God is on the Move

I believe something BIG is happening in our nation.

But before we talk about our own backyard, let me set the stage by taking you on a quick trip around the world. A worldwide spiritual renewal has begun in which, according to missions experts, 82,000 people are becoming Christians every single day.[1] Here are a few reports from other nations:

·      Cuba: Pastor Ricardo Pereira reports meetings where God is pouring out His powerful presence every week at his Methodist church.[2] “A revival is taking place in the country of Cuba,” said one ministry partner of Pereira. “We are seeing spiritual fruit born from a dry and thirsty land. It is only the hand of God who can cause such a response.”[3]

·      China: The unofficial estimate is that more than 130 million people have come to know Christ in the last few decades.[4] Chinese evangelist Duan Huilai said, “Everywhere I go, I meet people who are hungry for God and He is showing up.”[5]

·      Africa: Entire mosques are coming to faith in Jesus Christ. Many of these conversions are happening as the result of seeing dreams and visions of Jesus.[6] 

·      Guatemala: The city of Almolonga has seen a conversion of roughly 90% of its inhabitants to Christianity. Once a stronghold of alcoholism, the city has had to shut down most of the bars because no one wants to frequent them anymore. Instead, many of the bars are now used for church gatherings.[7] 

God is showing up, and it is resulting in an explosion of conversions to Christ. However, of those 82,000 worldwide daily conversions, only 6,000 are in the United States and Western Europe combined.[8] “Explosion of conversions” isn’t exactly the phrase we would use to describe the current spiritual climate of our nation; on the contrary, it seems like we are experiencing the exact opposite. For example, research recently done by LifeWay Christian Resources revealed that 65% of young adults rarely or never attend church.[9] Another study discovered that 87% of young adults consider Christians to be “judgmental,” 85% call Christians “hypocrites,” and 72% say the Christian faith is “out of touch with reality.”[10]

Because of our spiritual condition relative to the rest of the world, many are wondering if the American church is teetering on the brink of irrelevancy. But, if the church historians are right, the Western church is not going away, and it is not dying. It is just re-forming. Many believe that God is moving behind the scenes, preparing us to receive what the rest of the world is already experiencing, and the result will be nothing less than a full-scale reformation.

I’m encouraged by this idea. How exciting to think that God is up to something big, and that the tidal wave of spiritual renewal that is engulfing the rest of the world is headed to the shores of America.

---

[1] James C. Denison, Ph.D., God Is Not A Hobby: The Fifth Great Awakening and the Future of America (Dallas: Denison Forum on Truth and Culture, 2012), 5.

[2] “The Methodist Movement is Alive in Cuba,” www.worldmethodist.org/cubastory.htm.

[3] Meredith Hodge, “Cuba Sees Spark of Revival as 10,000 Gather in Worship,” June 29, 2012, www.charismanews.com/world/33698-cuba-sees-spark-of-revival-as-10000-gather-in-worship.

[4] David W. Virtue, “Greatest Christian Revival in Church History Happening in China,” September 25, 2009, www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=9089#.UZQWeZU1bFI.

[5] George Thomas, “Jesus in the Rice Fields: China’s Countryside Revival,” May 4, 2012, www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2011/May/Growth-Explosion-Chinas-Christianity-Takes-Root-/.

[6] Michael Vu, “Entire Mosques Coming to Faith in Jesus in Sub-Sahara Africa,” March 29, 2012, blog.godreports.com/2012/03/entire-mosques-coming-to-faith-in-jesus-in-sub-sahara-africa/.

[7] Carol Saia, “God Ends Idol’s 700-Year Reign in Almolonga, Guatemala,” www.iftpartners.com/index.php/fire-quest/2-uncategorised/41-god-ends-idol-s-700-year-reign-in-almolonga-guatemala.

[8] Denison, 5.

[9] Good News Christian Florida, “Millennial’s Forthcoming About Faith,” 2012, goodnewsfl.org/christian-news/millennials_forthcoming_about_faith/.

[10] David Kinneman and Gabe Lyons, UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity…And Why It Matters (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007).