"COMING YOUTH REVIVAL" - Andrew Strom
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
-by Andrew Strom.
Some of the strongest and most persistent prophecies about the
coming Awakening say that it will be a 'YOUTH' Revival as well
as a 'STREET' Revival and a 'GREAT REFORMATION' - all rolled
into one. I totally believe these prophecies. They line up with
everything that God has been saying worldwide for years.
We are talking about a Revival with 'NEW MUSIC' - that invades
the streets with a NEW SOUND glorifying Jesus. We are talking
about an ARMY of youthful worshipping warriors. We are talking
about an invasion of the MEDIA - video, music, film, internet and
all - everywhere that young people are. We are talking about going
to WAR for this generation. The prophecies over Gen X and Y are
too strong to ignore. God has spoken- "I am going to change the
understanding and expression of Christianity in the EARTH in
ONE GENERATION."
This is what the "John the Baptist" Movement is really about. -It
is to be a radical movement of holiness and repentance - aimed
largely at the YOUTH. -And I stress the word "RADICAL".
For years our Christianity in the West has failed to give the youth
a CAUSE worth dying for. -Thus we always end up having to
"ENTERTAIN" them in the doors. No-one wants to die for a
"lukewarm" cause! But this 'Street-Revival' will be very different.
Personally, I had set aside these prophecies in recent years. I had
been right into them before that - with our music and street-
outreaches, etc. But in the last two years I had turned away. -It
seemed like the season was wrong and nothing ever came
together. It just wasn't God's time.
But with all the CHANGE that has occurred already this year,
something was beginning to stir again. And this past weekend in
Minnesota, God strongly led me to preach on 'Youth Revival' and
'Street Revival' - totally out of the blue. I had not preached on this
for years. I began to prophesy 'CHANGE' - and that the season is
NOW. -So many things confirm it. I honestly believe it to be true.
The "TERRAIN HAS CHANGED". -And we are only just beginning
to come to grips with what that really means. A new season is
opening. And those of us who are called into this need to begin
walking through God's open doorway RIGHT NOW.
A number of the prophecies about this coming Revival refer to
the Early Salvation Army (-which was one of the most radical
Street holiness movements in the history of the church). Let us
take a brief look at this movement:
The year 1878 saw the birth of one of the most outrageous,
zealous and anointed Revival movements in history - the early
Salvation Army. For it's first thirty years, it was one of the most
extreme, unusual and effective Christian movements that the
world has ever known. Made up mostly of young zealots and led
by a spiritual dynamo named William Booth, this was God's
answer when extreme measures were called for to combat the
apathy and spiritual torpor of the times.
Originally named simply the 'Christian Mission', Booth's movement
always had a 'Revival' feel about it. But it wasn't until they went
"military" in 1878, with flags, battle songs, war uniforms, etc, that
the whole thing exploded worldwide. This was no longer simply
home-missionary work. It was holy guerrilla warfare against dark-
ness and the devil. Booth's motto was:- "Go for souls and go for
the worst". It was nothing less than all-out war.
Within five years of becoming a military-style 'Army', Booth's fifty
mission stations had become 634 corps (106 of them overseas).
These soldiers were some of the most innovative, daring and war-
like disciples of Jesus that had ever walked the earth. There was
much opposition. In the year 1882 alone in England, 669
Salvationists were physically assaulted, 56 Army buildings were
wholly or partially wrecked, "skeleton armies" of local toughs were
formed to attack the Salvationists, and 86 Salvation Army soldiers
were thrown into prison for causing a disturbance on the streets.
There were literally street-riots almost everywhere they went. And
they were front-page news around the world. But all the while,
thousands were being transformed. The common people, the poor,
the orphans, the drunkards, the brawlers, the thugs - people who
never went near a church - were being converted in their droves.
The Salvationists became well-known for their rather raucous brass
band music (which was the loudest street-music around at the
time) and their anointed Repentance preaching. It was quite common
for them to form brass bands out of instruments held together by
bits of string, and with musicians who could hardly even play! One
eyewitness described the noise as sounding "like a brass band
that has gone out of it's mind." They often used the popular drinking
songs and pub songs of the day, changing the words to make them
into battle hymns or worship songs. As William Booth said, "Why
should the devil have all the best music?" (-A saying also credited
to Martin Luther and John Wesley before him).
The early Salvation Army were truly outrageous by the Victorian
standards of the day - in fact by any standards. But while respect-
able church people were often scandalised, thousands upon
thousands of sinners were converted - usually from the lowest
sectors of society that Jesus Himself had ministered to.
Then as today, the Salvationists waged a war on poverty and
hunger wherever they went. Like the apostles, it was not just
evangelism they were interested in,- it was transformation of the
whole person - spirit, soul and body. The Salvation Army became
known around the world for it's practical help of the poor and needy,
just like the early church.
With their "BLOOD AND FIRE" flags, and their uniforms similar to
the war uniforms of the day, these were God's spiritual assault
commandos - fearless and radical evangelists for Jesus. It was not
uncommon for them to pray all night and preach all day. They were
very much a 'YOUTH MOVEMENT'. (-Even their OFFICERS were
often only in their late teens or twenties).
There is no doubt that tremendous courage and DARING will be
required by those who seek to become part of such a 'Street-Revival'
today. For the modern church has grown "fat" and the devil has
been winning the war for the hearts and minds of our youth for
decades. But I believe that indeed such "daring" ones will be found.
And there will need to be "mothers and fathers" in this movement
also. (-Though they will need to be just as 'radical' as the youth).
We stand on the edge of the most momentous days in the history
of the church, my friends. I believe there is an "explosion" coming.
Are you truly ready for a 'STREET-REVIVAL'?
To respond to this email, write to- prophetic@revivalschool.com
God bless you all!
-Andrew Strom.