Psalm 33:20 – We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
Jeremiah 14:22 – Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, LORD our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.
1 Thessalonians 2:19 – For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?
Dear Friends,
It is with a great burden and a sense of encouragement that I write this today. In light of Tuesday night’s election results, many Americans who claim to be born-again Christians have come under a sense of dread and even fear concerning the present and future condition of our nation. With this being a reality, in no way do I underestimate or blindly ignore the detrimental dynamics that have been and will continue to weaken and erode our culture due to the resistance of morality and Biblical moorings in this land. However, I have to say that for the first time in a long time the subjects of “Revival & Awakening” are much more to me than just historical themes that breed a sense of nostalgia and desire in my heart. Instead, these themes have now become a source of singleness of heart for me. In other words, without God’s divine intervention in this hour of history in the United States of America, we will continue to spiral out of control and implode on multiple levels. Jesus Christ is our only true hope!
In past decades Evangelicals have aggressively attempted to build Christian political alliances in order to further our conservative and Biblical agendas. Even though this is noble and has had some positive results, the truth is that there is a false sense of security developed when we trust in these forces alone and not in the Lord and His impenetrable Kingdom. Let me be clear and say that I fully believe in deliberately being involved in multiple sectors of society, including the political arena. We are not to hide our heads in the sand and become neutral or passive concerning our role on the earth as believers in the Lord. However, something more has to happen in the heart of the church, if the heart of the nation is to be salvaged on any level. We must fully realize that in the midst of a country that violates the basic principles of God’s Word through detrimental practices such as: the murder of the unborn, the redefining of marriage, the promotion of perversion, etc., that our only true hope lies in God’s unchanging glory and divine intervention into the midst of our moral downfall. It is not enough to implement a proper, political agenda that reflects God’s character and principles alone; in fact we must have God Himself in our midst!
As we approach our role as Christians in desiring and praying for God’s assistance in our nation now that the flurry of political hyperactivity is over for a while, there are some things that we must face as we contemplate our multiple religious expressions and how they really impact American society. Let me share with you a few thoughts that we need to seriously consider and pray about as we find ourselves in desperate need of God’s power and presence in our nation.
1. Despite the fact that the church has assumedly gained strides in many areas over the past several years such as: the media, the arts, political alliances, etc., it is sobering to realize how little impact we really have on our society and cultural expressions. Sadly, the church continues to reflect more and more of the world instead of the opposite Scriptural pattern that we behold in the Bible.
2. Even though we have several mega-churches and large Para-church ministries in America, the fact remains that minor impact is happening on a spiritual level and unlike ministries of past generations, the only people oftentimes being touched are those in the walls of our opulent buildings that oftentimes serve more as halls for religious entertainment and motivational speaking than they do for the changing of individuals hearts through the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
3. Should we not think it strange that so many people are in love with the various expressions of ministry today such as: signs and wonders, the latest worship music, celebrity preachers, etc., but when it comes to fruit, character and life-changing power, these things at times seem to matter little as long as the religious show goes on.
4. Is the American church guilty of trying to recreate a God that is in our image instead of embracing that we are created in His image? By doing this we promote a gospel of accommodation and tolerance that many label as love. However, in the wake of this dangerous theological error we see no power to deliver and set the captives free. In fact, we have come to a place where many accept a gospel that no longer changes the lives of people, but often only pulls them into a religious stupor that is void of any eternal view or paradigm.
5. Could it be that due to the level of tolerance towards sin among professing Christians; America has now been lulled into sleep through postmodernism and a growing lust for temporary pleasures as the church has lost her prophetic edge? Even though we have had the ability to make noise, we have lost the ability to truly advance God’s Kingdom through the transformation of culture.
In light of the above points to ponder, let me say that I have been blessed to proclaim God’s Word in multiple nations around the world over the last 15 years. I have also been in various places where there was a strong resistance to the Gospel and believers in Jesus Christ lived with the knowledge that their lives were in danger continually with some being persecuted and even martyred for their faith. Their mindset was not set upon some political shift that would bring them into a sense of comfort and peace. Their posture was living in the knowledge that God was with them and that He alone was their provision! Even though we still experience freedoms that are much greater in America than many other nations, we now find ourselves living in the midst of a society that will continue to resist God and His Word as authoritative and those that are willing to stand for simple truths will be maligned as hateful, homophobic, intolerant, etc. What does this mean? It means that our only hope is that God will supernaturally intervene into our generation and that He will awaken His prophetic voice in the heart of His church once again as the power of the Gospel is restored, despite the ramifications to our natural lives as believers and followers of our Lord and King.
In closing hear the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:6-16 and live accordingly. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true, 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
All for Jesus,
Keith Collins
www.keith-collins.org
www.fire-church.org
www.fire-school.org