Long Term Effects Of Revival — George Middebrook

Genuine Revival and Its Lasting Effects

One of the questions I think I get asked most often is does revival really last. That's just an emotional experience that is short-lived or is something that when it is genuine and it comes that it lasts.

And how do you know if it lasts. And I have learned that I could try to argue that point day and night and convince. No one but the moment I can point to an individual life that God has radically Transformed and changed in the midst of his presence in revival.

And it's not just a day later or two days later or two months later. But they can share out of their life how many months later. The change that was wrought not only continued. They've even gone far beyond that in their walk with God.

Not too many years ago now or months ago. God brought across our pathway in a crusade a young businessman from Nacogdoches, Texas Who met with God in revival and as a result it's lasted. He's growing.

He's going on with God. A very unique testimony from a layperson and what revival has met in Their life. George Middlebrook from Nacogdoches, Texas. Once you come take some time to share With these individuals what God did in your life in revival.

A Personal Encounter With Revival

This week is I've had the opportunity to listen to so many testimonies from God's people of what they've done in their own lives and God has really taken a fresh spotlight on my heart this week and Really revealed what kind of person I really am.

I guess this is as difficult a time as I've ever had of sharing what God has done in my life. And I just pray That you might be praying with me that I could just give God all the glory and all the credit for what he's done.

We talk about revival, I guess that's one of those things it's as elusive as anything we try to make a definition for it, but it's hard to determine what it is, but God by his grace allowed me to see what revival could do in my heart and in the life of a believer.

18 months ago if you'd asked me what revival was I probably would have told you that it had something to do when a preacher came maybe in a falling in the spring and Maybe a few people got saved, but that's a long way from what revival is.

Dictionary tells us this that the revival is that process of coming back to life again? It's as if something had been alive at some point in time, but had come to a place of almost death. And that's where God found me.

I might have been bought with the price of Christ's blood. It might be have for me an eternal life in heaven. But God found me a place that I was almost dead and the greatest need in my heart and my life was a revival.

I'd come back to a freshness of that what God had given to me and realized. What was mine in Christ? God used the ministry of life action ministries to come and use that instrument to minister to my life.

Conviction, Prayer, and the Need for Personal Revival

The first time I had an exposure To that was one day. I was going down. I guess I wasn't too I wasn't. I was susceptible. I didn't know what was happening. My pastor came and handed me a little envelope.

And he just said I want you to take this and take it home with you and read through it and a few days We'll get back together and talk about the contents that envelope. I just stuck at my Bible and I didn't look at it till I got home that day and Started looking through that and it had a bunch of information about some ministry called life action ministries and somewhere way up, Michigan I never heard of and how they'd bring 20 or 30 people into your church and stay two or three weeks and Really didn't know what to think.

I thought my pastor might have gone crazy or some I really didn't know at that time but I thought maybe that's the way they did it in Michigan or some foreign country like when Texas we think everywhere else is a foreign country, but well, it's not the way we did it in our home, but I soon found out that God could use that in our lives and and Byron Paulus fine came a few weeks before our crusades started and we were called a time of prayer.

And he's a good deacon. And as I thought I was in my church I decided I'd get in on that and I begin to pray. But God began to show me something I Want to share to you and I don't find in the Bible, but I believe it to be true that.

But our prayers have a whole lot more to do than just the words that we might speak with our mouth. But I believe more importantly it's what we're thinking in our heart and what we're thinking in our mind while we're praying.

Second night of our crusade. I had to stand up just as I'm before you this morning. And and I had to confess something to my church family and what I had to confess to them. Was it what I'd been speaking in my mouth in prayer wasn't the same thing.

I was thinking in my mind. You see what I've been thinking in my mind was if all those people that sit on the back row in my church if They could just make God and revival and get right with God to spiritual people in my church.

Which I included myself among the chief of them, you know, we could get something done in our church. These young people that sit down in front and they come to church. And I think the only thing they were caring about was who was there that Sunday who they could sit by if they could meet God.

And we could really have revival and my children who I brought to church every Sunday Faithfully if they could just get to know God and have revival then I could be the father. I needed to be. And I could begin to be the witness and the testimony in my home and it was them holding me back.

I Guess the worst thing I was thinking wasn't my wife if she could just get right with God and I could be the husband I needed to be. But God broke my heart that night and he showed me it wasn't those people on that back row or these young people or my kids.

And least of all it was my wife and need to get honest with God. It was me one time in my life God just spoke to me and he said if you're ever gonna see revival in your home and this church is ever gonna know you.

It was all right here. And I was gonna have to be. I Came to that place that night. I told my church. It's not my brother and it's not my sister, but it's me. Oh, Lord Standing need a prayer and I guess if there's any key to revival.

And so we're gonna have to come individually one-on-one to the place that that Psalmist came to. When he said search me Oh God and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts to see if there be any wicked way in me.

And lead me in a way everlasting and that's where I came and I believe probably that's where my revival began. It's funny. You know how we pray for revival. I I begin to pray for revival and I Think the way we pray sometimes it's almost as if we're saying to God God.

We don't believe that you even want to bring revival. We doubt it. And we not only doubt that you want to bring it. We're not even sure that you're able to bring it. We pray in so much doubt. We don't have faith in what God wants to do.

But the God that we serve is not only more than able to bring us revival. He's more than willing. He wants to see God's people. He bought us with a price. And he wants more desire for our heart revival than you do you don't even have it we don't even have the capability to ask him for revival the way he wants to a Problem in so much of God giving us opportunity.

Is it us getting in on that opportunity? God gave me an opportunity that first night of our revival after I went home and got in bed I Laid down. I tried to go to sleep, but I couldn't. I rolled and tumbled all night long.

Finally early in the morning for daylight I got up out of my bed because I couldn't sleep and God was dealing with me something. I Went my office in my home and I got down on my knees and God began to talk in my mind about what he wanted me to do.

Obedience and Confession Before God

We see about a year before that. I had been called to be a witness in a federal lawsuit in Tyler, Texas Court of William Wayne Justice perhaps I believe the most powerful man in our state because the position he has is he's a federal judge.

Before I went to test give the testimony I really had my mind what they were going to ask me and And I really knew how I knew the outcome of that case was going to need to be come out. And I decided if I could just give my testimony in such a way That it might turn out the way I thought it needed to come out I would help the whole process.

I'd help that jury and I'd help that judge no matter what it was I should say. And I got on that stand and I swore under oath to God that I'd tell the truth and I begin to answer the questions. With phrases like this, I think so and maybe.

And I'm not sure but probably. And God showed me on my knees that morning in my office at the answer those questions were yes. I'm sure I'm positive beyond a shadow of a doubt. God showed me what I've been calling clever testimony.

God called it a lie in my heart. And I begin to confess that to God and I said God, I'm sorry. I know I'm a sinner. Will you forgive me? He said I forgive you, but you're gonna have to do something about that.

You're gonna have to call that judge up and you're gonna have to confess to him what you did and you're gonna have to seek His mercy and put yourself at his disposal and I tell you that was as part of thing and God ever asked me to do in my life and I didn't know what to do and I Begin to argue with God and try to come up with every kind of evidence and every time I'd argued say call that judge.

I Told I told God like I knew what I was saying. I said God I said you don't know that judge. You just knew that judge like I know them everybody else in Texas know him. You wouldn't dare ask me to go do that and I even quote him a little scripture.

I said God you said it if I would confess my sins that you'd have to be able to move remove them as far as the East is from the West. And I said God if you just forget about that this morning I'll forget about and I can go on to some parts of my life that I know they're bad.

I need to deal with. He just said son if you ever want to know me. You just ever want to go on with me, this is the line we're going to draw. There's no going on past this point until we deal right here in this one area your life.

That's the opportunity God gives to us. I Continued to argue with God and I came up with something. I thought was mighty clever and I said God. I said you just don't understand. I said what you're doing.

You want me to do is a great idea and I'll go along with you. But your time is all wrong two or three four weeks from now, I'll do it we just started revival our church today yesterday. If I come and I get Picked up and have taken a jail and my name's all the front of the paper.

That's just gonna ruin everything. We're trying to do that church. That didn't matter to God. He said if you want to go on with me, you call that judge. You confess to him what you did. I Guess there's no other point in my life that I've ever come to the place.

I was that morning I really don't have the words to describe to you. The distraughtness and the stretch of where I was and I guess I could describe it that I was at the end of myself. And there wasn't anything else in my whole life from the time I was born it ever mattered.

But that moment and God what he wanted me to do. I Finally an utter desperation. I called out to Almighty God and I said God you've asked me to do so many things I've done before and if you just asked me anything this morning to do I'll do it you name.

But God you finally asked me one thing in my life. I cannot do. It was in that very moment of time as if time had stopped. I Said God, I don't think. I said Lord. I can't do it. It's as if a big smile came across my heavenly father as he looked down at me.

And he just nodded his head and said that's right, son. You can't do anything about it. That's been your problem every time I come to you and provide for you an opportunity to know me. And fellowship with me and seek me and follow me in obedience.

You blow it by just letting you do it on your own. I told the Lord I said Lord I can't do it. But I'm willing to do it if you'll do it. In that moment revival began in my heart and I got up off my knees.

And I went my kitchen and the kitchen my home. I confessed to my wife what I'd done. I went back in my office and call that judge up and ask him. Tried to reach him this to confess to him what I'd done.

Surprising to me. I couldn't get a hold of him and I got a secretary and she said I'm sorry. Nobody can talk to the judge. He's in Houston, Texas recovering from surgery and nobody talked to him at least for a week.

And I kind of was set back on my heels. I didn't know. I said God I did what you said I'd do and the man's not there. I can't even confess to him what I'd done. But you see I told God his time was wrong.

But God's time is always right. He just wanted to provide for me an opportunity of a week to see if I was serious about being serious with him. A Week went by and God prompted my heart again Said call that judge and I called him up and wasn't able to talk to him.

But I was able to tell the assistant what I'd done and they set up a meeting with the attorneys in the case and this Past September I had the opportunity to sit around a table with six or seven attorneys and share with them the truth.

That I should have done the first time. Those attorneys I don't believe were quite so interested in what I said is they were interested in why a perfectly sound apparently human being Would call a federal judge up and confess that he lied in his court for you see I knew all the time when God was Dealing with me if I called him that I'd go to jail.

And those people in a multi-million dollar lawsuit would turn around sue me instead of each other. That's what I was facing. And I had a felt opportunity to tell those Lawyers around that table that morning what had happened when man meets God in obedience and fellowship.

Israel Crossing Into the Promised Land

I'm reminded every time I think about what God did in my life of the story how the Israelite nation is. They wandered for 40 years in the wilderness and in disobedience and grumbling and complaining to God finally came to the Jordan River and by faith they Exercised faith, and they crossed over in the promised land.

When they got in there God asked them to do two things. They asked him to observe the Passover and of our every man to be circumcised who hadn't previously been circumcised. And I believe perhaps probably for the first time in 40 years since they left Egypt that they had done two things in a row.

God asked him to do and you remember what happened. God blesses my heart every time I think about the story. He sent his own angel to stand in his midst in their midst and when Joshua asked him who he was identify himself He said I'm the captain of the host of God's army.

Theologian scholars say that that was a pre incarnation of Jesus Christ himself come to stay in their midst. That's what obedience and revival is all about. When we come to a place of obedience in my life I felt the very presence of God himself coming and standing next to me that I've never felt in my life before.

That's what revival is all about. Revival doesn't end there. Revival is a process of coming back to life and friends. I'm still in the process of coming back to know him, but that's where revival began in obedience of my part to God.

Revival's Effects on Fellowship and Marriage

I Wish I had some words to describe to you. How I've come to know God and be able to stand and actually be able to reach out and touch him and experience him. God in his mercy. I've come to know him and his.

God's revealed a little bit more of myself. And I've seen myself and I've dealt with it. He was allowed me to see a little more of him. God has worked a work in my marriage and in 18 years of marriage.

I've never had the relationship. I've had with my wife. I really didn't know that one human being. Couldn't know another human being like I've come to know my wife. How I get that probably more than anything else in my life is that I spent 18 years not knowing the person I'm married to that God's allowed us to fellowship together and when I see her I look in her eyes and I see a love for me that I've never seen before.

Now I see Jesus in her eyes. When she looks in my eyes, she doesn't see me anymore. She sees a love that I have for her that Jesus has for her because I couldn't manufacture that love. But our God is not only I found out discovering interested in our spiritual relationship with him and on a spiritual level but he's a practical God and I Just thank God every day in the morning when I get up and at night because he's given me an illustration in my life to let Me know this morning.

When I got out of bed, he reminded me of how he loves me and how he wants me to walk in obedience. I want to share the story with you. I Have this problem I've had ever since I've been married all my married life I'm one of these people that pulls the sheets off their bed at night when I sleep just in mind subconscious, I guess and over the course of 18 years of marriage, it's really continued to get worse and worse and Last few months before I met God in a way in revival.

They'd gotten so bad Came to be the greatest distress. I guess my marriage had ever had or could have and I got the place I'm not just one that pulls the sheets loose a little. I take the mattress of the blanket and the sheet and pull them completely loose at the bottom and roll up in them throw them on the floor and Come to a point my marriage where my wife I'd get up every morning and just like she was at my throat and want to strangle me and I Pull the bottom sheet and a mattress pad and get them all loose is terrible.

One morning finally not too long before I faction came to our church I got up one morning and my wife just in desperation. I thought she's gonna kill me. Luckily she didn't but He said I may have to be married to you and but I don't have to sleep in the same bed with you anymore.

And I'm not gonna do it. I'm going to buy twin beds today I'm gonna tell you as I just a point in our Relationship that is just about severed our being able to communicate with each other. Luckily that she cooled off at night and we continue to sleep together, but the problem got worse.

After the first night of our revival and I'd got up to my church and confessed to him that I had been thinking about Them instead of me and that I had met God that day in revival that morning I went home at night and I got in bed unsuspicious of anything that might happen that night and went to sleep as usual, but next morning when I got up I Really realized something's wrong before I even woke up and opened my eyes and I knew there was something wrong.

I didn't know what exactly it was, but I Just began to open one eye at a time and kind of look around. I noticed that my sheets were all tight on my bed. I Didn't want to mess anything good thing up. So I just kind of slithered out and on that sheet went and got dressed.

Kind of forgot about that day in the next morning. I came back and got in bed the same way and next morning same thing happened. I Just kind of slithered out and got dressed. I didn't want to say anything.

I knew my wife was noticing it, but she didn't want to jinx it and I didn't want to jinx it. So we went on Third morning same thing. It's been 18 months ago and every morning now when I get out of my bed My sheets are just as tight as they were.

That probably a lot of people sound about the silliest story they've ever heard. Maybe it is. And I go and I lay down at my bed at night and put my head on my pillow. There's a piece that comes over me that I don't understand and I can't explain.

And God said he'd give to us a peace that passes all understanding. That peace came about in one place in my life. It came about in my place of obedience to God. I'm just thankful for him to point out to me myself that I can't even say I guess as I've Experienced the process of revival in my own life.

Revival Exposes Pride and Restores Relationships

I guess at one time I thought it might be something that would just be a one-time experience. But even this week I've discovered how God continues to have to put that spotlight on our hearts and lives.

I guess that area in my life that has dealt me more problem and more misery than any other areas that area of pride in my life and I Guess during that crusade that if there was one thing I didn't think I had it was pride.

I just didn't think that was part of me and God began to try to show me through things that were happening as a close friend of mine a deacon in our church. It's sit in front of me every Sunday morning.

During the course of that revival He came under conviction and I had an opportunity to sit and witness him giving his heart and life to Jesus Christ. And I believe was pride in his own life that he kept him from doing that.

As I saw my friend come to know the Lord and all that pride I didn't ever think that that had anything to do with me. One got one night God and just a special way was able to take his light and shine on my heart and show me pride in my life and Well, you see there's an area of pride that is so slowly subtly just over a period of a time and crep up in my life.

So subtly that I was blinded to it. I've got a son. That's 11 years old Andrew and God has just blessed him in such a wonderful way in every way academically and and in athletics in every way and. Over a period of time I had come to look upon his abilities and what he'd done and I just marveled in them in every sport that he'd practice or play and he was just at the top on his team and God began to show me that my pride that I had thought had been in him and what had God had done in him was my pride in me and God began to show me that I thought in some way I was special and superhuman because I had produced this young person.

It was so good. God just began to break my heart and show me that I was going around looking for praise of men because of what my son had done. And the worst of all he'd kept me from having a fellowship with him and I needed and kept me from being a father that I needed to be to him after our services one night I went to him and just Bore my heart to him and I said Andrew I said.

The pride that I thought I had in you had been pride in me and all and I seek your forgiveness in it. In his mercy he forgave me and I was able to reach Establish a relationship and a fellowship with my son and I needed it had been my fault that I hadn't had.

Humility, Evangelism, and a Son's Conversion

But God went through talking about me. My life was so messed up with pride that he had just paid me a picture. In fact, it was a wall-to-wall mural of my life and he started that night with Andrew but it was another scene to that picture of that mural that he wanted to paint of me and he wasn't through and.

But you see there was another area in my life that I think happens to us as Christians sometimes it slowly crept in and God had given me the opportunity on a number of occasions to share my faith with people and come to see him know the Lord.

And I guess over time I got to thinking that Perhaps God had to have me and it was my ability and of being able to share my faith with people and I began to Think that I was something special. But there was one person in all the world that I had on my heart to know the Lord and that was my own son Andrew.

All my other two children had come to know the Lord, but Andrew hadn't on a lot of occasions I'd go to Andrew and I'd say Andrew I wonder if I might speak to you about the Lord tonight. He wouldn't even respond.

He wouldn't even answer to me. He just kind of looked the other way and walk off and we wouldn't even get involved. That's all we'd do and I'd wait two or three months and I'd go back to him same response.

But you see I thought that if my son came to know the Lord, it was gonna be me that had to lead him. I Didn't want some preacher scaring him into walking down an aisle or giving him some false Theology that was wrong that it was me.

I had the answer for him. If you ever came to know the Lord, I was gonna have to share it with him. Had died after I'd confessed my pride to Andrew. I went home that night. I Went to his door and I knocked on his door and I said Andrew I wonder if I might come in and just talk with you for just a minute.

He said sure dad come on in and I went and I sit out on the side of his bed as he lay there in his bed and I Said Andrew tonight. I wonder if you'd mind if I talked to you just a minute about the Lord.

And you know his smile on his face your dad and I I'd like to hear it. And so I guess in a way that at the time I probably thought was very eloquent. I begin to share with him how Heaven was a free gift and man was a sinner and that sinner separated us from the love of God but God provided for us a salvation through the blood of his son and by repenting of our sins and faith in him we could have eternal life and I Got through with a discourse.

It probably took 10 -15 minutes that I thought was very eloquent and I said Andrew Does that make sense to you? He looked up at me and he said yeah dad that makes a lot of sense. I Guess in my mind. I thought all right.

I'm ready to go in for the kill. Maybe I said Andrew. I wonder if tonight You'd like to ask Christ to come to your heart tonight as your personal Lord and Savior. As I asked that question to my son God allowed him to take that paintbrush and Paint those final strokes on that mural that picture that he was trying to paint of me.

I said Andrew I wonder if you'd like to invite Christ in your heart tonight as your personal Savior. He looked right up at me right in my eyes and he said dad a few weeks ago right here in my room I asked Christ to come to my heart.

My personal Savior pride is so come and consume my life that I couldn't even see myself. Pride it goes to consume me that I didn't really realize that God didn't need me. Not only did I not need me God couldn't even use me because I was so full of myself.

The Ongoing Work of Revival

If there's any prayer I have to God today. Is that he'd continue to paint me a picture every day of my life and allow me to see myself. There's anything I would say to anybody that's seeking revival in their own heart and life.

It's this that You might get on your knees and just beg God beg you Paint you a picture. Now that person that you think you are and not that picture of that person that you hope to be. But a picture of that real person that you really are.

If you ever get that picture that real picture of yourself and you'll deal with it before God. They'll become in your life revival that won't be in God's not through with me. But God in his mercy allowed me that day to begin a revival in my heart and God's blessed me through it.

Thank you.