Fire of God — Leonard Ravenhill

Thank you for those who have influenced our lives over the years in different ways they did it through books, through preaching, through exhortation, through examples. I pray for every one of these precious young people tonight.

If Jesus tarries, maybe they'll be in the uttermost parts of the earth. Maybe they'll be rewriting church history instead of reading it. I touch you make the men and women of faith, men and women of holiness, men and women of purity, men and women who can really say from the very depths of their heart my richest gain I count that loss and poor content and all my pride.

The Church’s Need for Spiritual Power

But I believe the church is facing the biggest challenges it's ever faced in its history. We need that double portion of your spirit. Lord enter in our hearts in a new way tonight. Enter into our thinking we pray.

Open up your word and open our hearts. And open our mouths to declare the things God has done. We give you praise in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you. Be seated. I want to read a very, very well known portion of scripture.

Pentecost and the Sudden Coming of the Spirit

You'll have a dozen answers to it as soon as I read it, I'm sure. It's in a book called the Acts of the Apostles. You read that?

And it's in the second chapter, Acts chapter two.

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place and suddenly, I love that word suddenly. Remember the little hymn or part of the scripture, let me quote the scripture, that will be better, where the shepherds were keeping what?

Watch by night and what? Suddenly, there was what? A sound. People say that the angels sang. I can't find a place in scripture where angels sing. If you can, tell me next week. They sang. No, no. There was a sound of a, suddenly, there was a sound of an angel group shouting, praising and saying glory to God in the highest.

Remember how Malachi finishes his wonderful, wonderful little book? What does he say? The Lord whom ye seek shall run? Suddenly, one minute there's not much evidence and suddenly he comes. They were all seated there in the upper room.

Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them clobbered tongues of fire as it hit, sat upon each of them.

Whenever I read this privately or publicly, there rushes into my mind an outline that was given by an Englishman, excuse me, J .B. Phillips. He afterwards gave us a J .B. Phillips New Testament, which I think is quite good.

But before that, he made this statement about the acts of the apostles. He said, here is the church of Jesus Christ before it became fat by prosperity. Here is the church of Jesus Christ before it became muscle bound by all that organization.

Where we're living right now. This is a church of Jesus Christ where they did not sign articles of faith, but they acted in faith. This is a church of Jesus Christ where they did not gather together a group of intellectuals to study psychosomatic medicine.

Maybe easier than that, just heal the sick. We send them to psychiatrists and doctors and anywhere we've got in our bankruptcy. You know, when I read this or say this, I feel cheated, do you? But I live in this miserable day when the church has no glory, no power, no authority.

And so we beat drums and clap and dance and try and fill up the vacuum that's there. In this first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, it says in verse 4,. And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith, Ye have heard of me.

For truly John baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. Have you ever wondered what the countdown was like in the upper room? Not many days. How many days?

You know why the Spirit isn't coming? Thomas, it's you, you're still doubting. Thomas says, no, Peter, it's you. You've still got a rebellious spirit. Or maybe it was a 70 arguing with the 12, or the 12 with the 70.

What were they doing in that period? They were sitting there in contemplation, believing that the Holy Ghost will be given not many days hence. Remember, this had been given months, three years before actually, by a little man called John the Baptist.

I'm going to seek him out when I get to heaven. I think he's a wonderful character. So if you see me talking to him, you keep out of it for a while and let me... I just want him to myself for the first thousand years.

You can have him the next thousand if you want. I often wonder what he felt like stepping out on a limb, eh? Asking people to come. He had no choir. You'll hardly believe this around here. Can I whisper it to you?

He had no newsletter. He had no forward man. He had no pews. He had no choir. Poor guy. Would you believe all he had was God? Isn't that tough when all you have is God? I mean, when it has to be your life and your wealth and your power and your authority and your revelation?

What else do you need if you have God? What else can you have more than God? Oh, he was a wonderful character. They'd heard of this, but it hadn't matured yet, had it? The thing that really got hold of me in reading this scripture was that the chapter 2 finally, suddenly there came a sound from heaven that was rushing right to him and it filled the house where they were sitting and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat on each of them.

Why the Holy Spirit Came as Fire

The thing that's been, not really troubling me, but exercising me is this. Why a tongue of fire? Wouldn't it have been better if while they were sitting there, the dove that came down on Jesus his baptism came on them?

Oh, it's genuine because you see, the dove that came on him there when John Baptist baptized, he came on us. I saw him come on you, Peter. I saw him go on John. You see, God has authority to do as he likes.

Why was it a tongue of fire? Because that was their supreme need. Go back for the bounding to this chapter. Oh, let me read a fourth again. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave the mutterance.

They were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. That's a big collection. When this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded because every man heard him speak in his own language and they were all amazed.

Do you know a better word there? They were all dumbfounded. For what reason? Well, there's a pebble going to get up here. His name happens to be Peter. What does it say about him? I'm trying to find the verse where it mentions his name.

Where is it? Pardon? 14, thank you. I've got these glasses. I should give them back. I can't see through them anyhow. So if you want to buy them, they're for sale. Peter standing up, lifted up his glasses.

What in the world do they explain him to be? Stunned, amazed, dumbfounded. You mean to say that man standing there is the man that failed his Lord? You mean this man that's speaking with such power and authority is the man that stammered in front of a girl who pointed a finger?

He ran away when she pointed a finger. Now he's pointing a finger at the whole hierarchy of the church of that day. They were all amazed. And of all these which speak Galileans, how hear we every man in our own tongue wherein we were born?

Come on, they're all swirling around there, Greeks and Coptics and Italians and what have you got? All hearing different voices but one spirit and one message. Like an orchestra where you have all the marvelous instruments in tune.

And when the baton goes up, they all come in together. There's a wonderful wave of harmony and beauty. And so it was on the day of Pentecost. Here were these strangers from the uttermost parts of the earth.

Here is one man standing up. Again they say, I don't wonder they were amazed. Peter standing up with eleven, lifted up his voice. And he said that ye men of Judea and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you and hearken to my words.

These are not drunken as ye suppose. Isn't it amazing there's a similarity between a drunken person and a spirit filled person? In Ephesians where it says, be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with spirit, they've got them together again.

Spiritual Intoxication and the Power of the Holy Ghost

As I read this today, I remember the first day of World War II. As a matter of fact, I remember the first day of World War I, 1914, 4th of August. But this was 1939, I was speaking at the head church of the Nazarene in Scotland.

And that afternoon the news was declared that war had been declared. So all the city went into darkness. The streetcars were not allowed to have lights. Cars and other automobiles didn't have lights. So everybody's creeping around in a dead, dark city.

We went to the meeting and said we're going to carry on the meetings, war or no war. Coming home, the leader of the group said to me, there's a new law out today. I said, what is it? He said, we have to get a gas mask.

They're provided by the government. They're in a little box and you swing it over your shoulder. And at a given signal, you have to put the thing on, of course. He said, are you going to get one? I said, no, I don't think so.

It's the first day of war. The Germans won't come today, I'm sure. You know, not till I get noticed. But anyhow. I said, are you going to get one? Oh, yes. Ach, brother, he said, they're free. But how could a Scotsman resist a free gas mask?

He said, I'm going in this place. I said, oh, there's a street lamp here. He said, well, I know where it is. When I come out of the door, I walk straight across there because I've often stood by that street lamp and waited for a streetcar to stop.

Well, I waited then. He was in a wretched long while. A streetcar came. No lights on. A man got off the streetcar worse to wear. He was filled with the spirit but the wrong spirit. And his rubber legs took him one way and another and then he was going to fall and he put his arms around the lamp post and me as well.

Then he suddenly realized I was there. He says, Ach, what's your name? So I get in my name. Oh, my name is Sandy MacTavish or something. I said, oh, well, Sandy. Ach, he said, you may a Scotsman. I said, no, in English.

Achoo, he said. He rolled his sleeves up. He said, can you fight? I said, no, I can't. I don't give a fright. Can you sing? Well, I once sang in a choir. Oh, we began to sing Maxwell Cambray's A Bomb.

You're a famous Scottish singer. He stood there and sang it. There's a million people listening to him. He's hopelessly drunk. Let's talk. Well, I don't have time to talk. Ach, he said, you can't fight.

You can't sing. You've got a handful of money out. You know, in a Scotsman like that, he's hopelessly drunk. He offered me a handful of money. I said, I don't need it. Ach, he said, I'm going. I said, well, go.

You know, if I'd met that man at nine o 'clock next morning, instead of nine o 'clock, he wouldn't have given me the time of the day. He was imbalanced because he had, I don't want to play on the word, he had the wrong spirit in him.

But the man who's really filled with God is exactly like that. He's somebody to sing about. He's somebody to shout about. He wants to be generous, help the work of God, the cause of God. He's proud of his nationality, his spiritual inheritance.

These men coming out of the upper room were intoxicated with God. Spinoza has a word about it. God intoxicated man. You know, this is simple. If you've never heard this in Bible school, go report it to your superiors.

The church never does anything. The only time the church moves is when she's drunk with God. When it's his mind, not my mind. His will, not my will. His desires, not my desires. His life, not my life.

When another agency comes to take up residence. You know, when you speak about the Holy Ghost, that word ghost comes from an old, old English word which really means guest. When does a guest come to your house?

When you invite him. How long does he stay? As long as you want him. That's what the Holy Ghost is. He's a Holy Ghost. He doesn't tread in and smash the door down. He comes when he's invited. There's a lovely old English hymn that says, He breathed this tender, lush farewell a guided comforter bequeathed us to dwell.

He came sweet influence to impart a gracious, willing guest where he can find one humble heart wherein to rest. They speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. That same hymn says, He came in tongues of living flame to teach, convince, subdue.

As powerful as the wind he came and viewless too. These men go into the upper room they come out exactly the same physiologically. If you'd seen them, their eyes hadn't changed to another color, their hair hadn't changed.

They weren't given the gift of magic to turn something into gold. They'd become the habitation of God through the Spirit. But the thing I want to lay the emphasis on here is this. The fire. I say these men the symbol of fire.

Fire as a Biblical Symbol of God’s Glory

Fire is a divinely chosen symbol for God's glory and majesty. Isn't the whole history of the church and before the church the history of God being fire? As I say, you have a bumper sticker, God is love.

Put a bumper sticker at the other end and now God is a consuming fire. Maybe they'll throw your coat away but that's true. As soon as those people sinned God put fire at the gate so they couldn't get back into that beautiful kingdom that he'd made in the Garden of Eden.

Then you have the revelation God gives to Moses where he sees a burning bush. The wonder of it was it was never consumed and Israel was going to be phenomenally guided by God. It was a pillar of fire.

Come on, tell me you students what do you think the passers-by thought about it when they went past that funny old building there? They called it ragged. What did it have? It was a tent. Badger skins, died red on the top and goat skins.

No attraction to it. It's a type of Jesus no beauty that you desire him. But over that common building there was a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day signifying God in residence. The writers of the Hebrews said in the 12th chapter doesn't it mean that our God is a consuming fire?

In the first chapter about verse 7 he says he maketh his angels ministering spirits and he ministers a flame of fire. God doesn't know anything about a man who had a fiery tongue and a frozen heart. We're suffering from freeze-dried sermons these days.

He makes his angels ministering spirits so he sees whole of that and says it means just those wonderful, wonderful angels with wings. Angels must be awesome creatures. What does he say about the resurrection day when there was an angel sitting on the on the stone that was rolled away and he was covered with glory and majesty with beauty and then Balaam saw an angel and he fell down to worship.

I wouldn't tear that interpretation up but I think it literally means he makes his ministers his preachers his angels ministering spirits. After all the angels of the seven churches in Revelation are the seven pastors.

They may not look much like angels but we all have some heavenly authority about us anyhow. Peter stands there with a fire and anointed tongue it must have been awesome. He doesn't stammer he doesn't hesitate he isn't nervous.

Peter’s Spirit-Anointed Conviction

He points to the hierarchy of the church of that day and listen to his words. Verse 34 of chapter 2 says for David is not ascended into the heavens but he saith to himself the Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand until I make thy foes my footstool let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus come on now here he is standing in a hostile touch and oh you crucified.

He was terrified to be identified with Jesus. The girl said oh I know who you are. And he says no you don't you are not his number. No I'm not but now he's turned round and he points the finger and he says you crucified the Lord in glory.

He doesn't say pardon me if I make this suggestion I hope I'm not wrong in saying this. He has that awesome indescribable thing that nobody can really define a thing called unction or if you want to call it the anointing of God the crown of unction upon his head and he points the finger and says ye crucified the Lord of glory.

I believe when he said that he lacerated their hearts as though he had taken a spear and driven it through them. I believe he stung their consciences until they were wilting on the inside. They were terrified.

He scalded them with conviction. They had committed the greatest crime that had ever been up to that time and ever since that time they took the holy spotless Son of God and knocked him.

Put a robe on him stick on him pulled the whiskers on his face and hounded him through the night. The judgment hall. Two and four. Pilate Herod Herod Pilate. And that final dreadful journey right down there to Gethsemane.

Ye crucified the Lord of glory. And I've got news for you. Him after God weighs death. There he is exalted father of all of all principalities and powers. Now these people winced when they heard this statement made by Peter exposed their guilt.

I say again I believe he lacerated their hearts. I believe he just as though he shot something into their consciences. And they were all staggered and amazed. You know there's a language which belongs to revival that doesn't belong anywhere else.

How long did he preach? I don't know. I hope an hour. Maybe before he was through. They were on their knees. Maybe they were sobbing but I'll tell you I know the reaction. They were pricked in their hearts.

It was as though he'd taken again a javelin and stuck it right through their fleshy hearts. And they they come back. Conscience is working. Guilt is weighing them down. They're trapped. They have to own their responsibility.

So what do they do? It says that they said men and brethren what shall we do? Does that strike a note in your mind at all? Turn to chapter 3 of Luke. Why did this amazing man John Baptist go and stand in the wilderness?

John the Baptist and the Fruits of Repentance

No backing no friends no money no organisation no chairs no creature comforts. No miracle. They do? They weren't standing in line with blind babies or crippled children or saying my father's at home. Dead will he come.

And no they were not seeking him. He had no miraculous power like that as I say. He didn't raise a dead man. He did infinitely more. He raised a dead nation. Read the story yourself. He's a success whichever way you count him.

Geographically they came from Jerusalem Judea and Samaria. Socially. What did these men say on the day of Pentecost? Men and brethren what shall we do? Now look at this third chapter of Luke. Luke 3 verse 4 upon me.

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Come on now who's preparing the way of the Lord? Gabriel Michael.

All the archangels invisible hosts. One man nobody supported. No counsel to get no help. One man had one of the most difficult tasks ever assigned to a human being in the history of the world. But he knows he's in the will of God.

That's all that matters. He's fulfilling a prophetic role. It is written in the book of the words of Isaiah. Behold the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be filled every mountain and hill brought love. The crooked shall be made straight. The rough places shall be made plain and all flesh shall see together. Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized.

You generation of vipers. Isn't that a lovely greeting. What would you have done if you were stepping in the water. And your pastor said well you little viper. I'd be viper. My dad's a deacon. Well he's just a bigger viper.

But that's always true. Don't we try to be polite and nice to people lest we offend their tender little hearts. They can disobey God rebel against God. Be vicious vulgar and devil possessed. They used to handle them as they were handling.

Dresden China. Part of the language of revival is pretty rough. Verse 8. Bring forth fruit fruits worthy of repentance. You know I got to a place where I wouldn't baptize anybody until they'd walked with God for three months.

I don't think people should be baptized on the profession of their faith. They should have been baptized on the fruits. They brought forth fruit meat for repentance. They've repented and where possible not only repented but made restitution.

Now the axe is laid to the roots of the tree. I guess they thought yes brother you're the axe. You're really chopping yourself right here. This is rough. The axe is laid to the root of the trees every tree.

Therefore which bringeth not forth. Good fruit is hewn down down. And the people asked him what. What they asked on the day of Pentecost. What shall we do. He's got them all hooked. Keep that in mind there.

It's alliterated for you preachers. Verse 10. The people asked what shall we do. Verse 12. Then came the publicans to be baptized and said unto him master what shall we do. And verse 14 the soldiers likewise demanded saying what shall we do.

Come on. It's the same spirit. It's the same word of conviction. It's the same guilt we'd say laying a guilt trip on him. No all he's concerned to do is deliver the word of God. But you see the difference between a revival and evangelism.

The evangelistic crew say if it's real revival. I don't mean one of these things. You know Jim Jones is coming this Sunday night. We're going to have a good time. 15 minutes singing before. And we're finishing next Sunday night.

Who tells the holy ghost when to go home. Trying to think of a poet there he wrote the recession. Or what was his name. You don't know what the recession is. Kipling thank you. Who said that poor Betty.

Because I told you that before. But alright. Kipling. That's right. He talks of the others who are not in the kingdom of the Jews as the lesser breeds without or outside the law. Here are Roman soldiers that have never heard about a living God.

They've worshipped idols. They've worshipped Caesar. They've gone to ancient places that the Greeks built and Romans built. And now they come. And they hear a ragged man with an old sheep skin around him.

Or goat skin. No I've got the skins wrong. Camel skin around his neck and a pair of leather shorts that comfort some of you. And there he stands in the anointing of God. The Roman soldiers have breastplates on them.

But his words go through as though he puts in a can of atomic stuff. You can't shield from God. You can wear a breastplate. You can defend yourself intellectually morally any other way. But once conviction of sin comes we're defenceless.

But we have all the code. Let's sing just as I am. Let's sing it again. Oh there's some coming from the gallery. Let's sing it again. Oh brother you don't have to do that in revival. Dave Wilkerson is coming to see me tomorrow.

We'd get such a wonderful talk together. I wish you were all there. No I don't. Because we won't get enough time. Excuse me. But in his recent crusades one thing that's happened is before he's finished preaching people start coming down the aisle.

Dozens of them weeping broken sobbing sighing. That's revival. There's normally altar calls in the new testament. Ask a greek president when you go home if you can find one bring me the name and address of it scripture.

We try to do the work of the holy ghost. One of the great offices of the spirit that's hard to mention is when he's coming you'll be convinced of sin. And when he convicts of sin brother you'll feel i feel you've got a hot burning cinder there in your bosom.

Fire, Prayer, and the Glory of God

You know i say again i say in all honesty when i think about that interpretation that mr phillips has given us about the early church i feel cheated. I really feel cheated. We haven't seen that power.

We haven't seen that authority. Trying to think of a scripture here for the life of me. I can't think of it. One of the most popular verses that's been quoted in the last two years. Remember it comes back to me here though it's not the verse i want but i'll get to it.

Two chronicles seven fourteen. What does it say. My people. Does that mean all america. No it doesn't. But my people who are called by my name. Unless we're called by his name unless his name is in the lamb's book of life we can't even pray that prayer.

But here's the thing that got hold of me. Two chronicles seven. One hasn't been quoted. And that's the preparation for verse seven. Now when solomon had made an end of praying fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices and the glory of the lord filled the house.

It's the same fire that was over there over the tabernacle. Over the tabernacle it's the same fire that a little fellow stands. There's 850 false prophets in front of him and maybe half a million people.

And he's alone. Everybody else is against him. And he says listen i'll tell you how to prove that jehovah is god. Build your altar. I'll build my altar. You can start at eight o 'clock in the morning.

I'll give you the start. And you can cry as long as you like. Till sundown. They built their altar. He built his altar. They cried they beat their breasts. They shouted they screamed. And then he says just wait a minute.

So there's no trickery in this. Well he filled what. Four bottles. Three bottles of water. Four times. Or four bottles. Three times which was it. Twelve bottles of water. But there'd be no rain. How could he do that.

Because if you look on the coast on the west coast of israel or as we used to call it palestine there's a piece of land that juts out to sea. And that's where he built his altar. And at the bottom there's water.

The sea is there. There's water. And he sought the sacrifice to prove there's no trickery in this that proved that difficulties are not too great for God. And he stands there and he prays and believes.

And the fire descends. The God that answered by fire. Oh it must have been miserable for all the priests that were standing around when Peter's pouring his heart out. Yes we were in the uproot. And the fire of God descended upon each of us.

A symbol a tongue of fire. Their preaching after that was blistering convicted wounded before there was any healing. We try to get people saved. They don't even know they're lost. We try to heal them.

And they haven't even been wounded. Solomon made an end of praying in the most beautiful building maybe the world has ever seen. Fire came down from heaven. Why? Because his altars were filled with sacrifices.

Don't get the idea the fire falls on the altar. It doesn't. You'll be waiting. You'll be disappointed till you die. Fire does not fall on the altar. Fire falls on the sacrifice. And when the sacrifice is laid out when all the people are silent he stands there and he cries to God.

The fire came down. Wouldn't that be stunning. Do you think you could stand it. Could I stand it tonight. If the glory of God came down here. We've never seen it. And so how can we miss it. We've never seen the glory of God.

Our fathers have told us in distant days. I'm looking at Ray and Robbie. Ray, Robbie I was praying about this at 2 o 'clock this morning as God's my witness for India that somehow the fire will fall afresh when you go back this time.

But God will raise up men that will leave us standing with all our theology and all our Greek and Hebrew and all the junk that we've got from these cemeteries seminaries. God wants to do a new thing. Solomon made an end of praying.

You know that's when the glory comes. What have they been doing in the upper room. They weren't eating sandwiches having a meal or something. I got an invitation this week to go to a revival conference.

The best skiing you've ever done in your life. I must be backward. Did you know you had to go skiing to get revival. Oh we're going up on the Alps in Switzerland. Skiing. It's magnificent. Oh when the sun comes up the snow is pink.

Yeah. Very interesting. What did you eat it. And we can take a train and go through the Alps into Austria. The shopping is the greatest in the world. No good having revival if you don't go skiing. No good having revival if you don't go shopping.

When do you think we're going to read God's word and obey. There's only one thing hinders revival in America or any country in the world. That's unbelief and disobedience. That's all. It's not the devil.

It's not communism humanism mormonism many other isms. You like. It's just unbelief and lack of desire to see the glory of God manifested.

Again I say do you wonder. They were all amazed when these men came out of the upper room. Oh that's that Peter fellow. He ran away. Oh that's Thomas. Oh they're a bunch of cowards. What are they going to do.

Going to have a meeting. Watch. Peter stands up with the anointing. And they're all amazed. What does it say here. Fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices. And the glory of the Lord filled the house.

And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord because of the glory that filled the Lord's house. Verse 3. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down and the glory of the Lord was upon the house they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement and worshipped and praised.

That's the only way to worship with your face on the ground. More than once when I went in Dr. Tosler would say to me well then remember this. I'll be gone before tomorrow. Remember let other people do as they like you.

And I will worship with God. Face downward. Because if your face is downward you have no diversion. You can't see anything. Anybody. No distractions. The glory overwhelmed them. They couldn't stand in his presence.

The majesty of God swept in on them. Oh I sincerely coveted that this will happen in our day. I'd like to see the glory of God invade this generation. The next revival will have no man's name on it. It won't raise an abomination or a denomination whatever you want to call it.

The next one will supersede it will break every vessel that we have burst it open with the majesty and glory of God. I'm cheated. I've never been in a meeting where the glory came and made us all dumb.

And nobody wanted to go home wanted to stay half the night or half the day. But everybody's interest in sport or any other thing business anything else you have withered and preeminently we were occupied to see God's glory God's majesty until we worship in speechless adoration.

You know if you get the glory of God on your assembly you won't need bowling alleys and racquet courts to keep the young people comfortable. I think they should tax churches. Most churches have amusement centers anyhow.

And you've got to pay taxes on amusement. Haven't you churches in town in Tyler here in Dallas that have two or three lane bowling alley in them. Have racquet courts in them. What in God's name has that got to do with spirituality.

There has to be a cleansing of the temple before he'll come before he's comfortable whether that's individual in our lives. Or whether it's again in an assembly of people. And then read at least one more scripture here.

Encountering God’s Holiness

Exodus Genesis Exodus chapter twenty Exodus twenty and verse nineteen. They said unto Moses speak thou with us and we will hear. But let not God speak to us lest we die. Do you think we would die if God came in his glory and spoke to us tonight.

Our people don't go to church to meet God. They go to hear sermons about him. Do we expect a personal encounter with his holiness. Moses had been on the mountain and he got those amazing statements from the Lord that we call the Ten Commandments.

As somebody said remember they are. They're not ten suggestions the Ten Commandments. Verse eighteen of this twentieth chapter says. And all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings and the noise of the trumpet and the mountain smoking.