Are you being destroyed? - Part 1: Introduction
Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..."
Matthew 24:3-14 NKJV - Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" [4] And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. [5] For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. [6] And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. [7] For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. [8] All these are the beginning of sorrows. [9] "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. [10] And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. [11] Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. [12] And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. [13] But he who endures to the end shall be saved. [14] And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
Are you being destroyed? If you're like me, I'm sure that's a question you likely never thought you'd be asking yourself. Then 2020 happened and the world has never been the same ever since. All hell has broken loose, and the Lord began to put that question into my mind. Matthew 24 has been playing out right in front of us with people being offended at every turn, wars and rumors of wars with nations and kingdoms rising against one another, pestilence, earthquakes, and lawlessness seems to abound just about everywhere you look.
When I saw the headline on my phone that Israel was now at war, I was almost in shock for a moment as I'm sure so many others were as well. As much as I hope and pray against it, World War 3 seems almost imminent at this point.
“When we reject the Word of God, we're gonna face the judgement of God. That's where America is my friend.”
-Pastor Kevin Hamm
Pastor Kevin Hamm of Gardendale First Baptist Church in Gardendale, Alabama, made such a powerful statement in a sermon preached not long after the war in Israel began last October. I highly encourage you to take a look at the full two minute clip. He sums up so profoundly the current crisis of the church in America today.
America, and the world for that matter, are experiencing an escalation in the judgement of God as He is desperately trying to awaken us from our slumber. Revival and awakening are on the brink everywhere you look. Or have you even been looking? Maybe you have, but just aren't seeing it because the news sources you follow don't ever share those stories because they either don't care or don't want you to know. Whatever the case may be, it is certainly problematic either way (We'll talk more about trustworthy news sources later).
Every single day we are bombarded with lies and deception from a variety of places. Whether it's the media, the government, or even the church at times unfortunately, we must be so grounded in the truth that our spirit will immediately know when something isn't right. Thankfully, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit as our Helper (John 15:26) who guides us to all truth (John 16:13). He is the most reliable and trustworthy source in the entire universe.
“If necessary, God will move Heaven and Earth to show us His will.”
-Pastor Charles F. Stanley, Life Principle #10
I don't know about you, but it certainly appears to me that the Lord has been shaking this Earth for quite some time now. The world is being destroyed right in front of our eyes. In the battle for our very souls, we must attack lies and deception with truth in order for our foundation in Christ to be saved. The enemy has been covertly trying to lure us to sleep for years now, but thankfully we serve a God who has been actively trying to wake us up in the midst of chaos.
Since 2020, the Holy Spirit has been on fire leading people to Jesus. People need hope and encouragement now more than ever, so I will be releasing a Revival Tracker very soon with as many stories as I can find of the Spirit of God moving in powerful ways around the country and the rest of the world. To get you started, below is a list of just a handful of locations you can tap or click on with articles detailing revival taking place in 2023 alone, beginning right here in Kentucky:
February - Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky
March - Baylor University in Waco, Texas
April - Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee
July - Pirates Cove in Newport Beach, California
September - Guinea Bissau in northwest Africa
September - Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama
October - Rainbow Revival-Freedom March in Dallas, Texas
October - Free Chapel Church in Gainesville, Georgia
October - Lakeside High School in Hot Springs, Arkansas
October - Brandon amphitheater in Jackson, Mississippi
November - Nicaragua in Central America
November - Gaza underground Christian ministries in Gaza
There are far more than what you see above, but this at least gives you a glimpse into what the Holy Spirit has been doing in fanning the flames of revival, especially just in October! If you think revival escalating during the same month as Israel going to war is a coincidence, I assure you it is not! The end times discussion will only increase now as a result which will draw more people to Christ.
Please be encouraged, the worse things look in our nation or out in the world, the more impact the Holy Spirit will have in leading people to Christ! This song below has been an anthem for me at times, especially here of late. It was released in early 2020 right as the world was shutting down, which I believe is quite prophetic. So if you've been feeling discouraged, I pray it blesses and encourages you as you call out to the Holy Spirit of God to breathe new life into you!
“There are days when I wake up, and My faith is cold and tired, and the light feels so dim. It's not like me just to give up, so I’m bringing you my dry bones. Breathe in me again! I need that wind to start blowing. I need these eyes to be opened. I need my heart to keep hoping! So I’m calling out…I need a revival! Feel you moving in my soul! Give me that fire I haven’t felt in far too long. Holy Ghost come awaken! Bring me back to the days when, wonder working power was alive in me! Oh I need a revival!”
- Revival by Cain
Are you being destroyed? There are several questions we must ask if we truly desire to know the answer. Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? We'll cover them all. The Holy Spirit has been pouring out a wave of revival for quite some time now, and it will eventually flood the entire Earth! Before we get more into that though, we must first go back in time to see how we even got here in order for us to see where the Holy Spirit is leading us and how we are to respond. Are you ready?