Continuous Revival - the New Testament Standard — Denny Kenaston

Hello, this is brother Denny. Welcome to charity ministries. Our desire is that your life would be blessed and changed by this message. This message is not copyrighted and is not to be bought or sold.

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These messages are offered to all without charge by the free will offerings of God's people. A special thank you to all who support this ministry. Yes our father our God. May it be a sweet sweet sound in your ear.

Thank you Lord for the Song of the souls that have been set free. Thank you for the sweet sound of the songs father Lord we plead with you again today that you would come and visit us meet with us. Yes, Lord, let the things that I say Be a sweet sound in your ear.

Sit here among us Lord and watch over this service. Rebuked our Satan away from us Lord in Jesus name and all of his evil spirits God rebuke them all away from us in Jesus name cleanse this atmosphere this meeting with the blood of Jesus Christ God and Fill us with the Holy Ghost.

We need you Lord. We can't do it without none of us in this room. So we trust you and we thank you for hearing us. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. You may be seated. I was thinking as the report was given to me of what was happening last evening.

And of course these things are coming all week long. But it's always a joy to me to see. You know you you all you come together you you know Saturday Sunday. We start meeting on Monday. You open your hearts to the Lord God Continues to work in your lives.

You clean up you clear up you pray up and you as that all of that happens you begin to unite your hearts together. You pray God begins to work and answer your prayers and souls get converted one after another after another.

That's what I'm talking about all week long young people. See that's what happens that is the Church of Jesus Christ young people. Coming together clear right with God in love with God. Completely dedicated to God uniting their hearts together believing in God and praying to God that he will work in other people's lives and What you have seen happen here this week.

That is exactly the way it's supposed to be in every church. And you get to be a part of it. That's exciting to me. Well that just fits in with some of what I Want to say here today. This is the last message of the sessions on Revival.

Continuing in Christ: The New Testament Standard for Revival

I Want you to turn to Hebrews chapter 3 the title of the message? Today is continuous revival the New Testament standard. Continuous revival the New Testament Standard reading from Hebrews chapter 3 brother Rick has already admonished you out of these verses but I want to use them again because they're one of the clearest expressions of God's heart and the standard of the New Testament that we are to Continue in this beautiful grace, which God is rotting in our hearts.

So Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 6 says. But Christ as a son over his own house. Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end now, that's those words express to me a Vibrant faith those words expressed to me.

What you have been experiencing this week and what you are experiencing today? You have a confidence in you there is a rejoicing in you you have a lively hope in you and Welcome home. That's what Christianity is supposed to be.

But God now says to us whose house are we if we hold fast this? Rejoicing this confidence this lively hope this zeal this joy all the way to the end. You understand young people. And so he goes on to say in verse 12 take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief.

Departing from the Living God you say departing from the Living God. Yes. By the way of young people if you go out of here and you go back to your homes and you go your own way. You will be living out an evil heart of unbelief.

Departing from the beautiful presence of God that you know in this place. Take heed young people. Instead exhort one another daily while it is called today. Let any of you be hardened Through the deceitfulness of sin, and you've heard plenty about that this week.

Why does he say such words? For or because. Because we are made Partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. Do you understand that standard young people? This is a lifelong Christianity.

This is not some high time that you have at Bible school. And then you just go your own way and live your own life. No, this thing just keeps going on and on and on. I mean, it's 30 years for me, and I'm still running.

That's the way it's supposed to be continuous revival the New Testament standard. One of the clearest tests of true revival is whether it continues. By the way, that is the clearest test of true conversion also does it continue.

The test of God's work in your heart this week will be seen in the weeks to come. Will it wither in the Sun and die? Will it be choked out by other more important things in the days to come or? Will it bear fruit some 30 some 60 some hundredfold.

That is the test of what God has been doing in your heart this week. There was a beautiful move of God's Spirit on the east side of Africa back in 1930s. That's in Kenya Tanganyia and Uganda. This was an African revival young people.

It was brought on by the Africans response to their own deadness they Somehow had enough insight and wisdom to begin to acknowledge where they were really at with God. It wasn't brought on by missionaries like I told you maybe yesterday or sometime this week about the German missionaries in the Zulus.

No, this was an area of Eastern Africa that had been well Evangelized by missionaries and there were churches all over the place, but these then these indigenous African churches Had cooled down they lost their first love.

They recognized. They saw that they had left their first love church was more of a ritual than real. There was little love one for another and there was almost no Conversions and when there's almost no conversions, it's time to get serious a church.

By their own initiative. They started getting desperate with God in the ways that I have been describing to you through this week. God began to visit their congregations more people joined in prayer and Soon revival broke out everywhere.

Just like I've described to you with many many examples this week. It was called the East African revival. One of the most unusual aspects of this revival was it lasted for over 30 years it Continued and therefore it was real.

It stood the test of very hard times during Kenya's fight for independence. The Christians Would not take sides But chose to be neutral. This brought persecution from both sides many of the Christians during the independence of Kenya.

They were brutally tortured and killed but the revival fires Continued to burn. It's almost you know as I look at it from heaven's perspective that God looked down and knew that a great Purging and a great trial was going to come upon the Church of Jesus Christ in Kenya.

And he began to stir in the hearts of those were there and they were awakened to their need for their lack of Reality and they begin to pray and God visited them and God strengthened them and then brought them through a very very difficult time.

But the East African revival which continued for over 30 years it stood the test of time the longevity of this revival drew the attention of many from Britain and America and they actually sent delegations to investigate if this was real and To investigate why it continued year after glorious year.

These delegations found out that the East African revival was indeed very Genuine and they began to sit at the feet of their African brothers and ask questions. I like that The African indigenous church is teaching us a few things and that's the way it ought to be by the way.

That's the way it ought to be. Two men came back from their visits. Totally changed. I'm sure many more than that did but these two men. They came back totally changed deeply burdened for the Western Church and its lack of reality.

They each wrote a book about the secrets of this continual revival in East Africa their names Roy Hesson and Norman Grubb. Roy Hesson wrote the book the Calvary Road. Norman Grubb wrote the book continuous revival.

They're both back there on the table both of these men wrote books about the aspects of that revival which they felt was causing it to continue and continue and continue and. And those books became famous in the Christian world and read by many.

Practicing Revival in Everyday Life

My burden for this last message is to challenge you and give you some practical instruction for everyday life. You know what? I'm saying. We can't stay here. I mean, this would be great. You know, let's just build three tabernacles and stay but reality is That God is a living God for real people who live in a real world and What God is doing in our hearts this week must work in a real world or it's not real.

Amen, it's not real. So I want to give you some practical instruction. We must continue. I Could have given this sermon by the way any time during the week it would have fit in anywhere. However, I wanted to wait until the end of the week on purpose because I knew that by then.

Many of you would be clear free Revived and living under an open heaven. How many of you could say yes, brother Denny. I'm clear and clean and revived and I'm living under an open heaven. Wonderful. Well, I knew it would be that way by now and therefore I felt it's.

You will learn more of what I want to tell you now than you would have if I would have given it to you on Tuesday. So where do we go from here? Well young people it's time for you to learn to walk with God.

That's why God has brought you here to this Bible school. Yes, he has instructed you with many many things. But I'm telling you the bottom line heart of God. For bringing you to this Bible school is that you might learn to walk with him when you learn to walk with him.

You will not need another Bible school to get you all straightened out again. Now it's okay to come. Whether you don't need to be straightened out. It doesn't matter, but you will not need the Bible school and Honestly.

Many of you came needing the Bible school didn't you? So where do we go from here? I want to share a few practical points with you today on continuous revival. These points are those very Aspects of the revival in Eastern Africa that those men and many other men noted.

This is why this thing keeps on moving. First of all, we need to be walking in total and continual surrender. I'm sure you understand a little bit about what that is all about by now. Because you have been learning to do that through these days through these sessions question How many of you had to clear your conscience about something today?

Let me see your hand. Good. Walking in total and continual surrender is one of the keys to continuous revival. Romans chapter 12 verse 1 and 2 clearly brings this out. We will not be able to go anywhere with God if we do not come to that place where our heart says all To Jesus.

I surrender all to him. I freely give and our heart says that not at the Bible school. Not at the end of a hot message, but every single day and yay throughout the day. I beseech you therefore young people.

By the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice Holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. This is what God is after in your life. Very few young people grasp the depths of what it means to yield themselves Completely to God and to walk that way.

To be yielded to God means I've given up myself. To be yielded to God means I've given up my plans. To be yielded to God means I've given up my future and it doesn't matter to me what happens to me. Whatever God wants me to do I'll do.

To be yielded to God means I've given up my boyfriend or my girlfriend. Yes yielding yourself to God means things like that. I'm sure that you would agree with me that if we're going to learn to walk with God, it's absolute Absurd thought to think that we could learn to walk with God if we're not going to yield.

If we're not going to you we're not going to get anywhere and See young people the test is on. I mean the test is on and you're here. You're shouting a man hallelujah and praise God for that. Then you're back there in those prayer rooms and you're praying and that's beautiful.

But I'm telling you the test is on. Next week the test is on if you're holding on to something if you have a private Reservation in your heart if you're already planning to do some things that you know God would have you to give them up.

The test is on it's on. You'll never learn to walk with God. You'll never know what continuous revival is. You'll never know what what what streams of living water are. You'll never know what a fountain of living water Bubbling up and flowing out of you is.

You'll never know what it is until you come to that place where your heart says I Give up. You know sometime ago in my morning time quiet time God was dealing with me about a certain thing in my life and I was Wrestling a bit with it and God was wrestling with me and I was wrestling with God.

Yeah, I do that, too. You know the Lord spoke to me in the midst of those Wrestling's. I was praying and meditating and pondering and you know how we are we try to reason this thing away and it's not bad.

It's this and and you know, finally the Lord spoke these words to my heart out of the life of the Lord Jesus. When he was there on the cross the Bible says He said these words it is Finished and then it says He bowed his head and gave up the ghost and died and God said Denny Why don't you just bow your head and give up the ghost and die.

Now God wasn't telling me to drop over dead. God was telling me to give up my will. Because by the way, that was the greatest act of surrender that Jesus made right there. He bowed his head and gave up the ghost and tasted death for every man didn't he?

Keeping a Clear Conscience Before God

Number two walking with a clear conscience. You've heard some about that this week, but I just want to put them in order for you here this afternoon walking with a clear conscience. The Apostle Paul described his life in this way in Acts chapter 24 in verse 16.

Imagine giving such a testimony. Describing what your life is like he said herein. Do I exercise myself? I am exercising. I Exercise myself to have a conscience void of offense toward God and toward man.

That's my exercise Paul said. What was Paul saying? I've learned that I cannot walk with God if I do not keep my conscience clear. Have you learned that this week? Hmm. Last night While I was in the service, I was sitting here beautiful meeting.

Singing beautiful worship. Oh heaven open everything beautiful but in the middle of the service something was going on that caught my eye and Troubled me and it was the right trouble. It was a right concern that I had but as I sat in the meeting and let this thing trouble me and Trouble me pretty soon.

I started stewing about it and by the end of the meeting I had a critical attitude about that which was happening and guess what? You can't have a critical attitude and walk with God. So I had to get it, right?

How to make it right? You know God said you know Denny you've got a critical attitude boy. That's not right. You may have seen something you may have a right concern, but you've got a rotten attitude about it now boy.

You need to make it right. And so I made it right. Why I want to walk with God. I want to walk with God. It's not all there is to walking with God but if you don't get this matter of walking with a clear conscience, it won't go well for you and Probably the rest of what I'm going to say won't make much sense to you.

You must be willing to keep your conscience clear. That's something that you can do. You can do it anytime. You've been doing it this week. You know how easy it is. Just go get on your knees somewhere go get alone by yourself and say Lord Forgive me I'm wrong.

These thoughts I'm having are wrong. That look I took was wrong. Those words I said they were wrong. I repent. Watch me. That's how it works young people. Let's think about the other day. I wonder what Bible school would be like if we had it for six weeks.

I'm not sure if the teachers gonna handle it all the principles, but you know what I Think you'd learn to walk with God in six weeks. I think you would. It would be such a pattern and a habit in your life in six weeks time.

But dear young people you don't have to come to the greenhouse in order to learn to walk with God. You just need to have a yielded heart so that when things aren't right. Yeah, that's the rendered heart will say yes Lord.

Yes. He's named Number three walking in humility and brokenness. That was one of the things that they noticed walking in humility and brokenness. This was one of the key verses in the East African revival.

Humility and Brokenness as the Place of Revival

Isaiah 57 in verse 15, you know that verse. The Bible says God resisted the proud but giveth grace under the humble. Isaiah said in verse 15 of chapter 57. Thus sayeth the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy.

That's that God we learned about on Monday night. Remember. Remember his being shone like amber. Remember. That's the high and lofty one. Whose name is holy? Now, what does he say? I? Dwell in the high and holy place.

I am God and I dwell in the high and holy place. I'm so big I inhabit Eternity if you want to find a place to fit me. I fit into eternity says God. I reach all the way into eternity past and Pass through eternity present and reach all the way to eternity future.

That's how big I am and I dwell in the high and holy place, but there's another place where God chooses to dwell With him also that is of a contrite and a humble spirit. To revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite one first young people.

Here's where the graces of humility that are mentioned there in in Matthew chapter 5 of the Sermon on the Mount. You know, they call them the the Beatitudes. I call them the graces of humility. Blessed are the poor in spirit.

Blessed are they that mourn. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness. This kind of a posture is a posture which invites the presence of God to draw near to our lives.

And he will come continually Reviving quickening your heart in your life. You know, it's very interesting to me as I was studying the word revival in the Hebrew. I Discovered that in Psalm 119 the word comes up about ten times in Psalm 119.

You know Psalm 119 only it doesn't use it's not translated revive. But it's the same Hebrew word as this one right here. But in Psalm 119, it's the word quicken Quick. But over and over the psalmist says Quicken me according to your word.

Oh, what a beautiful prayer. Revive me into the reality of your word. Oh Lord again today. How do you do that? You come with a broken heart before God and say God I'm not gonna make it quicken me according to your word walking in humility and brokenness young people.

This is these are some of the secrets that those men learn when they went to the East Africans and sat in their meetings and Watched and beheld and yea entered in and found themselves Flat on their face in a prayer room weeping their heart out over their needs.

God resisted the proud and he gives grace to the humble and that applies 20 times a day if need be. God resists the proud and he gives grace under the humble. I'm sure you know that by now. But I'm here just putting it all in an order here at the end of the Bible school for you number four.

Seeking God Alone in the Morning

Walking with God in the morning. Walking with God in the morning. We should read over in Psalm 63 for that. Do you know those verses in Psalm 63? Listen to the heart of David. Listen to the heart of God.

Listen to the heart of the hungry ones in Psalm 63. Oh God Thou art my God. Will I see you are my God you are my God. I will meet with you in the beginning of my day. You are my God. I'm gonna get out of bed and seek thee.

You are my God woman get out of bed in the morning to seek God's. My soul thirst is for thee. You ever wake up in the middle of night thirsty. How many of you just get up and go get a drink of water when you wake up in the middle of night?

You're thirsty. Let me see your hands. Mmm, my soul thirst is for thee. My flesh long is for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is. What are you longing for David? What's the cry of your heart?

To see thy power and thy glory. So as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Maybe you could make the prayer like this young people. My soul longs for thee. Oh Lord to see your power. Just like I saw your power in the Bible school.

That would be a good way to say it. Because I loving kindness is better than life. My lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live. I will lift up my hands in thy name. The psalmist says look at verse 5 my soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and My mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Walking with God in the morning. Young people not very many people walk with God in the morning. Did you know that? Maybe you don't many people miss the power of this exercise because they skip the points that were already given and They in a religious way.

Drag themselves out of bed in the morning and sit down and try to read their Bible and get on their knees and try to pray. But they missed the other points that have already mentioned the hearts not surrendered.

They have other things they're going to do. Their plans are not God's they're their plans. The conscience isn't clear because something wasn't cleared yesterday. But yet they get up the next morning and go through the motions and open up their Bible and it doesn't go too.

Well, anybody ever have a time like that in the morning? You know, it's very hard to get out of bed the next morning after you've had a time like that. But I want to encourage you. Don't let that quiet time slip.

There are so many voices Chasing after your quiet time you've been instructed on these things. You've heard about them this week. This can be the most powerful part of your day young people if you could just imagine now with me and I know you can.

I know you've been tasting it. Where you're at here today. The heart you have right now the joy the strength the clarity. How quickly you hear the word how quickly you respond? That's the way you're supposed to enter into your quiet time.

See. See people have that one all mixed up, you know, they kind of lose their way they get the conscience cloudy. They're stumbling around a bit and then they think boy. All right. I need some quiet time.

You know, I'm really getting off here. I need to go get some quiet time. No, you need to go get on your knees and clear your heart first quiet time is Supposed to be lived out in the in in the light of that which God is doing in your hearts as you sit here right now.

You're supposed to have quiet time like this. Pretty exciting too, isn't it? I mean that Bible is alive, isn't it? When your heart is clear that Bible is alive. When your heart is not clear It can be pretty dry.

I mean, you know, it's the same old book and you know I'm not sure how many times I've read it, but it's a lot of times in 30 years. If the old heart is not clear It can be pretty dry. But when the heart is clear, it is one powerful book.

Because the Spirit of God has the freedom to minister to me where I'm at in my daily life. This is one of the secrets of continuous revival young people. You know, it's kind of like Filling the tank with gas.

Amen. Do you understand what I'm saying? I Mean who among us. Runs their car till it's absolutely out of gas leaves you sitting on the side of the road and you sit there for three or four days and. Then finally you get out of your car and go to the gas station and get a little bit of gas and dump it in.

It's so you can go a little further. Nobody does that. I Keep my tank full. That's what God wants you to do. Amen, how many of us wait? To eat until we're Absolutely starving, huh? I Mean, you know three four days and you think oh, I've got to get something to eat.

How many of you eat like that? No, it's very simple, isn't it walking with God in the morning young people. Do it change your priorities. Go home and change your priorities. Do it go to bed. Go to bed.

So you can get up in the morning. So many people fail in the morning because they wait and go to bed late at night. Well, who can get up at 5 o 'clock in the morning if you went to bed at 11 or 12. You get up and you're tired and you're dull and you didn't get enough rest.

And you stumble around and you try to go through something devotional and you fall asleep and listen. You're destined for failure. Get a good night's rest. Why? You got a date in the morning. Amen. Hmm.

Walking With God Under Parental Authority

You got a date in the morning number five. Walking with God with my parents. Where'd you slip that one in there? Well, most of you have parents and you're still living at home and. Whether you realize it or not whether it has dawned on you yet this week.

You cannot walk with God if you do not walk with your parents. Have you figured that one out yet this week? You cannot be totally fully surrendered to God if your heart is not surrendered to your parents and I know.

There may be a few in 660 here who have difficult situations and I'm not talking about you but most of you. I'm here to tell you today and I know that Paul already told you but you will never learn to walk with God until you.

Learn to walk with God with your parents. That means being under authority. That means giving up your will in a real way. Amen. I Mean, you know, it's real easy to go to the altar and tell God I give up myself and whatever I know.

Lord I yield my life to you and then you go your own way and live your own life. But hey when you say that to God and you go home to your mom and dad, you know. They you may give up your will five or six times in one morning.

That's being yielded to God young people. That's being yielded to God. God is speaking Through your parents, but oh, let me tell you something. When you learn this. You will take off running in your Christian life.

You will take off running in your walk with God. I've seen it. I've seen it young people. I've seen it so many times. I've watched it. I've seen the ones who do and how they prosper and I see the ones who don't.

And how they stumble along and struggle along and and it's up and down and things don't go well. And then they get a good start again. But they're still in that heart that says I'm not gonna do what they say all those things.

They want me to do though that shoe those shoes. They want me to wear who they are. Watch. I'm not gonna be under all his laws and who knows what you let go through your mind. You will never learn to walk with God young people.

You will never learn to walk with God. Maybe God doesn't care if you wear black shoes or brown shoes. But if your dad wants you to wear black shoes, you better wear black shoes. Amen. God is telling you to wear black shoes.

You will never be able to walk with God if you do not come with a heart to your mom and dad and say Okay, mom. Okay, dad. Here's my heart. You guide me touch my life. Come look in my closet. Come go through my music dad, please.

You know, you know when people join the fellowship. They'll often stand to give their testimony at the end of their testimony. They'll say these words and if you see anything in my life, please come and tell me.

That'd be a good thing to say to your mom and dad. Mom dad if you see anything in my life, please come and tell me. I Want to know. You say whoa, brother Teddy. I don't know about that. Listen. Do you want to walk with God?

If you want to walk with God, you're gonna have to get through this one. You're gonna have to get through it. And I know there's some complicated Situations in a crowd this big. I know that but we're not going to skip the subject because of a few complicated ones.

Listen young people. You who live at home? Probably 50 of God's input into your life comes through your parents. How can you walk with God if you're not rightly related to them? Maybe you need a revival in your home life.

Solitary Seasons of Prayer and Fasting

Hmm. Number six. Walking with God in solitary. What do I mean by that? I mean, it's good for us at times to have a season alone with God. Have you ever had a season alone with God? Have you ever taken a couple of days and just spent?

Absolutely from the beginning of the day to the end of the day alone with God. You may sit and hear that and say man. What would I do? All day I'll tell you what one of the richest experiences of your life would be to take two days and just get alone with God.

Just lock yourself up in your room and get alone with God. I practice that constantly. Charles Finney that great revivalist. There's much history of revival written. What happened as an outflow of that man's ministry?

Here's what he said and he was busy in God's work. And by the way, you can lose your revival being busy in God's work. So busy doing this doing that going here going there counseling this one talking to that one.

Preaching this sermon. You can lose your revival and finish said when I begin to sense the anointing of God's spirit. Cooling in my life. I Set two days aside and fast and pray and seek God. Till that anointing comes back upon me again back out into the work again.

Now mind you he was a servant of God and he had more time than you're gonna have but all I'm saying is if you want to have continuous revival. Sometimes you just need to take a good evaluation and say, you know, I just need some time alone.

We used to have a lawn furniture business retail and it's very seasonal work. It's crazy busy. For about four months and in the midst of that It can be a real challenge to feed your soul. And all those things we've been talking about.

It was my practice every year when the lawn furniture season got over to just take a few days and set it aside and just Go and get alone with my Bible and a couple of good books and a couple of good tapes.

And a jug of water or some juice and just lock myself away and blow out all the cobwebs. This out of air come out. Clear. Yes, Lord. Yeah, this is where we're going see. You need to do that. Sometimes young people and if you don't know how to do that you can get a tape a season alone with God.

I Gave a sermon on that one time. Go through the whole day for you what to do for this hour and then this hour and then this hour. I guarantee you you do that for two days. It'll change your life. Walk with God in the solitary young people have enough sense to look at your life and say whoa, wait a minute.

Walking in the Power of the Holy Spirit

Things are not what they ought to be. I'm gonna go get alone for a while. Number seven. Walking in the power of the Spirit. Walking in the power of the Spirit. Let's read over in Romans. Can we do that?

You know those verses in Romans chapter 8 Paul said. There is therefore now no Condemnation. Praise God for that. Amen. There is therefore now no Condemnation. And Dear young people if you're sitting here today and you raise your hand.

When I said how many of you are clear and clean and the heaven is open I can say to you there is therefore now no condemnation the sweet still Promptings of the Spirit of God in your heart the loving promptings of a holy God guiding your life.

But We must read a little further in this verse Paul defines that No condemnation to who? To them which are in Christ Jesus and Then Paul even defines what that means because you know today in America.

Everybody's in Christ Jesus, right? Thank you. So he goes on to define it. Who walked not after the flesh but after the Spirit. There's the definition of in Christ Jesus as you're sitting here young people as You raised your hand and said I'm clean.