During a moving message on judgment coming to America, my pastor described a revival in one small local church where 53 people accepted the Lord and were baptized in a local river in one week. That revival took place over 60 years ago when certain people prayed and believed God for a move of His Spirit on their community.
My pastor also expressed his own fervent desire to see a revival like that happen in our church before he dies. After the service I told him I believe that he will see it. But, as I said to him, I do not think it will happen until God shakes America to its core.
I would be shocked if that chastisement of America did not happen within the decade. There are many ways judgment could come about, but come it will. But, along with that chastisement will come revival, for that will be its purpose.
Most in America know about Jesus Christ and most call themselves Christians, but for many it is just some religion that they identify with. It is a cultural tradition. These are the ones that a chastisement will impact the most.
When troubles come to America, people will get fearful and they will seek answers in their religion. In America that is mostly Christianity. People are soon going to find out that politicians do not have the answers for the problems coming to America. Then anyone offering them a message of hope will at least be listened to. When people in America start to listen to those that can give answers from God’s word, revival will come.
I do not believe that this revival will come from organized church agendas or programs. If anything the efforts to make the church conform to this modern and postmodern world have hindered the work of the Spirit. People do not find salvation through human gimmicks. People coming to our churches will not be saved because we learned how to put on a classy production on Sunday. Salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit. When people hear the gospel, believe and receive, they are saved. If the Sunday church service is just a production without a message from God they soon get tired of the act and move on. Some in the gospel-light seeker churches are now finding that out.
In spite of the best political and religious efforts in America chastisement is still coming, because only in the storms will some people in America seek God. The revival will be a work of God but Christian believers and churches need to be prepared to give reasonable answers for the hope we have in Christ. The revival will not just come from people deciding to go to church – although some will. It will mainly come because Christians are helping others during the storms. These Christians will also lead those they are helping to their local lighthouse where those shaken can get a ray of hope through one of God’s gifted teachers.
Today many gifted godly teachers in America have half-empty small churches and those that do not give the gospel but have every social self-help program in the world have full cathedrals. I believe when God shakes this nation that will all change. People will go where they will hear the word of God.
There are many people in America who claim to be Christians but never attend church and do not regularly fellowship with Christians. Just imagine if all of those people suddenly started attending churches regularly. I think in the shaking of the nation many of them will, and when they come they won’t be coming alone.
I am not talking about Dominion Theology with some presumptive self-anointed leaders taking America for Christ by conjuring up spiritual forces against Satan. Nor, am I saying that the coming revival in America will be worldwide. Nor, am I saying that America will become a Christian nation or even survive as a major world power. What I am really saying is that I think God is about fed up with Americans that call themselves Christians but sit on the fence or even sit in the devils camp. I believe God is about to send a great chastisement on America. Those with ears to hear the message of salvation in the storm will receive eternal life.
I think the great revival will come at a time when many people finally realize that there are no worldly or political answers for our problems from politicians on any wavelength of the political spectrum. This revival will not come because America moved back toward the Right – like some political movement will suddenly make everyone moral. That is getting the cart before the horse.
I believe the great revival will come because during the trials some Americans will realize that we brought a curse on ourselves through our own sinful lifestyles. It is not just Christians that are going to need to change if America is to survive as a great nation. For America to remain a major world power those charming the vipers with their instruments of appeasement would have to cease and the snakes would have to craw back in their holes. Therefore, in spite of the revival that could save millions I am not so sure that America will survive in any, way shape or form that we know her today.
Yes, I think a time is coming in America when all churches giving the true gospel of Jesus Christ will be filled with people. But, since this revival will be totally a work of the Holy Spirit, if your church does not preach salvation in Jesus alone, you will have no part in it.
So pastors continue to preach the whole counsel of God and continue preaching those salvation sermons even if some in your organization or congregation are telling you that preaching such messages do not reach this generation. God does not change. In all generations He saves whom He wants to save, regardless of man’s new ideas on how to grow a church, and God still does most of His saving when people hear His voice in the midst of their storm.
Since the beginning of the year, I no longer stand in the pulpit shaking my fist at the darkness; I no longer expect the citizens of our nation (which as a whole is not Christian, but a vast mission field of unbelievers)to practice Christian virtue.
Additionally, I am unmoved by or even concerned with the political platforms of any party. Why should I be? I have no desire to partner with any of them, because they all represent, after their own fashion, the world system and its Ruler. Both sides spend vast amounts of time debating what we are and what we should be, but conservatives pay mere lip-service to Christians and social liberals conceal their true agendas behind the “chicken in every pot” message. In this country, regardless of political affliation, few take time to consider God. And there is no denying the fact that America, from its founding up to today, is merely another Gentile nation, which God raised up so that He might be glorified in its fall, which invariably takes place in all nations as all eventually forget God. Americans need to get over our love affair with the America ideal.
All I want to do is to openly preach God’s Word without hindrance for as long as I can. If and when they outlaw this, I’ll thank God and go underground; although I hardly think the Gospel will be banned. But so what if it is, God is still in control and this is why I would thank Him. So adamant am I in preaching the Gospel without distraction that I dropped my 501c3 (this is a vile scheme anyway) and I tell contributors not to expect a tax deduction for anything they give.
Since the first of the year, all I have been doing is peaching the Gospel and making disciples, with emphasis placed on being a soul winner–the why and how to–so that those who have rightly responded to the Gospel can themselves fulfill their parts in the great commission. This must be the the formost task of the believer in this world and not worrying about recapturing a form of gorvernment and a way of life, which is an ideal of Satan and not God.
As for chastisment and revival, it is always ongoing in every place, to various degrees, as the Holy Spirit is constantly a work drawing out the Church and sanctifing her–if you want to see revival in your locale, pray for it and preach the Gospel! As for the judgment of America, or any country for that matter, it is ongoing too as citizens of any given country are constantly turning their backs to God in ever-increasing numbers. And this whether or not the citizens consider their country to be Christian; nations rise and fall at God’s discretion. Ultimate judgment, however, awaits a future time.
I am already witnessing what you write of, Don. I live in a small town in the mountains of western North Carolina and the community has already been ravaged by the economic crisis. This is a small conservative, Southern Baptist stronghold and as you mentioned there are many “productions” displayed weekly at the local churches. I left the church shortly before I left for college, in part because of these productions. Two years ago I joined a small, young church (a member of the SBC, only in letter) where for over a year we only has around 40 attendees. In the last year we have grown to over 200 regularly frequently the Pator is unable to proceede with the show because peoples lives are being changed (saved) before he enters the pulpit. The same is happening elsewhere in the community, one church had over 50 get saved this past month; although there are some churches where the “show must go on” and it is business as usual. It is awsome to the the Spirit of God move and truly impact peoples lives as they palce their lives in the hands of thier Savior. I know this is just the begining and there is more yet to come, it is indescrible to witness the power of God transform peoples lives as they truly become free in this life, no longer bound by the constraints this world has placed upon us. I feel certainly we will see a great revival in the upcoming decade as God is calling His children close to him to comfort and strenghten them for the times ahead. Thank you for your post and comments. May God bless you in all you do and keep bringing your Bible filled insight into the world’s current climate.
Bryan
Thanks Bryan, and Praise the Lord! I think many more such reports will be heard throughout America.
Well, I hope this comes soon for us. The spiritual state of the USA and the rest of the west is far more harmful and deadly than the persecution that our Chinese brethren suffer (for example).
I say this realizing it’s not going to be “fun” or feel “good,” but I realize it’s good for the Church and the unsaved that we are around (because they will see Jesus in us more clearly). Sort-of like waiting for the dentist to perform a root-canal – it has to be done and then sooner the better.
Abba, we *do* want You to come soon, but come in Your timing and please use us in Your extravagance to bring others to Yourself so we will be waiting in obedience. You are the “missional” God: You seek after those who are lost; please help us, Your children, to surrender to Your Spirit as You make us more like Jesus, and then empower us to share You with those around us!
Abba? we realize this is going to hurt, for some of us, following You is painfully difficult even right now. BUT You have promised to lift us up and glorify us in due time. Please continue Your massive does of grace to bring us through all things in a way to bring praise to Your Name!
We lift-up our brethren all over the world who are suffering for Christ even now: As You have promised, please baffle their tormentors and the evil one with the grace that You sustain them with, and please remind them of how much You love them are pleased with the way that are standing in Christ; please remind them that this suffering is only temporary and the worst their enemies can do is to kill them, and that even (and especially) in death, we win (because Jesus won)!
Please glorify Yourself in now and forever! Father, Jesus and Spirit we praise You!
Salvations at the altar at church are more important than the regular church service.
The move of the Holy Spirit is more important than the plans for that service.
There should be a cut off point, but when pastors let the Holy Spirit move they
will see more people come to Christ. Honor the Holy Spirit and he will move amongst you. Hinder him and he will not come. He is sensitive to the way he
is allowed to move. Without out the Holy Spirit moving on hearts there is no heart changing move in a congregation. Productions are pretty but the Holy Spirit is the one who does the real work on peoples hearts. After salvation, new believers need tender love and care. Big stuff does not change people.