"Oh That Thou Wouldest Rend the Heavens, That Thou Wouldest Come Down!" By W. C. Moore

What is needed in the whole world today is a prayed-down Holy Ghost revival! For God to come down! For His Holy Spirit to convict sinners – in the Church and out – of sin. This is the paramount need everywhere today! When the Spirit of almighty God is prayed down upon a company of people – there is always a strong conviction of sin among them – regardless of the high professions of piety or of holiness which may have been made by the saintliest of them all. How are sinners to seek salvation unless they know by the convincing and convicting power of the Holy Spirit upon them that they are lost! How are saints to repent of their lukewarmness and unloveliness unless God, through His Spirit, convicts them? We need a Holy Ghost revival – and we are heading in for it, and we must press the battle to the gate, in Jesus’ Name! No lukewarmenss when “the melting fire burneth” (Isa. 64:2). That fire of God, that manifested presence of the Holy Spirit in our midst, that is the need everywhere today. Thank God, in a measure here and there, this mighty Holy Ghost conviction on sin is being felt – and results are following, for revival is a supernatural thing. It is from heaven, and it takes that burning conviction on sin which the Holy Spirit brings to loose men from chains of habit, pride and every other thing that holds them in bondage. People on every hand are slaves of sin, slaves of habit, slaves of anger, lust, pride, selfishness – and unless they are terribly cut by the piercing, probing power of the Spirit of God – they do not even realize their hell-bound condition! Isaiah realized the need in his day so he cried out, “Oh, that Thou wouldest rend the heavens, that Thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, as when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to Thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Thy presence!” (Isa. 64:1,2). There Is No Substitute For Holy Ghost Conviction! We do need to invite people to come and hear the Gospel – but first of all, we need to invite God to come down! That’s what Isaiah the prophet did. That’s what we, today, need to do! No substitute has ever been provided in the economy of God that could in anyway take the place of genuine Holy Ghost conviction on sin. Not only is there absolutely no substitute for Holy Ghost conviction on sin – but also there is no compromising on the terms on which God will come down. God is not lowering His standards. We’ve got to humble ourselves, and pray and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways – if God is to come down and manifest His convicting and saving power in our midst (2 Chron. 7:13,14). The Holy Spirit Is Easily Grieved The Spirit of God is the Spirit of the Almighty, but He is also likened unto a Dove (Matt. 3:16), and He can be grieved (Eph. 4:30). He knows whether or not we are, in our hearts, willing to forsake all to follow Jesus – and if we want to put some person or some idol ahead of His will, He knows it and is grieved. So faith springs up on the ground of a broken and a contrite heart, a heart that has chosen God as Lord of all. Forsaking All I Take Him That is Faith! “Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33). Shall we not join hands and hearts around the world, and cry mightily unto God to rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains of difficulty shall flow down at His presence, that the lukewarm waters of Christianity shall boil, that the nations shall tremble at the manifested presence of the God of the whole earth! From east and west and north and south – let this cry rise mightily to God day and night: “Oh God, for Jesus’ sake, rend the heavens and come down! Spare Thy people, O Lord, and give not Thine heritage to reproach that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?” (See Isaiah 64:1; Joel 2:17). “And shall not God avenge His own elect which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily” (Luke 18:7, 8). Stir to Flame! Revival must break upon us! Press on! Take hold of God! (Isa. 64:7). Hold on in faith the last half hour – “For it is time to seek the Lord till He come and rain righteousness upon you” (Hosea 10:12).