In Touch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley.

Next on In Touch, rekindling the flame of our ministry.

I still very vividly remember this very outstanding preacher standing on the platform and preaching

a message that just absolutely stirred my heart. Not only did I hear him, but I also watched him.

And there was something about him that really moved my life. And I was so excited to hear him

because I'd never heard him before. and I was not disappointed at all.

I thought, dear God, what a wonderful work that you've done in this man's life.

And then a number of years went by, and he came to this very church and preached the revival.

I remember exactly where I sat.

I sat right there on that side, on the on the NC. And I was so excited.

He preached all week long, one solid week. Not one soul moved. Absolutely nothing happened.

It was one of the deadest weeks I've ever spent in my life. I remember sitting there with terribly mixed emotions.

One of them was amazement that a man whose heart was so aflame for God

a number of years ago could somehow have died out.

And secondly, fear in thinking, God, could this ever happen to me?

Sometimes we think for the flame to die in a man's heart has to turn liberal and start

not believing the word of God any longer, or some gross sin in his life.

But the truth is neither of those have to be true.

The flame, that real deep abiding motivation, that stirring in the man's heart, that is there

when he first begins to preach the gospel, it doesn't mean necessarily he has to stop believing

the Word of God or fall into some gross sin, but something or some things or attitudes begin to change in a person's life.

And that tremendous flame, that energy, that thrust, that power, their anointing of God, is gone.

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