Are We Longing for Repentance? — Leonard Ravenhill

Jesus Cries Out at the Feast

I want to think just really about this. Verse 37 in the last day the great day of the feast jesus stood and cried. One version says jesus stood and cried with a loud voice saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink.

I shared some thoughts last sunday morning about this but it's been stirring my heart ever since. You know when we teach children about heroes in the bible we usually teach about david and goliath or samson or daniel in the lion's den.

I think this chapter is incomparable for courage. It was the last day the great day of the feast. And this feast was the last feast in the jewish calendar. There were seven great feasts according to leviticus.

In three of them only men were allowed to go. But in this last feast this is the last feast in the year. And this is the last day on the last feast and this is the last feast that jesus himself will attend.

It says that he went up into the temple. Oh look at verse five. For now that did his brethren believe on him. Then jesus said unto them my time is not yet come that your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you but it hateth me because i testify of it.

And the words said go ye up to the feast. I go not up to the feast now. Verse 14. In the midst of the feast jesus went up. Now why does it say he's not going to the feast. And then that right in the middle of the feast he goes to the feast.

It seems to me that this is a lesson to us in uh conserving our time. The three main feasts i think in the jewish calendar were still celebrated or still are celebrated in the christian calendar passover which is a type of our lord jesus christ dying for us.

And then there's a feast of pentecost that they have which we still celebrate remembering the upper room. But this third feast we do not keep in our christian calendar. It's not yet come. It's the time of ingathering again.

Three of the other feasts only males were allowed to go. This final feast of the year people came in from 70 different countries. As a matter of fact the jews previous to this killed 70 bullocks one representing each country where their people were dispersed.

Atonement, Sacrifice, and the Mercy Seat

The last day the great day of the feast. Now this actually followed immediately after the super day in the jewish calendar the day of atonement. Remember the priest went and shed blood for the people and then he took two goats and he i don't know how he chose.

He chose one goat that he would lay the blood upon that goat and take it to the wilderness. Put the sin of the nation on that goat and send it out into the wilderness so that it was lost forever. A type of god taking our sins and putting them behind his back never to be remembered against us anymore forever.

The other blood was taken in a bowl and it was taken put onto the into the holy of holies and put there on the mercy seat. The salvation army used to have a great chorus. They sang at their altar calls.

They didn't sing just as i am without one plea. They sang come to the mercy seat fervently kneel here bring your wounded heart here tell your anguish earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. Scores of thousands of people were sung into blessing through that marvelous chorus.

When i was a boy which was last century by the way i feel tonight. But anyhow it's a long way back. Earth has no sorrow heaven coming. Okay now this is the last day the great day of the feast. It's estimated i don't know how but more than a million people crushed into the city for this last final feast.

If you go into the old testament you'll discover they took branches of trees. I remember seeing a lot of these in india when i was there. Lots of people make homes like that out of branches of trees and then flat leaves in between to protect them from the rain or the heat whatever it was.

And so there's this celebration. Now jesus went up in the midst of the feast. Uh and verse 15 says the jews marveled saying how north this man letters. Or maybe there's a marker on that letters which in the margin says how is it.

This man has wisdom. He's never learned. He's never been to the school of the rabbis. Where is he from. We know who he is. He's illegitimate anyhow. He's the son of uh joseph. They actually say we know his father we know his mother.

But he went into the temple and taught now in the first place. I want to know how he got in the temple. He must have had his fight his way through the crowd and the temple was always guarded by temple police.

But he gets through the crowd he gets into the temple and he goes and stands in the pulpit. That must have been pretty shocking. How can a man who isn't ordained go in the pulpit. Isn't that beyond reason.

Excuse me. But people think it is today even when fast this man wisdom never having sat at the feet of men. But if you turn to the eighth chapter not now but when you go home he says i was taught of my father so that he had the greatest teacher of all.

The Holy Spirit Versus Mere Scholarship

You know john that wrote this gospel has been called a play to of the new testament because it's the most profound profound chapter maybe ever written. Now you may or may not remember. I guess you do you wise scholars.

That was it. Plato was. This was the student of socrates one of the wisest men who ever lived. And so they said that this man is as wise as plato. No you see poor plato only had socrates. He may have been the greatest intelligence in the world at the time.

But he didn't have a holy ghost to teach him. So he's still ignorant. We put men in pulpit because they've got degrees. But you can have 32 and still be frozen. But today there's such an emphasis on scholarship.

Isn't there. Oh we're getting a new pastor. He's got a b .a. But my sheep used to say that every time i looked at them. So what's a b .a or an m .a. I've got a b .a. I'm born again and i've got my m .a.

I'm marvelously altered. I've got my phd sometime. I'm a posthole digger. But anyhow there you are. I would love to know what jesus thought. Wouldn't you martin. I'll tell you it was so sensational that those people those rabbis never sat with their mouths open.

They marveled at him. What did you did you unveil the mysteries of daniel's image. Did you tell him some of the most unheard. Well only unheard of things they'd never heard. But they marveled at this man.

Now it's a wonderful thing that jesus ever got into this place. Right. Again i say because he had to push his way through a million people outside he had to push his way past the temple guards. And he comes into the temple.

Oh mercy on us. What's he doing here. In the second chapter he says he went in the temple. He called them a den of thieves. Well that's a way to get the wealth of matt out. Isn't it. Anyhow you say to a bunch of the most learned men in the world you're a bunch of thieves.

That's what he said. Not only that he kicked over the money changers tables. Kind of like the irishman said everything that for me is against me. Don't you think they squint at. That's the man that kicked over our money tables.

Our money went rolling down the street there. This is the man who said we're a bunch of thieves and robbers. We hold truth from them. We're blind guys leading the black. Why don't they kill him. Look what the first verse says.

After these things jesus. After what things. After all these miracles. You know if we don't get the background and some of these stories we miss the majesty of you know between malachi and matthew you've got 400 years of darkness without any prophetic light.

And then like haley's comics streaking over the sky at black midnight a rugged ragged man came. He was an awkward man. He was a baptist. But anyhow there's some baptists here today. Okay. Don't tell your pastor i said that.

You see the amazing thing is the first man that ever preached the baptism of the holy ghost was a baptist. Why don't they keep up with it huh. And why do the pentecostals run their flag up. They're years behind the baptist.

Preach it long before the pentecostals ever born. You see truth is nobody's property. Isn't that great. No man has a monopoly of wisdom. I'm getting there bit by bit. But anyhow i've been looking for it for over seven.

Somebody asked me out today. How long have you been trade. I think about 65. What. 65 years. Nearly 65 years. But you know i still feel i'm an amateur. I still feel i'm groping. I'm still don't think i'm in waters to the ankles not to the knees or the loins or waters to swim in.

You know the word of god is like an ocean. Somebody said it's so beautiful. A lamb can splash in the water here and the elephants can swim in it. Up there. Some of the intellectual men i know i know two of them.

They're. They're the humblest of men. Oh i love the hymn we sang tonight. Oh worship the king his wisdoms. When you think his robe is the light and his canopy space. Our scientists are too proud to believe in eternity.

They do believe in infinity. They shot a tin can up there two or three years ago into space. It's already done 250 million miles. Isn't it silly that wise men down in houston sit down and talk to a tin can up there and tell it turn right turn left.

If i did that they'd say he's got religious mania. But they're scientists. They're wise you see. But there's no wisdom beyond the wisdom of this book. I told somebody today. I do i think what one of our sons has done for years.

Learn the new proverb every week. And you'll be smart if you're at the end of the year you've got 52 proverbs. The most amazing book of wisdom maybe in the world. Jesus came into the place where it said you're a den of thieves.

He walked into the midst of it and it says they wanted to kill him. Now it says in verse 19 did not moses give you the law. And yet none of you keep the law. Isn't that a nice info huh. Looking right in the eye of the most learned men in religion in the world.

Moses gave you the not one of you keeps it. So he's got. He's getting a real scorecard. Isn't he. He's kicked the money tenders out of the out of the place. He's called them a den of thieves. Again i say right after that 400 years of stillness there came this amazing man john baptist.

He shot their culture. He upset their theology. Nobody's going to church right. They're all going to hear a man out in the wilderness. What's he doing raising the dead. No he isn't. He's raising hell.

Did he raise the dead. No he didn't raise a man. He raised the dead nation. Dear lord we could do with the john baptist in every city in the nation tonight. Some of you now are taking it easy. You say we'll relax and be raptured.

Now we've got mr reagan in reagan can't do much for us. Oh the issue of politics that we went through. Just people say it wasn't politics. It was something moral. It wasn't something moral. It was something spiritual.

We could have a nation full of nicodemuses. And they'd still be lost. Did not moses. Uh verse 19. Did not moses give you the law. And yet none of you keep up the law. Why go you about to kill me. The 25 then said some of the them in jerusalem is not this of whom they seek to kill.

But he speak of foley. And they say nothing. Now come on this thing this place this marvelous temple was no little room like this. This wouldn't even go on the platform. It held at least 6 000 people.

There was a day when there was a riot. One of the priests tripped up and spilled the holy water and there was a stampede and fighting broke out. And it's estimated that nearly 2 000 people were either seriously injured or killed.

Now jesus goes up into the midst of the feast with the eyes of everybody. Those frowning pharisees and those dumb. What were the other sadducees. Oh the pharisees liked him because he raised the dead.

And the sadducees said there isn't such a thing as a resurrection. That's why they were sad. You see. Thank you. I thought the penny might drop after a while. Oh they loved to hear him because he believed.

And not only believed it but he actually raised the dead. The trouble with our theology is all on the blackboard. Our theology is all in textbooks. It has no life it has no breath it has no power it has no authority.

John the Baptist and the Call to Repentance

How in the world did jesus stand in the middle of that crowd of vexed angry people. He'd antagonize them. He'd reveal their spiritual bankruptcy. They were just getting over the shock of john baptist standing there in the wilderness.

They couldn't fathom it. Why are people going. Read the third chapter of luke. When you go home even the roman soldiers went. Macefield would call them the lesser breeds outside of the law. They were fascinated when they heard him.

Nothing like this in rome caesar has nothing like this. Here's a little strange man with a leather girdle around his loins and old around his neck. And people are swarming from everywhere. What does he say.

Read the four laws. He uses that word. Nobody likes repent. Repent not only confess your sin forsake your sin. Repent run away from it. Then jesus comes up afterwards. I don't know what all the order is in this but you know i was reading today the last verses of the 20th chapter of the 21st.

Somebody has estimated that if you could take all the events that are mentioned in the gospel recorded by john and put them in a line they would only give you 21 days out of the three and a half years that jesus ministered.

I'll go further than that. I say if you took matthew mark luke and john and take all these historic events like this miracle that upset the whole town. Don't you think when the next day after he turned water into wine that everywhere they were saying did you hear what he did.

They ran out of wine last night and he turned water into wine. This is the man that tosses people out to the synagogue. This is the man that kicks over the extortioners. This is the man that says to learned men you're the enemies of god.

He's merciless. You know we're preaching an acceptable gospel today. Make it as painless as we can. And all we do is give people a shot to put them to sleep so they'll get to hell quicker. We need some hellfire.

Preaching on repentance. One old definition says repentance is to leave the sin i've done before. I'm sure that i in earnest grieve by doing it no more. If a man is genuinely born again all things pass away.

All old things pass away and all things become new. So here we have jesus right in the center of the uh crowd. You see for six days what happened. They had a wonderful performance. What were they thinking of.

Jesus stood there where the priest that stood every day for seven days. And then the temple orchestra came with their instruments and the temple choir came and they went down the shoulder of the hill to the pool of siloam.

And they did that golden vessel into the pool and the priest carried it on his shoulder with pomp and circumstance. And he went and poured it out to what. To remind them of what. But when they cried there in the in the wilderness they had no water.

And god told moses to smite the rock. And he smoked it told him to speak to it. The second time he still smoked it he got into habit. But they were commemorating that tremendous event when that river followed them.

That river of life followed them wherever they went. And the rock that was smitten that was christ the word of god said. So for seven days they'd seen this performance. Everybody stood on one side and bowed when they came back.

Oh you think what god did. God that put the stars up there. God that one day parted like you part your hair. He parted the rivers the water and over a million people passed through. This is our god. They're commemorating the miracle on the last day the great day of the feast.

They did not go through that performance. And jesus went and stood there. I if i were an artist i'd want to paint this. I think around the world art galleries i've been. I've seen all kinds of pictures about the lord.

I've never seen a picture of jesus standing here in all his moral majesty. Why in god's name. Don't they go punch him. Why doesn't somebody do what. They've already put an assassin threat on him. We'll kill him.

But people say well why don't you kill him. He's standing there. He's no bodyguard. There's no angels around it. Well actually i think he had a bodyguard of angels. I think he stood there in his moral majesty and they could feel what we call vibes going out of him of the glory of god.

But they didn't go near him. I say and i say i think this is one of the most gorgeous pictures of jesus in the whole of the new testament. But the last day at the great day of the feast he said jesus stood and cried.

Isaiah says my servant shall not cry in the streets. Well he's not crying in the street. He's not crying in the street at all. He's crying in the temple. He's crying to a particular crowd of people. But he had the insult to injury.

I remind you again. He'd already called them a den of thieves. He'd already tossed the money changers out. He'd stunned them with the miracles that he'd done. And yet this is what he says to them. These people have a monopoly of god.

Didn't they have ancestry like jeremiah and isaiah and these huge enormous characters. But this man comes this unleaded man this usurper this man with no backing stands in the middle of the holy of holies as far as they're concerned it's like he's rushing into the vatican and shouting hallelujah and starting to praise the lord wouldn't go down too.

Well i'd like the chance though. And there he is in the middle of a feast. And listen to what he says. If any man a hold in a minute you can't say that jehovah is the god of the jews. The ten commandments are given to the jews.

All those giants you talk about spiritually subdued kingdoms and wrought righteousness. And stop them out of line. They're all jews. Why do you dare to say to this cosmopolitan crowd here if any man can i think one of the most beautiful things that even paul said my great favorite preacher the apostle paul.

And what he said in to what is it in the second of corinthians chapter 5. Is it 5 17. Don't look now. Look up and find out i'm wrong. But anyhow do you remember what he said. If any man did he say that what did he say.

Fun. Right. I'm glad you're not all sleeping. That's great. If any man anywhere at any time being christ he may be the most twisted perverted carnal cruel stinking man in the whole world. But if the miracle of regeneration comes in he gets a new heart a new mind a new spirit a new in look a new outlook new everything we've forgotten about the majesty of the new birth people just nod their head and say the sinner's prayer and go straight to hell down the aisle that they after they've leaned their head on the shoulder of the pastor.

You know i doubt if five percent of professing christians in america are born again. It's true of england. I asked that giant of a man. Buck sting the man from india. Do you ever meet him out there brothers.

You've got to see him this time. He's getting old. He's about 86. He is a man. He's a man that's going over the world. And he goes to the railway station without a penny and orders his ticket. I believe in faith but not fanaticism.

I mean you know i mean you. What if you embarrass god. But you don't embarrass god. But i asked him one day of all the professing christians in india how many have saved he said. About two and a half percent.

What about the christians in america. Brother sing. He said uh two and a half percent. I'm astounded bewildered confused baffled. When people tell me in america we've 75 million people through with the holy nation on earth.

Come on. It says here that jesus stood cried. One version says with a loud voice. It was not a shriek. It was not a scream. The greek word implies that he did it with authority. He did it loudly. He did it empathically.

He did it with emotion. Why. Well i'll tell you what i discovered last week in this now preached on this 40 or 50 years never found it here. He is in the temple two or three four five thousand people around him.

And he stands there. And he cries with a loud voice. Why. Because time is running out for these people. And the dumb and blind they don't know it. They'd have the law. They'd have the prophets. They'd have one of the most amazing men in history previous to jesus coming.

And what they did. They got rid of him too chopped his head off. Jesus stood and cried with a loud voice. In my judgment for this reason that he knew that time was running out. But god's spirit does not always strive with men.

There's a cutoff point trying to think of a verse here. I can't remember. Right. At the moment i believe that jesus is running in his mind. Going through history. God gave them a margin of deliverance.

For the time that john baptist was there they still did the same thing. They'd had the law. They'd had the prophet. They'd had the most amazing men in history. They'd repeatedly got into captivity. This might may not be a good definition but my definition of a fool is a man that falls in the same hole twice.

That's exactly what israel did. They'd been in captivity for 400 years under pharaoh. Wouldn't you think that they'd shown everything that would in any way defile it in the sight of god. And yet they're just coming here after 400 years of captivity again.

Let me look at a verse here. Matthew. What is it. No that's only another reference. Matthew anyway you can put it down if you want to. Matthew 1354 when he came to his own country he taught them. The verse i want is is not that verse.

It's luke 11 50. Remember he said to them which of the prophets of your father's not killed. Now look what he says here in the 11th chapter of luke. And verse 47. Woe unto you. For you build a separatist of the prophets and your father's killed them.

They're trying to wash away guilt by making memorials to famous men. There's no sign of repentance come down in the verse. Verse 49 therefore also said the wisdom of god who is the wisdom of god he is.

I will send them prophets and apostles and some of them they shall slay and persecute. Now here it is i believe this was eating the heart of jesus christ when they stood there in the temple. And they were going through a dead formula.

That didn't mean a thing. They had altars but they had no fires. They had preachers but they had no anointing. They had no sign of life or the authority of majesty of the holiest being in the world god.

So listen to what he says. Verse 50. The blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of what. Of this generation. From the blood of babel unto the blood of zacharias which perished between the alts and the temple.

And verily i say unto you it should be required of this generation. Do you wonder. He was heartbroken. What happened. His prophecy came true within a generation. Titus invaded jerusalem in one of the greatest massacres ever.

And blood flowed to the bridles of the horses. And jesus is standing here. Remember the story of the man who had business and he sent his men out into the fields to work. They didn't honor him. Last of all i'll send my son.

God has sent a whole column of prophets. Finally he sends john the baptist the firebrand that waken the nation. And they did away with him. And now they've got the son of god. They're going to do it away with him.

And jesus said this generation all the blood of the prophets that's ever been shed from able right down to this day is going to be shed in your day before very long. They're going to reject him. What did they do.

They turned away from him. But instead of them turning away from them he turned away from them. Your house is left you desolate. The jews are remarkable nations but they've been desolate from that day to this.

They've had no power. They've had no prophets. They've been preserved in the mystery of god. If any other nation in the world asked america for the money the jews would have asked. We'd have kicked them in the ocean.

But we'd give them everything they asked for billion. But as soon as america turns her back on the jews you can dig the grave for america. Hitler brought the chief rabbi in my day 1939. He brought the chief rabbi into his presence.

He told him what he was going to do with the jews. The old rabbi sat there with his nice long beard. And hitler said you were sitting there pondering. What were you doing. Well your excellency he said uh my people were almost annihilated years ago by a man called pharaoh.

I know about that. Did you know we have a flat cake. I think they call it maxi. And that's us. That's us. I've eaten yards of it. It's tasteless. But it's better than nothing. That's about it. But anyhow it's a memorial to pharaoh.

And then it was a day when somebody decided to liquidate the jews and the young ladies put in the way after. Didn't she after. And the jews have a little cake memorial of that called a hamantash. I think it is little thing full of seeds.

And hitler said well your excellency. I was thinking we made a flat cake to remind us of pharaoh. And we have a noble cake with seeds called a hamantash. I was wondering what kind of cake we could invent to remember you.

And would you believe. Hitler showed him the door. They're in for trouble. Don't make any mistake about it. But jesus is standing there weeping. He's stammering out. He cries with a loud commanding voice.

He had no amplification. And five or six thousand if any man thirst that didn't come unto me. He sees her at the end of the line. Surely he had the word of knowledge if anybody had. And he knew they were going to be massacred slaughtered if they didn't repent.

But they'd never repent. I think that broke his heart in that piece. You dumb blind people. How are you going to walk here and say moses walked here. Or somebody else walked here. Or maybe before this there was a great marvelous temple that was built by solomon.

And yet you go through your what does that water mean. That you poured out of it. Not that much. You just tell your children. Well that's funding your father's great-grandfathers. For one day away in the wilderness it had lost its meaning.

As god is my witness i believe that thousands of people who take communion this sunday. And it doesn't mean that much to them. They don't think of the blood of christ. They don't think he turned god's anger away.

They don't think he rescued them from eternal hell. If they did they'd either weep for joy or weep for sorrow. So they weep for nothing. This unrepentant crowd. They're going to turn the sun. No he says you're not rejecting me.

I'm rejecting you. There's a fantastic verse in lamentations. This is hardly a book you read for any fun or joy. Is it. If you don't know where it happens to be in your bible. It comes right after jeremiah lamentations chapter 2.

Verse 1. How hath the lord covered the daughter of zion with a cloud in his anger and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of israel and remembered not his footstool in his anger. The lord has swallowed up the habitations of jacob.

And he hath not pitied. He has thrown down in his wrath the strongholds of the daughter of judah. He has brought them down to the ground. He has polluted the kingdom and the prince is thereof. Verse 4.

He has bent his bow like an enemy. He stood at his right hand as an adversary. And through all that were pleasant in the eye of the tabernacle and of the daughter of zion. He poured out his fury like fire.

Here is the people that said god is our god. Okay take him for good or ill. But he has a smile or a smite. You look what he says here in verse 5. The lord was an enemy. He has swallowed up israel. He has swallowed up all the palaces.

He has destroyed their strongholds. He has increased the daughter of judah with mourning and lamentation. He has violently taken away his tabernacle. They've suddenly realized that god is their adversary.

The god who delivered them over and over again. He sent angels to deliver them. He delivered them in a hundred different ways. But now he's angry at kindle against them. What do they say. Well of course.

So maybe god has moods he'll change. No not on your life. Do you think of anything more devastating than coming down to verse 10. In this chapter the elders of the daughters of zion sit upon the ground and keep silence.

Here you have these charming women. This is what they do. They've cast dust upon their heads. They've girded themselves with sackcloth. The virgins of jerusalem hang down their heads. Now here is jeremiah.

He says my eyes do fail with tears. He says my eyes are blinded with tears. I'm choking with grief. Listen my bowels are troubled. My liver is poured out for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Because the children of the sucklings are in the streets. They say to their mothers where is the corn and wine. You see little children here in a state of destitution. When they know the anger of god is kindled destroying their priesthood and destroying every treasure they have.

The children say where is the corn and the wine. Oh you told us mommy that our grandpas and others they came out of a barren wilderness and they came into a lamp flowing with milk and honey. But the glory has departed.

I'm convinced that when jesus stood in the temple that day he was thinking of the day when the glory of god filled the temple. Do you remember the time when solomon stood there and the glory came down and the priest could not minister for the glory of god in god's name.

When are we going to see that the glory filled the temple. And now the temple is a place of historic value to us as a nation. There's no sign of life. Our altars have no fire. The glory of god doesn't fill the temple.

The priests have no prophecy. How can we be worse. You can hardly find anything more desperate than this. My eyes are blinded with tears. My bowels are troubled. My liver is poured out for the destruction of my nation.

Can you imagine the pastor of a nice fashionable church going in next sunday morning with his matinee suit on feeling on top of the world and suddenly weeping and saying my bowels. My bowels are troubled.

My liver is poured out. They think it was nuts. The deacons will rush up and escort him out to the backstreet. There's no despair. How many pentecostals you think will be drinking their breath this sunday and saying oh.

You remember the glory of god as a zozer street. You remember when the rivers of god flowed out there from a people who were poverty stricken in material things but rich in god. Where are the nazarenes.

The days they had the glory when dr breffy founded that organization and the pilgrim holiness people or the methodists or the salvationists. Do you know why we don't cry and weep and feel our bowels are torn in our liver.

Because we've never seen the glory of god. That's why great contentious tread the theological doctrinal treadmill. Until we're weary. We drop into bed tired out. We haven't departed. One iota. There isn't an angel gabriel or mike like that.

Nobody could say we deviated from the truth of baptist teaching or pentecostal teaching or somebody else's teaching. We have no passion we have no brokenness. Jesus is torn. He knows that the day of rejection is almost over.

He knows that outside of that street he's going to walk in a few minutes before long it'll be full of blood up to his knees. But those people who have no time for god will be screaming for mercy. And it's too late.

They're going to be thwarted by the hundreds of thousands. Maybe a million people were destroyed in the days of titus when he invaded that city. You remember the scripture that says oh jerusalem jerusalem.

Thou that killeth the prophets. Why don't we change it and put oh america america. Thou that killeth the prophets. Three thousand radio stations in america today have broadcast something of the gospel my country that gave the world the bible that gave the world methodism that gave the world a salvation army.

The two greatest revivals since pentecost is now as dead as the dodo. We're wanting to make a short-term investment. Aren't we and get the glory of god on one night of prayer or one evening of prayer.

Or i've added to 10 more minutes of my praying each day. Do you wonder that the writer for the hebrews said we have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin. Every drop of blood from abel to zachariah when they had that row in the temple right down to the very last person is treasured by god and lifted by god.

And everybody who's been martyred in russia today every drop of blood was recorded in heaven or china or whatever it was. I'll go back in our own history here. Some enormous men some of the greatest preachers since pentecost wrote these streets.