Morning "quiet times" were a heartless perusal through scripture, that is, until the late generation heard the exasperated cry of Ravenhill! This man arose to withstand lukewarmness by 8 hours of prayer a day! Those magnetized by entertainment, Ravenhill rebuked, and those whose religion was mere words were amazed at Leonard's boldness, considering that he is compelled thereto because, shockingly, the man stands in the presence of God! Ravenhill preached with bitter pain and belligerent commands, and it made the proudest pastor bow in shame. Powerhouses of human intelligence were denounced as powerless, seminaries were made to feel cold and God-less like as a cemetery is lifeless, and classroom religion felt unclean, appalling, and sour! Why? Men congregated to hear Ravenhill pray, weep, and preach, holding their breath in awe. "I can read the map in the back of my Bible, and weep," he cried! God's people who were divided by theological and doctrinal disagreement could all agree to this - Leonard Ravenhill was a voice sent by God!
A Peculiar Burden
Contrary to most preachers of past generations, he was burdened...not for the lost, merely, but for the Church. Yes, he cried out for God's glory, for a world of sinners to savingly collapse before the Almighty, he did indeed! But he argued that these glories were but one light from one lamp - The Church - whose flame is now flickering, sickly, and nigh unto termination. Ravenhill's cry was, plainly put - SAVE THE CHURCH and you will SAVE THE WORLD!
| "...knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked..." - Revelation 3:17  | "The greatest tragedy, ever, is a sick Church in a dying world." “The Church is blind tonight. Dear God, if we believed in hell this place would be packed out tonight. We’re blind to eternity. We’re blind to the fact that we have an obligation to 5 billion people in the world that we’ll never reach the way we’re going. The Church is wretched and blind - what do you think Jesus feels looking at His Bride tonight? He’s not coming for a limping, lame, ragged woman! He’s coming for a pure Church, a holy Bride. It’s not that we’ve got a passion for Jesus, that’s a lie from hell, and the hindrance to His coming tonight is because the Church is impure. He’s not coming for an impure Church. He’s not coming for a blind old woman that is creeping around for help…that has no sense of danger, no sense of her obligation, and if she has, what can a blind person do, and wretched in the sight of God!?” – Leonard Ravenhill |
"...Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it; That He might sanctify and
cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish"
- Ephesians 5:25-27
cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish"
- Ephesians 5:25-27
Ravenhill was most famous for communicating his burden for the Church addressing her as "The Bride of Christ". Everything that he sought after was often communicated through this spiritual and metaphorical lens. He was obsessed with the promises of God given to the Bride, who will, as scripture states, make "herself ready" (Rev. 19:7), and Ravenhill was utterly persuaded that she was then, for a long time, UNREADY, UNHOLY, and IMPURE!
The Bride's Qualifications
| How often do Christians excuse themselves because of their understanding of Romans chapter 7?  | Ravenhill preached that Romans 7 was a self-centered funeral march, but Romans 8 was a Christ-centered wedding march! He was grieved with how the “self-pity, self -interest, self-seeking, self-concern, me-first" Christianity was always excusing themselves to sin! He sought to rebuke and alarm them by scathing rebukes, some of which are quoted below: “There’s only two kinds of people in the world, those who are dead in sin and those who are dead to sin." - LR "Get rid of this bunkum about 'carnal Christian'. Forget it! If you're carnal, you're not saved." - LR "Do you think Paul finished out his days, 'Oh wretched man that I am?' He said in Romans 7, 'It's not I but sin dwelling in me.' In Galatians, he said, 'It's not I it's Christ living in me.' You can't have the indwelling Christ who is indwelling carnality - one has to get out of the way! Who preaches salvation? We're preaching forgiveness!" - LR “We pray that some of us may go to our own funeral tonight, and die to self, and end all the failure and all the weakness” – LR "When Jesus comes for the Bride, He's not coming for every believer, I'm assured of that." - LR “Do you think Jesus died for this dirty, rotten system we call Christianity? Not on your life!” – LR “People say the Church is dead - it isn’t dead! It is worse than dead! She’s poor, and wretched, and naked.” - LR |
Leonard had an "understanding" in which God "enlightened" him - with a revelation - and it was of "the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" (Eph. 1:18), and because he saw this, he felt what was truth, truth which most don't even believe: that it is a crime to be poor when Christ is rich; to be weak with Christ is strong; to be impotent with Christ is "exceeding greatness" of "power" (Eph. 1:19); to be drowning when Christ was overcoming. He understood that these things, and things like them, were purchased by the blood of Christ! Therefore, a life without them is a crime against God! What Ravenhill saw in "the Church" today was an exceeding contradiction to what he saw in scripture.
| In Thy Storehouse - by Ravenhill There are riches in Thy storehouse, But my Lord we are so poor. There is power in Thy storehouse, But the cripple clothes our door. There is wisdom in Thy storehouse, But in ignorance we grope. There's revival in Thy storehouse, But we've millions without hope. There is freedom in Thy storehouse, But Thy people are so bound. There is glory in Thy storehouse, But it does not shine around. There is love within Thy storehouse, But Thy people are so dry. There's compassion in Thy storehouse- Then, my Savior, why, oh, why Are Thy people stony-hearted And our eyes so desert dry? | After listening to the two recordings above, can I ask you, my reader, are you serious to answer such a call? God is calling, but have we answered His call? Have you reformed your entire life around seeking after and obtaining a move of God? If we sacrifice ALL to lay hold upon the means of grace which are available to us in Christ, then peradventure God - The Sovereign - would apprehend us! It grieves my soul how Ravenhill did often mingle jokes with the most searing things he preached, but he did not do this in his old age! When he was nearer and nearer, looking death right in the face, he sobered up! He was weary of the jokes, the lies, the games, the facade of lip-service Christianity, all the powerless revival meetings with a purposeless people, going home and sleeping well... people who are heartless, careless, prayerless! God have mercy! My reader, what about you? Are you playing games with the God of Acts? Perhaps you never will wake up from spiritual sleep until you acknowledge - YOU MUST! |
The Bridal Qualifications
-Determine-
The Eternal Destiny of Individual Christians
“The Christian must say 'NO' to the whole world system which is but damnation frosted with the glitter of success and illuminated with scientific luster. He remembers that it is worm-eaten with depravity and has God's sentence of death upon it.” - Leonard Ravenhill
For a closer study see The Condescension of God. For a close study of specific qualifications, like being "without spot and blemish", see the chapter section titled: "Without Spot & Blemish - The Gospel of Regeneration", or, "Holiness & Sanctification - The Gospel of Regeneration". May God be with you to guide and help you. Amen.
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