[b]Revelation and Response[i]by Byron Paulus
The revelation of God is the beginning of renewal.
“If my people ... will humble themselves and ...” 2 Chronicles 7:14
“The revelation of God is the beginning of renewal, for as God declares Himself, a commensurate response is immediately elicited from believers. This basic essential principle—revelation and response—is the framework of all spiritual awakenings.” (Lewis Drummond)
This coming year is unlike any other year in my lifetime. Let me explain why.
Exactly 150 years ago, God moved powerfully across our country in what most historians cite as America’s most recent Great Awakening. It not only drove our nation to its knees, it swept the world into a season of unprecedented prayer.
On September 23, 1857, God began His powerful work in the heart of one man, Jeremiah Lanphier.
On God’s calendar there are no ordinary days. Mr. Lanphier must have been convinced that every day was a day of great potential ... a day when God might descend and visit our nation. Beginning with a response to a view of God that included a glimpse of His power, he responded in his own heart in humility and obedience.
The sense of urgency that drove Mr. Lanphier to begin a weekly prayer meeting in the heart of New York’s financial district must have run deep in his veins. If it was an urgent matter then, what about today?
A cursory review of this past year depicts a series of “never befores.” Listen in your heart as we consider the many “firsts” for our nation:
· Never before has more than one-half of American households consisted of unmarried couples.
· Never before has one out of every 32 Americans been behind bars, on parole, or probation.
· Never before has an elected member of Congress insisted on taking the oath of office with his hand on the Koran vs. the Bible.
· Never before have there been more children born out of wedlock than in wedlock.
· Never before has the fastest growing religion in America been Wicca.
· Never before has someone like Rosie O’Donnell met with so little resistance after comparing radical Christians to Islamic terrorists.
· Never before have 3 million teens become affected with an STD in one year.
· Never before have 8th grade boys played violent video games an average of 23 hours per week.
· Never before have 90% of 8- to 16-year-olds viewed pornography—online.
· Never before have we had a Muslim elected to Congress.
· Never before have there been multiple New York Times bestsellers which declared Christianity as being evil and the cause of human suffering.
· Never before have we gone 150 years without a major move of God in nationwide revival.
· Never before have we had fewer churches with legitimate prayer meetings.
· Never before has the average American owed more money that he or she makes. Families are now spending almost a quarter of their income to service their debt.
All that said, I have never felt a greater sense of opportunity and receptivity to the message of personal renewal, congregational revival, and national awakening. The idea of God’s people needing to respond to the nature and character of God is “ringing a bell” in the hearts of many.
There is a sense in which we are finally acknowledging our desperate need as God’s people, and that a move of God is our only hope . . . a divine intervention of God flowing from the repentance and brokenness of His people.
Would you join us in asking God to raise up many Jeremiah Lanphiers this next year?