THE LAST REVIVAL - by David Wilkerson
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
-David Wilkerson
The New Testament church was born in a blaze of glory. The Holy
Ghost came down upon it with fire, and the first Christians spoke
with tongues and prophesied. They experienced smiting conviction,
and multitudes were converted. They broke out on the right and
on the left and were greatly enlarged. The fear of God fell upon
them and upon all who saw them. There were signs, wonders, and
miracles. The dead were raised. Fearless evangelists went every-
where preaching the Word. Jails could not hold them. Storms
could not drown them. When their possessions were seized, they
continued to rejoice. When they were stoned, hanged, burned or
crucified, they went out singing and praising God. It was a
triumphant church, unafraid of Satan, irreverent toward idols,
unmoved by plagues or persecution. It was a blood-washed
church, living and dying in victory.
What is the last hour church going to be like? How will the church
go out in its final hour? Will it go out as a fat, prosperous, self-
seeking church, counting heads, getting out the vote? Will it be
just a handful of true believers holding on, watching death and
apostasy eat away at it like a cancer? Will the last day church
live in dread and fear as AIDS and other plagues ravage the
masses? Will fewer and fewer overcome the world? Will coldness
and apostasy leave it weak, mocked, and powerless? Will the
church go out of this age full of hypocrisy, with great praise,
worship, and prayer meetings where unclean hands and impure
hearts offer strange fire?
To be sure, there is going to be a great falling away or apostasy.
There will be spiritual harlotry on all sides. Because sin abounds,
the love of many will grow cold. There will come deceivers,
teaching doctrines of demons. People will have itching ears and
will flock to hear soft preaching. Deceptions will get so bad that
even the elect will be tested severely.
But the church of Jesus Christ is not going out with a whimper or
a limp. It is going out victorious, with joy unspeakable, riding a
river of peace. It is going out in freedom from all bondage, with its
foot on Satan's neck. And every member of this true church will
live and die without fear. The tempter's power will be broken.
Christians will be holy and will tear down idols. They will be just
as strong in the Lord as the first Christians.
Is there going to be a great ingathering before Jesus comes? Can
we expect to see one last powerful out pouring of the Spirit, greater
than anything in history? Is it not said that only a remnant will go
on with Christ? Does not Joel prophesy "to the remnant which the
Lord shall call?" Is it not true that at present only a small remnant
wants to hear about holiness? We need to understand what is
meant by "a remnant." It is true that it will be but a small
percentage compared to the billions of people on the earth. But
even 10% of New York City would be over one million overcomers.
The remnant also means "that which remains of the original."
Those who sew understand that a remnant is a piece of the original
cloth. A remnant church is one which has the same character as
the original New Testament church.
A Great Revival of Righteousness is Coming
I want to make a statement with the greatest spiritual authority
possible; I make it backed by a covenant as sure as the one made
to Noah. There is going to be a final, midnight hour revival, one
which shall break forth on all sides. Zion will travail and many,
many children will be given to her. There will be great singing and
shouting, and Zion will say, "Where have all these come from?"
It will be a revival of righteousness.
I have heard old-time preachers speak of a last revival for years.
One dear friend has been preaching it for over 60 years. Now the
young preachers are praying for revival; they want to see God
work in this day, not just read about it in books. It is not enough
to simply preach on past revivals. Why pray, why seek revival,
if it is not promised in the Bible? If the Bible says we are beyond
hope, let's just evangelize and preach, and not be concerned
about results. But, if revival is promised, Christians need to see
it, lay hold of it, and pray with faith knowing that God has
promised to do it. Is it in the Word? The promise is found in
Isaiah 54. This is one of the most important chapters, in God's
Word for this generation. We are clearly told here what God
intends to do with His church, His people, in the last days. This
chapter prophesies what is going to happen at Times Square
Church, as well as everywhere else there are hungry hearts. It
will happen in Russia, in China, in every land, every island of the
sea, from the North Pole to the South.
The church is going to experience an undeserved outpouring of
love, mercy, and kindness. It is going to come in a time of great
affliction, with a tempest raging, with anxiety on all sides, when
society is being tossed about. God swears he is going to reveal
Himself in great kindness: "...But with everlasting kindness will
I have mercy on you, says the Lord your Redeemer... My kind-
ness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of my
peace be removed, says the Lord that has mercy on you" (Isaiah
54:8-10). What God is saying to the church, He is also saying
to individual believers. God is speaking to those "...afflicted,
tossed with tempest, and not comforted" (Isaiah 54:11). Is that
you? Are you experiencing a sudden, violent disturbance? Yes,
this includes the economy. It also includes the alarming world
situation.
God Will Have An Overcoming People
But God's greatest concern is for those who have at any time
been His beloved, even backsliders and those overcome by a
sudden, violent storm of temptation. His promise is to those who
are right now in great affliction, tossed in a storm, not comforted,
hopeless, helpless, and lost. God is going to woo back to Himself
a backslidden, forsaken people...
-Read the rest at the link below-
http://www.tscpulpitseries.org/english/1980s/ts880411.html
Copyright © 2002 by World Challenge, Lindale Texas USA.