoned to come in.

He says there was a voice that I heard like the sound of a trumpet and it said come up here and I will show you what must take place after these things. And so John is invited into the house of God. The door of heaven opens.

The voice of the the Spirit of God says John come on in. And immediately John finds himself there in the presence of God. He begins to describe to us now what he sees. Verse 2 immediately I was in the spirit and behold the throne was standing in heaven.

And one sitting on the throne before John goes anywhere else before he tells us any other details. He says the moment I stepped through that door the very first thing that caught my attention the thing that's overwhelmed me he said there was a throne and there was one sitting on the throne.

What is the throne of God. It's the seat of power the seat of authority the seat of government the place of his kingdom place of his lordship his kingship his dominion place from which he reigns and rules a place in which he extends his scepter.

All of those things of course are typified by the throne. The seat of power the seat of government. And you'll notice that the throne is occupied. And there was one sitting on the throne. You never find anywhere in the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation you never ever ever find a vacant throne.

There is always somebody on the throne and that somebody never varies either. Now if you and I are going to move from visitation to habitation and if that verse and that principle is eternal and it is see to it that you make it according to the pattern because I want to come down I want to dwell with you.

I want the same conditions on earth that there are in heaven that I will be done on earth as it is in heaven God demands the throne. Let me say that again if we're going to move from visitation to habitation the very first issue that you and I have to settle is who is going to have the throne.

And that's a big tough question isn't it. Oh we so readily if you were there the other night I spoke on the cross we so readily sort of dump our sins at the altar and ask for forgiveness. But to make him king to make him Lord to make him master is another step altogether isn't it.

That's where the real battle is. Because you see I've been the king of my castle all my life and nobody's going to usurp my authority nobody's going to take over. Nobody's going to tell me that they're going to dominate my life and tell me that this money that is my money is no longer my money.

And this time that has been my time is no longer my time and so on. I don't want any king ruling over my little kingdom. And so I'll welcome Jesus Christ as my friend as my Savior. And I'll say listen Jesus you're welcome in this house of mine.

You can sit anywhere you want some. Let's get one thing straight right now. I'm the king of the castle. So don't mess with the throne. Oh we would never say it in so many words of course. But we do it.

Don't we. We protect our little kingdom our little financial kingdom our little emotional kingdom our little will kingdom our little gold kingdom whatever it is. You know it's my plans my purpose my dreams my goals.

And I don't want anybody interfering. I want don't want anybody ruling and reigning over my life. And we wonder why we don't have revival. We wonder why we never move from visitation to habitation. Why we don't have the conscious presence of God with us.

There was only one being that really challenged the throne of God. One day he got so full of himself I guess and his beauty and his wisdom. And he looked at the throne of God. He says I want to sit where you're sitting.

You know I can run the show as well as you can run the show. Look at all my beauty. Look at all my talent. Look at all my wisdom and so on and so forth. We know what happened. Of course he became Lucifer.

He was thrown out of heaven. Or he became Satan stripped of his rank stripped of his authority. You see nobody really challenges the throne of God and gets by with it. And yet it's amazing. Isn't it the people that call themselves Christians and can pray so easily thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

Have absolutely no idea what it really is to have his kingdom come. Let me ask you this is this issue settled in your life. Is he really Lord and master. Does he really reign and rule. Have you honestly bowed the knee to his lordship.

If not you will never ever know the abiding presence of God. See to it that you make it exactly according to the pattern. The next thing we find out is that John becomes conscious now. In verse 8 it says.

There are four living creatures each one of them having six wings full of eyes around and within and day and night they do not cease but to say holy holy holy is the Lord God the Almighty who was who is and who is to come.

John now becomes aware that he has stepped into a holy place and that everything about that atmosphere that he finds himself in is one of absolute holiness. Thrice holy be holy as I am holy. You see there's never any variance no matter where you find God in the Word of God.

He is always a holy God and he always dwells in the holy police. Whether you go to the tabernacle the temple wherever it is you see this is the this is the genuine article. If you like everything else was a copy of this was a shadow of this.

This is the true tabernacle we're looking at. This is the eternal dwelling place of God. But he wants that same atmosphere on earth as he does in heaven. He wants that same environment that same culture in your life and my life.

Because he no longer dwells in temples made with hands in the New Testament whose house we are. And he wants this radically changed modified refurbished if you like according to his specifications according to his color scheme right according to the way he wants it.

Notice something if you will about this holiness. It says. They do not cease by day or by night to cry holy holy holy. You see there's never any shadow of turning. There's no variableness. Doesn't matter whether you go into the house of God in the middle of the night two o 'clock in the morning or two o 'clock in the afternoon it's always a holy place.

Let me ask you about your house. Is it always holy. If I were to visit you late in the evening would I find a holy place. I had the privilege of being part of the wonderful move of God there in Brownsville Pensacola revival.

And the evangelist Steve Hill night after night would thunder out. He says listen if you can sit at home on a Friday night and slip a video into your VCR and watch it without feeling ashamed. And yet you could not take that same video and watch it on a large screen with the rest of the congregation on Sunday morning without feeling ashamed.

You're not even saved. You see we have different standards. Don't we. We have a standard for the house of God where we put on our piety and we act you know religiously and so on. And then we go home. We kick back and we watch any filth.

But you see the atmosphere that God's looking for. It never varies neither by day nor by night. See to it again. You make it according to the pattern. What is holiness. Holiness. My simple definition is spiritual health.

We are obsessed as a nation with health. Aren't we physical health I'm talking about. I forget how many billions of dollars a year we spend on health related products whether it's you know Reebok Nike or whatever it is or popping vitamin pills and exercise equipment and so on.

I mean we are a nation as Americans obsessed with maintaining our health. And all you have to do is get a little twinge of sickness little pain that persists for a matter of hours. And we're soon on the phone calling the chiropractor the doctor the dentist whoever it may be whatever sort of discernment we have.

And we want that thing dealt with as soon as possible. And we say to the receptionist listen I've been you know got some major chest pains or whatever and I just really want to see the doctor. And she said well I'm sorry he's extremely busy this week but I think we could fit you in on Friday.

This is Monday morning. And what do we do. We say listen if there's a cancellation please tell me. Here's my cell phone here you know please notify me if I can get in earlier. I mean we want that thing dealt with immediately.

Don't we why. We know our very life may be at stake our physical life. And we want that thing treated. We want medication prescribed. We want to get on with the healing process. But when it comes with a sickness of sin we will go years and years and years with that cancer working its way in our life and never go to the great physician and ask for cleansing.

We'll hold resentment and bitterness and pride and lust and allow that thing to fester away within us. And yet never ever go to the great physician and say I need the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse me.

Holiness again spiritual health. There is a story in the Old Testament about Noah. You know the story. Well Noah is told by God to build an ark. Of course you know how. After completing that at the end of a hundred years God's patience not Noah's slowness in building the ark but God not willing that any should perish.

Finally the torrential rains come and after the rains cease. Then Noah has a predicament. Is it safe to go outside. Have the water settled. If the waters abated you see there was no light apart from divine light.

There were no portholes in the windows. He can just look out and say well you know the waters recessed. I think we can go out. It looks dry out there. There was only light from above. And so the Bible says Noah took a raven and he released that raven.

And the Bible says the raven flew here and there came back. And Noah was not able to determine whether the waters are abated. Why. Because the raven is an unclean bird and a raven will settle on any sort of environment any sort of debris.

It may be a bloated carpet carcass floating on the surface of the deep. And that raven will settle on. It doesn't care if it's clean or unclean because it's an unclean bird and poor old Noah could not determine that the waters are settled.

And then the Bible says that Noah took it up. First mention of the dove apart from God brooding over the surface of the deep. But in sort of typology here he releases the dove symbolic of the Holy Spirit.

And the dove flies around. And the Bible says the dove came back because there was no resting place for the soul of her feet. The dove would not settle where the raven would settle. He takes that dove he brings it into the ark.