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"Oh, That
You Would Rend the Heavens and Come Down!"
by Michael Edds, www.destinyquests.com
The great prophet
Isaiah cried out to God, "Oh, that You would rend the heavens
and that you would come down and that the mountains would shake at
Your presence." This has been the passionate plea of a holy
remnant of believers throughout the generations who have been
desperate for Heaven-sent revival. They have cried out for the
restoration of the Presence of God in their lives and in the church.
No doubt, it was the cry of Luther, leader of the Great Reformation,
who wept over the corruption, apostasy and spiritual impotency of the
church of his day. It surely was the cry of John Wesley, the fountain
head of the great Methodist revival of the 1770's, who was sickened
by the same church scene. It had to have been the cry of Charles
Finney as he surveyed the divisions and fighting among the churches
in New York prior to the great revivals there. It certainly was the
cry of blind and aged Peggy Smith and her invalid sister in the late
1940's as they lamented over the churches of the Hebrides Islands of
Scotland. The churches were devoid of the power of God and vacated by
the youth. It must have been the cry of young Evan Roberts in 1905
Wales as hungered for a mighty visitation of God that would free his
nation from the slavery religion and from sin.
"Oh, that you
would rend the Heavens and come down" has always been the cry of
the true Church, that living organism...the Body of Christ. That cry
is rising in crescendo throughout the world again.
Oh, what a dark
hour in which we live! While visiting the web sites of many
evangelical, "spirit-filled" churches, we see the church of
today seeking relevancy in the world, to "reach" people.
Their methodology has been to offer people quite a religious shopping
mall of offerings. Home groups and classes are offered in an array of
interests such as "Improving Your Sex Life, Learn to Play
Basketball, Mastering French, Photography Made Easy, Praise and
Exercise, Motorcycles are Fun and How to Invest and Make Money."
These web sites offer Christian cantatas, musicals, and dramatic
presentations. The web sites listed world-renown televangelists,
celebrities and famous musical groups making special appearances at
their churches. Many dinners, fellowship banquets, and fund raising
gatherings garnered much of web site space.
However, there are
some things strangely missing on these beautiful web sites. Where are
the listings for the home groups whose focus is prevailing prayer,
where are the announcements for "fasting" banquets where
Christians gather, weep, fast and pray for an awakening in our day,
where is the schedule for speakers like Father Nash (the prayer
engine behind Finney's great revivals and who died on his knees in
intercession for revival), where are the special services listed for
the anointed musicians like Charles Wesley, Amanda Berry Smith and
Ira Shankey would could bring the celestial presence of Heaven down
to earth. Where is a recap of the "sermon of the week"
entitled, "Oh, that You would rend the heavens and that you
would come down and that the mountains would shake at Your presence?
Where is even a mention of the hunger for revival in our day?
All of these are
sadly missing. The church is too busy being relevant in its patchwork
quilt offerings of programs. Have we forgotten that when HE rends the
Heavens and comes down and revival sweeps into homes and lives that
ALL needs are met? Have we forgotten that only He can radically
change lives, families, communities and nations? Have we forgotten,
as a church, our real purpose here on earth is to manifest the life,
the power and the presence of the Living God? Have we forgotten that
the key to the healing of our land is through humbling ourselves in
prayer, seeking His face, and turning from our glitzy, PR laden,
wicked ways? Did I say wicked? Yes, I did! We have sprinkled humanism
all throughout our efforts to reach and influence the world. Humanism
is nothing more than man trying to do God's job. It is the elevation
of the influence of man and his efforts. Anything unlike God's way IS wicked!
Church history and
revival history point the way to hope. God has always had a remnant,
a holy seed of believers who will settle for nothing less than the
manifestation of God Himself. Rejected by the apostate church of
their day, they have refused to accept its cheap, deadly religious
offerings. "Oh, that You would rend the heavens and that you
would come down and that the mountains would shake at Your
presence!" Throughout the generations of man, this cry has
ascended before the throne of God.
Prior to every
Great Awakening, this desperate plea begged for an audience with the
King of Kings. It was this cry that moved the heart of God Himself.
It was this passionate prayer that caused the Heavens to burst forth
and righteousness to rain down upon the earth. It is this cry whose
volume is rising louder and louder each day. It is the cry that will
reopen the historic, old wells of revival, that will cause the fallen
mantles of ministry to be picked up and placed upon men and women of
God, and will cause a bursting forth of the new fountains, a new move
of the Holy Spirit. It is the cry of THE CHURCH, THE BRIDE OF CHRIST,
who longs for her Lord. It is this unrelenting prayer that is
bringing Him down one more time in one last mercy call to a church
and a world who have forgotten Him.
michaeledds@aol.com
www.destinyquests.com
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