On Eagles' Wings Pt 56 — Don Courville

Praise and Worship in Psalm 147

Well, it's good to be back with you again today on eagles wings. The psalmist said in Psalms 147 1 through 6 praise ye the Lord. For it is good to sing praises unto our God. For it is pleasant and praise is comely.

The Lord doth build up Jerusalem he gathered together the outcast of Israel. He healeth the broken in Heart and bindeth up their wounds. He telleth the number of the stars he calleth them all by their names.

Great is our Lord and of great power. His understanding is infinite. The Lord lifteth up the meek he cast it the wicked down to the ground. I want you to notice that it said in verse 3 he healeth the broken in heart and Bindeth up their wounds.

We're glad that you've tuned in today to own eagles wings. I trust that God will use this to encourage you. I have a burden for revival. We need to see God work in our land and our hearts in our churches.

Seeking God’s Mercy for Revival

We need God to visit us. The scripture says in Psalms 123 verse 1 2 Unto thee lift I up mine eyes. O thou that dwellest in the heavens behold as the eyes of servants look into the hands of their masters and as the eyes of A maiden unto the hand of her mistress so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God.

Until that he have mercy upon us have mercy upon us. Oh Lord have mercy upon us for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease with those and with the Contempt of the proud.

If there's one characteristic of our land it would be pride. Many other characteristics, but pride is the root of our sin. We are proud our children in schools are taught to be proud and Many times there's nothing to be proud of just be proud.

Are we proud that we have a land that is being taken over by? Homosexuals where God has and God loves the Homosexual as much as he loves the adulterer or the murderer the thief or you or I whatever your sin is God loves us.

But God has given some guidelines for this world that the homosexuals are not to take over a land when they do. He will destroy that land and it's a sign of his judgment. And then we have murderers where we murder beautiful little babies in the womb.

We will be judged for this the psalmist said in Psalms 120 in my distress. I cried unto The Lord and he heard me. We're at the point of distress. We're at the point of desperation. Are you desperate to see God work in our land?

Revival Begins with Cleansing Criticalness

I've been talking to you a little bit last week on criticalness. One of the things that we need to see cleansed is our own hearts our own lives. The criticalness that comes out of our lives just reveals what's already there and we Pointed out in other lives, but it's just a picture of what's in our own life that critical spirit.

Colossians in chapter 3 Goes over this area when the Apostle Paul said in verse 8. But now you also put off all these anger wrath malice blasphemy filthy communication out of your mouth. There are so many areas that could be covered specifically but I wanted to talk to you a little bit more just in the area of criticalness.

If God would deal in your life and bring Revival in your life who will cleanse up your life of areas like criticalness and the others anger and lust and and Pride you name it. Whatever yours is you put it in there.

I've got my own that I'm asking God to give me complete Victory in and the way that you get that is as soon as he shows it to you. You deal with it right. Then maybe you need to make some restitution.

Restitution is key to being clean. Writing that letter to that one you offended. Writing that letter to the one that you stole money from and sending a check back you stole some tools. You cheated on your taxes or something like that you Make it right with man if you plan on being right with God and you'll criticize somebody.

Usually for the area that you're having trouble in criticism reveals more about the critic than the criticize. That's my proposition to you something that Oswald Chambers said on the uncritical temper and Matthew 7 one judge not that you be not judged.

Last week I left off in that area. Jesus says regarding judging don't. The average Christian Chambers goes to say is the most penetratingly critical. Individual criticism is a part of the ordinary faculty of man.

But in the spiritual domain nothing is accomplished by criticism. The effect of criticism is a dividing up of the powers of the one criticized. The Holy Ghost is the one only one in the true position to criticize.

He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding may. I'll say something to you about this. It's just been this summer That I've realized that I've given ground to Satan in past years many years of my life by receiving criticism.

And the way I received it is when it was given to me. I would answer back. I would try to give an explanation or Or an excuse or something and I've learned That you're not supposed to do that. You're supposed to be silent and this was the example of Jesus.

Christ’s Silence Under Accusation

I read you this last week and in Isaiah and 53 and verse 7 he was oppressed and he was afflicted yet. He opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shears is dumb so he opened not his mouth.

Silence is a powerful powerful answer to a critic. But Chambers goes on and he says He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding. This is the Holy Spirit. It is impossible to enter into communion with God when you are in a critical temper.

It makes you hard and Vindictive and cruel and leaves you with the flattering unction that you are a superior person. Jesus says as a disciple cultivate the uncritical temper. It is not done once and for all.

Beware of anything that puts you in the superior person's place. There's no getting away from the penetration of Jesus. If I see the moat in your eye It means I have a beam in my own. Every wrong thing that I see in you.

God Locates in me every time I judge. I condemn myself. Stop having a measuring rod for other people. There is always one Fact more in every man's case about which we know nothing. The first thing God does is to give us a spiritual spring cleaning.

There's no possibility of pride left in a man after that. I have never met the man I could despair of after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God. Now there are many many things wrong with people.

I shared with you last week About being at a preacher's meeting and I wasn't sharing that to be critical to go against the very thing that I was Sharing on but when we see that area God will give us a discernment.

He'll give us a discerning spirit and we sometimes need examples to help us understand. We criticize each other. Preachers criticize preachers and As even as I shared with you about the the the two preachers I was not doing that with a spirit of criticalness.

I was doing that I trust with a spirit of discernment discerning the spirit of a person discerning and using that as an illustration because they were coming down in their preaching on some other people and Coming down on their audience.

Without even really knowing their audience criticizing their audience for things I believe that they were guilty of and this goes on and I'm bringing it up because it goes on all the time all the time.

Criticalness is a dangerous dangerous area and I'm preaching on it because God has dealt with me in this area and even this summer he gave me a tremendous jolt in this area and Taught me much in this area.

And one of the things that I am committed to is teaching you what I'm learning. I'm a learner. I'm a learner and I trust that you're a learner as a general rule. We need to be careful about what you hear about others and what you say about others.

Jesus’ Example of Silence at His Trials

Have you ever noticed? The Lord Jesus Christ at his trial how silent he was. Matthew 26 if you turn back to Matthew 26 with me and verse 62 and the high priest Arose and said unto him answers thou nothing.

What is it which these witnesses against thee but Jesus held his peace? It's hard to do. It's just like if somebody hits you it's hard to hold your fist. It's hard to he held his peace. And if you flip over to Matthew 27 and verse 11 and Jesus stood before the governor and the governor asked him saying Are thou the king of the Jews.

And Jesus said unto him thou sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priest and elders he answered nothing. There's two things about criticism. One is if you're giving it out. You better make very well sure that you don't have that same area and two is if you're receiving it.

Just be quiet. Just be quiet. The Lord Jesus told his disciples in John 14 30 a strange verse. But he said hereafter. I will not talk much with you. Why I don't think they were yet ready to receive it.

They still had Enough in them to where they didn't understand what Jesus Christ was doing and they didn't have enough faith. To where they would criticize what he was doing. Peter even Stood up and told Jesus you can't go to the cross and Jesus looked him in the eye and said get thee behind me Satan.

Guarding Spiritual Insight from Unbelief and Criticism

One of the things that Satan would like to do is to use you to be a critic. There are times When God shows you something and you need to be careful who you share it with or they'll criticize you for it you need to be very careful if God gives you light and Teaches you things from the word who you share it with.

Or they might turn against you one time God revealed to me by faith Something that he was going to do and I shared it publicly only to be rebuked and I was deeply hurt but I saw this truth and I learned this truth and God answered what he told me he would do and what I publicly stood up and gave a testimony About what I believe God was going to do, but I learned this principle to be careful.

Unbelief is a serious sin. And if you're around Christians that are living in unbelief. They're going to be very critical. The pastor that critic criticizes his own sheep. Amongst the sheep is going to soon put a noose around his neck.

I was with one pastor one time and one of the first things he did is criticize somebody in his church and The next thing I knew a little later he criticized somebody else and by the time some time had rolled around.

He'd criticized a lot of people in his church. That's not right. The man has a problem. Pastors can have problems as well as as other people. This is one of the things that we've sort of done in our country is elevate pastors up to Higher positions and God has wanted them to have they have a spiritual gift just like you in the body of Christ and there their function in their spiritual gift and they have a great responsibility, but if they slip and Fall in this area.

It's a devastating thing. It devastates them and it devastates the church. Would you criticize God? You say well, no, I wouldn't criticize God, but if you'll look in the New Testament That was what happened to Jesus Christ through his ministry.

Jesus’ Mercy Toward Sinners and the Religious Critics

He was criticized. I'm turning back over to Matthew chapter 9 verse 10 10 through 13 and it came to pass as Jesus sat at meat in the house behold many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples and When the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples.

Why didn't they go to Jesus himself, huh? Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that He said unto them they that be whole need not a physician but they that are sick.

But go ye and learn what that meaneth. I will have mercy and not sacrifice. For I am NOT come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Jesus heard them. He hears you. Jesus was judged for the crowd.

He hung around with. You may be judged for something that you're doing. He says I'm not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Oh self-righteous Pharisees and scribes wasn't getting in and over in Matthew 12 another case of it.

He was accused and criticized because his disciples picked corn on the Sabbath. Illegalists, by the way will try to control you. He will be critical of you if you don't measure up to his little Gain that he has for you his little Package of standards for you.

Matthew 12 1 at that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day Through the corn and his disciples were hungered and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it they said unto him behold thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day.

But he said unto them have you not read what David did when he was and hungered and they that were with him. How he entered into the house of God and did eat the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat.

Neither for them that were with him. But for only the priests or have you not read in the law how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple Profane the Sabbath and are blameless. But I say unto you that in this place is one greater than the temple.

But if he had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. You would not have condemned the guiltless for the Son of Man is Lord. Even of the Sabbath day. I'm doing some studying on love right now in the New Testament.

Sometime I'd like to share something with you on it that I'm learning. That that's one of the characteristics. That's in this church that our family is going to work in for the next six months to a year is love.

They love one another. We're moving in there trying to get moved in right now into this town where we've been invited into. Because of revival being there ten weeks and and so many people are getting saved.

They're getting saved by families but they love one another and If there's anything that comes up between one or the other it is dealt with. If the pastor hears of about something he's on it quick. They love one another and they're transparent and they open they get up and confess their sins.

They deal with things. They love one another. Love Will kill a critical spirit. The critical spirit is an evidence of a lack of love. They so criticized Jesus because they had not the love of God in them.

Jesus was was criticized for breaking their own traditions over in Matthew 15 in verse 2 1 then came the scribes and Pharisees which were of Jerusalem saying in verse 2. Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?

For they wash not their hands when they bread. And again, Jesus he dealt with him. He dealt with him. He was guilty, but he was nailing them. I mean he was guiltless, but he was nailing them. He was he was criticized over in Mark chapter 2 for healing for forgiving for loving.

Retribution, Humility, and the Danger of Judgment

Really. Why do we do it? Why do we do that kind of stuff? Chambers shared something in this area on on from Matthew 7 to About. For with what judgment you judge you shall be judged and with what measure you meet it shall be measured to you again.

He says this statement is not a haphazard. Yes, it is an eternal law of God and I've said this last week and I'm saying it again. We need to be careful. Chamber says whatever judgment you give it is measured to you again.

There's a difference between Retaliation and retribution. Jesus says that the basis of life is retribution. With what measure you meet it shall be measured to you again. And isn't that true. You smile and somebody a smile at you.

You growl at a dog and that dog a growl at you. You give and it'll be given to you if you have been Shrewd and finding out the defects and others remember that will be exactly the measure given to you.

Life serves back in the coin you pay. Chamber says this law works from God's throne downwards. Romans 2. We went over this last week. Applies it in a still more definite way and says that the one who criticizes Another is guilty of the very same thing.

God looks not only at the act. He looks at the possibility. We do not believe the statements of the Bible to begin with chambers says for instance. We do do we believe the statement that the things we criticize and others were guilty of ourselves.

The reason we see hypocrisy and fraud and unreality in others is Because they are all in our own hearts. The great characteristic of a saint is humility. Would that be the testimony of your church if you were to die today?

And they were to have your funeral in two or three days and They were to get up and they say this dear brother this dear sister was truly a humble saint of God. Or they have to save some flowering things and try to get a good presentation up because they knew in their heart you were a bitter critical person and They didn't like being around you really because you were like that.

The great characteristic of a saint is humility. The Lord Jesus Christ Was a beautiful beautiful person on this earth so full of love and humility. You know he was humble to come down and live among folks like you and I.

All those things and other evils would have been manifested in me. All the sins of others would be manifested in me and will be manifested in me and in you. Except for the grace of God therefore we have no right to judge.

Considering the Hidden Struggles of Others

Jesus says remember judge not that you be not judged. If you do judge It would be measured to you exactly as you've judged. Now how would you like to stand before God and God Would say I'm gonna judge you just like you've judged your fellow men.

You've judged them hard. God's gonna judge you. We need to give careful consideration To others that are hurting and struggling. There's as I shared last week. There's usually one thing More that we don't know one more fact that we don't know about others.

God Help us in this area. I want to take the last few minutes. And maybe next week. I might even share a little bit more with you on this. I think we need it. I think you need it. I need it. We need to hear this and We could pick out another area.

Repentance and Revival in the Heart

I'm just sharing this because revival will come when we deal with Specific sins in our life and quit covering it up and just finally get honest with God and say Lord. There's trouble in my life. There's trouble in my heart.

I'm a hypocrite and it's got to start with the prophet and the priest before it's going to get down to the people. I've been reading through Jeremiah boy prophet and priest. They're all thrown in the same pot.

They're all in trouble. I have a little booklet called revivals can be prayed down. I want to share with you About revivals. You can have revival. I believe you can in your life in your church. You say it's hopeless.

I believe we can have it in our nation. I believe we're gonna have to pay a price to get it though I don't believe we've gone so far to where we can't have revival. You haven't gone so far in sin to where God can't save you my friend if you're without Christ and you say there's no hope.

Oh, there's hope God loves you. You're special. You were created in his image and it just so happens that Satan has done a number on this human race and we're born with sin because of the number that came in the man.

Falling in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned. We are born with the nature to sin and when Jesus Christ comes into your life. He'll give you a new nature. The old nature still be there to trouble you, but he'll give you a new nature and the Holy Spirit will come to dwell within You he'll be your God.

He'll give you eternal life. He'll be your Savior. He'll love you in a way that you've never known that you could be loved but you have to ask him to come in and revivals can bring about the change where people get saved in the Revival Alliance.

A Testimony of Ongoing Revival

I was over there last night and I've been having to drive about our 15 to 30 minutes to get there, but just last night in the evening service. There were two men there one was was a drug dealer and He looked pretty rough.

He just a young man I think around 21 or 22, but you could tell that sin had really hit him hard. But he had a grin on his face from ear to ear. He's saved and he's just been saved. Recently after the revival, that's the thing up there after the revival.

It's continuing on people are getting saved and getting right and the church is growing. Busting at the seams and another young man just grinning from ear to ear in high school in high school and just wanted to talk about things that are going on in his life and and Trials he's going into and how how glad he is to be saved and wanted to Wanted to get to know us wanted to come out to our house and have a meal with us.

He's just just can hardly wait till we got over there and I told him I believe God is. I Told him God is going to do a great work in this town in the youth and I told him that I believe you're a key in God doing it.

A Story of Persistent Prayer for a Child

Revival can be prayed down. Let me share this little story with you this pastor. That I'm sharing with you about Lyle Augustin this is his story. This pastor Lyle and his wife had just emerged from a heart-rendering experience.

Their little boy had contracted what is commonly known as sleeping sickness and the doctors gave them no hope for his recovery. The people of the church loved the pastor and his family and so some of them spent hours in prayer begging God to intervene and The Christian lady helping to care for the child had almost nothing to do for a patient.

For a patient scarcely moved and it was now Saturday and the boy had been asleep a full week. The lady passed the time reading and adjusting the ventilation in the room and swatting an occasional fly.

As she raised out of her chair to wallop another fly. She noticed that the child's eyes were open for a long moment. She stared in disbelief and then she dashed out of the room to call the parents. When the three of them returned his eyes were still open and he was in fact seeing and conscious.

They asked him questions and he answered in a matter of minutes the doctors came and he too questioned the boy and then began a Thorough examination. He found not a thing wrong. Their little son was normal.

The next day was Sunday the day I was there in The morning service the pastor tried to express his and his wife's gratitude to those who had prayed with such diligence for their son. His voice was heavy with emotion.

When he finished he hesitated a moment and then asked a question. Which I was not able to forget. He said how is it that we can't pray with that same interest the same? Determination and the same fervor for the unsaved people all around us every day.

I did not know the answer to that question then that was several years ago. I believe I do now. Sometimes down through the years sometime down through the years the devil started a whispering campaign.

Rejecting Fatalism About Revival

It went like this Revivals are great. There's just nothing like them people get saved by the thousands, but you know, there's something weird about them. They only come when God gets around to sending one and there isn't a thing that the believer can do to influence that.

I first became aware of this when we came home on our furlough from the mission field visiting relatives and friends and Supporting churches here in the States. We traveled almost constantly in our conversations with the pastors and church leaders.

I frequently brought up the subject of intensive prayer with the possibility of revival and I was surprised at the number of negative Responses. Some would say well I believe that the time of Wesley Whit Whitefield and Finney was a special Dispensation of God's grace and for us to expect the same today would be unrealistic.

You will note that there has been no revival of significance since the Welsh revival back in 1904. Others said our God is sovereign and he will send us a revival when he sees that we need it and there isn't a Thing we can do about it.

Still others said it would be foolish for us to expect a revival now because we're getting down too close to the second coming of Christ when I broached the subject to an elderly missionary later lady in Chile.

She exclaimed Oh my yes, her voice was loaded with concern how badly we do need a revival and almost in the same breath. She said I wonder if it is going to rain tonight. Wow accounts of revivalists around the world revolves around the world are not easy to find.

Because most of them are buried back in chapter 13 of some missions history or in the biography of a missionary. But praise the Lord they can be found and that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna share with you some stories.

Praying for Revival in Every Generation

I'm gonna share with you next week about the revival in Korea and China. And I'll share we have time another revival of revival in Burma in 1916. The one in China and Korea was in 1904. We can have one though in 1990 even the last part of this year in 91.

But we need to be praying the time is short. Christ is coming soon. Do we want? Revival are we desperate enough? Revival needs to start in my heart and in your heart. You get right with God get thoroughly cleansed you deal with everything the Holy Spirit shows you you go to God.

You go to God and you say Lord would you search me know my heart see if there's been any wicked way in me. You make restitution with your brothers or your sisters you let God do it in you first. Then he'll do it in your family.

He'll do it in your church. And the thing we're praying for us for him to do it in our land. Well, our time is gone now until next time. I trust that God will richly bless you My friend and bring revival in your life.