The Resurrection of the Unsaved
Governing Your Family
“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” Genesis 18:19
There are three things very remarkable in this verse.
1. That Abraham used parental authority in governing his family: “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him.” He did not think it enough to pray for them, or to teach them, but he used the authority which God had given him—he commanded them.
2. That he cared for his servants as well as his children. In Genesis 14:14, we learn that Abraham had three hundred and eighteen servants born in his house. He lived after the manner of patriarchal times; as the Arabs of the wilderness do to this day. His family was very large, and yet he did not say, “They are none of mine.” He commanded his children and his household.
3. His success: “they shall keep the way of the LORD.” It is often said that the children of good men turn out ill. Well, here is a good man, and a good man doing his duty by his children—and here is the result. His son Isaac was probably a child of God from his earliest years. There is every mark of it in his life. And what a delightful specimen of a believing, prayerful servant was Eliezer! (Gen. 24.)
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From Dean Taylor
From Dean Taylor Greetings to all in Jesus’ name! This last quarter has certainly been a busy one! In November I had the opportunity to travel to Scotland and England with Bro. Denny and two of my sons to speak at a revival conference, hosted by Sermon Index. It was a real blessing in many ways. Bro. Denny preached a powerful message at one of the main services entitled “The Secret of Paul’s Strength.“ I had the opportunity to preach a message entitled “Why Revival—Leaves” to a small group of people. In addition to the preaching, Greg Gordon allowed us to pass out “The Heartbeat of the Remnant” to each person as they registered at the door. The revival meetings were very inspiring. It was also encouraging to meet many Europeans who seemed to have a real desire to follow after God.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the trip was touring many old revival sites. The burden of my heart already was bent on the theme “Why Revival Leaves”. After visiting these old revival spots, sanctuaries, and museums, the burden only intensified. In Scotland, we went to the home and church of the Scottish Protestant reformer, John Knox. This was the man who started the Presbyterian Church. Visiting his church, we were surprised to find that years ago the city had put a parking lot around the courtyard. Later, historians found out that the parking lot was placed over an old graveyard. Later still, the historians realized that this parking lot contained the resting place of their historical reformer. All that remained of John Knox was “Parking space #23.” Amazing! (Picture on front cover)
In London, we were able to visit John Wesley’s house and church. A nice man showed us through the museum with the usual quaint anecdotes—Charles Wesley’s organ, John Wesley’s pulpit, and numerous letters and memorabilia behind glass. As I was reading John Wesley’s gravestone, I noticed that I was standing on Adam Clark’s tombstone, so I moved to the side. The tour guide mentioned that in the 1980s they were considering knocking the whole place down; but the Methodists decided to collect enough money to do restorations and build some offices around the back. In the house, we asked the tour guide for a moment alone, as my two sons (Stephen and Christian) and I knelt in Wesley’s prayer closet...and prayed.
From there, we took a train to Loughor, Wales to see the birthplace of the Welch Revival. For our lodging we stayed in Evan Roberts‘ house. Evan Roberts was the young man that God used to help send revival to Wales in1904. His house is now a bed and breakfast. The house gave us mixed emotions. On the wall by the parking space is a plaque commemorating Evan Roberts‘ birthplace. However, on the front door was a comical-looking beast with the inscription “Beware the Dragons.” Hmmm... That night I sat in the tiny dining room which was once the prayer meeting room of the great Welch Revival—and again, I prayed.
In the morning we made our way to Moriah Chapel. This was the place where the Welch Revival actually happened. It was a nice service. They no longer have a regular minister, so a lay Presbyterian minister makes his rounds between Moriah and a few other Presbyterian churches. Besides our group, about twelve nice elderly ladies gathered there that Sunday morning. One very dear man, Dyfrig Griffiths, gave us a tour of the chapel and museum. When he spoke of the revival, tears ran down his face. He prays for revival again at Moriah, and speaks of the old days with fondness. As I sat there taking it all in, again my heart cried out…“Why does revival leave?” Hence, much of the burden of this issue of “The Heartbeat of the Remnant” will focus on this very question. May God bless you as you read!
~Bro. Dean
