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(Editor’s Note: Part of this article was inspired by a letter to the editor from Dr. Herbert Baker of Battle Creek, Michigan who encouraged me to include a discussion of restoration as a indicator of true repentance before God.)
A few weeks ago, my friend and fellow pastor, Rev. Randy West of the Northwest Community Fellowship, Vancouver, WA., challenged me to give him a picture of what revival would look like here in the Northwest. I rattled off a couple of things such as pastors and churches focused on the kingdom of God and His priorities, a more intense effort to reach the lost etc. However, as I continued to reflect on pastor West´s challenge after our conversation, I realized that while the things I mentioned would surely occur and be great, other, more far reaching spiritual riches would also be manifested.
Among the spiritual riches that would come forth in Northwest churches is a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit with the love of God into our hearts (Romans 5:5). In the love of God, we would be empowered with the ability to overcome the racism and bitterness that divides us in the midst of the most spiritually dark region of our nation. The racism of some professed Christians in the Northwest is even more overt than many in the old South!
The joy of forgiveness after the sorrow of true repentance would produce in our hearts a desire to restore whatever we have taken from others, make good on promises not kept and ask the forgiveness of those we have hurt. John the Baptist calls such deeds "fruits worthy of repentance" and gives those coming to him examples in Luke 3:7-14. As Dr. Herbert Baker pointed out to me, persons with the attitudes and deeds of true repentance do like the corrupt tax collector, Zacchaeus did after he met Jesus.
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Juneteenth Solemn Assembly Report
The turn out for the Juneteenth Solemn Assembly sponsored by this Ministry as part of its continuing From Slavery To Victory Education Project was small but serious. Pastors from two other churches and members of St. Mark Baptist Church made up the assembly. The Solemn Assembly lasted two and one half hours and featured Scripture reading, prayer and recorded music selected to inspire mood, reflection, attitudes and appeals to the Lord. The occasion marked the 10 year anniversary of the launch of the From Slavery To Victory Education Project Juneteenth 1994.
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He declared, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold," (Luke 19:8, NKJV). Here in the Northwest--as anywhere, when folks in repentance start to make right what they have done wrong, the me, myself and I spirit (deceptively called "rugged individualism") begins to breakdown into community.
Another of the spiritual riches that would be manifested in a real, God sent revival in the Northwest is peace and unity within and among the faithful churches of Jesus Christ! In these last days we must be clear that not all so-called churches are truly of Christ. The Lord´s own criterion on this is "If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed," (John 8:31b, NKJV). That said, the Lord´s disciples who make up the churches here in the Northwest would vigorously love each other and display the peace and unity that is only possible through the working of the Spirit of God.
The peace and unity of the churches would force the on looking secular culture to take a more serious look at our claims of a superior worldview and the means through the living presence of God Almighty to bring it into being. Right now in the Northwest, in our fragmented and disjointed state, the churches represent just a small corner of a huge market of religious offerings with nothing really better to present than anybody else in the eyes of many seekers.
Finally, most Bible students would not call the triumphant gathering of more than double the amount of petition signatures needed to put a marriage amendment to the state constitution before Oregon voters an outgrowth of revival. It is a defensive battle to win back something we should have never lost. However, I do believe this battle is a glorious foreshadowing of what is possible in revival as the saints working together in God´s power, press the warfare against the spiritual forces arrayed against us in the Northwest.
With true Spirit empowered revival, one of the most stunning pictures I see in the Northwest is the victorious spiritual warfare of the saints. Those victories are to such an extent as to actually lift the oppressive weight of darkness here long enough to expose false religions, bring millions of souls to Christ, turn the hearts of fathers back to their children and vice versa. Families and communities would be restored; sexual immorality and lawlessness would decrease; drug and alcohol abuse would be reduced; hopelessness and despair as prevalent as the Northwest´s gray skies would flee! Isn´t this a picture worth praying for?
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