Shane Idleman

Is it our last stand—our last chance? Who knows? I'll let God answer that question, but as for me and my house and our church, we will serve the Lord and fight the good fight of faith. We will fuel the flames of revival. We will till the soil of our heart and prepare for the downpour of the Spirit. We will continue praying that God would rend the heavens, come down, and strengthen His church. When it's over, I want to be found lying exhausted on the battlefield rather than running in fear. How about you? If this is our last stand, will you finish strong?

When it comes to knowing God's will, His Word makes many things clear. For example, we are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and we are to love others as we love ourselves. We are to repent of our sins and believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior. However, there are many circumstances in life in which the Bible does not give specific instruction. For instance, the Bible doesn't say who to marry or where to work. When there is no instruction regarding God's will on a specific topic, the Bible provides principles that will always lead you in the right direction. Although I can't outline God's specific will for your life, God provides guidance for the journey.

As most are aware, God's presence is terrifying for those facing judgment, but His presence is very welcoming, comforting, strengthening, and encouraging in the life of a believer. Throughout Scripture, the word "fire" is used two different ways — the fires of judgment or the fires of the Spirit. What fire will you experience?

Throughout the Bible, we see only one remedy to rekindle a dead spiritual life: revival. Revival is when we till the soil of our heart through brokenness, humility, and surrender via fasting, prayer, and obedience. God responds by rending the heavens with a spiritual downpour and reviving our parched souls.

It is my firm belief that arrogance in the church is preventing a mighty downpour of God's Spirit. We need the blessing of brokenness like never before. The disciples had to be crushed like olives so the anointing oil could flow.

When diagnosed with cancer, there is an urgency to make drastic lifestyle changes. When it comes to spiritual cancer, shouldn't we be just as aggressive and drastic, if not more so?

Idolatry hides behind phrases such as my calling, my ministry, and my gifting. What a travesty it would be at the end of our journey to find that vainglory deceived us and coveting misled us. Idolatry is putting anything before God, and coveting is desiring what others have. Both have infiltrated the rank and file of the church.

The strength of the church is in its purity and spiritual power, not in its numbers. God doesn't need a majority—He is the Majority. Prayer can no longer be a footnote at the end of a sermon; instead, prayer and spiritual power must guide the church in these critical times.

Of all the struggles facing Christians, anger is at the top of the list. It destroys families, tarnishes character, and leads to destructive behavior.

Many wrongly assume that God's presence has to do with judgment rather than blessing. Is God's presence good or bad? Both … It's frightening in regard to judgment, "The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence" (Isaiah 91:1), but it's very good in relation to His presence in the life of a believer.