Devotions

When we began Times Square Church in 1987, we quickly realized we were pastoring in a modern-day Corinth, one of the most carnal areas in the world in New Testament times. Therefore, we had to preach a convicting message that would awaken hearts. When we first opened our doors, our services were attended by many Christians who worked in the entertainment industry on stage and in television and film. Some had chosen to stay in careers that clearly dishonored the Lord.

We wondered whether we could evangelize unsaved show people if our own congregants were still involved in unsavory aspects of the business. So we preached a message of “separation,” and the Lord began to deal with people. Many gave up lucrative careers in show business and God blessed them marvelously. “Come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord” (2 Corinthians 6:17).

We discovered that God had kept a godly remnant for himself in Times Square Church, a people who loved his Word. In every service the people sat like hungry birds, their mouths wide open for food. Afterward, they took home sermon tapes to listen to. Our church experienced a spirit of repentance, an eagerness to obey, and a readiness to conform to God’s Word.

As we all came under the power and government of God’s Word, ministers and congregants alike, our services were filled with more than tears of repentance. The sanctuary was filled with sounds of victory, joy and gladness. There was great rejoicing because we had begun to understand the great truth of God’s Word.

We learned that to maintain the joy of the Lord among his people, God calls for an even deeper work in our lives.

I believe that deep, abiding joy is largely missing in much of the church today. I have heard Christians say, “We prayed down a revival in our church.” Yet revival cannot happen by prayer alone. There cannot be any such awakening unless people hunger diligently for God’s Word. And they must wholly commit their lives to being governed by the Scriptures. We cannot obtain heaven’s joy until the pure Word has convicted us of our backslidings.

When David was disobedient, he lost the joy of the Lord. That joy could only be restored by true repentance. David knew this, so he prayed, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. . . . Purge me” (Psalm 51:2–3, 7). David also prayed to regain what he had lost: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation” (Psalm 51:12).

Ezra told the people rebuilding Jerusalem, in essence, “You have hungered for God’s Word and allowed it to work in your hearts. You have repented and mourned, and God is pleased. But now it is time to rejoice! Take out your handkerchiefs and wipe away your tears. It is a time for joy!”

The glory of the Lord fell on Israel, and the people spent the next seven days rejoicing: “All the people went their way to eat, and to drink . . . and to make great mirth, because they understood the words that were declared unto them” (Nehemiah 8:12, KJV).

The Hebrew word for “mirth” here means “gladness, happiness.” This isn’t just a good feeling, but a deep, inner exuberance. It is clear to everyone around that this wellspring of joy has come from heaven.

When God’s Word is revered, the result is an outpouring of genuine “Jesus joy.”

“The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). At the time these words were proclaimed, the Israelites had just returned from captivity in Babylon. Under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, the people had rebuilt Jerusalem’s ruined walls. Now they set their sights on reestablishing the temple and restoring the nation.

Nehemiah called a special meeting at the city’s Water Gate within Jerusalem’s rebuilt walls (see Nehemiah 8:1). The first thing that happened was the preaching of God’s Word. A hunger for the Word had developed among the people, so they did not need to be urged to listen. And they were fully prepared to submit to the authority of the Word, wanting to be governed by it and conform to its truth.

Amazingly, Ezra preached to the crowd for five or six hours. What an incredible scene. I believe it would be hard to find such an occurrence in the modern church. Yet true restoration can never take place without this kind of all-consuming hunger for God’s Word.

Make no mistake, at the Water Gate in Jerusalem there was no eloquent preaching. Ezra didn’t deliver a sensational sermon. Rather, he preached straight from the Scriptures, reading for hours on end and explaining the meaning. And as the people listened they grew excited.

At times Ezra was so overcome by what he read that he stopped to “[bless] the Lord, the great God” (8:6). The glory of the Lord came down powerfully and everyone raised their hands in praise. In repentance and brokenness, “they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground” (8:6). Then they stood up to experience even more.

There was no manipulation from the pulpit, no dramatic testimony. There wasn’t even any music. These people simply had an ear to hear everything God said to them.

Beloved, I believe the Lord desires to move among his people in the same way today. If we are going to see this type of revival and restoration we must have a hunger and excitement for the Scriptures as Ezra did!

I wouldn’t preach a message about “waiting for the power of God” if I didn’t know it to be true. My wife, Kelly, and I have walked through such an experience. I have written before of our son Elliot who was addicted to heroin. At one point he was even homeless. We tried to help him through rehab programs and contacting individuals who might be able to get through to him but nothing ever touched him. Many nights Kelly and I cried ourselves to sleep over; it was one of the most difficult times of my life.

One night Kelly told me she had heard from the Lord and I could see that she truly was clothed with something of God.

“I had a dream that Elliot was lying on the ground, unconscious. Jesus told me to pick him up, and when I did, his body hung limp in my arms. When Jesus lifted him from me, I was so relieved. But then he turned away from me so that I couldn’t see Elliot.

“This disturbed me, but I sensed strongly that the Lord was telling us, ‘You can’t do this yourself. You’ve got to stop interfering. You’re unable to see it, but I’m doing a work in Elliot that’s hidden from you.’”

A few weeks later the Holy Spirit took hold of our son and transformed him. He redeemed Elliot completely and today he is a powerful young witness for God.

Friends, if we’re failing today, is it because we’re not waiting for God’s power? Is it because we’re “showing” ourselves rather than “hiding” ourselves in prayer? I exhort you to wait on Jesus. When his word comes to you through the Holy Spirit, whispering, “Show yourself,” there is nothing in life to compare.

On that day, you’ll see heaven touching earth in ways you never imagined. You’ll speak with more conviction, authority and boldness. And your pleasure in your walk with Jesus will be like nothing you have ever experienced. 

We see in Acts 6 that the apostles had to choose what many have come to call the first deacons. There was a dispute between the Grecian Jews and the Hebraic Jews about the fairness of the food distribution system. The apostles decided to appoint certain men to handle that task so food distribution would get proper attention while the apostles continued to focus on “prayer and the ministry of the word” (v. 4).

The apostles said, “Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom” (v. 3, emphasis added). Handing out food was a straightforward menial task, yet the apostles felt that being full of or controlled by the Spirit was a necessary qualification to wisely handle that simple job.

Compare that with some of our contemporary church hiring practices. When selecting people for professional ministry positions, we usually look first for educational qualifications. Folks who have earned a seminary degree become prime candidates to lead Christ’s people, often without anyone first having discerned whether these potential leaders show evidence of being controlled by the Spirit. Then candidates might be given a battery of psychological tests to see if they’re compatible for ministry, as if science were the deciding factor on wisdom. But in the New Testament church, even the job of distributing food to widows required leaders who were Spirit-controlled and full of wisdom.

If all believers were full of the Holy Spirit, if everyone in the community were Spirit-controlled, the apostles wouldn’t have laid down such a qualification. In fact, it would be downright silly. Imagine them saying, “Choose seven people who are breathing.” However, being a Christian does not necessarily guarantee that a person lives a life controlled by the Spirit. One must spend time in God’s presence until he is “endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).  

Jim Cymbala began the Brooklyn Tabernacle with less than twenty members in a small, rundown building in a difficult part of the city. A native of Brooklyn, he is a longtime friend of both David and Gary Wilkerson.