Keeping the Light Burning Bright
Keeping the light burning bright: America in particular, of all the Western nations, has had a unique, and long history of what we call revival. Western Europe had its rare moments of great revival, that of Savonarola, in Florence, Italy, of the various religious orders, that enabled those who felt God’s call, could without extensive education serve what was then the only church possible. Then there were the movements persecuted in Central Europe, of such as that of Huss and Jerome. All of this would eventually see fruition in the Reformation. All know the story of Martin Luther, in an effort to force the established church to deal with the unscriptural abuses, and unscruputuous use of indulgences, nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg church. All to promote some honest questions, a debate on these issues that Luther saw as totally unChristian. We know how the reluctance, and hardness of the church forced Luther into an undesirable position, in which he would say, “As God Lives, I can do no other, Here I stand.” And the Protestant Reformation became a reality. It would spread, as only a God appointed revival can, and would enventually become worldwide. Frequent renewals, or revivals are necessary, to awaken God’s people to Biblical truths, that is why the revivals of Wesley, and Whitefield are so important, reminding people of the need to actually endeavor to live “holy” lives, and that we must undertake to walk, or abide with our Lord and Savior. That we can have a personal relationship with Jesus. Their efforts changed even the nature of the early American colonies, altering a rugged independent and uncooth frontier people into a Christain nation. Such has been the history of this nation ever since, seemingly every 50 years or so, America experiences another renewal of its Christian faith, a revival. The first great awakening leading up to the War for Independence 1726-1750s, the second awakening led by Charles Finney in the early Nineteenth century, the third awakening led by such men as Moody, Billy Sunday and others, in the later half of that same century, the Pentecostal revival in beginning in 1906, the Charismatic/Jesus people movement of the 1960s, which brings us to the present. Undoubtedly we desperately need a renewal of our Christian faith, a reawakening of the truth of our faith, the power to change lives, and a return to the effort to live “holy” lives, to put the decay, debauchery, and ugliness of the popular culture in the waste basket where it belongs.
