It’s a tried-and-true adage that we tend to find what we’re looking for – especially when we’re pursuing those things near and dear to God’s heart.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you,” counseled Jesus.
Christians regularly pray for revival, a time of spiritual reawakening, renewal, repentance and a radical reformation of culture’s many ills.
In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s tragic death, we saw many people return to church, ask about Jesus and the Bible, and even take to social media to express their heartfelt longings amid their despair. Tragedy can often move individuals in unique and transformative ways.
Even today we can find evidence of the Holy Spirit sweeping across the country. This past Wednesday night at the University of Cincinnati, over 5,500 students gathered for a worship event organized by UniteUS – a nonprofit group dedicated to reaching college students for Christ. Over 2,000 of those students then gathered in the parking lot where thousands either dedicated or rededicated their lives to the Lord. Many of them were also baptized.
“What we witnessed at the University of Cincinnati tonight was just a glimpse of what heaven will be like! Praise the Lord for the gift of freedom found in JESUS,” reflected Tonya Prewett, UniteUS’s founder.
Similar events have been held at over a dozen other college campuses including Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Purdue and Ole Miss.
Evidence of growing spiritual interest can also be found in the fervent response to various announcements concerning the upcoming Super Bowl.
Christian music artists Cory Asbury and Forrest Frank have announced plans to perform at an alternative Super Bowl halftime show. “We want this to be a Jesus moment,” said Asbury. “We’re glorifying the name of Jesus, worshiping, praying. I almost see it like a Billy Graham crusade – a call to the altar, mass salvation across the nation.” They’ve been overwhelmed by the response.
Turning Point USA, the organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk, has also announced plans to host “The All-American Halftime Show” – a counterprogramming move to serve as one more alternative to the questionable on-field programing at February’s Super Bowl. Social media lit up over the idea and proposal.
And it’s no wonder. As believers, we are called to help lead and champion Christian revival.
It was Dr. Billy Graham who once proffered, “When God gets ready to shake America, He may not take the Ph.D. and the D.D. God may choose a country boy … God may choose the man that no one knows, a little nobody, to shake America for Jesus Christ in this day, and I pray that He would!”
Yet is Christian revival an event or an ongoing and unfolding development?
While the Lord can do anything in any way, the evidence would suggest the latter.
Elections don’t just reflect voter sentiment but also take culture’s temperature. Tuesday’s races were largely a rout in favor of radical and progressive policies. Three pro-abortion Supreme Court judges were elected in Pennsylvania. Pro-abortion governors won in Virginia and New Jersey along with other progressive state lawmakers. An avowed socialist was elected mayor in New York City.
Has Christian renewal or revival stalled? No. But is it uneven? Clearly the answer to that question is “Yes.”
Simultaneous Christian awakening and secular revolution are possible and a common phenomenon. That’s one reason why it’s so important for believers to be engaged and remain vigilant. We’re involved in a cosmic conflict between good and evil. How are we to engage it? The apostle Paul urged us to “not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
We celebrate the salvations in Cincinnati. At the same time, we grieve the deaths of innocent preborn children and the deterioration of moral and biblical values that will stem from the election of those who champion destructive public policy.
Through it all we take comfort in the truth of the Apostle Paul’s assurance:
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12).
