“Will You not revive us again that your people may rejoice in You?”  (Psa. 85:6)

During my recent visit to America I sometimes asked the question, “Tell me, has God raised up another man here who is speaking to the nation as such?”  The answer was silence.  And yet God still has his faithful witnesses over there, pastors, teachers, expositors, evangelists, conference speakers, children´s workers, prison visitors, anointed writers, Sunday school teachers, Bible study leaders, bold ambassadors for Christ among the so called “laymen”, slum missionaries, sports leaders, nurses, diligent business men, etc.   – oh yes, “the lamp of God” (1 Sam. 3:3) hasn´t  gone out yet!

Almost 9 years ago a voice was heard, however, all over the country on almost all American television channels and radio stations and carried across the world.  The voice belonged to a man who at that particular occasion reached the highest number of people in his entire ministry according to the respected biographer John Pollock.  It was three days after the horror-struck “nine-eleven”, and the nation listened to words like these:

“One of the things we desperately need is a spiritual renewal in this country….and God has told us in His word, time after time, that we are to repent of our sins and turn to Him, and He will bless us in a new way.

“This event reminds us of the brevity and the uncertainty of life.  We never know when we too will be called into eternity…And that´s why each of us needs to face our own spiritual need and commit ourselves to God and His will now.”

“We see all around us symbols of the Cross.  The Cross tells us that God understands our sin…, for He took upon Himself in the person of Jesus Christ our sins….  And from that Cross, God declares, “I love you….”

It was the voice of an elderly gentleman with striking ailments.  I´ve heard him preach “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” with power to thousands in his youth, old Billy Graham. How we need another voice of revival now.  In the U.S. and in Europe.  But that´s all over, some would think and even say loud.  Is it?  If it is, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”  (1 Cor. 15:32), I mean if the power of the risen Christ is not the power of revival anymore and if it belongs to the happy worship platforms only, protected by safe church walls!  But is that true?  Of course it isn´t.  It´s nearly closing time in the world, yes, but not yet.  The prayer “Revive Your work” (Habb. 3:2) is still in the Bible, and what´s still in the Bible, is still for you and me.

The problem isn´t so much the world as it is worldly Christians not revived.

-jn-

May 10, 2010