Patterns of Spiritual Awakenings (How to Know an Awakening is Near)

Patterns of Spiritual Awakenings

(How to Know an Awakening is Near)

 

"Spiritual awakenings manifest patterns that are similar, often strikingly so. While all of the following elements may be present in each instance, for the most part awakenings progress through a cycle whose phases include these various aspects of God's working."

1. Awakenings are usually preceded by a time of spiritual depression, apathy and gross sin, in which a majority of Christians are hardly different from secular society, and the churches seem to be asleep. The causes of each decline differ widely, but when the prophetic voice and moral leadership of the Church has been stilled for some time, social evils are usually rampant.

2. An individual or small groups of God's people become conscious of their sins and backslidden condition, and vow to forsake all that is displeasing to God. Christians recall past outpourings of God's grace and power, and long to see them again. When histories of awakenings have been written in later years, it has been occasionally discovered that individuals at great distances and completely unknown to each other had, prior to the awakening, been praying simultaneously to the same end!

3. As some Christians begin to yearn for a manifestation of God's power, a leader or leaders arise with prophetic insights into the causes and remedies of the problems, and a new awareness of the holy and pure character of the Lord is present. This standard of holiness exposes the degeneracy of the age and stimulates a striving after holiness by God's people. The leaders find that their eagerness for God's moving is shared by many who have been waiting for God to act, and who will rise to follow.

4. The awakening of Christians occurs: many understand and take part in a higher spiritual life. Evangelism of the unsaved may or may not accompany this renewal of Christians. (Salvation of the lost occurs when Christians are restored to image of Christ and holiness. This great transformation in Christians leads to a stirring in the community. God "comes down" into the lives of Christians and then "moves out" into the community.

5. An awakening may be God's means of preparing and strengthening His people for future challenges or trials. Throughout history, renewal has often come before persecutions and severe trials. (The First Great Awakening came prior to the American Revolution. The Third Great Awakening occurred a few years before the Civil War. Azusa Street occurred before a great earthquake in California and before World War I."

Do you see these patterns at work among God's people today? The answer is YES ! The more I see, hear, read and discover from others and from the Lord, I believe we are at the third pattern or stage. The "old wells" of revival are about to be reopened, "fallen mantles" are being picked up and "new fountains" are about to burst forth!

(Excerpts from Christian History magazine}

God Smashes a Moonshiner's Still

"GOD SMASHES A MOONSHINER'S STILL" Among the most remarkable eccentric, itinerant, Methodist preachers that ever lived in the New River Valley, was Robert Sawyers Sheffey, who was born in the county of Wythe, Virginia, July 4, 1820, and died in Giles County, Virginia, in 1902. He was a son of Henry Sheffey, of Wythe, and came into the New River Valley some time in 1859, where he married for his second wife a Miss Stafford in what is commonly known as Irish settlement, in Giles County, where Mr. Sheffey located.  Mr. Sheffey declared war on the devil, sin and especially the moonshine trade, which was destroying lives, families and communities.

For reasons of his own, Robert Sheffey never united with the  Methodist conference, but continued throughout his career as a Methodist circuit rider, going from place to place, and wheresoever his inclinations led him. He was eccentric beyond description. That he was a pious devout Christian and Godly man was never doubted. He was a man of wonderful faith in God, and was usually most eloquent in public prayer. When troubles and difficulties surrounded him his oft repeated statement was, "I'll go and talk to the Lord about it."

One thing about this good man which was most remarkable, that his prayers for specific things were not only not in vain, but what he asked the Lord for, he in some way or some how always seemed to receive it. So often were his prayers answered, and his highest hopes and aspirations gratified, that people who knew him well and were disposed to do evil things were frequently alarmed for fear he would call down vengeance from heaven upon their guilty heads, and many believed that if he should ask the Lord to smite them with pestilence or death it would be done. The eccentricities of this man led numbers of people to express doubts as to his sanity. Some of these expressions reached Mr. Sheffey, and he often publicly repeated what he had heard, and his only comment was, "Would to the Lord they were crazy on the same subject that I am."
 

Many and interesting are the stories and anecdotes told of this preacher and of his conduct; some of which will here be related, and from which it will appear that while his eccentricities often appear therein, yet the great and strong faith of the man is also exhibited. Many years ago, Mr. Sheffey had a regular preaching place on East River in Mercer County,  West Virginia, near the residence of Mr. Anderson Tiller, at whose house, he made his stopping place, and where he was always carefully looked after and entertained. It was known that Mr. Sheffey was exceedingly fond of sweet things, and especially of honey. On an occasion, when on a preaching tour, he went to fill his appointment on East River, and became as was usual the guest of his brother, Tiller. Being on a Sunday morning and late in the summer season and while at the breakfast table, Mr. Tiller remarked to Mr. Sheffey that he regretted that he had no honey for him, that his bees had done no good, had not swarmed and that he feared they had frozen out in the winter or that some insect had destroyed them, and that the season was too far spent to have any swarms. Mr. Sheffey arose from the table and went down upon his knees, and told the Lord that the brother's bees had not swarmed, and that there was no honey in the house, and he implored the Lord to have the bees swarm. Scarcely had his petition ceased when the swarms came with such rapidity that Mr. Tiller was unable to procure rapidly enough sufficient gums to save the swarms. The truth of the incident is vouched for by the best people in the neighborhood of where it occurred.


At a meeting being held by Mr. Sheffey at Jordan's Chapel, now in Summers County,  West Virginia, Dr. Bray, a physician in the neighborhood together with his wife, were present at Sunday morning service and had with them a nursing infant child, which was taken suddenly ill about the close of the service. The mother became alarmed and grief stricken about the condition of her child, and in her hysteria she cried out that her child was dying. A large number of people were present and gathered around the mother and child supposed to be dying, when Mr. Sheffey appeared and being informed of the cause of the trouble, said, "Brother give me the little child," and taking it in his arms he fell upon his knees, and in a most earnest prayer to God asked for the life to the little child and that it might be restored to its mother. Arising from his position on the ground, he handed the child to its father, remarking, "here brother is your little child well and all right;" and so it was!!


Mr. Sheffey had a right good vein of humor in his makeup, and he occasionally exercised that faculty to the discomfiture of people. Some thirty years ago, there lived on the upper waters of Brush Creek, a Christian gentleman by the name of Robert Karr, a member of the Methodist Church, at whose house Mr. Sheffey was entertained, when on his preaching tours in that neighborhood. He had a protracted service in the neighborhood of Mr. Karr, which had continued some weeks, and which Mr. Karr had not attended, and whose non-attendance Mr.Sheffey had observed, and taking his brother Karr to task about his want of interest in the meeting, inquired why he did not attend. Mr. Karr replied that he had a good reason, and being pressed by Mr. Sheffey to give his reason, he finally said, "Well, I don't just exactly like your way;" whereupon Mr. Sheffey with a ha! ha! said, "Neither does the Devil."


On the occasion last mentioned or a similar one, while Mr. Sheffey was holding a meeting at Mr. Karr's, early one Sunday morning, a young man rode up to the house and delivered to Mr. Sheffey a message from his wife that his little son, Eddy, was very sick, and that the doctors had said he could not live and for him to come home at once. Mr. Sheffey made no response to the message, but went off a distance to some high granite boulders on the top of the highest of which he went to the Lord in prayer, and continued to pray until the time had arrived for him to meet his congregation at the church. On reaching the pulpit, he related to his congregation the message he had received, and then said, "I have talked to the Lord about this, and Eddy is not going to die." Eddy Sheffey lived and became a bright, intelligent, useful and honored citizen.


Mr. Sheffey had wonderful faith in God's providences, his care for his people in providing for their wants, physical as well as spiritual. It is told of him that on one occasion he met a man in the road on a very cold day, and that the man had on no socks, and that Mr. Sheffey observing this took off his and gave them to the man. After riding some distance he stopped at a house to warm his feet, and that the lady of the house said to him that she had knit for him some nice pairs of socks which she wished to present him. Another thing may be mentioned of this man, and that was the tender care of his horse and of other animals. He could not bear to see them suffer, not even a bug if turned on its back, and he has been known to dismount from his horse and turn it over. If he found what appeared to him to be a hungry animal or dog, he would give it his lunch rather than eat it himself. The story is told of him and another preacher who were out in some wild mountain district, that on leaving the house where they had been entertained, the woman put a lunch in Mr. Sheffey's saddle-bags telling them that they were not likely to meet with their dinner that day, and that she had provided a lunch that they might not suffer from hunger. Off the preachers went on along the mountain pathway during the morning hours and until about noon, proposed to eat the lunch. Mr. Sheffey informed him that he had no lunch, that he had just met two very hungry looking dogs to which he had given the lunch. 

"Sheffey Wages War Against the Moonshiners"

If there was a man beyond any other that believed that the whiskey traffic was one of the Devil's strongholds it was Mr. Sheffey. He assailed this traffic when opportunity offered and often in public prayed for its overthrow and destruction. He was often appealed to by good people to pray the Lord to remove still-houses and liquor manufactures. On the upper waters of the Bluestone, many years ago, was a whiskey distillery operated by a man and his son. Mr. Sheffey stopped in the neighborhood at the home of a good Methodist family. The good woman of the house told him of this distillery, and that it was ruining and wrecking the lives of many of the young men in the neighborhood, and requested him to pray for its removal, which he promised to do. The lady inquired "how long will it be before we may expect our prayers to be answered;" "about twelve months," was his reply; and sure enough within the twelve months the distillery was closed up, and the owner and his son in jail on charge of defrauding the government.


On another occasion he was on Wolf Creek, near Rocky Gap, when he was informed by the mother of a family with whom he was stopping, of the existence of a distillery in the neighborhood that was proving a great evil and requested Mr. Sheffey to pray for its removal. Mr. Sheffey then and there went to the Lord in prayer, and asked Him to destroy the evil, and if necessary send fire from Heaven to burn it up, and that very night an old dry tree near the distillery took fire, fell on the shanty and destroyed the whole thing. The whole neighborhood firmly believed Sheffey's prayer brought down that fire, which rid the neighborhood of the evil.

During a revival meeting, many of the moonshiners had gathered in the back of the church.   They had come to see if Sheffey would dare to speak against them and their vile trade.  Knowing that they were there, Sheffey rose and stood behind the pulpit.  He said, "I know that there are moonshiners here tonight.  God knows who you are!  I have prayed a prayer concerning you.  In that prayer, I asked God to do one of three things tonight....that you repent and get saved, or that you will leave town, or else that He will strike you dead!  The choice is yours!" Knowing that Sheffey had the reputation of getting exactly what he prayed for, several moonshiners ran to the altar and the rest ran out of the door and left town that very night!

Traveling through a community, Brother Sheffey came across a distillery. Approaching the owner, the old circuit rider warned him to shut the business down or else God would cause an oak tree to fall upon the buildings and smash it to pieces.  The wicked owner laughed him to scorn and said, "Old man, there isn't an oak tree within miles of here!  What can God do about that!  Get out and leave me alone!"   That very night, a violent storm hit that region.  A powerful wind came down upon a mountaintop miles away, uprooted a large oak tree and carried it a great distance and dropped it right on top of the distillery completely destroying all of it!

Mr. Sheffey's hostility and open expression against the liquor traffic and the traffickers, often brought down upon him, not only the curses and hatred of these people, but once at least, a pounding upon his head. He was preaching in Bland County, and during the service was interrupted by some crude young men under the influence of alcoholic spirits, which led to their severe censure and arraignment by the preacher.   This offended and enraged them so that they took position at the outside of the church door, and as Mr. Sheffey went out they clubbed and beat him severely. These people were indicted in the Court of Bland County, and Mr. Sheffey summoned as a witness for the Commonwealth. He did not appear, and compulsory process was taken against him, and on his appearance in Court he endeavored to avoid testifying. The young men were convicted, when Mr. Sheffey with tears in his eyes, and a prayer on his lips implored the court to allow them to go unpunished, that they knew not what they did; that he had forgiven them, that he had asked the Lord to forgive them, and now asked the Court to forgive them, which in a measure it did.

Once while traveling to Wytheville, Virginia, he noticed a low hanging limb with a large hornets nest on the outskirts of the town.  As he entered the town, his attention was drawn to numerous men coming in and out of a very large house.  He approached a young man coming out of the house and  inquired what was the cause of the comings and goings at this home.  With vulgar sarcasm, the young man remarked that Sheffey must be rather stupid to not know that it was a house of prostitution.  After the young man left, Sheffey hailed two young boys to come to him.  He offered them a fifty cent piece for their help.  He told them of the hornets nest on the edge of town.  He asked them to carefully get the nest, plug the opening and bring it to him.  A little while later, the young boys came with the nest.  After paying them their reward, he walked up a side alley and gently opened a window on the first floor of the home.  He cast the hornets nest into the room and shut the window.  Smashing to the floor, the nest released a swarm of angry hornets.  All of a sudden, a panicked mob of men and women burst through the front and back doors of the house.  Sheffey had cleaned house!!

As has already been stated, Mr. Sheffey went to the Lord about everything he did, even about small things, which sometimes brought him into ridicule by some classes of people, but that did not in the least deter him. He believed that the Lord controlled the actions of animals as well as men, and in verification and illustration thereof the following story is told by a gentleman living a few miles south of Pearisburg, Virginia. Mr. Sheffey stopped at his house over night, and by Mr. Sheffey's direction his horse was turned on pasture. Mr. Sheffey, having an appointment for the next day and anxious to get off early, requested the gentleman to have his horse ready for him. The man went out very early to get the horse which he was unable to do, even summoning help, still the horse would not allow himself to be caught, nor would he be driven into the stable yard or lot. Finally the man gave up the effort to secure the horse, went to the house and informed Mr. Sheffey of the situation, and he went out with the man into the field where the horse was grazing, and requested the man to wait until he told the Lord about it. Down upon his knees he went and told the Lord of the inability of the man to bridle the horse and requested that He put it into the mind of the horse to stand and be bridled, and on rising from his knees he said to the man "you can now bridle the horse," which he immediately did. Many other such things occurred in the history of this man, which for want of space cannot here be related.

Whatever may be said of this peculiar man and his eccentricities,  he was a man who walked with and knew his God.  The brilliance of his itinerant ministry lit up the dark hollows, valleys and mountaintops of early Appalachia and  covered and filled them with the glorious light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Hello shook when he came to town.  He died in peace with God and man, and all who knew him revere his memory.  His mantle of ministry did not fall to the ground when he died.  Elijah's mantle fell upon Elisha at Elijah's departure.  Sheffey's mantle has been kept on hold until an  Elisha Generation would come along and pick it up.  That generation has come.  It is time to pick up this fallen mantle and finish what this old circuit rider started long ago!

A Prophetic Word for the African American Believer

A Prophetic Word for the African American Believer

by Michael Edds

A few years ago while living near the beautiful mountain village of Summersville, West Virginia, I had a most extraordinary dream. The dream was divided into four parts. In the first part, I was leaving my position as the Headmaster of a private school. Secondly, one of my teachers was elevated to my former position. Thirdly, the board chairman who had lived in the community all of her life was moving away. In the fourth part of the dream, I was preaching to a large African American church on the subject, "You Have Settled on the Other Side of the Jordan." 

In the dream, this great Black church had accomplished much and possessed a great national ministry. However, the Lord said that they had not reached the fulfillment of their divine destiny. As I preached, the powerful presence of the Lord descended in that mighty church. He began to give revelation and direction concerning the immense destiny that He had planned for them. The church exploded in worship and praise. I awakened from the dream.

The first three parts of the dream happened within a few months. I resigned from my position, the teacher I saw in the dream became the interim Head of School, and the board chairman and her husband sold their family business and left town. However, the fourth part of the dream did not immediately happen. In fact, I did not understand this portion of the dream. Five years passed as I continually pondered the dream in my heart.

Not long ago, I was invited to conduct a grant writing workshop and preach at a large African American church in Chicago. I still did not understand the meaning of the message, "You Have Settled On the Other Side of the Jordan" but the Lord directed me to preach this message. As I studied the Word, the incredible prophetic meaning of the message in the dream was revealed.

Two and a half tribes of the Israelites found the rich farm and grazing lands to the east of the Jordan River to their liking. The tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of the large tribe of Manasseh decided to settle on the "other side" of the Jordan and thus not cross over into the promised land. Moses and Joshua had given them permission to do so but with one major requirement, their warriors must led the battle in taking the Promised Land. Joshua chapter 3 records the miraculous parting of the flooded Jordan. The priests led the procession on a dry, divine path made through the flood waters. True to their agreement, 40,000 warriors of the two and a half tribes took the lead in the battle. Their divine destiny was to assume the reigns of leadership in battle and bring the rest of the tribes into their promised destinies and lands. What a great mantle of ministry was laid upon Gad, Reuben and half of Manasseh!

The Lord began to reveal the divine destiny that He has for HIS African American people. I was given an article written by Susan Castell which stunned me. The prophetic word given to her concerning African American believers was identical to what the Lord was revealing to me. She wrote: " You have come to this land for such a time as this. It is now time to lay aside the weight of racial hatred and the sin of unforgiveness which so readily clings to and entangles you. It is now time to forget what lies behind and to reach forth to what lies ahead. It is now time to arise and seek Me for the fulfillment of your divine destiny.

Just as the survival of ancient Egypt and Israel rested on the shoulders of Joseph (a man sold into slavery by his brothers and carried away to a foreign land), so does the very survival of this great nation of America rest upon you. It is now time to embrace My plan and to allow Me to birth within you the heart and the attitude of Joseph who was able to forgive his brothers and those who had enslaved and imprisoned him. It is now time to embrace the cross of My Son and become a great blessing in the land of your captivity.

Even as man has seemingly succeeded in humbling you to the very lowest of places, so will I exalt you to the very highest place, even to the very throne of My Glory. As you humble yourselves under My mighty hand and allow the mind and heart of Christ to be formed in you, you will experience supernatural healing and deliverance from the many and deep wounds inflicted by those who have degraded, despised and humiliated you. As you identify with My Son and you begin to cry out: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do", you will enter into a new dimension of My Grace and Glory, and you will receive the revelation of Jesus Christ and His Resurrection power which your hearts have been hungering for.

It is now time to understand that all history, including Black History, is HIS STORY. It is now time to lift up your eyes above man's agenda and catch the vision of My agenda. It is now time to declare with Joseph: "As for you, you thought evil against me, but G-d meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive..." (Gen. 50:20)

Arise my people, my Joseph company, whom I have brought from afar and planted in this land for such a time as this. Look unto Me and I will unveil the meaning of your history. Look unto Me and I will reveal the mystery of your many and long sufferings. I am the L-rd your G-d, and besides Me, there is no other. Look unto Me and be healed of the wounds of your captivity. Look unto Me and I will make you free to be my instruments of healing and deliverance in this land of your divine destiny."

The fullness of the prophetic meaning of the message, "Settling on the Other Side of the Jordan," came into full focus. The Great Awakening that is soon to burst upon this world as a final witness will be led by a "Joseph Company" that God has been preparing for a long time. This Awakening will bring God's holy remnant together as a Bride without spot or wrinkle. Divisions, separations, and walls will collapse as the Church comes together to fulfill her final destiny. Each tribe that composes the Church has a promised destiny, a specific divine mission to fulfill. Leading the way to bring all tribes of believers into that fulfillment will be the African American believer. Just like Gad, Reuben and Manasseh, a mantle of leadership will rest upon them. God is an excellent bookkeeper. All of the weary years and long generations of blood, sweat, tears, unpaid slave wages and rejection WILL BE PAID IN FULL! It will not come from the White House, the Supreme Court or from Congress. It will come from the hand of the mighty God! Just like Joseph, they will be suddenly ushered from obscurity to the fullness of divinely appointed leadership. What man meant for evil, God will turn into good for the saving of many lives. The mantle of leadership will be laid upon them by a divine Hand. They will lead the rest of us into our appointed destinies. I believe that the Holy Spirit is stirring within them now. Divine gifts within that have been given for this prophetic hour are now being activated and released. Understanding of the long night of their suffering is being revealed to them. The heart of Joseph is reaching perfection within them. God calls them to fulfill their destiny. The Jordan has parted before them. They lead the way for the rest of the Body of Christ to follow. Pay day has finally come!

The final part of the dream came to pass as I preached that message that Sunday morning in Chicago. Walking behind the pulpit that morning, the anointing of the Lord fell and the message thundered out.  The audience heard God's prophetic word spoken that day.  The Holy Spirit rained down!

Isn't it incredibly ironic that God would reveal and speak this message through a white man, a descendant of slave owners from the South? Isaiah 60:10 states, "The sons of your oppressors will come bowing before you. All who despised you will bow at your feet." God fulfilled the words of the prophet on the day I preached the message, "You Have Settled on the Other Side of the Jordan." May God soon fulfill His prophetic word to these divinely called leaders of the Coming Great Awakening.

"O Africa, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not plead thy cause, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth." - Lyman Beecher

Revival Has Broken out in Manchester, Kentucky - Incredible!!

1857 Prayer Revival in America

The 1857 PRAYER REVIVAL in AMERICA

extracts by Wesley Duewal.

A quiet, zealous forty-six-year-old businessman in New York was 
appointed on July 1,1857 , as a missionary in downtown New York 
at the Dutch Church. Jeremiah Lamphier had been converted in 
1842 in Broadway Tabernacle, Finney's church that was built in 1836.

Lamphier felt led by God to start a noon-time weekly prayer meeting 
in which business people could meet for prayer. Anyone could 
attend, for a few minutes or for the entire hour. Prayers were to 
be comparatively brief. Lamphier's group met on the third floor of 
the old North Dutch Reformed Church on Fulton Street in New York. 
Lamphier printed some handbills announcing the prayer meetings 
with the title, "How Often Should I Pray?" 

The first day, September 23, 1857, Lamphier prayed alone for half 
an hour. But by the end of the hour, six men from at least four 
denominational backgrounds joined him. The next Wednesday 
there were twenty. On October 7 there were nearly forty. The 
meeting was so blessed that they decided to meet daily. One
week later there were over one hundred present, including many 
unsaved who were convicted by the Holy Spirit of their sin.

Within one month pastors who had attended the noon prayer 
meetings in Fulton Street started morning prayer meetings in 
their own churches. Soon the places where the meetings were 
held were overcrowded. Men and women, young and old of all 
denominations met and prayed together without distinctions. The 
meetings abounded with love for Christ, love for fellow Christians, 
love for prayer, and love of witnessing. Those in attendance felt 
an awesome sense of God's presence. They prayed for specific 
people, expected answers, and obtained answers.

Newspapers began to report on the meetings and the unusual spirit 
of prayer that was evident. Within three months similar meetings 
had sprung up across America. Thousands began praying in these 
services and in their own homes.... By the end of March over six 
thousand people met daily in prayer gatherings in New York City. 

Meetings began in February in Philadelphia. Soon Jayne's Hall 
was overfilled, and meetings were held at noon each day in public 
halls, concert halls, fire stations, houses, and tents. The whole 
city exuded a spirit of prayer.

Almost simultaneously noon prayer meetings sprang up all across 
America in Boston, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Richmond, 
Charleston, Savannah, Mobile, New Orleans, Vicksburg, Memphis, 
St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago, and in a multitude of 
other cities, towns, and in rural areas. By the end of the fourth 
month, prayer fervor burned intensely across the nation. It was an
awesome but glorious demonstration of the sovereign working of 
the Holy Spirit and the eager obedience of God's people.

INVISIBLE CLOUD of GOD'S PRESENCE

A canopy of holy and awesome revival influence - in reality the 
presence of the Holy Spirit - seemed to hang like an invisible cloud 
over many parts of the United States, especially over the eastern 
seaboard. At times this cloud of God's presence even seemed to 
extend out to sea. Those on ships approaching the east coast at 
times felt a solemn, holy influence, even one hundred miles away,
without even knowing what was happening in America.

Revival began aboard one ship before it reached the coast. People 
on board began to feel the presence of God and a sense of their 
own sinfulness. The Holy Spirit convicted them, and they began 
to pray. As the ship neared the harbor, the captain signaled, 
"Send a minister." Another small commercial ship arrived in port 
with the captain, and every member of the crew converted in the
last 150 miles. Ship after ship arrived with the same story: both 
passengers and crew were suddenly convicted of sin and turned 
to Christ before they reached the American coast.

HOMES, SHOPS, FIELDS and CHURCHES

Reports came in of hundreds being converted in prayer meetings, 
private homes, workshops, and fields. Often the doors of businesses 
held signs reading, "Closed, will reopen at the close of the prayer 
meeting." Five prayer meetings took place daily in Washington, 
D.C. Five thousand or so attended daily services in the Academy 
of Music Hall.

In Philadelphia, Jayne's Hall removed partitions and added space 
for six thousand people to attend daily meetings.... The services 
consisted of simple prayer, confession, exhortation, and singing. 
But it was "so earnest, so solemn, the silence. ..so awful, the 
singing. ..so over-powering" that the meetings were unforgettable. 
A canvas tent was erected for outdoor meetings, and it immediately 
filled with people. In four months' time, a total of 150,000 people 
attended the ministry in the tent, with many conversions..... the 
best estimates are that 6.6 percent of the entire population of the 
United States was converted during the revival.

Arctic Fire - Revival Fire Falls

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Arctic Fire - Revival Fire Falls

A community in the Arctic Circle was in great trouble.  Illegal drugs, divorce, alcoholism, sexual abuse, violence and murder were ripping a people apart.  The Anglican Church met to pray.  They wept and interceded for God to come and come He did!  This video records the actual awesome events of that never to be forgotten prayer meeting.

Revival In Haiti - A Call To Fasting And Prayer

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 "Revival In Haiti - A Call To Fasting And Prayer"

A nation reals and rocks from a devastating earthquake and tsunami.  The infrastructure is shattered.  People are homeless, hungry, and many have perished.  God's people rally and call the nation to pray.  Over 1 million gathered in the capital for days of national repentance and prayer.

Prophecy for America and The Church

What does the future have in store for the United States and the Church? The Holy Spirit is giving insight into dramatic events that are about to transpire in America and in the Church in this nation.

"WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR AMERICA AND THE CHURCH....A PROPHETIC WORD"

by Michael Edds

Frank Bartleman, chronicler of the Azusa Street Outpouring, once wrote, “In order to understand what God is going to do, we must understand what He once did.” The histories of Great Awakenings reveal that these immense moves of God either preceded a cataclysmic event or such an event occurred shortly followed the Awakening. When the Awakenings preceded tragic events, one of the main purposes of the Awakening was to prepare God’s people for what was ahead. The First Great Awakening came shortly before the horrific conflagration of the American Revolution. A cholera epidemic preceded The Second Great Awakening in Cane Ridge, Kentucky and the War of 1812 occurred a few years later. On the heels of The Third Great Awakening of 1859 came the greatest holocaust of American history in which 600,000 perished in the War Between the States. A great earthquake in Los Angeles occurred during the time of the Azusa Street Outpouring.

The Lord has revealed to me that a great time of gross darkness and calamity is about to descend upon America and the world. It will radically change the way we live. God is about to judge and purge America for her great sins and her refusal to repent and turn from them. America has refused the kindness and mercies of a loving God. When a people refuse His mercy, all that remains is divine judgment.

I have had a reoccurring dream of a great storm coming from the West. In the dream, I see the black, swift clouds of the storm coming and am running to warn people to get to safety. I seem to be the only one aware of its coming. They are totally oblivious to the danger as I try to get them into safe shelter. I believe that devastating tragedies of divine judgment are about to befall America soon. Prior to judgment, God always extends His offer of mercy. That offer will be a Final Great Awakening that will burst upon the scene as a merciful God calls the church and America to repent. During this Awakening, the old wells of past great outpourings will be reopened and the fallen mantles of ministry of the great men and women of God from the past will be picked up and laid upon chosen servants of today to complete what was started long ago. I believe that new fountains of God’s move will burst forth and produce the “new thing” that was prophesied in Isaiah. The “Joseph Generation,” the leaders of the coming awakening who have been prepared and hidden for so long, will be revealed. The Joseph Generation is a secret weapon that God will release upon the kingdom of darkness. Through these trusted, selfless, and holy people, He will do great and marvelous exploits. The most incredible move of God will come through this chosen generation. Great persecution will come against a restored, empowered and holy church of God. Many saints will seal their testimonies with their own blood but a final witness will be given to this nation and to the world. The final harvest will be brought in. Shortly afterward, the Lord will call the Church home to Heaven.

We have entered the last moments of the Church age. The alarm is sounding calling the church and the world to repent. God’s last mercy call, the final Great Awakening, is about to burst forth as a final witness. It will prepare the church for what lies ahead. Great calamities are about to befall this nation and the world. The time of the “failing of men’s hearts for fear of what is coming upon the earth” is nigh! For the Church, her finest hour is at hand.

The Josephs Will Arise

 

"Enrolled in the School of Dung"

by Michael Edds 

There is a special remnant of believers whom I call the "Joseph Generation." They are a divinely appointed people that God has been preparing for a specific time of ministry. Like Joseph, God has placed within them a "life plan" or specific destiny or calling to fulfill in life. They have divine gifting within them to fulfill that life plan. Paraphrasing Psalms 139:1, the Scripture states: "All the days planned for me were written in Your book before any came to be." Ephesians 4:8 records these words, "When He ascended on high He gave gifts (His abilities) to men and women." The heart of God is recorded in the words of Matthew 9:36, "When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them because they were weary, scattered like sheep having no shepherd." GOD CARES ABOUT PEOPLE. That is His nature. His compassion always leads to action.

JOSEPH....

God looked down through the ages of time and saw a day and time that would bring starvation on the world and upon His people. In His compassion, God prepared a plan and a man in advance to meet that critical situation. He placed that plan along with the divine abilities to fulfill that plan in the soul and life of a man called Joseph. Jeremiah 1:5 states, "Before you were born, I knew you and set you apart. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. You must go everywhere I send you and say whatsoever I command you."

Joseph, like the Joseph Generation today was born by the will of God, not by the will of the flesh. Joseph was born with a life plan and abilities from God. Did he know the fullness of that life plan? No, he did not. He knew that he had administrative abilities, gifts and special insights. His destiny and life plan called to him through dreams, an inward sense of purpose and through circumstances. Did Joseph immediately step into his life plan and destiny? NO, he did not. He was enrolled in the "SCHOOL OF DUNG." Psalms 105: 16-22 describes that schooling. He was rejected and hated by his own brothers, sold into slavery, he was laid in irons and chains, his feet were hurt with fetters, he was falsely accused, innocently sent to prison, and the word of the Lord tried him severely. His destiny which called to him and life's situations were horribly in conflict. Life had gone to "hell in a handbasket." Thoughts raged through Joseph's mind and soul: "God, you promised me wonderful things. What I am going through is the total opposite of what You revealed to me long ago. Why am I suffering rejection, false accusation, hatred and abuse? Where are You in all of this, Lord? Have you forsaken me? Were all those things just a mere dream, a fantasy of my mind? Why does this inward sense of destiny still call me when it looks impossible for any good to come to me?" THE WORD OF THE LORD TRIED Joseph!

When creating a vessel for special purpose or honor, a wise potter follows a certain procedure. There is a plan and destiny for the lump of clay in the potter's hands. The clay is pounded, pressed and pressure placed upon it to make it pliable. It is placed upon the potter's wheel and pressure applied to start molding it into shape. When the desired shape is achieved, the potter places his creation into the kiln for intense heat to be applied to harden it.

After cooling, stain is applied to this hardened pot. It is fired again to make sure the stain and colors are permanent. The pot is beautiful and ready for use, right? NO! The wise potter wants his creation to be completely ready for its intended purpose. He places it on a shelf in a dark, lonely place to age. When the time is right, he takes the pot out of the darkness and brings it into the light for use. Otherwise, an unprepared vessel could break and spoil the contents it carries.

The Word of the Lord tried Joseph. "Has God forgotten me? Has He abandoned me? Have I missed it somewhere?" Like the potter, God allowed Joseph to go through the "dung of life," the pressures, the heat, the staining and the lonely darkness in order to prepare him for the destiny which had called to him all of his life. God had not forgotten nor abandoned him. God heard Joseph's many prayers, laments, and cries of desperation. He felt the hurts and anguish of this man of destiny. Many times He would have wanted to and could have intervened to deliver Joseph. However, He tied His own Hands and refused to deliver Joseph out of ultimate love for him. He knew that if He took Joseph out of the "school of dung," that intervention would destroy the divine destiny God had prepared for him. It would destroy the process of making Joseph into a vessel of honor and use. The Word of the Lord tried Joseph until the day that His word came to pass. That word was, "the king has need of thee." Joseph's prison door was opened, his garments changed, and he was ushered into the presence of Pharaoh. He went from prison to position in ONE HOUR!

His destiny had arrived! All of the dung and hardships that Joseph had gone through suddenly made sense. People had meant those things for evil BUT GOD HAD MEANT IT FOR GOOD, FOR THE SAVING OF MANY LIVES. Joseph was completely ready and prepared for the destiny for which he was created. He never failed nor dropped the ball. He successfully fulfilled the plan of God.

A special generation now exists that has felt throughout their lives an inward sense of destiny and purpose. That destiny has called to them every day of their lives. That divine destiny has called to them through dreams, visions, an inward desire or passion, and through circumstances. However, like Joseph, they have been enrolled in the "school of dung." They have unjustly suffered rejection, jealousy, hatred, been forgotten, falsely accused, and have been misunderstood. Their pure motives have been suspect. Their love has been not been reciprocated. They have felt imprisoned on an island of loneliness and rejection. Life has not been kind nor gentle to them. The Word of the Lord has severely tried them. Their divine destiny or life plan has been in conflict with the situations in which they find themselves. Their prayers seem to bounce off a heaven made of brass. They feel that they have been placed on a dark, lonely, dusty shelf. Purpose has evaporated. They have even cried out to God to "just take me on home." Where is God in all of this?

Out of infinite love, God has allowed this generation, this Joseph Generation, to endure this school of dung. He has refused to intervene until they had been prepared and perfected for the destiny to which He has called them. He is creating a generation that will be "selfless" rather than "selfish." Like Joseph, they will graduate from the school of dung as vessels of honor. They will not fail nor drop the ball. They will be totally prepared to fulfill the destiny to which God has called them. They have been prepared for a day and an hour of great ministry. They will be ushered from prison to position suddenly. The time has come for the "Master Potter" to walk into that dark lonely room. He will stretch forth His Hand onto that dusty shelf and pick up the vessel that has endured the long night of solitary isolation. Gently, His Hand will wipe away the dust and bring forth that special vessel. The words will be spoken, "The King has need of thee." The time of preparation will have ended. Destiny will have come! The long endured hardships will suddenly make sense. Joy will overtake them. The life plan and gifting will be activated.

The Joseph Generation is a secret weapon that God has prepared in the school of dung, in the darkness, in the isolation for such a time as this. They are about to be suddenly unleashed upon the kingdom of darkness. God has prepared them to meet the great needs of this present generation. They will have the Master Potter's image upon them. They will have the forgiving heart of Joseph who said, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good to the saving of many lives." They will be a selfless people who will give the glory to God. They will not fail. So, Joseph Generation, take heart. Your bitter night is about to end. It is sunrise not sunset. Joy comes in the morning! Even now, the door is being unlocked and opened. Listen for the words, "the King has need of thee." God has not forgotten you! Yes, He has seen your tears and heard your cries. He is opening a door which NO MAN can open or shut. ... Josephs take courage! THE KING HAS NEED OF THEE!

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

I am passing the following message from David Wilkerson that I just received today.  Great spiritual warfare is being waged against the people of God.  It has grown in intensity.  I am sharing David's incredible insight on this warfare and his admonition to the Body of Christ.  It has blessed me and I know that it will bless you.

How to Stand Up and Fight!
Pastor David Wilkerson

With all the talk going on in the church about spiritual warfare, Christians still have not learned how to stand up to the enemy. We are pushovers for the devil!

I don’t believe every misfortune that befalls a Christian comes from the devil. We wrongly blame him for a lot of our own carelessness, disobedience and laziness.

It’s easy to blame the devil for our foolishness. That way, we don’t have to deal with it. But there is a real devil present in the world today—and he is busy at work!

Let me tell you something of Satan’s strategy. If he cannot pull the Almighty out of his throne, he will try to tear God’s image out of you! He wants to turn worshippers into murmurers and blasphemers.

Satan cannot attack you at will. God has put a wall of fire around each of his children, and Satan cannot go beyond that wall without God’s permission.

Satan cannot read a Christian’s mind. Some people are afraid to pray because they think the devil eavesdrops on them! Others think the devil can read their every thought. Not so! Only God is omnipresent and omniscient.

Scripture commands us to stand up, be strong and do battle against the flesh and the devil: “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). “Brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Ephesians 6:10).

You have to become fed up with being held down by the devil—living low, depressed, joyless, empty, harassed!

The book of Judges tells us, “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel” (Judges 6:1–2).

The Israelites were at their lowest point ever. They were driven to living in dark caves and damp dens, starving, scared and helpless. Then something happened. It started with Gideon, and it spread throughout the whole camp: Israel got sick and tired of hiding in those dark caves!

Gideon said to himself, “How long should we put up with this? They go through our land with no opposition. Nobody stands up and does anything about it! We’re told we have a God who moved for our fathers. But look at us now—we are stripped, helpless. We live in constant fear!”

Something rose up within Gideon. And he said just what God was waiting to hear: “This has gone far enough! We serve a mighty, victorious God. Why do we go on, day after day, taking this abuse?”

God will not do anything until you are thoroughly disgusted—until you are sick and tired of being sick and tired.

You have to do as Gideon did—cry out to the Lord! We serve the same God that Israel did. If he heard Israel’s cry in their idolatry, he will hear you—in your sincerity.

Through The Tempest

The following poem was written by a former student of mine in West Virginia.  It is powerful and will lift you up!  Thank God for Kari!

Mike Edds

Through The Tempest
by Kari Parsley

　

Ever find yourself in a place
Where you feel the sun will never shine
The storm clouds reach beyond what you can see
Past the horizons golden line?
 
“Will this storm ever end, Lord?”
You once again ask
“Will I ever see clear skies
Or stand in the golden rays to bask?”
 
You look to find a hurricane approaching
On what once was a calm sea
Your life a raging tempest
Nothing like it use to be
 
The towering waves hurl themselves at you
Trying to engulf you in a dark abyss
You embrace the mighty rock
As fear blinds you with its cold mist
 
Clinging for your life
You say a simple prayer
“Lord, get me through this storm
I know that you are there!”
 
The thunders rolls in laughter
As lightning does her victory dance
The mocking sea waves goodbye
Knowing you don’t stand a chance
 
When you feel the darkness surround you
And it seems like the end
You may feel like God can’t see you
In this tempest that you’re in
 
Just close your eyes and listen
To the words and you will feel
Echoing inside your heart
“Peace Be Still.”
 
Strength engulfs you
Now you are standing strong
Anchored to the rock
Your fears and worries gone
 
Through the tempest appears
A ray of golden sun
Just hold on a little longer
For a new day has begun
 
The waves rise in fury
To once again knock you down
But finds it is no use
You are standing on solid ground
 
Thunder roars in defeat
As the tempest slowly dies
The waves again become peaceful
No matter how hard they fight
 
The Son shines so brightly
He dries away all the pain
His love shines so strong
Nothing will ever be the same
 
He Says To You
“During these storms and trials
It may seem like I am not there
Like I have abandoned you
Or I simply didn’t care
 
I want you to know I was with you
I was the mighty rock that you embraced
I held back the raging tempest
And all the problems you face
 
I was never far away
I was only hidden behind the clouds
But I calmed the storm around you
When you called my name out loud.
　
When the storm clouds are upon you
Know that everything will be fine
Cause sometimes you must go through the tempest
So you will brightly shine”
 
So to become the mighty warrior
God has called us to be
Sometimes we must face obstacles
And the wrath of an angry sea
 
Your weakness is turned to strength
Wisdom and knowledge are learned
So you can help others through their storms
And be their light in return
 
For He will never forsake you
When the darkness clouds your skies
He will be with you through the tempest
Facing it by your side.
　

Set the Trumpet To Thy Mouth

 Pastor David Wilkerson wrote "Set The Trumpet To Thy Mouth" in 1985.  It is like reading a page out of today's newspaper.  The prophecies, which the Lord gave to him, are coming to pass.  This book is available for purchase at his web site.  I would strongly encourage all God-fearing believers to purchase and read this incredible prophecy.  The following are excerpts from the book.

"Set The Trumpet To Thy Mouth"

by David Wilkerson

America is going to be destroyed by fire! Sudden destruction is coming and few will escape. Unexpectedly, and in one hour, a hydrogen holocaust will engulf America - and this nation will be no more.

God is going to judge America for its violence, its crimes, its backsliding, its murdering of millions of babies, its flaunting of homosexuality and sadomasochism, its corruption, its

drunkenness and drug abuse, its form of godliness without power, its lukewarmness toward

Christ, its rampant divorce and adultery, its lewd pornography, its child molestations, its

cheating, its robbing, its dirty movies, and its occult practices.

In one hour it will all be over. It’s all over! Judgment is at the door! Our days are numbered!

The church is asleep, the congregations are at ease, and the shepherds slumber. How they will scoff and laugh at this message. Theologians will reject it because they can’t fit it into their doctrine. The pillow prophets of peace and prosperity will publicly denounce it.

I no longer care. God has made my face like flint and put steel in my backbone. I am blowing the trumpet with all my might. Let the whole world and all the church call me crazy, but I must blow the trumpet and awaken God’s people. America is about to be shaken and set aside by horrible judgments. Many other praying believers who have been shut in with God are hearing the very same message - “Judgment is at the door! Prepare, awaken!”

Before the great holocaust there will be smaller holocausts - the oil fields of the Middle East will be ablaze, and the smoke will rise night and day as a warning of the greater holocaust yet to come. There will be bombs falling on oil fields, on shipping docks, and storage tanks. There will be panic among all oil producers, and shippers, and upon all nations dependent on that oil.

(Note the 1985 publication date, several years before the Gulf War).

Soon, very soon, an economic nightmare will explode into reality. America is about to face a time of mass hysteria, as banks close and financial institutions crumble and our economy spins totally out of control. Gold and silver will lose their value. The chaos that is coming cannot be stopped by our government. The great holocaust follows an economic collapse in America.The enemy will make its move when we are weak and helpless.

God did not keep the three Hebrew children from the fire - he delivered them in it. Christ went with them through the fire, and, whereas they came back to ruin, we will be translated to Glory.

David Wilkerson World Challenge P.O. Box 260 Lindale, TX 75771

The Circuit Rider vs The Televangelist

                           by Michael Edds

In my continued research on the "old wells of revival" I have discovered 

some incredibly contrasting bits of information. One of the top
televangelists in the nation was recently invited to preach in Baltimore,
Maryland. His terms for coming were:

#1. That he must be picked up by a limousine at the airport,
#2. That he must have $1,000 spending money,
#3. That he must be guaranteed at least $10,000 in offerings.

This same televangelist/ pastor lives in a multi million-dollar mansion,
eats in the finest restaurants and wears the most expensive tailor-made
suits. His writings and speaking engagements have garnered millions of
dollars. He brags that he is a role model of the prosperity message of
our day. He pastors a mega church, appears on national and international
television, has authored many books and draws tens of thousands to hear
him. To his credit, he is a powerful, commanding speaker. However,
please contrast this to the following life and ministry of the great
circuit rider, Francis Asbury in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

While still in his 20's, Francis Asbury left his home and family forever
in England to come to a wilderness called America. He came to be a
traveling preacher/evangelist in a nation with little infrastructure such
as roads, decent housing, few hotels and restaurants, poor sanitation and
dangerous drinking water, few medical professionals and limited law
enforcement. The nation had recently plunged into a violent war of
independence against Asbury's native land of England. The American
frontier was also ablaze with war between the colonist and Native
Americans tribes.

Asbury was not greeted upon his arrival by a limo. He had to purchase a
horse on which he traveled 6,000 miles a year for over 40 years. His financial
reward was $60 a year, much of which he gave away or sent back to England
to help his parents. He wore hand-me-downs not tailor made suits. He had
no retirement, no insurance, no dental plan, and no 401 k. He set no fee
for his ministry.

What he did receive, he often gave away. He traveled on "roads" on which
his horse sank many times knee-deep in mud. If a road did not exist, he
would lead his horse over the steep, rocky inclines of the Appalachians
to reach a pioneer community. Many times, his feet and legs were bloodied
and bruised by the horrific journey. When he came to a river where there
was no bridge or ferry, he would swim his horse across. Numerous times,
he was nearly drowned by an angry, swollen stream. His "hotel" on many
occasions was on a dirt floor in an overcrowded, rat-infested frontier
cabin. Often times he slept in the woods, on a mountain ledge or in damp
cave. Many days he would travel over 60 miles with nothing to eat. The
paths and roads he traveled were full of dangers from murderers, thieves,
wolves, bears, poisonous snakes and roaming bands of Native Americans with
whom the frontiersmen were at war. If he met someone who needed a cloak,
food or money, he would take what he had and give it to the person in
need. Asbury sought out the forgotten, hidden places of early America. He traveled from New England, to the Midwest, and to the Deep South
spreading the Gospel of Christ. When he would meet a person who was ill,
he would minister to their physical needs with the last medication he had.
He demanded nothing of others in order to come into a community. The
demands he made were on himself. Frequently, his body would be racked
with pain, illness, fever, hunger and weakness. His physical being would
cry out for rest and nourishment. However, his spirit ruled his body. When truly unable to travel, he would mount his horse and ride for 8 hours
or more through blinding snowstorms, torrential rain or in oppressive
heat.

He too had been invited to Baltimore. In 1816 he was traveling by buggy
through Virginia headed to the annual conference in Baltimore. However,
he was dying. His last sermon was preached in Richmond. He had to be
carried into the meeting room. He commented, "I am too weak t o walk but
not to preach.” They sat him on a small table and he ministered the Word
for the last time. He made it as far as Spotsylvania twenty miles north of
Richmond. He body was rapidly failing. He stopped at a friend's house on
Saturday. Shortly before he left this world he was asked, "Do you feel
Jesus precious?" Summoning his last remaining strength, the great circuit
rider raised both hands in victory. Minutes later he laid his head on a
friend's hand and gently slipped away to be with the Lord. He owned no
mansion, no land, and no bank account. His net worth was what he wore on
his body. He was buried in a borrowed grave plot.
When Asbury came to America, there were few Methodist believers and fewer
preachers. At the end of his ministry, there were over 240,000 Methodist
believers and almost 8,000 ministers. He affected lives of thousands upon
thousands. He changed the very course of American history. Among his
converts were poor farmers, merchants, Governors of several states,
frontiersmen, slaves, Native Americans, State Supreme Court Justices,
attorneys, physicians, housewives, children, youth and people from all
walks of life. He gave all he had. He sought nothing for himself. His
passion was to bring salvation and the Light of the Gospel to those in
darkness of sin. He loved a nation and made it his own even though he was
not her native son.

Quite a CONTRAST between the CIRCUIT RIDER and the TELEVANGELIST!

One was selfless, the other selfish.  One was people-centered, the other
ego-centered. One was a Kingdom builder, the other an empire builder. One drew souls into the Kingdom of God; the other drew the masses into an
arena. One demanded of him, the other demanded of others. One gave
freely, the other commanded a price. One was a servant, the other a
celebrity.

Hebrews 11:32-38 speaks about the real heroes of the faith: They
were..."tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a
better resurrection. Still others had trial of mocking and beatings, and
of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were
sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about
in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented... they
wandered in deserts, and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.... of
whom the world was not worthy."

How long are we going to tolerate the "superstar syndrome" in the church? How long are we going to feed the ego and pocketbooks of these self-seeking
charlatans, regardless of how articulate they are? How long will we
continue to pack their arenas and buy their CDs, DVDs and books? How long
will we pick them up in limos, and line their wallets with thousands and
thousands of dollars to spend on self? How long will we tolerate
apostasy?

My God, how far we have fallen! God is calling on us as His people to
repent and turn from our wicked ways. He is calling us to seek HIS face.
I am praying that God will overthrow this current, perverted religious
system and will fulfill Jeremiah 3:15 and give us shepherds after His own
heart...like circuit rider Francis Asbury of old.

Revival on a Mountaintop in West Virginia

Revival On a Mountaintop In West Virginia

The year was 1956.  Spiritual deadness seemed to cover the land.  A Baptist Church at Mt. Cove, in Fayette County, West Virginia was struggling.  Its survival was in doubt.  An elderly minister, Rev. William Fain, was invited to hold a revival meeting at the church.  The elders of the church told the man of God that they felt that he could bring the church out of its decline.  He responded by saying, "It may be so far down that it will take God to bring it out."

The faithful few of the little church began to intensely pray and intercede for the salvation of lost neighbors, families, and friends.  The meeting slowly progressed.  Every force and power of hell seemed to resist with all of the wicked strength available.  One night, a woman of God, Sister Helen Stone began to pray and ask God for a breakthrough that evening.  The church was packed with the lost.  The altar call was given.  Resistance was great to the call of God.  Everyone remained steadfastly in their seats.  Sister Stone prayed that much harder.  She prayed that someone would make a move.  About that time, a dear Christian brother stood and started to make his way to the altar.  All of a sudden, the dam broke.  Resistance shattered.  People poured out of the pews knocking him aside.  All he could do was shout and praise God.  SIXTY-FIVE lost souls fell at the altar that night and found the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  The revival exploded!  In one night, the church was turned around.  Revival fire spread throughout the community. GOD HAD COME DOWN!

God responds to the prayers of His people.  "IF MY PEOPLE SHALL WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME SHALL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY, SEEK MY FACE, TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN AND HEAL THEIR LAND."  God has NOT changed.  Oh, may we hurriedly obey this command so that God will move in our day!   Oh Lord, rend the heavens and come down!

Amanda Berry Smith, God's Image in Ebony

Many heroes and heroines of the Christian Faith have been forgotten by the church today. Amanda Berry Smith, one of those heroines, rose above slavery, poverty, prejudice, loss and impossibilities to mightily impact three continents for God. 

Amanda Berry Smith was born as a slave in Long Green, Maryland near Baltimore in 1837. She was the oldest of thirteen children. To save her from being sold away from her family, her father worked many long late hours to buy her freedom. Amanda's life was marked by loss and tragedy. Amanda's first husband died during the Civil War, while serving in an African American military unit. She lost her second husband and all of her children except one to death. To survive, Amanda worked long hours into the night washing and ironing clothes. She had a passion to truly know God. She locked herself in her basement and told those close to her to not open the door. She was determined to know God or die. She came out of that basement shouting and with her heart's desire. Amanda had little education, however God blessed her with an incredible singing voice and a powerfully anointed preaching ability. She became well known in camp meetings throughout the nation. They called her "the Singing Pilgrim" and "God's Image Carved in Ebony." During her early thirties, Amanda began in preaching in the New York City area, receiving inspiration at a local African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. She became a charter member of the Women's Christian Temperance Union in 1875, and was associated with the African American Women's Clubs. Before 1880, Amanda embarked on a twelve-year missionary trip through Europe, Asia, and Africa. Her faith was incredible. She went to the port in New York with her bags packed to leave for England as God had directed her. However, she had no money for the fare. As she stood there, a white Christian brother recognized her. He walked up to her and told her that God had directed him to give her something. He placed into her hands the exact amount needed for the passage to England! She had told no one but God of her need!! She spent eight years in Liberia and West Africa, establishing churches and temperance societies. She awed the nobility and populace of Great Britain with her incredible singing and powerful preaching. In India, she stopped a vicious mob attack by Hindus on Christian missionaries by dropping to her knees in the midst of the riot, lifting up her hands toward heaven and praying. The mob instantly became silent, dropped their clubs and weapons and left. She moved to Chicago in the late 1890's. Amanda raised a large amount of funds to open one of the first orphan homes for African American children in America. During this time, Harvey, Illinois, was being developed and marketed by business friends of Dwight L. Moody as a community with high moral, religious, and temperance character. Smith's purchased property there in 1895. Her orphan's home opened in Harvey in 1899 and has the great honor of being Illinois' first orphanage for African American children. Her ability to raise the necessary finances permitted the school and home to operate without government funding. Amanda died in Florida in 1915. Christian businessmen and leaders had her body transported by train back to Chicago. One of the largest gatherings for a funeral in Chicago's history was when the masses gathered to meet the arrival of her body back to Chicago. What an incredible life she lived!! She rose from slavery, poverty, rejection, loss, sorrow, hunger and loneliness to shake America, Great Britain, Liberia, and India for God. She was buried in Harvey, Illinois. The great mantle of ministry that she carried was not buried with her. It was only placed on hold until a generation would be born that could relate to and pick up that mantle of ministry. That generation now exists today. That mantle is about to be picked up and placed upon chosen servants of God today to finish what Amanda started long ago!!!