FIRST, START BY HAVING A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
The temptation to introduce "new" things into the work of God has always been too strong for some people to resist... Today this trend has accelerated beyond recognition despite A.W. Tozer's warning. Christians should be spiritually awakened so as to discern God’s original ways from man-made false ways in every area of Christianity.
On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt – on that very day – they came to the Desert of Sinai. After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.
Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, ‘This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.’
So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, ‘We will do everything the LORD has said.’ So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.
The LORD said to Moses, ‘I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.’ Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said. And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Make them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, “Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.” Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.’ EXODUS 19:1-13.
In this passage, Israel had been delivered from Egyptian bondage and had experienced God’s care and provision in the wilderness and they were about to make a national covenant with Him. God required them to prepare both inwardly and outwardly by consecrating themselves physically and ceremonially before meeting the Holy God. The right relationship between God and the people of the covenant began by them having reverence towards Him. Having been terrified by His awesome presence while His commandments were being given, it was then strongly impressed upon them to firmly obey His instructions. Today, Christians should hold this principle for God as well.
More than half a Century ago, an American evangelical pastor and author, A.W. Tozer poignantly warned against a strong temptation for well-intentioned but misguided Christians to introduce new things into the work of God in an attempt to improve His appointed method.
He put it as follows:
When God gave to Moses the blueprint of the Tabernacle He was careful to include every detail; then, lest Moses should get the notion that he could improve on the original plan, God warned him solemnly, "And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shown thee in the mount." God, not Moses, was the architect. To decide the plan was the prerogative of the Deity. No one dare alter it so much as a hairbreadth.
The New Testament Church also is built after a pattern. Not the doctrines only but the methods are divinely given. The doctrines are expressly stated in so many words. Some of the methods followed by the early New Testament Church had been given by direct command; others were used by God's specific approval, having obviously been commanded the apostles by the Spirit. The point is that when the New Testament canon was closed the blueprint for the age was complete. God has added nothing since that time. …
The temptation to introduce "new" things into the work of God has always been too strong for some people to resist. The Church has suffered untold injury at the hands of well intentioned but misguided persons who have felt that they know more about running God's work than Christ and His apostles did.
A solid train of box cars would not suffice to haul away the religious rubbish which has been brought into the service of the Church with the hope of improving on the original pattern. These things have been, one and all, positive hindrances to the progress of the Truth, and have so altered the divinely-planned structure that the apostles, were they to return to earth today, would scarcely recognize the misshapen thing which has resulted.
We of the evangelical faith are in the rather awkward position of criticizing Roman Catholicism for its weight of unscriptural impedimenta and at the same time tolerating in our own churches a world of religious fribble as bad as holy water or the elevated host. Heresy of method may be as deadly as heresy of message. Old-line Protestantism has long ago been smothered to death by extra-scriptural rubbish. Unless we of the gospel churches wake up soon we shall most surely die by the same means (Emphasis added).
Today this trend has accelerated beyond recognition despite his warning. Christians should be spiritually awakened so as to discern God’s original ways from man-made false ways in every area of Christianity. Even more than 350 years ago, a leading British Puritan pastor and theologian, John Owen wrote about apostasy from the Gospel, which amazingly reflects exactly what is going on today:
If we would defend ourselves against all temptations to apostasy, then we must first be concerned for the glory of God. … Who will glorify the great name of God if all his faithful people fall away into apostasy? How many nations that were once receptive to the gospel are now overrun by Islam, paganism and atheism? How concerned are we for the glory of God’s holy name? Thousands in our own nation who call themselves Christians are so in name only. They have an outward form of godliness but there is no reality in their lives. … Is God’s name glorified…?
John Owen emphasised how much God’s holy name had been defiled by so-called Christians and encouraged true believers to pray continually to restore the glory, power and purity of the Christian faith. He also pointed out the importance of keeping our hearts trusting in Christ alone for help and strength so that we could overcome the power of temptation to apostasy. We need to examine our hearts by the Word because it alone can discern its thoughts and intentions. He also warned of a trend of pursuing spiritual gifts more than spiritual fruits, which is also today’s problem:
We must beware of deceiving ourselves that we will not fall into apostasy because we have spiritual gifts. Some trust in the gifts of others... Others trust in their own gifts, their light, knowledge, spiritual abilities in prayer or speaking of the things of God. But gift will not keep people safe from apostasy. Jesus told us this quite clearly (Matt.7:22-23). …Spiritual gifts are for the confirmation of the gospel and the spiritual edification of the church. But gifts do not bring salvation and can be given to those who know nothing of grace in their hearts. So it is incumbent on all who have received spiritual gifts not to look to them as evidence of being truly regenerated… Gifts, without grace, have no influence on the soul… Therefore, beware of trusting that because you have spiritual gifts, you will never fall into apostasy.
The following article entitled “5 Steps Toward a Great Awakening in 2017”, issued on 29th Dec. 2016, tells us of the desperate importance of seeking spiritual awakening and also reminds us of the power of prayer. The whole principle mentioned in this article can be applied to situations in all other countries and not just the US, so that the impossible might be made possible by our merciful Lord. Especially in Japan where only less than one percent of the population are Christians, continual intercessory prayers by believers and the spread of the gospel can be the only key to radically change a hopeless, heretic spirituality. Otherwise, time is running out. Japan is now exactly in the situation that this author illustrated as that of the US before its spiritual awakening or prayer revival.
"By all counts, 2016 was a year of great shaking, perhaps of divine proportions. In America alone, a tremendous shaking has taken place through our presidential elections alone as: the mainstream has been shaken; the political system (in particular, the Democratic party) has been shaken; the evangelical church has been shaken; college campuses have been shaken; the status quo has been shaken — just to name a few. And in each case, we could add that the shaking has not abated.
Is this the hand of God at work?
Obviously, we cannot be dogmatic about this, since we do not have the inspired commentary of Scripture to take us behind the scenes, and some of the upheaval can be explained on natural grounds alone. But from my perspective, much of the shaking is the result of the Lord responding to the prayers of His people, who for many years have been asking Him to rock our world (not destroy our world) and wake us up. Are we getting the message? But even if I'm right about this, there is a massive difference between a great shaking and a great awakening, and the burning question is: How can we move from the great shaking of 2016 to a great awakening in 2017 and beyond?
Before answering that question, let me give you a glimpse of what a spiritual awakening looks like.
Consider the First Great Awakening which took place in the American colonies between 1730-1745. Before the awakening, young people caroused and partied all night, and women were afraid to walk the streets. But in the height of the revival even Benjamin Franklin could say that "it seemed as if all the world were growing religious, so that one could not walk through the town in the evening without hearing psalms sung in different families of every street."
Could you imagine something like this today?
Before the 1857-1858 prayer revival, the churches were becoming worldly and internalized, and immorality, violent crime, spiritualism, corruption, and atheism were on the rise (as recounted by the revival scholar James Edwin Orr). But a spirit of prayer swept across the nation, to the point that stores and businesses would shut down in some of our cities for noon prayer (again, try to wrap your mind around something like that today).
As described by Mary Stuart Relfe, "The Revival of 1857 restored integrity to government and business in America once again. There was renewed obedience to the social commandments. An intense sympathy was created for the poor and needy. A compassionate society was rebirthed. The reins of America were returned to the godly. Yet another time, Revival became the solution to the problems, the remedy for the evils, the cure of all ills."
Could a spiritual movement like this happen again in our day? To use biblical language, with people it's impossible, but with God, all things are possible.
Here, then, are five keys to moving from shaking to awakening.
1. To the extent prayer played a role in the shaking of 2016, it must be maintained and even increased.
Many Christians prayed fervently in the months leading up to the elections, recognizing how terribly broken our nation was and how desperately we needed divine intervention. But human nature being what it is, once we get past the feeling of crisis, we take our foot off the gas. Now is not the time to let up. To the contrary, we must redouble our prayer focus if we want to see real, lasting change.
2. We must put our hope in the Lord, not Donald Trump.
Let's say that Mr. Trump turns out to be a phenomenal president, appointing terrific Supreme Court justices, effectively fighting terrorism, strengthening our economy (especially in the inner cities), securing our borders and creating compassionate solutions for worthy immigrants, replacing Obamacare with a much better plan, restoring respect for America abroad — and even more.
Even if he managed to do all this, which would be more than remarkable, he would not in any way usurp the role of the church, nor could he. He could not turn the hearts of rebels and mockers; he could not restore a spirit of prayer to the church; he could not break the hold of sexual bondages; he could not unite broken families — and on and on the list goes. So, while we pray for our president to succeed in his mission, we put our trust in the Lord, not him, for spiritual awakening.
3. We must give ourselves to the Great Commission and to changing hearts and minds, especially among young people.
Change will not come to America from the top down. It must rise from the grassroots up, and the most effective "weapon" we have, along with prayer, is the gospel.
With the Lord's help, we must make Jesus known to a generation that does not know Him, and we must demonstrate to the world that God's ways are best — ways of life and harmony and peace.
4. If, in fact, we have been given a divine respite, a reprieve of sorts, we must maximize this opportunity with holy desperation. If we don't, things could get worse than ever, and in a hurry at that.
Along with many other leaders, I do believe that we have been spared what could have been a disastrous Hillary Clinton presidency, in particular when it comes to issues of great concern to the church (especially abortion, religious liberty, and the meaning of marriage). But if that is true, then what we do with this respite is of critical importance.
Will we redeem the time and maximize the moment, not only on the political and social fronts but on the spiritual and relational fronts as well? Will we seize hold of our liberties and make a real difference? I dread to think of what's ahead of us if we don't.
5. We must not underestimate the depth of division in our country. The task is massive, and only with the help of the Holy Spirit will we see positive, lasting change.
Even if we're right about God giving us a respite with the Trump election, we cannot forget how divisive he has been as a candidate (and even president-elect) and how these elections have revealed the deep rifts that stand between us, in particular along the lines of sex, race, skin color, age, and religion.
And while we understand that there will always be deep divisions in a nation of 330 million people, we also understand that as followers of Jesus, we have been given the message of reconciliation, both vertically and horizontally, and it is through a great spiritual awakening that these deep divides can be bridged.
The good news is that revival and visitation and renewal not only happen on a national level. Awakening also happens one life at a time, and so we do well to follow the practice of an old evangelist who was asked how he prayed for revival. He answered, "I draw a circle on the ground, then I get inside the circle, then I pray, 'Lord, revive everything in this circle!'" Why not start praying that prayer for yourself today? (http://www.christianpost.com/news/5-steps-toward-a-great-awakening-in-2017-172404/#pyeYebfpLhh61K8y.99)