(Robert & Aimee Semple via Wikipedia)

This story was sent to me as part of today’s devotional from Charisma OnLine:

A Story & Message from Aimee Semple McPherson:

I remember when Jesus called me to go and preach the gospel, my darling little mother has always stood back of me, God bless her. When I was going out into the work, Mother said, “Aimee (I was about to marry the evangelist under whom I had been converted), who is going to buy your things? You know Robert hasn’t any salary.”

“Mother, I know it.”

“Who is going to buy your shoes, your dresses, and look after you?”

“I don’t know, but I will ask the Lord about it.” I prayed before my open Bible; Jesus spoke from the pages: “Child, take no thought of what you shall eat, drink, or put on. The Lord knows you have need of these things. Consider the lilies, they toil not, neither do they spin, and yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

I said, “Oh, thank You, Jesus!” And from that day to this I have never worried one second about what I had to eat, drink, and wear.

SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 6:25–34

Picture-Wall Street by Still Burning via Flickr

Lately, the economic news in America and Europe has been rather frightening as one bank and financial institution after another closes or faces bankruptcy with hopes of some kind of bailout.

Recently,there have been reports that the churches near Wall Street have seen lots of financial folks lately on their knees in prayer.

I have read a lot of accounts lately about the economy and no one really seems to know how to correct the mess we are in or whether the ‘bailout bill’ just passed by Congress will actually help or not. Some even think it could make matters worse.

I believe that God is calling his church and his people to stand up in faith and participate in his Kingdom/Revival economy.

I believe that a Kingdom/Revival economy is always successful regardless of the world economic condition.

I believe that God can choose to bless his people regardless of the dominant economy.

I believe that there are a number of important economic principles given to us from the teaching and ministry of Jesus.  The Kingdom/Revival economy starts with Matthew 6:33 and faith is what makes it all work: Seek ye first the Kingdom.

More on this later.    

I’m Still Looking For Revival

Myself, I am still looking for revival to sweep across all of North America and affect 100’s of churches in hundreds of different places all at the same time. Then like a tidal wave engulf the UK and wash up on the shores of France and Northwestern Europe. A revival coming soon near you.

A revival that crosses all the man-made divisions and denominations. A revival with no ‘superstars’ to elevate or tear down. A revival that looks to Jesus, engages culture, and brings repentance and change. A revival with lots of healing, that brings folks closer to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

So many are looking for Jesus to come for his church, I’m looking for him to come to it. Come to it? What exactly does that mean? I’m not entirely sure what that means except it’s a ‘word’ that I keep hearing in the Spirit and the church is going to get closer to Jesus and his people will hear his voice in a profound way.

I look for a revival that will bring with it ‘a changing of the guard’ and a whole bunch of new young leaders.  A revival that will change the face of the American church–the end of ‘churchianity’ and the beginning of greater outreach to the community.

This is what I was looking for when the Lakeland outpouring started and had hoped it would be the beginning of. In spite of all the controversy and division in the aftermath, I am still looking for revival…

I say, Come Lord Jesus and surprise us!  

In the West we recently experienced non-stop TV and Internet services coming from Lakeland, Florida. The participants unfortunately became celebrities over night. But there is an incredible revival going on completely hidden from view in one of the most anti-Christian despotic countries in the world–Iran.

I just read this article over the weekend in the June 2008 Charisma mag.:  “A Martyr’s Cry”  by Joel Kilpatrick.  Wow!, it is a must read for those interested in true revival.

It is the story of Haik Hovsepian, the Iranian AG leader who was martyred for his faith. It is a story about a land that has made it illegal to convert from Islam, however, Christ has different plans for Iran and like China, the Gospel is spreading at a phenomenal rate in this country, totally hidden from view.

Right now Iran is experiencing one of the greatest revivals of modern times–due to supernatural phenomena such as dreams and visions. A few short years ago there were only a few thousand Christians in the country, now there are 200,000+!

According to Carl Moeller, president and chief executive officer of Open Doors USA:

“Iran remains one of the worst places in the world for a Christian to live out their faith, preceded only by North Korea and Saudi Arabia,”

“The abuse of Christians, literally, in the justice system is legendary. Christians do not have the same rights as the other Islamic citizens. They are routinely discriminated against, restricted, and in many cases when they seek to evangelize and disciple, church leaders are arrested, interrogated, tortured and even killed for their faith in Jesus Christ.

“However, the church there is growing incredibly. In Iran there is a revival that maybe is only rivaled by the Chinese revival [of recent years]. Honest, seeking Muslims are having dreams of Jesus Christ.

“Some are being approached by what we can only call angels in parks and being confronted with their personal sins and told they need to come to Jesus Christ. It’s a revival the likes of which we’ve rarely seen in the history of the church. It’s been Holy Spirit-driven through dreams and visions and the technology available to us in the 21st century.”

What an incredible turn of events and totally unprecedented in an Islamic country, praise God! I can’t tell you how encouraging this is to me at this time, thank you Lord.   

The entire nation of Wales was touched by the Welsh Revival (1904-1906). It is said that the effects are still felt among some of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those who participated in the Revival. Over 100,000 came to Christ, pubs were closed, police had little of nothing to do, and sports had difficulty finding enough members to field a team.

The revival started with a few unknown young people, including Evan Roberts, 26  who had worked in coal mines and as a blacksmith before receiving a call into the ministry and had just begun his formal training when the Holy Spirit fell. Here’s a good website about the revival if you want to know more.

What if something like the Welsh revival happened today?—In America…

1. Most churches would not know what to put in their bulletins. After all there really is no order to the services. Usually a couple of hymns are sung, a solo or a testimony from the young folks who came along with Roberts, prayer for an hour or so, then Evan Roberts simply declares that everyone should:

1. Confess all known sin

2. Deal with and get rid of anything ‘doubtful’ in your life

3. Be ready to obey the Holy Spirit instantly

4. Confess Christ publicly

Then the holy Spirit falls on the place and folks are there for hours–no one wanting to leave.

2. Some folks will probably want to know what the heck ‘sin’ is?

3. Some will observe that getting rid of everything ‘doubtful’ sounds rather ‘religious’ and Old Testament—where’s the Grace in that?

4. Some of the ‘mega’ churches with televised multiple services would want Roberts and his crew to limit the revival services to exactly 55 minutes.

5. Liquor stores and bars would try to sue Roberts and churches for the loss of business and revenue.

6. The Police union would demand that the cities keep all their police on the payroll even though there’s little for them to do.

7. Restaurants near the larger churches would be unhappy because noon rush now hits between 2 and 4 and there is no way to plan for it.

8. What if there was a Sunday baseball game and nobody came including some of the best players?—Ditto for Football?

9. What if hardly anyone went to the ‘R’ rated movies anymore? Wonder what Hollywood would say about it–or do?

10. Adult books stores would have a hard time staying open & porno websites would lose their traffic.

11. State lotteries would go bust and Gambling joints would close.

12. Secularists and atheists would declare that revival is bad for the economy and needs to be controlled–the ACLU and liberal judges would agree.

13. The entire nation would be transformed as 3/4 of the people in the USA would come to Christ and change their lifestyle.

…If something like the Welsh revival happened today—In America!