Page 11 - God Got His Hands Dirty

God Got His Hands Dirty

A Personal Note From The Author…

I launched my ministerial journey in an inauspicious fashion.
Soon aft er leaving a college campus, I was invited to preach a two
weeks’ revival for a very brave man that wanted to give me an
opportunity to spread my wings and soar, or at any rate, to spread
my wings. I didn’t have an automobile. So I carried a rather weather
worn suitcase and a Bible, and boarded a Greyhound bus. I didn’t
have a computer or attaché case bulging with powerful well used
sermons. It was just me peering with wide eyes out the window of
a bus, a suitcase, and a Bible.

In those days, revivals were at least two weeks in length and
oft en longer with no Saturdays off . I didn’t have a dozen dress
shirts and a fresh suit to wear in each of the services. I had wash
and wear clothing before wash and wear clothing was given that
name. I came with what I had, not knowing what I needed, but I
had something in my heart that was burning to tell people about
Jesus. Each sermon was a fresh sermon and not a re-run. It was all
I had and turned out to be all I needed. The Lord did the rest.

I discovered that if I would do the best I could with what I
had, God would do the rest—and He did. Gradually revivals have
gone from two weeks, to one week, then to three days, and in
many cases now 1 day only, or perhaps just one service on Sunday
morning. This trend has not evolved because the world is getting
better, but because the church is no longer expecting the best from
revival. To avoid embarrassment from negative impact, the church
stopped scheduling revivals.
My colleague and friend, Dr. Gene Burgess, tells the story
about a parade which had one float’s sponsor form that was simply

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