Many believers today hold to the perspective that we are currently in the last of the last days. Because they hold to that conviction, they believe that many are going to fall away from the church. Others are of the expectation, as has been predicted by numerous respected men and women of God, that there is going to be a great and sweeping last days’ revival where thousands will be saved.
We know that Jesus did teach “Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved”. Matthew 24:12 (KJV) Paul also clearly affirms in Thessalonians 2:2 that Jesus would not come back in the last days until after there was a great falling away. Therefore, I clearly understand why many students of the scripture and religious leaders may believe that we are in those days now, since we know that many are indeed falling away from the faith and it is also clear that the people are becoming more and more sinful. We must at least offer understanding to those who feel that the last days’ spiritual trajectory is only downward.
However, thousands and possibly even millions of others are saying that they believe that there will be one more great awakening in America. Keep in mind that prior to the 70’s hippy movement, droves of young people were participating in a new wave of rebellion against America’s traditions. It seemed to those holding strong to their faith and the word of God that this new rebellion, exemplified by the long hair on men, a wild rocking style of music, free love, exotic drug use and the total disrespect of the elder generation of that day must obviously be what Jesus and the Apostle Paul were referring to. Surely, this was a sign that the end was right around the corner.
Then, to almost everyone’s surprise, the “Jesus Movement” was born. Starting in California, tens of thousands of hippies began to be saved and filled with God’s Holy Spirit. Many churches rejected these new converts, but those who truly understood the far reaching arms of God’s loving grace found the joy of feeding the word of God to thousands of new very hungry hearts. Years later, today’s accounts show that a large percentage of these ex-hippies grew into mature Christians, often showing the love of Christ to many that the then established church folk would not.
As I was praying for revival in my home church recently something occurred to me. I prayed “God, please send your mercy to the people of America and around the world by sending a last days’ revival. So many Lord, as I was, have been miss-taught and miss-led concerning who you are!” They are saying no to a God that they do not even know! That’s our fault as American churches, Lord. Please forgive us and please give us another chance to share with them the truth about your love and the cross’s message of forgiveness of sins, even as you did for me Lord, so many years ago.
Lord, please forgive them just like you forgave the hippies. Because Lord, what do you have to lose? To borrow one of your quotes, what if, as You say, ‘Where are the other nine?,’ if only one out of ten come back to thank you?” One out of nine seems so insignificant, but what about ten out of a hundred? Or a hundred out of a thousand? Or what if a thousand souls remain faithful after you reached out to save ten thousand? If millions reject your effort, but you save tens of thousands, then Father out of your great love and mercy, a last days’ revival makes perfect spiritual sense.”
This continues to be my intercession. Are you willing to let God change your perception a little? You have to admit things on the earth may be bad. But they are still not nearly as bad as Jesus predicted that they will be. Maybe just like what happened in the Jesus Movement, God will expand your perception to reach a generation that few are left to love but Him?