God can be a right Rough and Tumbler when He wants, Jacob found this out when he crossed over to Jabbok and when he was alone a man came and wrestled with him until the break of day. When the man saw that he did not prevail with Jacob he touched his thigh and put it out and Jacob ever after walked with a limp. It don't pay to mess with God, even though it may seem you are getting away with it.

I read about a preach who when he saw the local tearaway get up to leave the meeting in disgust jumped off his platform, the tearaway saw him coming and broke into a sprint and the preach gave chase. He caught him at the door by diving at his feet in a rugby tackle and said "I won't let you go until you surrender to God." the young tearaway did in fact get saved.

I want to share with you the utter gentleness of God, oh christian, you are sent out as lambs among ravening wolves. I think a lamb among ravening wolves might behave himself rather prudently.

The Welsh revival.

In 1904 the nation of Wales had drifted far, far from God and spiritual life was at a very low ebb when suddenly God's Spirit started to sweep across the people with mighty revival power. The churches were packed and prayer meetings would run for hours. Drinking and drunkeness declined to such an extent that bars and pubs had to close, the crime rate fell to almost zero and magistrates had no cases to hear.

Friendships were restored and family life was improved and everywhere the Presence of God was felt, in the streets and shops and on the public transport. Even the miner's pit ponies were affected, they became confused because their normally foul-mouthed handlers no longer yelled and swore at them.

And yet there was little preaching, singing and prayer would sweep across the people and folk would stand to give testimony of the wonderful things God was doing in their lives.

The global impact of the Welsh revival after a decade is estimated at 10 millions of people were swept into the kingdom of God.

Florrie Evans was just 14 years old, she witnessed the joy and godliness that her pastor Joseph Jenkins had, she followed him home one night and sought councel from him. His advice to her was that she should surrender her whole life to God, later in the week she got saved.

The following Sunday Pastor Jenkins opened the Sunday morning for testimonies, a long awkward silence ensued, presently young Florrie rose to her feet and said shyly "well if no-one else will, I must say I love the Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart."

It struck like a lightening bolt, the Spirit of God swept over the people and one after another stood to either commit or re-commit their lives to the Lord.

Those that were saved or renewed visited other churches and that's how the work spread over all of Wales. Evan Roberts when he visited later that year was profoundly affected by what he saw and became a notable figure in the revival.

The Reformation.

The reformation was the reformation but it was also a revival, it began with the revelation of the true meaning of "The righteousness of God" as opposed to what people thought it meant. The understanding was that it meant God's holiness in contrast to man's wickedness whereas it really means the righteousness that God freely imparts to all who will simply trust Christ to save them.

When Martin Luther discovered this he stopped doing all the nonsense things he was doing to try to appease God's holiness.

Of course all this ran counter to the teachings and practices of the Roman church especially their selling indulgences to fund the building of the new Cistine chapel.

That's when the thunder and lightening bolts started with men hurling curses and damnation and anathemas at each other. The vitriol and wrath that entered the work of the reformation didn't come from God it came from men. It has remained in a huge slice of evangelicalism to this day.

One day Jesus was going through a village on His way to Jerusalem when a large commitee met Him and barred His way. The disciples said "Lord shall we call fire down from heaven upon them as Elijah did?" but Jesus rebuked it and said "ye know not of what spirit ye are for the Son of Man has not come to destroy men's lives but to save men's lives."

Does that mean we should not warn about hell? or the danger of going there? of course we should.

But I want to tell you something, God is Love, God is a Dove. He is gentle and kind. I think ol' Zacheus would have fallen plumb out of that tree he had climbed into to catch a glimpse of Jesus as He passed by if the Lord had spoken to him in the way that many evangelicals speak to people, Jesus was kind and gracious to him even though He knew Zacheus was a rascal.

Friends believe in God's kindness, believe in God's gentleness, believe that if you would come to Him this very moment in prayer He will graciously receive you. He will pardon your sins and reach out to help you in whatever need you may have. After all God only can forgive sinners, He can't forgive folk who are holy so the bigger the sinner you are the more you will be forgiven and He will grant YOU His peace and joy today if you will believe.