This kind of preaching was typical of the messages delivered yesterday
- heartfelt words spoken to people that understand that sometimes
Christian activists get the cart before the horse. Sometimes we get so
involved in strategies, structures, and grassroots mobilization around
issues that we are passionate about that we forget that everything we
do must be undergirded by the spiritual disciplines of prayer and
personal faithfulness to Christian principles. Although congregational
leaders hope that this event will become a major national movement,
yesterday was a call to each and every American Christian to remember
that we are each responsible to become an individual watchman on the
wall of our nation.
As a member of Tony Perkins's Pastor's Council, I had the privilege of
hearing about this event months before churches began to get involved.
At that time, I could not help but think that only one thing could turn
things around for America - a spiritual awakening. Historically, the
awakenings of American history were essentially course correction
devices that God used to bring America back to her original course and
vision.
America has experienced at least two occasions in which the nation
turned back to Christian beliefs and church attendance in great
numbers. The First Great Awakening occurred from1730-1755 and the
Second Great Awakening took place from 1790-1840.
We, the Church, must remember that we are not called to simply win arguments, court cases, or debates alone. We are called to win people. We must be a prophetic
voice to the culture while maintaining the ability to speak to needs of
individual people.
Charles Finney was a major revivalist in the Second Great Awakening.
Finney's work in Rochester, New York in the1830s resulted in the
majority of the city turning to Christ. What Finney describes here is
the kind of impact and outreach we need today.
"The greatness of the work at Rochester, at that time, attracted so
much of the attention of ministers and Christians throughout the State
of New York, throughout New England, and in many parts of the United
States, that the very fame of it was an efficient instrument in the
hands of the Spirit of God in promoting the greatest revival of
religion throughout the land, that this country had then ever
witnessed... One hundred thousand were reported as having connected
themselves with churches, as the results of that great revival. This is
unparalleled in the history of the church, and of the progress of
religion." He spoke of this having been done in just one year!
May God revive His Church and shift the culture back to its original
moorings. Please join me in praying that we hear the Call 2 Fall every
day.