November 9, 2021 - A. V. Rauf
Is A Final Great Awakening Possible in the U.S. ???
2 Chronicles 7:14—If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
The Great Awakening was a spiritual renewal that swept the American Colonies, particularly New England, during the first half of the 18th Century. Many Christians began to disassociate themselves with the established approach to worship at the time which had led to a general sense of complacency among believers, and instead they adopted an approach which was characterized by great fervor and emotion in prayer.
The Second Great Awakening was a Protestant revival movement during the early 19th century in the United States. The movement began around 1790, gained momentum by 1800 and, after 1820, membership rose rapidly among Baptist and Methodist congregations whose preachers led the movement. It peaked before the mid 1840’s. Again, prayer was what moved the hand of God in this revival as well.
If you notice in the above mentioned verse, God is referring to His people. Currently, it seems as if the majority of churches are tepid and/or floundering. Polls reveal that church attendance is low (This normally happens in the summer months as people take vacations and what not.) In many churches it seems as if “Holiness,” and the “Fear and reverence for God” has taken a back seat to ear-tickling messages that appease and please the congregations. It has been said that current polls also state that the typical Evangelical pastor only prays about 5 minutes a day.
Luke 18:1-8—And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
It goes without saying that our nation is in a crisis. Nothing takes God by surprise though. Prayer is the most vital spiritual weapon we have.
James 5:16-18—Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. Elijah was a man who could make it rain. The Holy Spirit, through this text, could be trying to convey to us that, if Elijah can do it, we can do it. We can make it rain. But what does that mean?
In biblical typology, different liquids typify the Holy Spirit in different aspects. For example, new wine is a liquid which represents the Holy Spirit in the aspect of worship. Another liquid is oil, which speaks of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. But the living water, in Scripture, is always the Holy Spirit outpoured.
Isaiah 44:1-4—Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
The rain, outpoured, goes into the water table and becomes living water. Jesus explained it like this:
John 7:38-39—He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Jesus said directly that living water is the Holy Spirit outpoured. Once again, it says that God will pour out the water – that is rain – on the dry ground. And He says that this means He will pour out His Spirit. Rain is a figure.
I am convinced that we are facing a “spiritual” famine in the land:
Amos 8:11-13—Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.
We are entering what just may be e a very difficult period – not just trial and testing, not just drought, nor even persecution – but all those things together. It will get to the point where the people you try to help will think you have betrayed them. But no matter how bad things get, no matter how dark it becomes, no matter how critical the drought, if you indeed are putting God first, then you will have the Word of God and you will have the anointing of the spirit, no matter what happens. You will have your grain and your oil when the others are affected from famine.
So why has the rain stopped? Partly because of the sins of society, but mostly because of the sins of the Church. And until there is repentance in the Church, there is not going to be a repentance in the world. It is primarily my fault, because I know the truth and I have the message that can make the difference. It is our fault, because the church in the West is for the most part becoming like Laodicea:
Revelation 3:14-22—–And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
The Church has become accustomed to trusting in this life and this world more than she is trusting in Jesus. She has also been seduced by much unbiblical, false and dangerous doctrines, all associated with hype and with prophecies that do not happen. Furthermore, in Laodicea, this church is also suffering from a blindness to its true spiritual state in the eyes of God at the precipice of an avalanche of prophetic events that will constitute the final outcome of the church and the nation of Israel. Have not enough enough prophetic events occurred in the first two months of 2020 alone? And an avalanche of events is prepping to be unleashed this Spring as well.
2 Peter 2:1-3—But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
2 Timothy 4:1-3-—I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Are you willing to no longer be bound by tradition or institutions. Are you tired of trying to put new wine into old wine skins. Are you willing to do what God tells you and trust God to provide for you in ways you couldn’t expect? Are you willing to be pruned, purified and be made fit for the Master’s use?
Romans 13:11-14-–And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to AWAKE out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
1 Corinthians 15:33-34—Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. AWAKE to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
Ephesians 5:1-21—Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints. Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, AWAKE thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Throughout Church history we have witnessed revivals, awakenings and outpourings. As we continue onward entering the quarter mark of the year 2020 let’s seek God with All our hearts and expected Him to move unlike ever before.
Haggai 2:9-12—The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts…
Psalm 102:13-18—Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.16 When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.18 This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.
I pray that we are the generation to come mentioned I the above verse.
Help Wanted: God is seeking for some rainmakers. It is time to awaken!!!!