Why We Need Revival

On April 29, 1607, a nation was born when travel-weary Englishmen landed at Cape Henry on the shores of Virginia. There they established the foundation for what would become the most powerful country the world has ever seen. America's destiny and purpose were sealed with the rough-hewn cross they erected at Cape Henry. All that would follow in our nation's growth hinged on the single proclamation that this land belonged to Jesus Christ.

In the Mayflower Compact of 1620, the Pilgrims reaffirmed the mission set forth by the original Virginia settlers. Later, the Puritans carried the Cape Henry legacy further. On the deck of the Arbella, halfway between England and Cape Cod, leader John Winthrop declared, "We shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us, so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword throughout the world."

More than 100 years later, as America set off on her own course towards independence, the godly foundations laid in Virginia established the character of our Revolution. George Washington's wise leadership, Benjamin Franklin's call to prayer, and John Adams' reverence for the will of God symbolized the undying commitment of our Founding Fathers to the creation of a nation that would glorify God.

From the beginning this nation was dedicated to God and it was governed by the Bible. We were a people who believed in righteousness. The Bible says, "Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people" (Proverbs 14:34). And so God, in His great wisdom, put a hedge of protection around the United States.

There has never been a nation as rich and as powerful. God has blessed our people with tremendous opportunities for peace and prosperity. As a country, we honored God, our children prayed in school, we had strong families, we attended church, we helped the poor and the needy -- and God honored that.

For more than 200 years this nation has known bountiful blessings and divine protection.

Since the War of 1812 we've never been invaded by a foreign army. We've fought for freedom around the world, but have not been forced to defend our own soil. Until September 11, 2001, we had not faced devastating bombing attacks. Since the American Revolution we have not endured the destruction of our homes or way of life.

Our God-fearing way of life was a blessing to our land for many, many years.

But what do we find in America now?

For the past three decades Pat Robertson has warned that our national heritage is under siege. "Immorality is celebrated in the media," he recently declared, "and pornography is spreading like a cancer on the Internet. Our families are reeling from widespread divorce. We have massive addiction to drugs and alcohol. But beyond that, we have banned prayer and the wisdom of the Bible from our schools and most of our public life."

As Dr. Robertson has pointed out, the biblical values that were the foundation of this nation have been slowly eroding. The majority of Americans today have rejected the teaching of the Bible, turning instead to what is right in their own eyes.

According to recent surveys by the Barna Research Group, one out of every three adults has lived with someone of the opposite gender before marriage. Almost half of the nation's adults under 35 lived together outside of wedlock, compared to one-third of those in the 35 to 49 age bracket, one-quarter of those in their fifties and sixties, and just 1% of adults who are in their seventies or older. In America today, six out of ten adults say that co-habitation is morally acceptable. The same percentage believes that having sexual fantasies is not a sin. And nearly half of all adults believe that sexual relations between consenting adults of the same gender should be legal.

Nearly two-thirds of American adults don't believe that divorce is a sin. As a result America's children are suffering. Recent United States Census data revealed that about one out of every three children born in the United States today is the child of an unwed mother. The data from the Barna survey also show that nearly one out of every four adults who has never been married has children living in their household. Overall, one out of every six households with children under 18 is headed by an adult who has never been married.

Another key indicator of our deteriorating values is our acceptance of pornography. Half of all adults stated that watching a movie with explicit sexual behavior is morally acceptable. Sadly, that view was shared by three out of ten born again adults. In like fashion, more than four out of ten adults regularly read magazines with explicit sexual pictures and nudity.

Today in America getting drunk is considered morally acceptable among one-third of the population. Breaking the speed limit was an action deemed morally acceptable by two-fifths of all adults. The rule of law itself is being threatened by the moral relativity of this age.

And worse than all these moral tragedies is the shocking magnitude of abortion. Nearly 40 million babies have been killed in the abortion mills of America. This is more heinous than the crimes against humanity by Mao Tse-tung, Josef Stalin, and Adolph Hitler.

In many ways our nation is in complete rebellion against God. Many Christian leaders are asking if we will continue to experience His blessings and protection.

What will be the result if the hedge of protection that has been around the United States comes down? We are vulnerable to terrorism in our cities, in our water supply, and in our transportation systems. Today terrorists have deadly agents of mass destruction such as Anthrax and Small Pox. It is believed that they have small nuclear weapons they can bring into this country and detonate in any of our major cities.

Just as serious as the threat from the outside is the danger of America crumbling from within. The history of the world is littered with the carcasses of great civilizations that have been destroyed, not from external attack, but from internal moral collapse.

If there was ever a time in the history of mankind for revival, it is now.

The Church Needs Revival

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV).

In the last decade the Church around the world has experienced what many would call a refreshing from the Spirit of God. From Toronto, Ontario, to Pensacola, Florida, Christians have received a touch from God. And from a tiny church in Smithton, Missouri, to open air crusades in Nigeria, God has brought thousands to repentance.

And yet the fruit of revival has only been seen in isolated areas. Sadly, this renewal has not permeated the entire Church -- or society as a whole. Today in America, only four out of every ten born again adults relies upon the Bible or church teachings as their primary source of moral guidance. According to Barna, born again Christians are just as likely to get divorced as are non-born again adults. Overall, 33% of all believers who have been married have gone through a divorce, which is statistically identical to the incidence among non-Christians.

Sadly, more than 90% of the Christian adults who have been divorced experienced that divorce after they accepted Christ, not before.

In the past decade there has been an increase in the percentage of Americans who consider themselves to be "Born Again" Christians. Yet in that same time, many important aspects of Christian discipleship have seen a marked decline. Bible reading among adults is down from 45% to 37%; church attendance is down from 49% to 42%; volunteering at church is down from 27% to 20%; and adult Sunday school attendance is down from 23% to 19%.

The malaise in the church is reflected in the fact that four out of ten Bible-believing Christians don't attend church or read the Bible in a typical week. Three out of ten say they are not "absolutely committed to the Christian faith" and seven out of ten are not involved in a small group that meets for spiritual purposes. Today in America there are more than ten million born again Christians who are unchurched.

We need revival in the land!

Christians in America today are much like the church of the Laodiceans in the book of Revelation. Jesus spoke these strong words of warning to this church:

"And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' -- and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked -- I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent" (Revelation 3:14-19).

In the verse that follows, Jesus declares that He is standing at the door and knocking. If anyone hears His voice and opens the door, He will come in to him and dine with him. Jesus is at the door of our hearts today, and He wants to enter our lives in a dynamic way, to fill us with His love, His grace, and His power.

Every Believer Needs Revival

"For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted…" (2 Corinthians 7:10 NKJV).

The Lord wants to bring revival to America and to the world -- the question is, do we want revival to come? If there was ever a time to pray for our nation, this is it. God only knows what we would face if He removed His protection from us.

We must humble ourselves before God, turn from sin, and pray for revival. Now is the time to and intercede for America, that we will have the spiritual covering of God Almighty.

Do you want revival in your life? Pray this simple prayer with me:

Heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus' name. I know that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins and rose from the grave to give me life. I know You are the only way to God so now I want to quit disobeying You and start living for You. Please forgive me, change my life and show me how to know You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, please send us an e-mail to let us know. Or you can call The 700 Club Prayer Counseling Center at (800) 759-0700. We would love to talk with you and send you some literature to help you begin your walk with the Lord.

Do you have a question? E-mail a CBN counselor.

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Craig von Buseck is Programming Director for CBN.com.