MESSAGE FOR ALL CHRISTIANS : A CALL TO ARMS

RE: REVIVAL

By : Carol Staggs

Yesterday, (Saturday) I watched on CNN, as I hope millions did, the funeral of RACHEL JOY SCOTT; the 17 year old girl killed during the slaughter at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. I watched as thousands celebrated the life of this young Christian girl, slain in the service of Christ. As they laid her body to rest, knowing without a doubt, that she was in Heaven right then with the Lord who loved her so much.

As I watched, I suddenly knew without a doubt why this terrible thing had happened; why God had allowed it to happen. It has, and WILL stir His people to REVIVAL! Those people in Colorado are in REVIVAL!

"We know that in EVERYTHING God works for the good of those who love Him. They are the people HE called, because that was His Plan." (Romans 8:28 NCV)

And everyone who watched knew that this young girl loved the Lord; could see that she was called by Him.

It was said that the gunman, as he was shooting, looked down at another girl, Cassie Burnall, and asked, "do you believe in Jesus?"

"Yes" she answered.

So he shot her.

Be assured that God did not let Cassie or Rachel, nor any of the others who were Christians, down at that moment. He lifted them UP! He loved them! He was in control.

That is something we all need to understand, know, and have emblazoned on our hearts and minds.

GOD IS IN CONTROL!

Just as he did when he thought he had killed Christ Jesus, Satan thought he had won. Thought he had really done a great deed. But Jesus rose from the dead. So will Rachel, and Cassie and all of the others who died believeing in Jesus Christ. They are not dead even now. Satan is defeated. Their death will bring revival in the hearts of God's people everywhere. Let it start with you!

Towards the end of her funeral the pastor said that Rachel Scott had carried a torch. A torch for Christ. She loved people and tried to win people to Jesus. He asked that all of the people present and all who were watching by television, pick up that torch. Pick up the torch and stand up for Jesus Christ. Stand up and take back our schools, take back our lives, in the name of Jesus. Satan is trying to kill our children. Don't let him. His time is short and he is trying to destroy the works of God. It is our job here on earth to stop him, and in the name of Jesus we must stand strong and do our best.

"IF My people, who are called by MY Name, will repent, IF they will pray and obey Me and stop their evil ways, I will hear from Heaven. I will forgive them their sin, and I will heal their land." (2 Chron. 7:14)

I have emphasized the IF, because it is a big little word. God's promise to heal, all depends on IF the people called by His name will respond.

I would like to take up the challenge of this pastor in Colorado and I would like to pass it on to all of you, in the hopes that you will pass it on to others. Do you realize thePOWERthere will be in this movement towards REVIVAL in this land. God's people need to stand up for what they believe in. There is POWER in the name of JESUS! No one can stop you from praying in school or anywhere else. Only God is omnipotent and omnipresent. Man cannot read your mind or hearts. PRAY in your hearts to the Lord. Read His Word and STORE it in your hearts.

Kids, go to school tomorrow unafraid and ready to do battle. Store this verse in your hearts and minds.

"God said, I MYSELF will go with you; and I will give you VICTORY."

Go to school and to work tomorrow Christians and do not fear. "Do not fear those who can kill the body but not the soul."

If you are a born again Christian and you are living your life for the Lord and you are "acknowledging Him in all things"; then GOD IS IN CONTROL of every thing that happens in your life!!! Nothing can happen to you that God does not know about and allow. He LOVES you. YOU are HIS child. He will watch over you and supply your every need. For everything that happens in the life of a child of God, there is a reason.

In Psalms 37:23 David tells us

"When a persons steps follow the Lord, God is pleased with his ways. If he stumbles he will not fall, because the Lord is holding his hand."

What a wonderful promise! He is always in control. He will never leave us, never forsake us!

Jesus instructed us to go out and win the lost to Christ. This we must do. But, we can't go divided. Jesus told us to be as one. I don't think He will recognize denominations in His Church.

Every person who says that 'Jesus is Lord', and believes with their hearts that God raised Him from the dead is a CHRISTIAN. Every Christian is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. If you are a Christian, you are my brother or sister and I must love you as Jesus loves me, and if you are right with the Lord, you must love me.

"For by this shall all men know that you are MY disciples, that you LOVE one another."

Love does not make fun of others because they are different from you or not the same color or even because they are not yet Christians..Kids, love doesn't call another person "geek" or "four eyes", or "fatty", "pizza face", or any of the other demeaning names kids are so fond of calling each other to try to inflict pain. If you are truly a Christian, you won't be doing this though, will you. You will be trying to build others up. Love tries to make others feel good about themselves; not left out and unwelcome. Christians who love will not form little cliques and choose to ignore others whom they feel don't "belong" in their particular "group.

"What would Jesus do?" This seems to be the question of the decade among Christians; church youth groups in particular. Yet this has been the most violent and evil decade I have experienced in my 55 years.

What would Jesus NOT do? ; would be an equally important question.

The central message given to us by Jesus, when He was on earth, and by God in the Old Testament, is this "KINDNESS"!

When Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house there were many tax collectors and "sinners" present also. The Pharisees saw this and reprimanded Jesus for associating with such "low life" people. I believe that Jesus answer to them was the theme of His message to everyone.

He said,

"Go and learn what this means: I want kindness more than I want animal sacrifices. I did not come to invite good people but to invite sinners ." (Matthew 9:13 NCV)

In the book of Micah 6:8, God tells us the same thing. He says,

"The Lord has told you, human, what is good; He has told you what He wants from you: to do what is right to other people; love being kind to others, and live humbly with your God."

In Matthew 7:12, Jesus tells us point blank, that this is the most important rule in life, the central theme of the entire Bible; when He says,

"Do unto others what you want them to do to you. This is the meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets."

Did you know that some of the most unkind people on earth are some who are supposed to be Christians?

People who form little groups; they do 'love one another' within their "group". But, there sometimes seems to be an understanding throughout the "group" that there are some people who will not acknowledged. Who will treated as unimportant or ignored. When people are ignored and treated as unimportant by the church, they begin to feel unimportant, unloved, unneeded and unwanted. This is a terrible way for Christians to treat people. This is the way some children are treated in school. That is why they become so alienated and unhappy with their life. God does not want His people, called by His Name, to show partiality towards anyone. If children see their Christian parents, who take them to church, treating others this way, what do you think they learn from this?

Each person, who call themselves by His name, should ask themselves, "what do I do? How do I treat others?" Am I the Pharisee or the tax collector of Luke 18:9-14?

When the Son of Man sits on His great throne, and judges the world gathered before Him; when He says "I tell you the truth, ANYTHING you refused to do for even the LEAST of my people here, you refused to do for Me". (Matthew 25:45) What will your answer be? Did you refuse to show kindness to someone who was different, not your color, dressed different, who was not in your "group" of selected friends, someone you considered to be a "sinner", or maybe just not deserving of your time or consideration because you frankly just "don't like that person"? As you can see from Matthew chapter 25, God will not hold you guiltless when you are unkind to anyone.

When Jesus comes for His Church, His Bride, He will come for every believing Christian from every denomination on Earth. Let Him find us united as He wanted us to be. Showing kindness to all. Trying to get everyone we come in contact with into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Dwight L. Moody said, "It is a question if any man on the face of the earth has ever been converted, without God using some human instrument, in some way. God could easily convert men without us, but that is not His way.

Let there be one united cry going up to God, He will revive us in our midst. Let the work of revival begin with us who are CHRISTIANS. Let us remove all the hindrances that come from ourselves. Then, by the help of the Spirit, we will be able to reach these non-church people, and multitudes will be brought into the kingdom of God."

Please, take this cry and this message to your churches and to your schools; even to your place of work. Bring about this revival. May your response prove that these children have not died in vain. Make this massacre a Victory for God.

Praise God and lift up the name of Jesus!

"Out of this disaster, we are witnessing an amazing opening of the hearts of people to the things of God. We've seen more people turn to Jesus in the past week than we've ever seen. God is doing something that is spreading all over the nation."
- Pastor Bruce Porter
Littleton, Colorado

"GOD IS ON THE THRONE"

poetry by: Carol Staggs

"When the world all around us is falling apart;

When dark coulds gather till we're all faint of heart;

As calamity sweeps our foundations away;

And violence and hate are the news everyday.

In the darkest of times, we are never alone.

Take heart and remember, God's still on the throne!