The Great Experiment - Day 3 (day)

The Great Experiment, Day 3 (morning)

Here are this morning's video devotional, Scripture passage, prayer points, and guide for Day 3 of The Great Experiment.

Blessings,

Matt Bennett
Founder and CEO, Christian Union

______

Transcript:

Hi. Matt Bennett here. Psalm 1 says, "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked nor stand in the path of sinners nor sit in the seat of scoffers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither."

I quote this Psalm because as I mentioned before, a number of us with Christian Union have been in Fiji here at the end of May and the beginning of June to see and learn from this revival that's been happening here in the villages over the last, almost 20 years. You can learn more about it online if you go to YouTube a look up a documentary made, maybe 15 years ago called "Let the Sea Resound." But the process has continued. There's over 1,000 villages in Fiji and over 100 of them have gone through this process, an intense four-week process of returning to the Lord.

And as they return to the Lord amazing miracles happen. The Psalm that I just quoted, the first three verses of Psalm 1 is meant to be broad and in some sense figurative but there's also a literal aspect to it. And as I mentioned, before, these villages are based on the land and what they can till and grow from the land, as well as the sea. And as they've turned to the Lord they've seen all these incredible miracles related to fruitfulness.

Now of course, they've seen things we might typically think when there's a revival in terms of people coming to faith in Christ and joy and peace and life that comes when the Spirit of the Lord comes in people's lives. But they've seen very interestingly these miracles and fruitfulness from the land. One of the things we saw was these fruit trees that used to produce fruit once a year. It's a breadfruit tree, which I hadn't heard of before, but a type of fruit.

And then these lime trees. Now they produce fruit continually, year round, after these villages went through the process. And to be there and talk to all the people, these villagers who testify to the truthfulness is astonishing. And one 65-year old man in a village said that there's certain kinds of edible seaweed that had never shown up before in their waters in all his years, but now they are there as well as increases in tortoises, new species of fish.

Another village showed, hung up these huge crabs that they now get. They said they used to go out and be out in the sea all day, late at night, and not bring in enough to provide for the village. Now they say they go out and they're full by about 10 am in terms of the crabs and other items they get from the sea so that they can sell as well as eat themselves for the villages. So, it's incredible. It's one thing and you'll see in that documentary I mentioned.

But to meet the people, talk to them and hear all the testimony of what's happened ... Some have gone through this process of returning to the Lord just within a year. And actually we went to one village that was going through it right now. But others have gone through it 15 years ago. And the fruitfulness continues as they walk with the Lord, as they pray and fast, as they obey His word. This is something we need in the United States.

We do not obey the word of the Lord. We do not value and cherish it and we miss out on a lot of blessings. There's a lot of afflictions in the United States because we've left our first love, our Lord Jesus Christ. And our prayer is that we would learn from the Fijians and learn how to inspire and encourage others through this ministry, Christian Union Day and Night, so that thousands of us across the United States can return to the Lord.

Thank you for participating in this Great Experiment of ten days, June 1 to 10. I pray that you are blessed and changed as you go through these five commitments of seeking the Lord more diligently. Every blessing to you in Christ. Thank you for being a part.

______

Here is this morning's guide for the “Five Rs” of The Great Experiment, June 1-10, 2019.

1. Read and Pray

Psalm 63:1 – O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Read Psalm 63:1-11 for more context.

Today’s Prayer Points

• Long for a greater fullness of His Spirit at work in you, your community, and across this nation.
• Ask Him to reveal Himself more to you.

2. Repent.
What sins do I need to repent of today? What hindrances to my devotion to Christ can I remove today?

3. Respond to the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit, what is the one thing you most want me to do today? (Write it down, and do it today).

4. Represent Christ. 
How will I bear witness to Christ today? With whom shall I share the Gospel today?

5. Raise Your Faith.
Be bold and courageous in living out your faith (Joshua 1:8,9). Choose from one of the following options for a “Joshua Faith Challenge”:

1. Host an all-night prayer meeting. Set a date during June 1-10 and invite friends to come and pray with you for revival in America.
2. Every day, pray for ten friends and family members to come to faith in Christ and look for opportunities to share the gospel with them.
3. Share an evangelistic post on social media every day from June 1-10.
4. Anything else the Lord burdens you to take on that will require courageous faith.