The depth of our repentance will determine the depth of our revival.
- Frank Bartleman
The Apostolic Faith Mission picture above reveals just how different a place Los Angeles, and the entire world were, at the beginning of the 20th Century. Simply put, the 1906 Azusa Street revival may well have had more impact on Christianity than any single event since the Protestant Reformation.
The birthplace of what would become the Charismatic movement, its influence even then, and far more so now, has been felt worldwide. Effecting the thinking of every denomination and billions of Christians across the globe, the participants of the Azusa experience evidenced a passion and hunger for the restoration of the genuine gifts of the Spirit that is sorely needed today, even among the movement it spawned. While then and now opinions differ as to the purity of their message and methods, the Holy fire that fell on such humble and sincere God seekers offers hope that with equal levels of commitment and endurance we might repent of our worldliness and sin to the point of experiencing genuine power evangelism and even our own Pentecost.
Note: Those concerned with the unprecedented international and nation challenges arising in 2020 and beyond, including the implications and aftermath of COVID-19, may want to review the update at the end of this article before proceeding.
Researching the history of revival would be remiss without serious consideration of the reported outpouring of the Spirit in 1906 at the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles, CA. Charismatic or not, lessons abound concerning this well documented move of God that spread like wildfire throughout America and the world. Considered the birthplace of modern Pentecostalism, a handful of diligent seekers meeting day and night in a rustic church and previously burnt out livery stable have grown into a global movement over half a billion strong.
A myriad of resources published by a variety of sources, including newspaper articles and public records, books and tracks, even today we have an excellent chronicle of the events taking place at the beginning of the 20th century. Chief among the literary works would be Frank Bartleman's first hand accounts compiled in the book entitled, "Azusa Street." More recently, Cecil Robeck Jr. has published a scholarly historical rendition entitled, "The Azusa Street Mission and Revival." Both are available for purchase and the later can be read at Google books online by clicking here.
The latter is one the most informative reads I can recommend. The audio version is read by the perfect artist and is written in such a way as to provide proactive insights into turn of the 20th Century life in the major areas of America. The author continues his extremely detailed and researched story of the underpinnings and inner workings of the Azusa Street revival, that would forever change the face of Pentecostal and much of modern Christianity.
Several factors combined to make the study of what would grow to become an unprecedented charismatic outpouring an important and compelling study. Chief among these were the people involved and the time period in which they found themselves. Sparked and led by the African American William J. Seymour, a child of former slaves, the Azusa Street Revival was born during racially charged times. Wounds were raw and opinions slow to change. So much so that it would be fifty years after the revival appeared before the Civil Rights movement in America could begin in earnest.
Other issues that bare notice included the apparent restoration of the spiritual gift of tongues on a massive scale. While there were reports of extremely isolated and sporadic cases of individuals speaking in an unknown language or manner, Azusa Street was without question the point of singularity for the modern charismatic movement.
It's been said that hindsight is 20/20. Sadly this is far from accurate but it is true that time often reveals much. Those caught up in the renewal of this ancient practice could hardly keep from noticing the seeming providence that what had been such a source of power for the 1st century church had been restored within a few decades of the close of the 20th. Many of the leadership assumed that such a blessing naturally heralded the immanent Day of the Lord. In light of what was seen as such a dramatic personal and corporate empowerment for the body of Christ, participants widely believed they were experiencing the "latter rain" dispensation given by the Spirit to equip them to speak in actual foreign languages without having learned them and thus perform as Holy Ghost emissaries throughout the ends of the earth. The anticipated being the perfect missionaries since there communications would be exactly what the Spirit was saying.
This, as well as many other reason including passion for the lost, accounted for the fires of Azusa's new Pentecost being so rapidly spread abroad. Unfortunately such zeal would prove disappointing and at times disastrous when it became clear that while many of those "baptized in the Spirit" had acquired a prayer language for personal edification and corporate worship, few if any were speaking in unlearned human languages. The same held true for the ill fated "writing in tongues."
Thus many found themselves unprepared to bridge cultural gaps or make an impact for Christ. Some, disillusioned or worse, returned home. Others were overcome by hardships and disease, dying in foreign lands. Many more changed direction, concentrating their efforts and energies on evangelizing their fellow missionaries with what they considered the "full gospel." Such tactics were welcomed by some and denounced by others, but would over time leaven the experience and doctrine of hundreds of millions.
Both at home and abroad the Azusa Street Revival became famous and infamous for many of its philosophies and practices. On the plus side, tens of thousands considered one aspect sublime. Singing in tongues became known as a transcendent hallmark of the movement. Quite often even detractors were astonished and captivated by the almost otherworldly beauty of the unrehearsed melodies and harmonies arising from the congregation's simple and moving vocalizations.
Practice Makes Perfect
An old adage notes, "Practice makes perfect." Scripture seems to agree. In his letter to the Hebrews, an unidentified author makes a similar point when stressing as one translation puts it, "by reason of practice we learn to discern good and evil." Just as trained physicians are licensed to practice rather than perform medicine, so too Christians are commanded to grow in spiritual sensitivity and discernment, living out our faith to the best of their ability and understanding. While doing so we learn by doing, necessarily adjusting certain doctrines and behavior.
Of course then, as today, mistakes are made. Even with the best of intentions, particularly when it comes to the area of spirituality, human hearts and minds are feeble and fallible. During the 1906 Azusa Street Revival, as the mission began to assimilate their new found experience into the theology of the times misunderstandings were commonplace. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, it seems that while there may have been excesses in expression, Pastor Seymour and his colleagues did their best to practice their faith honestly. Looking to scripture, and relying heavily on the books of Acts and Corinthians, they stressed the importance that all aspects of their revival be in compliance with God's revealed will. Using the Bible as their guide, they made spiritually educated guesses as to the motivation and meaning of what seemed to many to be strange and sometimes shocking behavior.
Only God knows to what extent those leading and participating in the revival succeeded in being sensitive to the Spirit. This was, in many ways, their chief aim and stated purpose, Even so, their methods, like ours today seemed filled with pros and cons. To their credit, those involved enjoyed an uncommon passion for prayer and freedom in worship. Promoting a three stage experience, they stressed the need for salvation, sanctification and being "filled with the Spirit" as evidenced by speaking in tongues. The leadership developed practical guidelines in attempt to discern the difference between genuine charismatic expression and the shenanigans of men.
There is also clear evidence that those worshiping at the mission found a racial, gender and socio-economic unity unusual for the era. Unlike the segregation so prevalent at the turn of the 20th century, believers interacted and sought God together while taking little or no notice of roles or stereotypes. At the time, such integration was not always looked on favorably.
Then there was the little matter of personal and corporate conduct. Supporters and detractors alike agree that "shake, rattle and roll" was often the order of business and a fitting description of the exuberance practiced sometimes round the clock at Azusa Street. Understandably, there was then as there is today a wide range and variety of opinions as to what constitutes acceptable behavior when seeking and/or encountering God. This being the case, from the onset many found the antics and even gymnastics of "Holy Rollers" to be distasteful at best. Even within the movement, some of the leadership and participants would come to regard many of the forms of expression as excessive or worse, a new form of demonic manifestation known as Hoodoo or Voodoo previously practiced for centuries among exploited African slaves throughout the South.
Opinions varied greatly as to the spirit behind the outpouring of prayer and praise continually marked by speaking in tongues and it's effect on participants. Pastor Seymour who would lead most of the meetings and the movement as a whole clearly believed the Holy Spirit was the geyser they were drinking from. Previously ordained in the Holiness Movement, he stressed salvation and sanctification were necessary prior to receiving "the fullness of the Spirit." From all accounts an extremely humble man, he regularly conducted and oversaw services from his knees with his head thrust inside a shoe crate as he and his flock diligently sought the Lord.
And seek the Lord they did. From the onset the handful of people who began fasting and praying for a renewed Pentecost did so relentlessly. As God began to answer their cries they soon overflowed the home they met in, moving into the now famous Azusa Street location just in time to hold Easter services in 1906. From that point on, their three services a day would often extend day and night, to the point where it might be said the meetings were more or less continuous for a year or more. Among the reason for this were the following:
- Earnest prayer and petition for the salvation of sinners: For years prior to the revival William Seymour dedicates five hours a day in prayer. A habit that continued long after "the outpouring" begin. Given the immediate and numerous outreaches Azusa Street launched, much effort was undoubtedly spent imploring God for the salvation of the hearts and minds of men.
- Serious intercession for complete sanctification: During the early days of the holiness movement Christians took personal and corporate sanctification to mean a complete victory over worldliness and temptation. Compare that with modern Christianity's drowning in unprecedented global temptations in our largely post Christian era today.
- Tarrying for hours, days and weeks for the "baptism in the Spirit": Today lengthy prayer is largely passé and the intercession a lost art form. Azusa Street participants were as known for quantity of their prayers and efforts at seeking God as for the quality. Services were reported to routinely run around the clock as people come and went. It was common for those attending to spend hours as if they were minutes, if not whole days in pursuit of God.
- Extended periods of praise and thanksgiving: Worship and thankfulness were central to the services at the mission. Much of the notoriety generated by the revival arose from excited methods of worship including loud boisterous speaking, singing and "holy roller" calisthenics lasting long into the night. Seekers were often left on the floor supposedly "slain by the Spirit" for hours and even days in soul travail. On more than one occasion poor judgment in this regard ended in serious health threats and even premature death. It's difficult to know how much of Azusa Street's notorious behavior was the genuine result of men and women encountering God in overwhelming ways. While this could certainly account for much, if not all, of their colorful and even eccentric reactions it may well be that excess was common place.
- Continual time allotted for personal testimonies: Central to the Azusa experience was telling about it. Most, if not all services dedicated plenty of time for interaction between believers as they shared their thoughts and feelings. In this regard, Pastor Seymour was overly generous in allowing hours at a time for "body ministry" and testimonies from those seeking or experiencing salvation, sanctification and/or the baptism of the Spirit. Skeptics frequently found themselves compelled to believe based on what they heard and saw, sometimes to the point of joining in. Critics and detractors, even from among the Christian community pointed to poor judgement, over the top emotionalism and the breakdown of the social conventions of the time as troubling evidence.
- Lengthy sermons by Seymour or guest speakers: To his credit, Pastor Seymour was happy to share his pulpit, which originally was little more than a couple of shoe box creates, with clergy and laity alike. While he conducted the services he participated in, it was his style to hold the reigns loosely so as not to grieve or rest control from the Holy Spirit in any way. Once the revival hit, conducting three extremely lengthy services a day meant others would often oversee the meetings. When news of the revival quickly spread throughout the geographical area and state, nation and world, Seymour's robust traveling itinerary necessitated scores of guest speakers sermonizing at the mission.
- Messages or prophecies routinely offered by participants: At Azusa Street liberty in the Spirit often translated into allowing time and latitude for multitudes to exercise and even experiment with what was hoped to be gifts and manifestation of the Spirit. Clearly such a philosophy and practice lent itself to error and excess, yet those swept up in the revival relied on the God and the sincerity of believers to eventually sort things out. On occasions when other means failed, leadership would step in to offer direction. Of course to many, nearly everything going on at the mission was over the top.
- An Upper Room for prolonged prayer and travail: For individuals wishing more privacy while travailing against sin and praying through for the infilling of the Spirit, Azusa kept an upper room open nearly day and night. Hundreds if not thousands availed themselves of these altars for extended seasons of drawing near to God. The floor was often strewn with the bodies of seekers, sometimes laid out for hours or even days, as they sought forgiveness and healing, the fullness of the Spirit and God's direction for their life.
Place and Time
There were several other factors beyond the immediacy of the meetings themselves that kept the Azusa Street leadership and staff incredibly busy. Such a unique "visitation" at that particular place and time presented opportunities they made every effort to take full advantages of. As well as challenges they refused to shrink from. These included:
- Continual local press coverage: At the turn of the 20th century newspapers were still the world's predominant news source. As such they frequently carried articles and extended series on religion and issues of local concern. Azusa Street provided and endless source for both. Their strange and mysterious manifestation of tongues and exuberant and exhibitionist style of worship made for great headlines. Round the clock long and loud meetings at the mission and many of it's satellite services held throughout the Los Angeles basin were a constant source our interest and irritation. Charismatic claims of physical healings, demonic deliverance and divine prophecies added gas to the fire. All this amidst what appeared at the time to be a total breakdown of gender, ethnic and socioeconomic boundaries.
- Azusa street newspaper: To carry the message of the revival the mission started publishing "The Apostolic Faith" newspaper in September 1906, only about 6 months after the outpouring began. With a circulation of 50,000 at it's height, the periodical was useful in a variety of ways. Carrying the message of the revival, teachings, apologetics and compelling testimonies were used to evangelize the unsaved and disciple the church. Misunderstandings were addressed and attacks from rivals were were answered, further entrenching Azusa Street into the minds of the local populace. Meetings, events and needs were publicized and answering the correspondence generated by news of the movement locally and nationally undertaken by a large volunteer staff.
- Growing state, national and international attention: Azusa Street sermons and stories quickly began circulating far beyond southern California. News, both welcoming and denouncing the astounding events spread far and wide. Articles and testimonies were picked up, carried and commented on throughout the nation and in time even internationally.
- Aggressive mIssionary campaign: Those leading the revival viewed the restoration of the gift of tongues as strong evidence that the Spirit was being poured out for a final harvest and time of preparation for the return of Christ. Believing themselves stewards of the "latter rain" gave the participants in the revival even greater passion for evangelism and discipleship. Within weeks of being opened, the Azusa Street Mission extended began extending it's reach throughout the surrounding communities and beyond. Evangelists and missionaries were sent up the West Coast and across the nation missionaries to share the full "Pentecostal" experience everywhere they went.
- Impact on Christian denominations: For all the above stated reason and more, the Christian society of the day would immediately and more so over time be heavily impacted by the 1906 revival. Forced to answer the challenged claims and demonstrations of the new and growing charismatic movement, many Protestants and even some Catholics have reconsidered their views on the work of Spirit in their midsts. While speaking in tongues would be the primary point of contention, the revival sparked a passion and hunger to diligently for seek God for a restoration of such miraculous and necessary gifts of the Spirit as that of healing the sick. In their day the Azusa message and example permeated every congregation in their vicinity and hundreds if not thousands elsewhere and in coming decades the impact of their experience would come to effect the thinking of more than a billion Christians worldwide.
The time and place of the Azusa Street Revival played a pivotal role in regards to its impact. In 1906, the burgeoning rise of technology provided an essential element in the exchange of ideas on a local, national and international level. Like the Roman roads of the 1st century, means of mass communication and travel helped rapidly spread the news of this renewed 20th century Pentecostal experience.
Even so, the world is a big place. Change would quickly bring the heartache and devastation of World War I. Fast on it's heals was the 1918 global Spanish flu pandemic that would kill between 50 to 100 million, making it the greatest natural disaster in human history. Across America and Europe, the Roaring Twenties would challenge social conventions and mores. The Great Depressions was immediately followed by World War II. The drug abuse and sexual revolution of the 1960's saw an unprecedented tidal wave of temptation and sin wash across the modern world that has never receded.
While, for it's size and resources the mission's missionary efforts were extraordinary, the geographic and societal challenges it faced were so enormous it would take an entire century for its effect in forming the Charismatic Movement to be fully realized. Sadly, in the process of time, the blazing fires of revival would be reduced to embers and eventually faded memories. Still black and white photos, old newspaper copy and a centennial celebration can hardly compete with Hollywood, Motown and Madison Ave for even the hearts, minds and wills of the 21st century Christians, much less the post Christian culture in which they live.
A hundred years later, the zeal that moved men and women across every ethnic and socioeconomic line to seek God through prayer and fasting for a modern heavenly outpouring seems long spent. With hundreds of HD TV channels and movies on demand, entertainment has replaced religion in the home. With thousands of DVD's and movies at our fingertips the average believer invests less than 10 minutes a day in prayer and Bible study. With tens of thousands of websites and MP3's filling our eyes and ears most church attenders do so an hour or two a week at best. Spending hours and even whole day's and night travailing before the Lord for salvation, sanctification and the fullness of the Spirit has been replaced with a few minutes of intimate worship followed by a feel good message. The fervency for repentance and revival that Azusa Street knew has been largely supplanted by the sleek gospel of easy believism, multi million dollar building programs and seeker friendly marketing schemes.
The excitement and life changing exuberance of the Charismatic experience birthed by the 1906 revival has settled down to first a dull roar and then a whimper with occasional outbreaks here and there. While tens of thousands run hear and there to catch a glimpse of God, in the end none of these have brought the revival we so desperately need, instead often replacing the fire of the Holy Spirit with excessive and/or regrettable behavior or doctrine.
The Christians with the passion and diligence of the Azusa Street participants are desperately needed today to meet the rising challenges set before us. It's high time we begin to seek God for holiness, power and commitment to be the Church rather than simply attend. Let us cry out for the gift of unprecedented repentance to soften our hard hearts in hopes of receiving a New Pentecost. Together let us tarry until we are transformed into the kind of Kingdom soldiers who can fulfill Christ's Great Commission, being filled with the fruit and gifts of the Spirit, particularly that of healing the sick, performing signs and wonders and even the kind of "mustard seed faith" Jesus promised those who truly believe!
Click here for an outline on creating an Azusa style prayer meeting.
2021 Update: The year 2020 marked an unanticipated acceleration in the deterioration of societal norms. With 2021 following in lockstep. Signs of the times boding poorly for modern Christianity, and society as a whole. The threat of present and future global pandemics abound. Economic tribulation reverberates worldwide.
By mid 2020, 43 million sought unemployment benefits in the U.S. alone. Coast to coast rioting and looting, violence and murder, over the justifiable death of career criminal George Floyd went unchecked. Not to mention a series of other false martyrs used by Antifa, Black Lives Mater and Democrats to promote and propagate the greatest unchecked anarchy in recent U.S. history. To the point of choreographing the likelihood of race riots with militias on both sides. All this while calling to defund the police, after already making the crucial job of society’s protectors all but impossible.
Scripture is clear such manipulations of facts and logic, much less the rebellion and anarchy they promote, are forbidden and will prove disastrous for all parties concerned:
- “Doom to you who call evil good and good evil, Who put darkness in place of light and light in place of darkness, Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20 The Message
During this unprecedented international campaign against global societies, in the U.S. such misinformation often went hand and hand with support of BLM rioting and looting, violence and murder. Domestic terrorism on a national scale sponsored by powerful liberals within government, media and business. Power brokers aiming the gun and pulling the trigger on American society during a flawlessly manufactured low point.
These kinds of previously unimaginably blatant and continual attacks would seem to be clearly orchestrated to introduce an entirely new sociopolitical era. One reinforced by vast supply lines of support and genuflection.
Never before have the spiritual and societal battle lines been drawn so clearly. Even the genocide of abortion is largely unseen. More a religious and moral issue than the publicly emboldened and highly praised BLM rioting and looting, violence and murder. A campaign of terror supplemented with the tearing down of monuments, while bestowing martyrdom and sainthood on felons.
A year or more of BLM insurrection received unprecedented support from the new and improved iron triangle of liberal politics, mass media and international corporations.
All the while, aside from political posturing, a majority of Republican leaders have done little to nothing to practically stem the tide of such obvious lawlessness. Neither did they meaningfully confront a long list of other evils besetting the nation.
Even when controlling the Presidency, Senate and House of Representatives during Donald Trumps first two years in office, Planned Parenthood was permitted to continue receiving federal funding. Once again, breaking Republican campaign promises.
A summary of just a few of the more unfortunate highlights of 2020-2021 alone provide shocking evidence that the times, they be a changing:
1. Abortion on Demand: Tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars are rightly spent to deliver a premature baby. Criminal charges of manslaughter, if not murder, are brought against killing an unborn child in the womb. If not requested by the mother. Late term and even partial birth abortions have long been legalized. All the while, Planned Parenthood, the world’s largest abortion provider, continues to receive tax payer funding allowing for the reallocation of revenues to promote abortion on demand. Such irrationality forwards the long held nonsensical philosophy that the scientific definition between a pre-born child and discardable tissue mass continues to be simply based on a particular mother’s momentary choice.
2. BLM/Antifa: Well over ten thousand protest and more than 500 violent, destructive and murderous riots were created, encouraged and justified by liberal politicians, media and global corporations across America.
All such anarchy was instigated by the gross misrepresentation of fictional systemic racism and lies regarding reported genocidal behavior on the part of police. Largely occasioned by the clearly justifiable death of the now sainted George Floyd, a career and violent criminal, threatening black and white lives for decades.
These same insurrectionists were allowed to loot and burn, violate and occupy homes and businesses, police and federal buildings at will, while destroying civic statues and defacing national monuments. In some cases, to the point of declaring their own autonomous zones in occupied cities.
All the while, many major urban areas, like that of the liberally governed Chicago of the Obamas, suffered more black on black violence and murder on a single weekend than all the semi questionable black police shootings in an entire year.
During this time the Woke agenda claimed systemic racism in every facet of American life, business and politics when clearly it was BLM/Antifa that had been given freedom to reign down discrimination and hate, destruction and theft, violence and murder on fellow citizens everywhere and of every color. Including their own.
3. Homosexuality/Transgenderism: First we are told men and women’s heterosexual and homosexual orientations are hard wired and not simply the product of appropriate or inappropriate sexual impulses or preferences.
With the false narrative of transgenderism, there is in fact now no scientifically based gender whatsoever. Thus logically there is no such thing as homosexuality. Suddenly, human biology is fluid, again based not on science but on however one pleases to self identify at any given moment.
Under President Biden’s executive order and bills such as the Equality Act, even elementary school children are encouraged to identify, not just as queer, but transgender. All evidence to the contrary. To the point of supporting or requiring the administering of biologically altering puberty blockers and even gender reassignment surgeries.
Girls are also required to allow boys to use their bathrooms, locker rooms and play as girls on their sport teams.
4. Non Binary: The next step on the liberal agenda has been the introduction of Woke terminology such as non binary, paving the way for any and all identification as anything or everything, once again based not on science but individual proclivity.
5. Dystopia: To complete the solidification of irrational and systemic lawlessness, language itself has been assaulted by nonsensical Woke idioms such as systemic and environmental racism, economic and environmental justice, white privilege and defund the police, non binary and gender pronouns, transgender theory and parenting.
All such illogical manipulations are far less about forwarding rational and coherent sociopolitical arguments than signally unity with the agenda of the ruling elite. A kind of signet or code, along the lines of the recent Marvel Avengers movies whispered and shouted, “Hail Hydra.”
A systematic silencing of many, if not most traditional values and dissenting opinions, is already in place. Including suspending then President Trumps social media accounts and deplatforming alternatives like Parlor.
Constant coverage by ultra left media and politics, education and corporations not only equates to the brainwashing of an entire generation, but frequently paints the entire conservative party as not only racists, but white supremacists. Actual creed or color notwithstanding.
Touting Ivy League education and superior savvy, the upper echelons of education and politics, media and business suggest and implement massive censoring and deplatforming of genuine science and reason, humanitarianism and religion. All the while falsely calling for peace and unity, while instituting anarchy and policies designed to sow discord and prejudice by a variety of means. Including embedding propagandist critical race theory throughout schools and the rest of society.
Woke’s terminology and expressions, cancel culture and BLM rioting have been nearly universal recognized and received not only in the U.S. but abroad by international media and corporations, globalist and liberal politicians. A tragic development, clearly in keeping with the adoption of the kind of Doublethink and Newspeak undermining society in George Orwell’s infamous dystopian novel 1984.
All these efforts and far more signal the emergence and growing supremacy of antinomianism by clearly calling “evil good and good evil.” A New World Order forwarded by the spirit of the Man of Lawlessness, long prophesied in Scripture.
In magic, misdirection is a form of deception in which the performer draws audience attention to one thing to distract from another.
All these efforts and far more serve to quantumly both veil and signal the emergence and growing supremacy of a new sociopolitical era.
All this and more raises a crucial question. If such radical leftest policies are taking place before our eyes, what is happening behind the curtain?
What lies beyond the creation of unprecedented emergency powers enabling implementation of global economic and institutional control, mandatory shelter in place and social distancing ordinances? Nefarious agendas having already orchestrated previously unknown closures of businesses and churches, schools and recreation around the world. Might even greater social and fiscal engineering plans and restrictions already be set in motion?
There is noteworthy speculation that such rapid and ominous changes are structured to promote and propagate sociopolitical control. Escalations designed to forward the infiltration of global society. On an international and national, state and community level. Leading to the rapid advancement of a New World Order. Possibly even the ushering in of the long foretold Antichrist, as well as the Mark of the Beast. The appearance of both, as Scripture plainly warns, predating Christ’s prophesied Rapture of the Church.
It’s not hard to imagine a scenario where the primary, secondary and tertiary effects of global catastrophes such as COVID-19, and its worrisome vaccine, play a significant role in the beginning of sorrows warned of in the gospels, epistles and Book of Revelation.
Many questions remain unanswered. Many mysteries persist. Yet amongst the COVID-19 affliction and aftermath, a single spiritual concern looms large.
What will it take to move modern Christians to reevaluate our present disastrous course?
What more need be threatened? If not forever lost? How much greater the disaster before we replace presumption with Biblical faith? When will fellowships and churches come with brokenness and contrition before the God we so casually invoke and yet daily offend?
Scripture complains that in the last church era, Jesus stands outside knocking on the door. Are we yet ready to appropriately respond to Christ through necessary pre-revival repentance in hope of experiencing our own Pentecost. With hundreds, if not thousands, of upper rooms?
Most needed now is a cure many find worse than the disease. A Scripturally accurate diagnoses of apathetic and anemic powerlessness. A prescription of rigorous honesty and radical discipleship. Followed with a comprehensive treatment of James 4’s Prayer of Anguish in hopes of recovering spiritual discernment and radical discipleship. As well as James 5’s Divine intervention of miraculous power.
Such a regimen is the only way for modern Christians to cure our free fall from grace and be reconciled to God. In this fashion, 21st century believers can truly follow Jesus and rest assured of salvation. By fulfilling even His more demanding commands, particularly in regards to Revelation’s account of Christ’s judgment of His church.
Given the challenges and opportunities set before us, please see the scores of hyperlinks already provided. GB also highly recommends reading the following QC books and/or articles:
- Times and Seasons (eBook or article)
- Conflict Theology (eBook or article)
- COVID-19
- New Political Era
- Prayer of Anguish
- 10 Signs of a Biblical Church
- Quantum Christianity (eBook or article)
More information
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