In the USA, and our world, we are constantly bombarded with information. New ideas are flying our way all the time. We cannot seem to go through a day without hearing or seeing something new. Of course we might say, ‘Isn’t that a good thing?’

The answer might be yes, but it is quite often no. Why? Because we are inundated with a lot of information, but very little truth. We are learning all the time, but are we even capable of knowing what the truth is?

In 2 Timothy 2:7, the Apostle Paul describes some folks who were led astray, and as a result, though they learned a lot they were unable to know truth. They were busy. They were learning. They were saturated with information. They were dizzy with it all. And yet, they remained ignorant of the most important things.

There was also a group on the Hill of Ares in Athens who had a similar problem. They spent all of their time talking about new things. But Acts 17:23 tells us that they were unable to discern the truth when they heard it.

How could someone spend so much time learning, and hearing new things, and yet miss the truth? Information in large quantities has never been the path to truth. Instead, wisdom and understanding applied to some truth will bring one into more. And, once the truth of the Gospel is accepted, Jesus says, the Spirit of Truth then guides a person into all the truth (John 16:13).

Do not stop learning, but always seek the truth!

I think ‘Thanksgiving’ is a great name for this day. It reminds us of our appropriate response to what the day is about. It works well, and does not need modification.

But I have an alternate name for this day to share with you. It is no replacement, it simply speaks to the cause of the day. This alternate is ‘Dependence’ Day. In America, where Thanksgiving Day is chiefly celebrated, we also have ‘Independence’ Day. That day reminds us that we can, by much blood and effort, be independent from tyrannical human governments.

Though ‘Thanksgiving’ describes exactly what we should do on this Thursday in November, this alternate moniker points out very clearly why we should do it. We may be independent from some forms of human evil, but we are still reliant upon Almighty God for our very existence. We cannot truly, and must not attempt to, live independent from Him.

As you enjoy the great blessings usually shared on this special day, give not only great thanks but great recognition to the One Who we are all dependent upon. He alone can give us true freedom both physical and spiritual.

Dr. David Kemp started college as a music major, but God changed his interests and he switched to Bible and pastoral ministry. He taught Bible at Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga for 18 years, right up to the day the school closed its doors. Since the first Sunday of 2016, he has served as pastor of Hickory Valley Baptist Church in Chattanooga. And over the years, he has still had plenty of opportunities to serve the Lord with music! His favorite Scripture verse is Psalm 145:3. He and his wife of 40 years, Carolyn, have three children – Melody, Angela, and James – and three grandchildren.

I have known Dr. Kemp since my college days when he was my professor for New Testament and Bible Doctrines. I consider him to be one of my mentors. He is a good example of faithfulness. His zeal for the Word of God is infectious. I will never forget sitting under his teaching, learning about the timeless universal truths we find in Scripture.

Pray for this man, his family, and his ministry.

At REvive Ministries we know that no ministry or minister is perfect. However, we desire to rejoice in and encourage all those that are actively doing the work of the ministry. Featured ministers or ministries are ones that our ministry thinks the Lord can use to bring revival to the church in America.

My mother wrote this about my Grandad Dillon. I can personally say this is exactly what I have seen in his life. He stands today as a testament to the fact that his motto will serve anyone well.

My dad’s Motto: Start small, work hard, get good, don’t quit!
Many years ago, he started small. My dad surrendered his life to the Lord, and he began by being a faithful worker in his church.
Over the next several years, my dad worked hard. He surrendered to preach and decided to go Tennessee Temple Bible College. While he was relocating to Tennessee and getting funds together for school, he started small again – his first church in an old store building. He worked hard with his wife alongside. He spent many Saturdays out visiting all day even after working all week at a full time job. It was hard; he had many struggles but he continued forward by the grace of God. Today, Echoes of Mercy is still meeting in Cleveland, TN. My dad also held meetings in nursing homes, low income projects, and had a “bus” (it was actually a van) ministry. He got good and did not quit!
Finally, my dad was able to go to school to study to become an even better preacher. Having never completed high school, he started small, it was hard, but with God’s grace, he went forward. He became “gooder” and “gooder” at English and Speech; He didn’t quit!
Once he graduated, he immediately started small again; he started a church in his hometown of Smyrna, TN in the house where he lived. He, with mother alongside, worked hard and went out visiting people every Saturday, sometimes all day long. Eventually, he built (most of it with his own hands) a church – Bible Baptist – on Seminary Road. He got good and had many revival meetings and wonderful services. Today, there is still a thriving church on Seminary Road.

Getting on in years, and facing many difficulties, my dad continued to start small, work hard, and get good. And he certainly did not quit. He began another church on Rocky Fork Road, and today there is a Spanish Pastor who has an outreach to Spanish people that was made possible partly due to the hard work of Bill and Debbie Dillon and their generosity in transfer of the property to the Spanish people.
Alzheimer’s had hit the home of Bill and Debbie Dillon so preaching was not his role; now he was caretaker! But, he didn’t quit. He continued to work hard and get good at doing everything his wife had once done. He cleaned the house, washed the clothes, and even cooked them a few meals. He took care of his wife in a wonderful way until the day she passed to glory! He worked hard, he got good at it and he didn’t quit.
Now he deals with Parkinson’s, dementia, and poor eye sight. But what does he do…………he continues to walk when it is difficult, he continues to dream about starting another ministry. He still passes out tracts and tries to tell others about the Lord.
It is only by God’s grace that any of this happened; God allowed Bill Dillon to live out a motto that he never even used or thought of until he was old. He started small, he worked hard, he got good and he did not quit his entire life!

I would love to see, once again, a real revival. I want to see Christians encouraged, strengthened, and helped. I want to see sins lose their grip, struggles lose their bite, and disunity in the church fall away. I want to see the church become so alive and joyful that the nominal will become genuine, the lethargic will become energized, and the lost will become found!

And, as a result, I am asking myself seven questions. You can ask yourself these as well. Let us earnestly, as the church of the Lord Jesus, ask ourselves each one.

Can God bring revival?
Does God still bring revival?
Will God bring revival?

Do you want to see a revival?
Do you expect to see a revival?
Will you ask God to bring a revival?

Do you need to be revived?

In addition to being a revival speaker, I work in Information Technology. One of my favorite tools used in IT is what is known as a baseline. A baseline is a set of data that tells a company what their environment usually looks like. It gives IT a measure by which to know when things are running like they should be, and when they aren’t.

The baseline is established by measuring and recording various data points while systems are running properly. These measurements are averaged and assembled into a summary of the regular operating condition of the environment. This gives IT an overview of how their systems ‘should’ look when everything is normal.

A baseline is very helpful because it provides a chance to identify problems that might otherwise get missed or ignored. And, it allows for dealing with issues early, proactively, before the problem becomes a big issue.

In the Christian life it is important to do the same thing. Ask yourself what your walk with the Lord looks like ‘on average’, measuring it in some meaningful way. Don’t feel like you have to judge or praise yourself. A baseline isn’t meant to be a record of accomplishments or failures. It is meant to show how things usually are.

Periodically investigate your prayer life. Ask yourself how your Bible reading is going. See what your regularity is for daily devotions. More important, analyze the effectiveness of these things, and determine if growth is occurring. Again, don’t worry about perfection here. A baseline isn’t meant to make you fixate on performance.

Instead, a baseline seeks to reveal flaws before they become unmanageable. It helps when you are overwhelmed, but don’t know why. It provides an answer when you are asking yourself ‘what happened?’ questions. It can encourage you, motivate you, and make you more informed about your spiritual life.

Form time to time REvive Ministries will share previews of sermons that may be shared at one of our revivals. This is intended to serve several purposes. First, it gives individuals attending churches that will host a REvive Ministries revival a chance to read part of a sermon they may hear during the revival. Second, it gives busy pastors the convenience of spending only a few minutes to get an idea of the available sermon material. And finally, it is what I like to call a ‘seed’ sermon. A seed sermon can be used as a starting point for sermon preparation. If ministers who subscribe to the ministry updates choose to, they may build their own message off of the seed thought.

For the first ‘seed sermon’ I would like to share a message entitled ‘The Job Factor ‘. This sermon is based on the conversation between the Lord and the devil in Job chapter one. Looking closely at some of the verses in this passage, this message seeks to answer some big questions:

• What do Christians do when bad things happen?
• How can Christians address the concerns of sceptics?
• What is ‘plan b’, and what is the problem with it?
• What motivates you?
• Is your Christianity superficial?

Many of us may feel we have the answers to these questions already. However, this sermon seeks to challenge your understanding and dives into your true motivations. Many may find it hits them close to home. Even if this message doesn’t apply to you directly, there is a high likelihood you know someone who it applies to.

The message is an opportunity for young men and women to re-evaluate before spending many years with ‘plan b’ wicking energy from their spiritual life. It speaks to older, wiser believers who will look back and understand their motivations better. It calls to those who are in conflict to see what may be causing thier inability to move towards peace in their hearts. Young ones overwhelmed by scepticism in their education may find new hope and resolve. And many others…

Mothers may need to pray for sons. Daughters may need to pray for fathers. There is a large number of Christian people who need to hear this message, and take it to heart. You may have a family member, or a friend, that you can pray for, or with. Or, it may be you that needs to understand, and overcome, The Job Factor.

Jesus Christ is the Word. The Word is Scripture. Christ in us is the hope of glory. So, what really does all of this mean?

Several thousand years ago, and even several hundred years ago, most people didn’t have a personal copy of the entire Word of God. Early in history the Word was not in a written document. Does this mean that God’s Word was nonexistent, or was completely unavailable to most of humanity for most of history?

Well, the goal is always to get as much of the Word of God to as many people as possible. It should be in the hands of every person on the planet, and in their own language.

But, we need to understand something very unique about God’s Word. It is not a normal book. The Bible is God’s Word. However, it is also true to say that the Word of God in the hearts of believers is the Word of God. In other words, although the Bible is complete in and of itself, it is not meant to stand alone. The people of God and the Word of God are inextricably linked. This is the essence of ‘Christ in you’ in action. Just as humans were used to write the Word, we are used to know it and perpetuate it.

Early on the Israelites remembered the Word of God through songs and stories told and passed down from parents to children. The faithful before the flood was n Noah’s day did similar things to perpetuate it. And, throughout history many people have known and shared God’s Word without having a full written copy. The New Testament comes to us largely as small copies of portions of it, rather than the whole thing at once.

So, the Bible is the Word. But, the Word is also the knowledge of the Bible in the minds and hearts of believers as a whole. We all share it, and explain it to each other, and to ourselves. We share it with the lost, because they are unable to understand it without the Holy Spirit. By His illumination of Scripture, the Holy Spirit puts the Word into our hearts and minds.

The resurrection is the exclamation point of history. There is no other event to compare with it. Christ stands again, to accomplish what nobody else could. His resurrection is an escape from this cycle of death and decay, which has encircled humanity from the time of Adam.

But, what really is resurrection? What does it mean? We could spend a long time expounding. However, let’s focus just on the word’s meaning. Resurrection comes to us from Latin, though the Greek for it has the same meaning. In either case it is a combination of two words, ‘to rise’ (or ‘to stand’) and ‘again’. The ‘RE’ at the beginning is the ‘again’ part. And the rest of the word is the ‘stand’ or ‘rise’ part.

So the impact of this word is to describe an individual who was standing, stopped standing, and then stood again. And, by its usage, we know it is describing one who stopped standing because they died. So to stand again after this stoppage indicates the renewal of life. It has historically had the usage that it describes the restoration to life of one who has been dead.

Jesus is the truest recipient of the meaning of this word. Though by the power of God others have revived, they also have died again. Jesus died once, and shall never again. And, all who have life in Him, look forward to the same destiny. REsurrection in Christ means more than just to be revived, it means to be restored to a life that is endless.

The purpose of REvive Ministries is to see revival in the hearts of the people of God. As this is done, there will be many opportunities to see people obtain assurance of their salvation. In others, there is seen a greater commitment to Christ, with victory over besetting sins. For yet others, there can be deliverance from doubt, fear, and deep depression. In any case, LIFE is at the core. LIFE in Christ is the source of joy and hope in our lives. His REsurrection makes all the difference in our lives today, and every day.

What are we trying to revive in a revival? There are a lot of answers offered for this question. Some see it as a revival of evangelism. People are not being led to Christ on the scale that we would like to see, or have seen in the past.

Others see it as the revival of the church and church attendance. Young people have been leaving the church in droves for many years now. We need to see this trend reversed.

Yet others are looking for a new ‘great awakening ‘ that will lead to more holy living and a pervasive spiritual renewal. This should be a lasting change, not simply a short term shake-up.

There are also those who see the goal of revival as a renewed emphasis on missions. We cannot afford to let our missions endeavors languish or fade. They are more important now than ever before.

But, although all of these things are very important, these are results of revival, not revival itself. So then what is revival? More specifically, what are we seeking to revive?

What we seek to revive in a revival is the hearts of believers. REviving the heart of Christians is our goal. If we do that, all of these other goals will also be accomplished. Really? How does that work?

Our greatest resource is not our evangelistic programs, our efforts to engage with the youth, our mission boards, or even an emphasis on holy living. These are all great resources. But our greatest and most central resource is: “Christ in You”

What exactly is that? What does that look like, and smell like? It means God inhabiting the praise of His people. It means our prayers, and us coming together with the same mind, the mind of Christ.

For an evangelist such as myself, it means strengthening the relationship between a Christian and Christ. Targeting issues in a person’s life that can come between them and a healthy relationship with Jesus should be the evangelist’s aim. REvival occurs when God’s people renew their commitment to Christ.

The evangelist partners with the pastor to provide the water on the seed that he has already planted, and then God gives the increase. This is the path to revival, and to seeing these other goals accomplished.

This September I will be preaching a revival at Faith Baptist in Ohio. Visit the reviveustoday.com homepage and click on ‘Upcoming REvival’ for more information.

Often in our lives we get itching for a change. We have all felt it. We feel the need to change something in our lives. Some of us will make this feeling subside by making small changes. But others will change large circumstances in their lives because of this feeling.

The feeling is just a mirage to a great degree. Like many other feelings, it will come and go throughout our lives. But it is a good reminder of something we do need to change. We need to change our thinking. Changed circumstances can seem to help, but they don’t actually change us.

Changed thinking, on the other hand, changes us from the inside out. And it may change our circumstances in the process. The value of spiritual thinking is great. It is energized by the Word of God, and it gives us a new perspective. It also brings us a step further along in our walk with Christ.

Pay close attention to the time you spend with people. Specifically, keep tabs on how often you sit down with another individual and speak with them on a personal level. I’m not talking about chatting about things. I mean really talking to them. This type of interaction happens less than you might think. Count it up and see, but I’ll bet we could all spend more time doing this. When you interact with another person in this way, it improves their life, and yours.

I was off work for Martin Luther King day today. I also spent some time studying the life of Moses for a class I will be teaching at church. The names of both of these men have been remembered among those who made a difference. When we think about the accomplishments of individuals that make a difference in history, we often ask ourselves, how can I make a difference?

But, it is always worth reminding ourselves that we are all the same. Everyone will make a difference. The question is what kind of difference will you make. Dr. King and Moses weren’t the only people who have ever made a positive difference. Many people were instrumental in the changes in America that Dr. King was involved in encouraging. And if people are awed by the greatness of Moses, but never meet the God of Moses, they will miss the whole point of his life.

Greatness is often based on how history remembers someone. However, true greatness is deeper than that. True greatness grows in the heart and is a work of God in a person’s life. As we think about the ‘greats’ from the past, we need never be discouraged. How we are viewed by God, not history, is what matters.

My wife and I had an interesting conversation this morning about Cain’s children. We both had wondered why it is that the children of Cain seem to be the ones really making a difference in the world. They began metalworking and music, among other things. Were these guys just smarter than the rest? And, what about Seth’s descendants? Were they just less talented? Noah sure seems to have been smart, to be able to put the Ark together. So why the disparity?

Well, fist of all, this disparity could be nothing more than just humility on the part pf the descendants of Seth. Or, it could have been that the accomplishments of Seth’s kids just didn’t make it into the early oral history. Perhaps it was a bit of both.

But there is another phenomenon in play. Among those who ignore the Lord in their lives, there is a profound sense of the necessity to make a name for oneself. This life being all there is, the world must somehow remember each life to make it valuable. These individuals tend to see their life as more valuable than that of others, but yet must look to others to enshrine them in the end.

Therefore, the worldly among us will always strive to do more and be more. Or, at least they will do what gets them noticed, and be what demands respect from others. But they will spend almost no time thinking of their eternal destiny. Caught up in this life, they have no time for the next. They do not allow their minds to reach beyond that which is seen to the unseen. For them what is faith, truth, or love, but illusions?

There are those for whom the world is not enough, and there are those for whom it is all they will ever strive for. The truth, however, is that it matters not what you live for, but Who.

We always feel like we have something new and fresh ready for us when we wake up on 1-1 of each year. It is like a big reset and we are ready to go. The year is young and it makes us feel young again, at lest for a little while.

But, the fact is that every day can feel this way. God means for every day to feel new and fresh to us. He has built hope into every 24 hour cycle. Let me explain…

The Jewish day begins at 6 pm in the evening and ends the next day at the same time. This means that during that cycle of time it is light, gets dark, and then gets light again. And, if you live in Jerusalem right now, it is already dark when the day begins. In Genesis reference is made to the ‘evening and the morning’ for each day of creation.

The point is that each day God is sending us a message. The evening darkens. It gets colder. Hope seems to lessen. But, then comes the morning! A new day, and new hope, is born. And thus each and every day is a reminder of the victory that we can have in Christ. He has defeated the darkness.

If your family is anything like mine, you really like Christmas lights. Now, don’t get me wrong, we are not the house on the corner with fifty-million lights on it. In fact, this is the first year we have really had anything like a fancy light display in front of our house.

No, what I mean is we just really like seeing Christmas lights. At Christmastime we will go on a car ride just to look at lights. We love to see the glow in the cold darkness. And, we tend to be pretty picky. Oh, the big blowup displays are neat. And the flashing, whirring, moving, crazy ones are fun to see. But we really love the well-balanced sensible displays that include a beautiful nativity and lights that just make you think about the message of Christmas.

Christmas lights are a good illustration of Christians, or at least what we should be like. These lights reach out and grab your attention in the shadows of the night. Their glow brings warmth and joy. They inspire and encourage in their own special way. We could have Christmas without Christmas lights, but they add something that anyone can appreciate if they will try.

Jesus says we are meant to shine as lights in this world. We are not supposed to draw attention to ourselves for ourselves. However, we are supposed to draw attention for Jesus. Our works are meant to reach out and grab the attention of a lost and dying world. Our activities should bring warmth and joy to people’s lives. Inspiring and encouraging others should come natural to us.

The fact is that many of us will spend more time and money on Christmas lights than we will on the light of our hearts shinning for Christ in this present darkness. We can be picky about our Christmas lights, but complacent about our testimony. This year, as we seek to shine for Jesus, let’s be the spiritual light display that even the most picky of Christmas light connoisseurs will appreciate.

I remember when I was growing up, and also as a young man, an experience that I miss. Though to many it may seem confusing or strange, it was often a blessing. What I refer to is the old fashioned prayer room.

The prayer room was a place where the men of the church would meet together just before the service and pray over the service. And, quite often, everyone would pray simultaneously and out loud.

Many would likely find this to be too confusing, or it would seem like a battle to be the loudest. And, to be sure, I have heard and seen it done in the worng way and with the wrong spirit.

But, for me it was always a blessing to hear a large group of men crying out to God to bless the service. And, when you think about it, though for some having everyone pray might seem strange, having one person speak while everyone else listens during a prayer is pretty awkward sometimes too. Though we are all supposed to be praying silently, we often don’t.

So, though I realize this method may not work for everyone, it might be worth giving it a try. It could be something to do for special services, or for the largest service for the week.

The church grows, and shrinks, in a couple different ways. Most of us only think of one of the ways, but we must consider the other.

First, the church grows by multiplication. Multiplication occurs when Christians do things that bring multiple people to Christ in a relatively short amount of time. This is usually the way we all expect the church to grow.

But, there is another way. The church can grow by addition. This means Christians bringing a smaller number of people to Christ over a longer period of time. An example of growth by addition is strong Christian families that bear children. Or, Christians who influence close friends and family, or serve on a very difficult mission field.

Of course, the reason the first method is generally preferred is due to the fact that multiplication leads to larger numbers faster. However, this difference is not as clear as it seems. The fact is that we must do both.

There will be times and circumstances in which growth by multiplication is happening very regularly. But, there are times, places, and situations in which growth by addition is all that will occur.

The old enemy also tries to shrink the church by the same two methods. Sometimes he succeeds in performing negative multiplication. When this occurs, multiple people become disillusioned and leave the church in a relatively short period of time. More often, the adversary succeeds in performing subtraction. This occurs when a smaller number of people fall away over a longer period of time.

As we consider how to grow the church, we need to do two things. First, it is always good to look for opportunities for multiplication. We must never stop doing that. But, second, we need to understand that growth by addition is absolutely vital. Churches that seek to grow only by multiplication often shrivel up and die.

Why? Simple. The question must not be ‘how much is the church growing’, or ‘how quickly is the church growing’ – No! The question is, ‘Is the church growing?’ If the answer is yes, then the answer is yes.

This is vitally important. We want so much to grow by multiplication. But the devil is more than content to let us shrink by subtraction. Beloved, never give up on multiplication, but I suggest if you don’t know how to add, you will fail in trying to multiply.

If the church today will learn again how to add, then we will once again see great multiplication.

Do not be discouraged! Keep working towards addition no matter how slow it seems. Those in difficult ministries, you are on the front line, hold it steady! Those who have witnessed to the same folks for year and years, keep it up! And those with families, don’t lose your children!

Multiplication does happen. But to see thousands of true lifelong converts, we must see hundreds. And to see hundreds we must see tens. And to see tens, we must see ones. There are places and situations right now in which multiplication is occuring. Praise the Lord! But, for the majority of the church, the absolute must is addition. A whole lot real fast is great. But a few over a long period of time beats zero any day.

The Lord does so much, and He is praised so little. Stop somewhere in your busy schedule today and offer Him a prayer of praise. We don’t have to wait for something good to happen to praise Him. He is doing things in our lives all the time.