Longing for Revival

The History of the Church is messy but beautiful. God's handiwork is clearly seen through every page; though at times it may be hard to see with my sinful catacart spirtual eyes. (Oh for more faith to see! May God grant me grace to be healed again from blindness [Mark 8:22-25.]) I have yearned for a happening again of my God's mighty work in the world like that of the 18th century. When God's Holy Spirit revived thousands of dead souls who lay slain by empty doctrines of rationalism and passionless preaching. People were awakened by the preaching of the truth and authentic spiritual fruit. Our faults are not the same. We do not worship rationlistic deism or classical atheism as much as pluraistic spirtualism and practical atheism. Yet, all the worldly philosophies, though redefined, have the same perverted thesis. "My God shall be as I make Him and shall do I as please." We should still quickly respond to the words of the Apostle Paul as one who grasps for a hand in storm tossed sea: "...May we no longer be like children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried by every wind of doctrine..." (Eph 4:14). Would you be simply be driven by the storm to drown in the sea of human deciet and error? Would the Church continue to let one another and their neighbors do the same? This was the state of the church in England and America and mainland Europe during the 18th century. The Reformation had died off and so had the passion for guarding and preaching the truth in the love and powerful faith in Christ. Yet the Great Awakening began and it's fruits remained to bring about vitality in future resurgances of faith. It was not man contrived, outward but spiritual and inward. It was God breaking into a dead society and breathing life into dead men. But how will we have such when Man's universal sprititual deadness is explained away, ignored, or redefined to some partial goodness in all men? Or how will we call Men to faith when faith is a non-sensical leap into mystical knowledge? Or how will we men be convinced of any certain decision to new life Christ calls one too, when Christ is not the only one who can give "new life"? And how will we preach anything at all, when our theology is defined by personal experience and not a belief in supernatual revalatory truth? "I submit in prayer, God you will overcome the deceit of this world and the corruption in me. You who raised Jesus from the dead, will also give life to all of me. You who revived whole peoples before, please do this again. Renew us who faint for the passionate righteous preaching of your word, envigiour us who should preach the Word, delight all of your Church in seeking a sound and more perfect knowledge of you. That we would desire you as one desires a good relationship with one's parents or spouse. Please work again to show nations and peoples all over thew world that you will be justified in what you speak and blameless when you judge. May Jesus Christ our Lord be Praised."