Thursday 2 January 2014

On the threshold of a great awakening???

Today I read a new year message by a prominent and much respected Christian leader, theologian, preacher and author. It mentioned a great move of God's Spirit. I note that he does not use the word revival. I have heard similar words, usually about revival, since the 1960s and while I believe that we really do need a revival or a great awakening, I am rather concerned and cautious about such predictions.  You may have read some of my previous posts which are highly critical of those who predicted revival in certain years and in certain countries, yet the conditions and situations were far from revival in any shape or form. Nothing even close. A falling away rather than revival seemed to have taken place. These predictions/prophecies simply did not come to pass!  Christian values have lost ground in a increasingly secular and godless UK.

The following predictions by this Christian minister were published on 1 January 2014:

I have largely avoided eschatology throughout my ministry. But now I am old. So I am prepared to say that we are on the brink of the greatest move of the Holy Spirit since Pentecost. There is coming a huge wake up call to the church that will go around the world – when it comes – in hours. In the Egyptian crisis this year nearly one million people flooded the square in Cairo an hour. How? By modern communications that nearly everyone has access to. Wait and see. This tool will do this with regard to a message coming down the road. Get ready for it. It will wake up the church....

 It is (in my humble opinion) the next thing on God’s calendar. It will result in the church being awakened, the lifting of the blindness on Israel and millions of Muslims converted. But all this will be paralleled by great persecution. It won’t be all fun. The “wise” virgins – those who have pursued their inheritance – will be right in the middle of this great outpouring. The “foolish” virgins – those who have not pursued their inheritance – will be on the side lines; they will plead for help from those who pursued their inheritance. But it will be too late for them.
Yes, I thought this would have come by now. But I expect it soon. I expect to see it in my lifetime (I am 78). 


I hope and pray that he is right, but I honestly do not see any signs of this awakening, the next thing on God's calendar. I think greater persecution is most probable. But this is said to be " the greatest move of the Holy Spirit since Pentecost." That is some prediction!

1 comment:

Johli Baptist said...

I attended a global day of prayer at West Ham stadium some years ago during which a speaker predicted a coming revival. Certain leaders in what has been called "the prayer movement" have made similar claims of an imminent revival. Some leaders believed that they received special downloads from God, but they did not come to pass during the decade of evangelism (1990-1999, as I recall).

Dedham

Dedham
River Stour