The Coming Revival

America at the Crossroads
[Excerpt from Chapter 11, The Coming Revival by Bill Bright]

In my fifty years of walking with the Lord, I have never witnessed a greater concern for the spiritual condition of this nation. Everywhere, concerned citizens-especially Christians-are deeply troubled over the wicked things that are happening in our country.

As individual Christians and as a Church, we are prone to be so comfortable, so materialistic, so indifferent to spiritual discipline, so racked by scandals and loss of respect that secular society sees little difference between believers and the rest of the world.

God Wants Revival
I believe God wants to spare our nation and am confident that He is going to send a great spiritual awakening to America and the world. God is touching the hearts of many influential Christians across our land, as He has touched mine. He is convicting His people-persuading them of their sin and the sins of the country-in preparation for the coming revival.
Few seem able to grasp how easy it will be for the revival fire of God to sweep around the world; but past revivals show how powerful our Lord really is.

During my forty-day fast, the Holy Spirit assured me again and again that God will send a great revival to America and the world when His people heed His call to turn to Him, according to 2 Chronicles 7:14. I am confident that this awakening will result in the greatest spiritual harvest in history, and the Great Commission will be fulfilled in our generation.

What the Revival Will Do
If awakenings of the past foreshadow events to come, I believe we will see the fire of the Holy Spirit break out in the churches and spread to every nook and cranny in the land. We will see revival begin with God’s people, but millions of unbelievers everywhere-in government, education, the media, Hollywood-will turn to Christ in unprecedented numbers. That is the nature of true revival. It is never contained within church walls.

As this revival sweeps throughout our nation and around the world, we will see renewed religious fervor. When revival comes, Christians will exercise greater influence in their communities and in our nation.

How the Revival Will Come
Such revival comes as a sovereign act of God-as the result of Christian people meeting God's conditions by responding to the work of the Holy Spirit.

I believe three things must happen before this revival can take place:
First, Christian leaders must catch the vision. We need dedicated ministers of God who are not afraid to call their people to repentance-even if this results in great personal sacrifice.

Second, God’s people must heed the call to repentance, fasting and prayer. God is calling His people to revival. His Word in Joel 2:12, 13 applies today as it did in the prophet's time.

Third, the Holy Spirit must convict the nation of its sins. No revival is possible without the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.

What You Must Do
First, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any unconfessed sin in your life. Is there bitterness, unbelief or unforgiveness? Are you spiritually cold, having left your first love of the Lord?

Second, be filled with the Holy Spirit. If you are a Christian, God in the person of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is already living within you. Great spiritual power and resources are available to you. To be filled with the Spirit, trust Him to control and empower you according to His command and promise.

Third, seek to live in God’s presence as a way of life. Living in God’s presence means that you find your total existence in Him. You do not ask Him to work for you, you ask Him to work through you.

Fourth, love with God’s love. Jesus wept with compassion over the spiritual condition of those He came to save. Loving with God’s love means we allow our hearts to be broken for the lost, as was the heart of Jesus.

Sometimes you may find it difficult to love. But you can love by faith. Everything about the Christian life is based on faith. You love by faith just as you received Christ by faith, just as you are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith, and just as you walk by faith.

Fifth, seek God diligently. God’s work in the hearts of people is accomplished through the power of His Holy Spirit and the faithful, diligent reading, studying and memorizing of God’s holy, inspired Word.

Sixth, invite God to use you. Ask Him to show you how to influence your community. Ask Him for a vision for the world. Share your faith in Christ as a way of life to everyone who will listen.