God does not want anyone to perish, so in these confusing and dark times, He is sending His Spirit out to grab His people’s attention.
Earlier this year God’s presence came to Asbury University, and today, Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia, is having its own revival.
While different from what Asbury experienced, Free Chapel, led by Pastor Jentezen Franklin, is one of many places across America experiencing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Evangelist Perry Stone, who is leading the revival alongside Franklin, says it is during these exceptional times throughout history that God sends three distinct events to get His people focused.
“So, what does God do?” Stone asks the congregation. “He sends three things: Revival, or an awakening, or an outpouring. Sometimes they’re all combined but many times they are three different things.
“A revival is to revive the people of God. To take the lukewarmness out. To take the carnality out. To bring them back into a full relationship with Him.
“Awakenings don’t just happen to individuals, but awakenings happen to entire regions. As a matter of fact, the Great Awakening in America happened in the state of Massachusetts many years ago, and 50,000 people were converted during that one awakening with Jonathan Edwards.
“The third thing is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and outpourings not only happen in areas or regions, but they will happen according to the final one, globally, on all flesh around the world, at one time,” says Stone.
Detailing the history behind these amazing movements of God, Stone links one factor that preceded each one before God showed up to revitalize His people: fear.
“History indicates that most awakenings, most revivals and even outpourings, come in the midst of a nation or an area or a city where great fear has come of what’s about to happen,” explains Stone.
There is much in the world today that has people fearful.
The end times, the possibility of World War III, uncertain finances, the cost of living and much more has allowed a spirit of fear to permeate the lives of many, including Christians.
“Practically every revival comes during either an economic, social, political or military crisis, and many come before a major war happens,” says Stone.
The prophetic clock that is Israel is ticking away, and many Christian leaders — good, solid, biblically based leaders — are pointing to the biblical prophecies of the end times concerning Israel and the days in which we live.
Should there be an outbreak of war that consumes the whole world on the scale of a world war, God is still in control despite Satan’s best efforts to deceive people otherwise. And God will provide an opportunity for the ears that will hear to receive salvation through Jesus Christ prior to calamity occurring in the world.
“He knows the bad that’s coming. He knows the death that could happen. He knows the crisis that’s coming,” says Stone.
“So, what does He do? He stirs the people up with the preaching of the Word so the seed will at least be in their heart, so if they should pass or if they get in a crisis knowing they’re near eternity, they would suddenly turn their hearts back to the Lord Jesus Christ,” he adds.
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James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.
