“WHEN IN HELL, DIG A WELL”

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“WHEN IN HELL, DIG A WELL!”

Have you ever been through an ordeal like a living hell?  Have you wondered what to do in such a horrendous situation?  Click on link and discover how to come out of it victoriously.

EQUIPPED TO HANDLE ANY STORM

The child of God has been given a spiritual DNA, which equips him to handle any storm he goes through. Click on link below to view this powerful message. 

THERE IS HOPE IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM

There is hope in the midst of the worldwide pandemic.  God Is at work!  Click on link below for this timely message of hope!

David Wilkerson’ Prophecy About the Pandemic

A Dream of the Coming Darkness

A Dream of the Coming Darkness

 by Michael Edds.

In the fall of 2004, I had a dream.  It was so real and terrifying that I had to get up from my bed.

The following is an account of the dream:

I was visiting my birthplace, a small village in the beautiful Greenbrier Valley of West Virginia. I pulled my car off the road and parked in front of the old Methodist Church.

I got out of the car to stretch my legs.  The day was absolutely pristine and picture perfect.  The sky was cloudless, the sun bright, and the air fresh and crystal clear.

I was admiring the beautiful flowers growing in people´s yards.  Many were busy working in their yards and gardens on such a gorgeous day.  There was such peace and serenity.

I turned and looked toward the southeast.  I was astonished at what I saw.

A billowing cloud of complete blackness was suddenly approaching the town.  It completely blotted out all light and scenery where it advanced and covered. It approached the village limits, which was a river southeast of the community.

I made the comment, “Oh my God, the Darkness has come!”  I sensed great evil

and danger in it.

I looked around to see if anyone else saw what I saw.  To my amazement, people were oblivious to the approaching wall of darkness.  They were still busy working in their yards and around their homes.

I made the statement, “They do not realize what it will be like when the Darkness comes.  All of the sun light, beauty of nature and peace will disappear when the Darkness moves in. Everything in their lives will suddenly and drastically change.”

I turned to get into my car to flee the approaching Darkness.  All of a sudden, six motorcyclists drove out of the blackness and across the bridge into the

town.

I gasped, “The advance guard of the Darkness has arrived!”  These riders were on black motorcycles and dressed in black leather from head to toe.

I jumped into my car as they approached.  They slowed down as they reached my car and the leader yelled out, “Don´t you dare leave!”

I locked my car doors as he approached and floored the gas pedal.  My tires squealed as I fled.  The motorcyclists pursued me and tried to force me off the road.

I swerved into two and caused them to wreck.  The rest pursued me for many miles and shot at me.

After some distance, I approached some men working on the road and asked for help or to make a call for me to the police.  The cyclist were no longer in sight.

I started to get out of the car but heard a voice from above warning me to not to get out of the car but to drive on.  Finally, I realized that I was running out of gas and stopped down the road to refuel.

I pulled up to a gas station and started refueling.  The dream ended with me

praying for God´s protection while I refueled.

When I awoke, I was trembling with fear. I got up to settle myself.

The parts of the dream that stood out were:

1. The Darkness suddenly came upon the land.
2. Before it came, all was serene, beautiful and peaceful.
3. No one saw it coming.
4. An advanced guard came into the community first on a reconnaissance mission.
5. The Darkness then moved in and totally blotted out all light and beauty.  Life drastically changed for people.
6. I fled for safety.

America is on the threshold of something cataclysmic that will radically change life, as we know it. 

A wall of Darkness is about to suddenly fall upon this land.

John 14:13 tells us that the Holy Spirit will tell us of things to come.  He warns us in advance to prepare us for what is ahead.

Hebrews 11:7 records, “…Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with Godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household….”

An advance guard of this Darkness is already at work.  People are living in a false sense of complacent security.

I believe that the cup of iniquity is full in America, which will unleash divine judgment upon this nation.

Somethings is about to shatter the hardness of this wicked nation´s heart.

God has revealed to me that a Great Awakening is about to burst forth upon the scene.

This Awakening will give America and the world one last chance to repent.  Most importantly, it will bring the Bride of Christ together.

Historically, Awakenings have preceded calamity.  This could happen again.  However, the coming Darkness may actually precede the Final Awakening and be the cause of people turning to God, which would bring about the Awakening.

May God´s people listen to the warning of The Holy Spirit and move with Godly fear to the saving of their households and neighborhoods.

God desires for us to prepare an ark of safety to which people can flee for refuge when disaster comes.  Let us listen and quickly move.

Darkness is coming!

'Wave After Wave of People, Broken Before the Lord': TN Pastor Tells of Revival Sweeping His City

Revival is taking place in Tennessee after churches from various denominations partnered together in prayer and fasting, igniting a move of God's Spirit that has transformed lives across the region.

CBN News has learned more about the revival that's underway in Tennessee involving 1,000 churches across the Volunteer State.  It's a part of "Awaken Tennessee", a 30-day prayer and fasting initiative that launched on Jan. 26 and will run through Feb. 23.

As CBN News reported on Monday, churches across Tennessee are fasting and praying for unity, according to Sheldon Livesay, East Tennessee coordinator for Awaken Tennessee.

The event is not about any one church or denomination. It's been described by Pastor John Butler of the East Rogersville Baptist Church in Rogersville as a concentrated prayer effort across the state for true revival in our churches that triggers an awakening in local communities, the state, and the nation.

The initiative started last year when Pastor Dave Clayton of Nashville's Ethos Church was successful in getting 400 churches to come together to pray for every single resident of the city.  Awaken Nashville was a huge success, so this year Clayton and other organizers decided to invite churches in the entire state to participate. 

According to Livesay, Dove Award-winning singer/songwriters Terry and Barbi Franklin took the idea through their prayer network and also contacted churches across the state to take part in the initiative. 

Pastors are reporting their services are exploding with revival services as a result of the Holy Spirit showing up and taking over.

Butler told CBN News in an email that his church decided to join the Awaken Tennessee event and was preparing to host a revival conference with guest revivalist John Avant, president of Life Action Ministries. The Franklins would serve as worship leaders. 

The East Rogersville Church launched Awaken TN with multiple churches gathering for a night of praise, prayer, and worship on Sunday, Jan. 26 and then the revival conference was to start the next Sunday morning Feb. 2.

"The week between these two Sundays was filled with prayer in our church. Each weeknight people gathered in homes to pray. It was an intense week of prayer for many of our people. God had been quietly working in many lives, but we had no idea of what He was about to do," Butler wrote. 

'Wave After Wave...'

Then Sunday morning came and what happened next astounded everyone, including the pastor. 

As the Franklins led the song "10,000 Reasons," "One man sitting on the back row made his way to the altar and began to weep and pray. A host of other men gathered around him and prayed. Before the end of the song, the altar was filled with people. Slowly the altar began to empty, then it would fill again. Wave after wave of people broken before the Lord. Jesus had walked into our midst that morning and set up His throne and He has been here ever since," Butler told CBN News. 

The pastor said it was almost an hour before Avant made it to the pulpit.  

"The first words from his mouth were that he felt the need to be very careful about what was said at this moment because this was a special moment. John was the pastor of Coggin Avenue Baptist Church in Brownwood, TX in 1995 when revival broke out in that church and several other churches in the city simultaneously as well as on the campus of Howard Payne University. John stated that he had never witnessed this type of movement within a church since those days. We had coordinated our revival conference to coincide with the 50 year anniversary of the Asbury Revival of 1970 and the 25th anniversary of the Brownwood revival of 1995 and now revival had come to East Rogersville Baptist Church that Sunday morning February 2, 2020 in Rogersville, TN," he says.

Butler reports that every meeting at the conference was touched by a move of God.

"Every service for the planned conference was filled with God's presence. People were getting serious about dealing with personal sin and people were coming to Christ for salvation. Thirty-year feuds were made right, relationships have been restored, and many masks had been removed. People made public confessions of sin, bitterness, and laziness about their involvement in God's kingdom activity," the pastor said. 

A Move of the Spirit in Multiple Churches

Butler also said the revival didn't just happen in his church.  

"As many as six other churches has been faithful in participating in these services. There are Baptists, Methodists, non-denominational churches as well as Pentecostal and Charismatic churches involved. Several pastors have been faithfully supporting these services and we are seeing God begin to move in those churches as well," he noted. 

"To date, we have seen around 20 people saved and many of them baptized in one of our services. God is doing a special work among the students of our community," he continued. 

Then people told Butler they wanted the meetings to continue, and so they did.

"The conference was supposed to be over Wednesday, February 5, however, the people on that night said 'we need to keep meeting'. So we have kept meeting. We have now entered into our third week of services and based upon last night we are expecting to run at the very least through the end of this week," the pastor said. 

"Know that God seems to move in waves. This has proven to be ever so helpful as we progress through these days of revival. We have witnessed these waves. All of the services have been Spirit-filled yet some are just overpowering and that is what we are seeing," Butler told CBN News. 

"It's all God! As was stated in the beginning, we are most blessed to be experiencing revival. We pray that revival begins to spread rapidly across our state and nation," he said. 

Livesay noted it seems all East Tennessee is seeing unusual moves of God in their services. 

"There has been a 50-year history of intense prayer across our region and the last two years we've seen God lead cities of churches together to do prayer walks, crusades, and tent revivals," he told CBN News. "Awaken Tennessee seems it has brought that extra Holy Spirit presence through prayer and fasting that we see exploding in church after church."

Isaiah 17 & Psalm 83 Prophecy: The Destruction of Damascus.

"ISRAELI HOUSING MINISTER CALLING FOR THIRD TEMPLE TO BE BUILT TO REPLACE AL AQSA MOSQUE!"

The Israel Minister of Housing and Construction Uri Ariel on Friday expressed his wish to see the construction of a “Third Temple” in place of the Al-Aqsa Mosque that is currently occupying the temple mount. Uri Ariel said “The first Temple was destroyed in 586 BCE, the second Temple in 70 CE, and ever since the Jewish People have been mourning its loss.”
He then went on to say “Al-Aqsa Mosque is currently in place of the temple, despite the temple being much holier than it. Al-Aqsa Mosque is only the third most holy mosque in Islam.” “Now that Israel has once again become a Jewish sovereign state, the desire to rebuild the Temple is growing stronger and strong” he added.

"WARNING.....ONE WORLD RELIGION RISING!!!"

 

JAMES ROBISON TO POPE FRANCIS “IN CHRIST WE ARE BROTHERS”

By Ken Silva pastor-teacher on May 6, 2014

 

 

Lord willing, another time I’ll have more on this as it concerns the rapidly apostatizing charismatic James Robison, so this isn’t meant to be exhaustive. It begins with what I covered here at Apprising Ministries in my 2011 article James Robison and Rick Warren Working to Reverse the Protestant Reformation.
Therein I gave you Robison’s Life Today TV program for Thursday, December 1, 2011. James Robison’s guest was “Father” Jonathan Morris, who is a Parochial Vicar at an historic Roman Catholic church called St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in New York. In addition, Morris is often a news analyst for the FOX News Channel.
Morris is also author of God Wants You Happy: From Self-Help to God’s Help (GWYH). As we turn now to my personal copy of Morris’ book GWYH, you’ll see below that Rick Warren, arguably one of the most influential pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention, says on the back cover of his good friend’s GWYH:

A significant part of this “transformation” is the reversal of the Protestant Reformation, and the acceptance of the Roman Catholic Church as a Christian denomination, that is well underway within evangelicalism.1 In that Thursday, December 1, 2011 mentioned above, Morris made the following very telling statement:

As evangelicals and Catholics; Christians,… I believe there’s a…there’s a evangelical/Catholic movement that’s going on…

Indeed, there is; and, as you’ll come to see, it’s rooted in charismania. More on that in a moment; but first, you may recall in Under God and Joined with Apostates I told you about Robison’s July 2012 church leadership conference Under God Indivisible (UGI), which featured Word Faith heretics and Roman Catholic spokesmen.
One of them was Jonathan Morris. UGI also happened to contain the name of James Robinson’s latest book Indivisible, which he had just co-wrotten with another apostate Roman Catholic friend, Dr. Jay Richards. To no one’s surprise, it called for evangelicals and Roman Catholics to strive for unity in the Body of Christ. 
Fast forward to James Robison’s program for Monday, May 5, 2014 featuring “Bishop” Tony Palmer. From the opening of the program we see a call for unity where there can be none. The Roman Catholic Church anathematized the Gospel and no real Christian has fellowship with faithful Roman Catholics like Pope Francis.
Robison told us that Palmer is “a really truly spirit-filled evangelical from the Anglican Episcopal Church.”2 He then went  on to further introduce Palmer informing us that:

he developed a relationship and a friendship with a man who happened to become the Pope, Pope Francis. It is a miracle what God is doing.
I want you to welcome a man that I believe is a part of seeing the prayer of Jesus answered in our day that we become supernaturally perfected in unity — not sameness, unity. (

The two men discuss Tony Palmer’s friendship with his “spiritual father” Pope Francis and how it is that Palmer ended up with the video of Pope Francis you’ll see in just a bit. This is from the official transcript of the show:

James: I really appreciate you. We have been a supporter and an encourager of your work, your mission outreach. Let me just ask you, how in the world did you come to meet the man who is now Pope and actually not only be a friend but remain a friend? Tell us a little bit about that.
Bishop Palmer: It was back in 2006, I was asked to go down to Argentina to work with the Charismatic Catholics because they have quite a Charismatic revival going on within the Catholic church and has been for almost 50 years. So it’s protocol whenever we go into a diocese of another Bishop, we visit the Bishop, ask him if we can work in his diocese. That’s exactly how we met.
When he found out that my wife, being a charismatic Catholic herself, and our children, he thought it was quite entertaining. So he offered a friendship to me immediately. Here is this evangelical Anglican married to a Charismatic Catholic.[Laughter] So I said, “Look, we’re covering all the bases here.” [Laughter] So he offered me a friendship. Two years after that, 2008, I asked if he would be my mentor and a spiritual father to me, and our relationship just deepened from there. 

Palmer continues on to mention a personal meeting he had with his friend Pope Francis in late January of this year. Robison is obviously impressed and says:

James: So it wasn’t just a little handshake. He actually saw you right in his apartment?
Bishop Palmer: Yeah, we spent the morning together.
James: That’s amazing! 

In their February 25, 2014  report We are brothers,’ Pope stresses in message to Pentecostals the [Roman] Catholic News Agency brought us up to speed concerning the conference Palmer referenced above. It’s the one the Pope was actually addressing in the video clip to follow, which Robison aired yesterday:

Pope Francis’ message was delivered to a meeting of the Fort Worth, Texas-based Kenneth Copeland Ministries by Pentecostal Bishop Tony Palmer, who had recorded it on an iPhone in a Jan. 14 meeting. (source)

Respected online apologetic and discernment work Stand Up for the Truth also added in their piece Pope to Copeland: Catholics and Charismatics must spiritually unite that:

Pope Francis has now sent a video message to Word of Faith father Kenneth Copeland, urging a reconciliation between Catholics and Charismatics.
“The Catholic and Charismatic Renewal is the hope of the Church,” exclaims Anglican Episcopal Bishop Tony Palmer, before a group of cheering followers at the Kenneth Copeland Ministries.   Palmer said those words are from the Vatican. Before playing the video message from Pope Francis to Kenneth Copeland, Palmer told the crowd,  “When my wife saw that she could be Catholic, and Charismatic, and Evangelical, and Pentecostal, and it was absolutely accepted in the Catholic Church, she said that she would like to reconnect her roots with the Catholic culture. So she did.”
The crowd cheered, as he continued, “Brothers and sisters, Luther’s protest is over. Is yours?”

Even Kenneth Copeland finds this development incredible: Said Copeland, “Heaven is thrilled over this…You know what is so thrilling to me? When we went into the ministry 47 years ago, this was impossible.” (source)

A quick point before I get to the clip below containing the Pope’s message to the Copeland conference of Word Faith heretics. This type of thing is exactly why I’ve written articles like On Contemplative Spirituality and Charismania and why I’ve been warning you about how this type of thing is now rampant within evangelicalism.

For example we can even take this James Robison program with Tony Palmer, who are both charismaniacs. Notice how Palmer  shared with the Pope that:

my wife [is] a charismatic Catholic herself, and our children, he thought it was quite entertaining. So he offered a friendship to me immediately. Here is this evangelical Anglican married to a Charismatic Catholic. (source)

Another time, Lord willing, I’ll go over the history of the charismatic movement; but for now, just know that it begins circa 1960 and would spread into the Roman Catholic Church not long after Vatican II ended. Notice again, Palmer’s involvement with it as he tells us:

back in 2006, I was asked to go down to Argentina to work with the Charismatic Catholics because they have quite a Charismatic revival going on within the Catholic church and has been for almost 50 years. (source)

I’ve been speaking to you about because in no uncertain terms we’re told above that what we were to hear from Beth Moore at AN is divine revelation; in other words, “what the Holy Spirit is saying.” And she then said that those of us who oppose false teachers of this phony unity are “scoffers.”

Well, the tragic fact is, the way things are now going, it will be professing Protestant evangelicals who are going to bring persecution down upon Christians like me who will never return to Rome before she would repent and, at the very least, admit her guilt in condemning the Gospel and completely abolish her antichrist papacy.
Now you’re ready for the following mythology from Pope Francis and the sickening apostasy from James Robison, which you’ll witness following the Pope’s blather when Robison says:

James: Pope Francis, let me just say to you that I see Jesus in you; and in Christ we are brothers, we are family. Thank you for speaking the language of love that all may come to know him and love him and love one another.
Tony, that is incredible. I have had a longing in my heart for many years now to see the prayer of Jesus answered that we be one with the Father God through Christ, perfected and sanctified in truth, not divided by it. And then perfected in unity, the supernatural unity Jesus prayed for. I personally feel like this is a step in the right direction — for us to really come to Christ and not be separated brethren, not divide over differences as we see them. We may not even see clearly and we tend to look at our view as the only view and sometimes we don’t even hear truth at all. 

THE GREAT REVIVAL OF 1951 - LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA

Speaking directly to the crowd in a tent meeting that was conducted a little over a year after the Lancaster revivals began, George R. Brunk II directly addressed the crowd:

It is thrilling to witness the sea of faces like this. It is challenging. It makes one tremble when it comes to the responsibility of preaching the Word of God. So many people. You come here for something I trust, and I am going to assume you are here for a sincere motive. You’re here because you love God. You want the truth from God’s Word. I want each of you here who acknowledge Jesus Christ to pray for the progress of this service. This is God’s work and not the work of man.

Our policy and our declared position is that God shall have the glory for every victory won. These campaigns have let no human thing touch it, because God shall be praised for every blessing that comes to it. And let’s look to God tonight and expect from him the blessing that we need. I like to have that ready and, well, and clear response from you as I ask you a few questions. I want you to come back at me with a clear and ready response. With a yes or no, either one, I’d like for everybody to respond—yes or no.

Do you believe that the devil is against this revival?

Audience: “Yes.”

All right. Do you believe that God is for it, not only this revival, but for the cause of revival—Yes or no?

Audience: “Yes.”

Thank you. Are you looking in simple faith to God tonight for the blessing that we need—Yes or no?

Audience: “Yes.”

Now the vital question comes last, and I want you to give me the answer, yes or no. Will you be obedient to the Spirit of God as he speaks to you tonight—now come on!

Audience: “Yes.”

Thank you.

I wish that we might be in prayer not only for this meeting but for others, for other evangelists around the country and around the world who are preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe that God is making a visitation to the nation and to the world today, that there is something unique about it. It is remarkable. Something is happening. The Spirit of God is moving across the countryside. ^[1]

The Spirit of God did indeed move across the countryside. In the spring of 1951, a group of believers from the small, semi-rural community of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, started a series of prayer meetings that culminated into a series of revival meetings with attendance of over 15,000 people! From Lancaster the revival spread to several states and even into Canada. The revival was distinctive for speaking out strongly against sin and spiritual complacency. Its influence affected the community and enacted lasting change in people’s lives that is still being testified to today.

Extraordinary Prayer

Almost without exception, every great work of God has had its starting place in the fervent, effectual prayer of God’s people. Jonathan Edwards, the man God used in the Great Awakening called these special prayer groups “extraordinary prayer”. Jonathan Edwards even published a book encouraging this type of prayer in his day. The long title of his little book was:

A humble attempt to promote the agreement and union of God’s people throughout the world in extraordinary prayer for a revival of religion and the advancement of God’s kingdom on earth, according to Scriptural promises and prophecies of the last time.

What Edwards meant by “extraordinary prayer” was special prayer meetings that happen outside and beyond our normal everyday prayers. He spoke of a specific gathering of people crying out to God for His outpouring and change in their lives.
As I was digging around at the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, I found testimony of this type of “exceptional prayer” powerfully demonstrated in the Lancaster revival of 1951. In an old 1951 article from the Gospel Herald entitled The Lancaster Revival, a clear and challenging witness to the power of prayer surfaced.

The Prayer Meeting

Entire revival tent praying on their knees

Much like the spiritual condition during the Welch revival in the early 1900s, Lancaster County was an area that feared God and had a respect for His Word, but underneath this saintly veneer the lives of many people suffered from extremes of both religious formalism and licentious carnality. However, a few praying believers moved by God, developed a burden for things to change. Maurice E. Lehman, who was one of the pastors of the East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church, tells the story of how one of these “extraordinary prayer” groups started and grew into the Lancaster revival. Writing a testimony of the revivals just days after they had happened, Lehman reported to the Gospel Herald this inspiring account.

One great factor in the success of this program was that the saints of God prayed. On Good Friday of this year [1951] we had a special day of fasting and prayer at the Vine Street Mennonite Church. There, it was announced that we would have special prayer meetings once a month besides our regular prayer meetings. The next special prayer meeting was held on a Sunday afternoon at the East Chestnut Street church. The meeting was well attended and many prayers were offered and tears flowed freely. We prayed for revival and for lost souls. This type of meeting was followed by many more.

Daily Prayer for Revival

Someone in the prayer meeting suggested that there should be an early morning prayer meeting. So a meeting was called from 6:00 to 7:00 a.m. The early morning meetings began in a large Sunday-school room. The Lord poured out His Spirit upon us. As the numbers increased, we moved to the main room of the church. In one of the morning meetings Bro. Brunk said, ‘So far in our prayer meetings we have been observing the second part of James 5:16 that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. I think tomorrow morning we ought to consider the part of James 5:16 where it says “confess your faults one to another”’. Bro. Stoner Krady said, ‘Why wait till tomorrow? Let’s start right now’. At that point, liberty was given to the group for confession. People confessed many sins and praised God.

Confession of Sins

Many prayer meetings that followed had a period for confession. Many sins of the spirit were confessed and tears were shed as the Holy Spirit searched our hearts. The special early prayer meetings were in session each morning from May 21 to July 22 [1951]. We believe that it was prayer that brought the revival and it will take prayer to continue it. Bro. Brunk said the early morning prayer meeting on July 22 was the largest prayer meeting he ever saw.

Others Prayed Also

One cannot attribute the revival alone to the prayer meeting held in the church. We are sure that many aged people and others who could not attend throughout the conference were also praying for such an event. During the meetings, Bro. Brunk received many letters from different parts of the world and people said they were praying for the meetings. Since we see what prayer will do for a church in such a short time, we are made more responsible to keep praying. ^[2]

George Brunk’s daughter Barbara Brunk Gascho, who was a little girl at the time remembered the prayer meetings 50 years later saying,

As a very young child, I was keenly aware of the pledge to prayer that many persons made weeks before each crusade was scheduled to begin. The first service would take place and our family and the staff would wait in anticipation to see if people would come. People WOULD come!^[3]

Two Willing Vessels

A few years before the Lancaster Revivals, George R. Brunk II and his brother Lawrence were coming back from a revival meeting that they had concluded in Richmond, Virginia. Their sister Katie reports that the trip home was one they would remember for a long time. She wrote in her book Revival Fires that their “hearts throbbed with a newly awakened zeal and a greater concern for the lost as they began to recognize the challenge which the world offered.” Katie reports that after this Lawrence just could not let the vision go. Lawrence had actually been dreaming and praying about this for a long time. Eventually Lawrence dared to consider the idea of stepping out in faith and purchasing the tent, trailer, and equipment trusting that God would provide an evangelist. ^[4]

Lawrence Brunk . . . asked the Lord to give him as many souls as there were chickens. He promised God that if he could make $5,000 clear, he would place the entire sum into the needed evangelistic equipment.

One afternoon Lawrence Brunk “stood in the midst of his poultry flock of five thousand broilers and asked the Lord to give him as many souls as there were chickens. He promised God that if he could make $5,000 clear, he would place the entire sum into the needed evangelistic equipment. By 1951, Lawrence was surprised bountifully by not only the $5,000 profit, but the astounding sum of $35,000! Lawrence placed this sum into expensive tents and traveling equipment, and soon the first revival campaign began in Lancaster.”^[5]
In an early sermon from 1951, Lawrence looked out over the people sitting in the tent meeting and noticed the similarity between the “flocks”. After he told the congregation (and apologized for the comparison!) he blessed the Lord for the fulfillment of the vision.

George R. Brunk II

George and Lawrence’s father George Brunk I was the bishop of their conference and was a godly and a powerful influence in his day. The boys were raised on fiery preaching with clear denunciation of sin. George R. Brunk II had been called to preach from a young age.
Without any strings pulled by his father, George R. Brunk II was ordained by lot when he was only 22 years old. These ordinations by lot were done by placing the names of the selected men in a hymnal, which was then shuffled with other hymnals without names. The hymnbooks would then be chosen by the men at random. Each man selected a book, and whoever had the chosen lot in his hymnal would become the next minister. George remembers that before the ordination he had a dream in which it was revealed to him which book he should choose. At the ordination, George selected that book and was ordained the same day.

The Decision

While Lawrence was busy shopping for tent equipment, George was teaching Bible at Eastern Mennonite College. George remembers getting an urgent telephone call from Lawrence in the middle of class one afternoon informing him that he was about to buy the revival tent and needed to know a definite answer—yes or no. He asked George the question: If he bought the tent, would George come and do the preaching? George said yes, and their lives—as well as the lives of countless others—were changed forever. Once on the road, reminiscent of the Ira D. Sankey and D. L. Moody revivals, Lawrence led the singing while George did most of the preaching.

East Chestnut Street

Once George and Lawrence got to Lancaster, the prayer meeting was already strongly underway. The overwhelming response of the prayer meeting resulted in an opening night attendance at East Chestnut Street of over 2,000! By Sunday night, crowds of over 7,000 were reported.^[6] It was said that many were turned away because of the congestion in the city.
In the face of such an overwhelming turnout, George Brunk did not succumb to the temptation of merely tickling ears. Local resident Irene Deiter remembers that first crusade. She said that George started right off challenging the sleeping Lancaster community with, “The people in Lancaster County keep their fence rows trimmed and trained better than they keep their children trimmed and trained.” She remarked, “When I heard him say that, I knew he was going to preach the Word—and he did.”^[7]
Maurice E. Lehman told Gospel Herald:

The Evangelist preached against sin for many nights at the beginning of the revival. This preaching brought conviction of hidden sin of the flesh and spirit. Many church members confessed sin and ‘got right’ with God. Brother George Brunk made the statement that this is a cleanup program as well as an evangelistic campaign.… We who have witnessed this great revival can say we will long remember it as one of the greatest events in our day.

More Eyewitnesses

Another eyewitness who gave a detailed description of the meetings said:

Most of us who are accustomed to sitting in our regular Mennonite services have a new experience when we witness those who walk forward in response to the invitation. For three nights, as I attended the meetings in my home community, I sat awed. One, two, three persons soon walked forward. The number mounted—increased so, that I was unable to watch the whole proceeding. I saw friends, relatives, and others walk to the front.

There were calls for additional personal workers. The evening hour became late, 10:00 p.m., and the meetings were still going strong, although some parents with children had wended their way out of the tent.

As personal workers dealt with those seeking help, opportunity was given for those who wished to give their testimony for their Lord. There was no difficulty whatever in obtaining witnesses. As those in the prayer room found peace with God they were urged to testify before the large audience.

Plain Witness

I sat in my seat entranced, tears flowing down my cheeks at times, as I entered into the joys and concerns of those who spoke. There was the seventy-year-old Christian who proclaimed his love for Christ. The very young, the youthful, the middle-aged, and the silver-haired gave their testimonies. To be sure, no golden-tongued oratory appeared. These were largely people who knew not what it means to stand before others to witness. They stumbled in their speech; they walked timidly; many did not say all they wanted to say, for one forgets on such occasions.

Testimonies continued while those in the prayer room filed out to the platform. I was amazed to see an Amish man walk to the microphone. He stumbled a little in his speech, said something about finding his way, and then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He handed them to George, who was standing nearby guiding the folks to the microphone. The cigarettes were plopped on the pulpit, and the joyful man completed his testimony. Another cigarette ‘sucker’, as George put it, found his release. Soon another speaker was telling his story.

Overflow crowd

Confession of Sin

It was evident that many Christians had now really found their Saviour meaningful. An approximate ten-minute period produced the following: A relative of mine, in his halting English, told of the many children he has and how he wants them to know Jesus Christ as Saviour. Next, two young girls sang their praises. Then came a young man who had been a Sunday school superintendent in a large church for several years. He said that he had malice in his heart, that he wanted to confess it. He had been influenced to make this confession, he explained, because his pastor had made a similar confession several days before, and that certainly he too should confess if his pastor could do it.

It was after eleven when the meetings were dismissed, although generally the huge tent was nearly empty, except for those who lingered, some with loved ones who had found themselves anew, others with acquaintances, all marveling at this thing which had come to pass.

Marriages Put Back Together

One evening I saw a young man whom I have known for twenty years suddenly walk out from his position to go to the front where those seeking help were standing. In a moment, he returned—with a small, sleeping child on his shoulder. I soon understood what he had done. He had obtained the child from the arms of his sister and her unfaithful husband so that they could go into the prayer room unhindered. Soon the couple stood before the microphone asking for prayers, and the young man, known to be unfaithful to his wife, pledged a new start.

On another evening, previous to the evening which I attended, the evangelist George had given the invitation, and the usual numbers walked to the front. Suddenly, a man and a woman, both of whom had walked down different aisles, raced across the front and threw themselves upon each other’s shoulders. Neither had known the other was present, and, you see, they were man and wife separated for months.^[8]

Overflow—to the Old Airport

Due to the overwhelming congestion, the city revival could no longer fit on East Chestnut Street; so they moved adjacent to the old Lancaster Airport and stretched out yet another tent. To pull this off, volunteers got busy and erected a primary electric line with a transformer for the electricity, and 500 feet of the newly designed plastic piping for the water. Wood was borrowed from the local lumberyard to build the stage and the wood benches.

Effect on the Community

The revivals had a significant effect on the community. Michael D. Beckler, who was personally affected by one of the revivals that spread from these days said of his community:

Our community was never the same after that. Some of the Christians who recommitted their lives to Christ after this dropped whatever their life’s vocation was prior to that and went into ministry…I will never forget the spiritual fervor that gripped the community. People were praising God all day long wherever they were working. I can remember a cousin of mine saying that the grocery store where he worked was like attending church all day long, because all that these new converts and recommitted Christians talked about all day long was the Lord and how He had changed their life.”^[9]

Paul A. Neuenschwander, one of the volunteer electricians for the tent, mentioned his surprise of how many different groups of Christians were coming seeking revival.

The six-week crusade opened on Sunday evening with the large tent nearly filled. Most area Mennonite churches were represented, regardless of the conference affiliation; and non-conference churches attended as well. It was the first time a Mennonite sponsored meeting attracted so many evangelical groups such as Christian Missionary Alliance, Nazarene, Brethren, and many others. The general public was affected. It was easy to start a spiritual conversation with most anyone on the street or in a place of business during these weeks.^[10]

As God poured out His Spirit again in Lancaster, the Lancaster Airport site saw an unprecedented turnout for such a small area. The Sunday evening service of July 15, 1951 had more than 15,000 in attendance! This was just seven weeks after the meetings began. During the campaign, over 1,500 people had publicly confessed their sins, made decisions to follow Christ, or reconsecrated their lives.

The two tents to the right were purchased before the first campaign began and were used at Lancaster. During the campaign at Souderton, in August 1951, the large tent to the left was purchased and also set up. This tent can seat 5,000 people.

Real Change

Ford Berg, writing of the change in peoples’ lives said,

An outward indication of the effectiveness of the meetings was demonstrated by Mennonite farmers who plowed up their fields of tobacco. Others threw cigarettes, pipes, whiskey, playing cards, jewelry, and other items which they felt had been a hindrance to their lives into an offering rack marked “Offering for Baal.” ^[11]

Gospel Herald records that the wood crate pictured in front of the Lancaster airport revival tent [picture on front cover] was used “as a receptacle into which people threw pulp and other sinful articles.”

On the Road—Spread to West of Philadelphia

Shortly after the unprecedented outpouring in Lancaster, the Brunk brothers headed to a community west of Philadelphia, and on July 29th started a series of meetings in the Franconian area. The church there could have just tried to catch the wave of excitement and ride on the coattails of the Lancaster revival. However, the praying men and women there knew what real revival would cost. They knew it needed a church that would prevail in prayer. Writing to Gospel Herald right after the revival tents had left, Paul M. Ledrach tells the story.

The revival in Franconia Conference did not begin July 29, the first night of the campaign, nor did it end September 3, 1951. Rather, it was during those days that the revival fires were poured out in this community. The revival began long ago as brethren individually prayed for a revival in the Church. The five weeks of meetings were but the beginning of the working of the power of God in answer to these prayers. And now that the three huge tents have gone from the 17-acre field one mile west of Souderton on route 113, the revival is not over. It continues, and the Lord alone knows what the outcome will be. At least Franconian Conference will never be the same.

In many revival meetings it is necessary first of all to build attendance, interest, and convictions. Not so in this campaign! From the very first thousands attended, souls were saved, sins were confessed, and people gained Christian victory and assurance.

The crowds attending the services were large. They ranged from 2,500 on Monday and Friday evenings, to 10,000 to 12,000 on Sunday evenings and the closing nights of the campaign. Large crowds, however, are not the heart of the revival. The large crowds were only symptoms that something was happening…The Gospel was being preached in entirety and power…The Holy Spirit was convicting men of sin…Many were accepting Christ as Savior…Many were repenting and confessing sin…many were surrendering life in a new way to Christ. People were beginning to understand and experience the glory of the Lord in their hearts and lives!...God was visiting His people.

An eyewitness from the revivals reported that there was genuine repentance of sins and changed lives. Writing about a particularly hardened group of young men that were converted, it was recorded,

In the Franconia Conference there had been for years a gang of young Mennonite boys who delighted in reckless driving and daring stunts, much to the chagrin of other Christians and fellow church members. They were remarkably converted at the meetings and now engage in prayer meetings and Christian work instead of the former “rough stuff.”

Lasting Testimony

Willard Bergey, who was one of the “Franconian cowboys” that were converted at the meetings, said of his own conversion over 50 years later:

“I went on doing the worldly things that I was doing, going to shows, carnivals, and driving my car in a way that was unfit—to shame. This was what gave us the name ‘Franconian Cowboys’. I also was doing many things to please myself. Now, all at once I saw myself as an ungodly person. And thank God, He did a wonderful change in my heart”… “In August of 1951 the Brunk Brothers came to Franconia. After the meetings were going a couple of weeks, we decided to give it a try to see what these meetings were about. The Spirit of God kept drawing us back again and again. Finally one night, as George was giving the invitation, my heart was filled with conviction and condemnation of my sin. My head was down and the tears were flowing, but I didn’t have the courage to go forward. A brother put his arm around me and said, ‘Would you like me to go up front with you?’ So I went, and there on the shavings in the prayer tent, I cried out to God in repentance. God showed me the sinfulness of my heart. As I repented, God did a miraculous work in my heart. I was dead in sin, and now I was alive. I was blind, but now I see. My night had turned to day. God changed my heart in a moment.” ^[12]

From Franconia the revivals quickly overflowed into Ohio, Indiana, and Canada. The outpouring was moving beyond denominational boundaries, and the Brunk brothers purchased four semi trucks to haul the equipment in an attempt to meet the demands. A church magazine reported in July 1952:

During the winter of 1951-52 the Brunk brothers held two series of meetings in Florida, one in a Mennonite center, and the other in a non-Mennonite location. Calls to conduct revivals have come from many states, and meetings are now booked for a couple of years in advance. Many requests have been turned down. ^[13]

TIME Magazine

By August of 1952 the revival caught the attention of TIME Magazine which reported:

“This week, after 14 months of evangelizing through the U.S. and Canada, the Brunks are preaching the word in Goshen, Ind., to crowds of nearly 3,000 a night. At their previous stop, Waterloo, Ont., attendance was even larger: 105,000 during four weeks of steady preaching (including 1,500 who made formal ‘decisions for Christ’). Local Canadian pastors were so pleased with the results that some canceled their own services to let their congregations hear the Brunks preach.”

At their first meeting in Lancaster, Pa., Lawrence led the singing and George gave his maiden sermon, a vigorous appeal to elect for Christ and escape damnation, a topic which Mennonites have always stressed. The first night more than 2,000 jammed their way into the tent. Dozens were converted. Before the week was out, the Brunks had to order a new tent. Said Preacher George, ‘We preach a fundamental brand of religion, but we aren’t fundamentalists. We aren’t modernists, either. You don’t have to be one or the other.’ ^[14]

Blessing to the Local Church

In a personal interview toward the end of his life, George R. Brunk II was asked if he sought the support of the local body of Christ. Brunk reported that in every crusade except one he had the full consent and support of the local body. Instead of being in competition with the local churches as some para-church ministries are today, the Brunk brothers worked with local pastors to assure that new converts found essential, needed discipleship.
Remembering the effect on the local church, one magazine reported:

“Obviously, the effect of the revivals in the local churches is profound. In the large Franconia Mennonite Church, near Philadelphia, for example, in a regular Sunday morning service, over 130 responded to an invitation to confession of sin and reconsecration. Significantly, this was the first invitation ever given in that church. In another church nearby there were 85 confessions and testimonies on a Sunday morning during an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Untold other miracles, including many acts of restitution, known only by God, prevailed and still continue. ^[15]

This past August, 2008, I held a personal interview with Luke Horst, an 83-year-old retired Mennonite bishop and church elder of this time. He said that he remembers all the elders and bishops sitting up on the platform during the meetings. He remembers that at the Lancaster Airport meetings, in order to avoid the tendency of preaching a Gospel-lite message, early services were conducted that taught on biblical doctrines and dared to draw lines, even on controversial issues.

Not Meant to Entertain or Amuse

Unlike many modern church gatherings where keeping the attention of the people is carefully choreographed and orchestrated by rock bands, videos, and even “spirit-dancing”, the Lancaster revivals consisted of simple, heartfelt gospel singing and anointed preaching on subjects such as sin, hell, and getting right with God. John E. Sharp in his book Gathering at the Hearth reports what the meetings were like:

What are the services like? There are daily prayer meetings, some preceding the evening meetings which begin at 7:30. Lawrence opens the meetings by having the audience sing many hymns and gospel songs. The a cappella, congregational-type singing seems never to fail in lifting the spirits of those present.

After a short devotional period and further singing, George begins his sermons. He speaks on such subjects as God’s Barriers to Hell, From the Glory of Jericho to the Disgrace of Ai, and The Sins of the Flesh and the Spirit. The sermons generally average an hour in length. After the sermon the invitation is given. By this time the audience has heard much direct preaching, some which is new, and much which is familiar. The speaker draws his illustrations from life, from children, and practical experiences, all of which have tremendous effect in leading people to make decisions for Christ.

Supported by God

In the sermon “How the Revivals Began”, preached in August of 1951, George Brunk said that when he and Lawrence began, they determined that their provisions would be totally met on faith. George recalled that when they were dreaming about a real revival crusade, one of the things that had grieved them about the meetings they had been to was all of the time spent begging for money. “We thought it a terrible pity that a campaign in which the Gospel is preached had to be spoiled by begging people for money.” The Brunk brothers took an offering, and sometimes even that was considered scandalous. However, through the years they went into each new area on faith, with no promise of how things would work out.

Since Then

The blessing that came to Lancaster County during the revival is still felt today. As I have talked to people who were alive during the Lancaster revivals, even if they themselves are not too keen on the idea of revival, I found that they still admit that what happened here in 1951 was a real move of God.
Since the 1950s Lancaster County, along with many other areas around the country, was “sifted like wheat”, especially during the latter part of the 1960s. Divisions separated the county into various camps, ranging from extremely liberal to extremely conservative. Driving down a road in Lancaster County today, you could see one parking lot filled with people with plain dress, all coming into church on their horse and buggies. Then on the other side, you could see another church with a conspicuous lack of modest dress, all on their way in to hear their female preacher expound on the need to have toleration with the new homosexual members. What is surprising—and sad—is that both of these churches share the same denomination name on the front of their church buildings. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Ironically, both of these extremes have tended to drop the cause of revival. Sadly, today many ultra conservative churches have actually grown fearful of revival meetings and foreign missions. Likewise, liberal churches can hardly dream of a church-life that experiences daily prayer meetings, speaking directly about sin, or encouraging separation from the world. Both extremes make the Church of Jesus Christ saltless in today’s world.

Just Men

Inevitably, the Brunk brothers made their share of mistakes, but they were just men. Moreover, because they were just men there is an important lesson to be learned from them, as well as all other historic revivals. Whether it be the revivals under John Wesley, the Great Awakening under Jonathan Edwards, or the Welsh revivals of 1904, there is an important lesson to be learned.
Throughout history, there is no doubt that God has used willing vessels to accomplish His will. However, when we look at them in hindsight, many inconsistencies emerge. Even in the Bible, looking at the revivals under Asa and Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles, chapters 15 through 21, we could look from the outside at these mighty works of God and see their mistakes, their unfinished business, their failures in later life, and conclude that God really never did anything in their day. However, I believe that doing so is an insult to God and the work of the Holy Spirit.
It is notable that after all the mighty works that God did through King Asa during his time, God still took note that the work was incomplete. However, what is even more surprising is that even after all of Asa’s blatant mistakes, God still recognized the good that was done. “But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days” (2 Chron 15:17).

Lessons from The Lancaster Revival—and All Revivals

I have found that when looking back at the mighty works that God has done throughout history, problems can arise from two extremes: both focusing on the failures of revival and ignoring them. For example, to use their failures as an excuse not to go further and pursue those “high places”, by reasoning that God will send revival without us worrying about such things as “high places” is a big mistake. On the other hand, to cancel out what God has done in history because we now notice their imperfections, is both a disservice to the previous work of God, as well as a great hindrance in God revealing to us our own blinding inconsistencies today.
No doubt about it—when God’s people repent of their sins, get right with God, and pray—God sends revival. And when He does, the lives of men change and God alone is glorified. Men will fail, movements will fail, and denominations will fail. Even whole nations will fail, but the promise of God stands—“ If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chron 7:13-14).

Do it Again, Lord!

As I studied the Lancaster revival, my heart rejoiced. This revival clearly demonstrated the enormous power of a praying people and willing servants. No one personality stood out as deserving all the credit—not even George R. Brunk II. It became clear to me that when God has a praying people who are serious about their sins things begin to happen. I believe that Bro. Maurice E. Lehman, the praying pastor at the beginning of the Lancaster revival, encapsulated the secret of the Lancaster revivals, as well as any other revivals when he said —“We believe that it was prayer that brought the revival and it will take prayer to continue it.” My prayer is, “Lord, please do it again! Please do it again here in Lancaster County, and across the world!”