The latest Unification Movement Worldwide News

Yesterday (February 23, 1999) I had the pleasure of attending a 1/2 day
seminar for pastors and lay leaders hosted by Promise Keepers, Mission
America and Mainstay Ministries. (For further info
http://www.promisekeepers.org and http://www.missionamerica.org.) 

The theme for the day was the "Revival of Christianity." There was much
talk on this theme and there seemed to be some genuine testimony that
there was a beginning to a third great revival in the US today. There
seemed to be an acknowledgement that the church has been pushed out of
the center of the culture and that time has run out. There must be
unity among the churches.

Mission America is calling for every Christians home to be a lighthouse
for God and for all Christians to pray for their neighbours. Promise
Keepers are calling for revival events to be held on Jan 1st, 2000
outside each state capital. Mainstay Ministries were calling for people
to buy their products.

Bill McCartney gave the most inspiring talk. He is a good speaker. To 
summarize him -

7 points for revival - There must be ..
.
1. A deep seated longing for God - a holy unrest.
2. A concentrated prayer effort across the land.
3. A reawakening of peoples gifts, tears and love.
4. A conviction and victory over personal sin.
5. An awareness of God's presence.
6. Society will be influenced for the better.
7. Ringleaders in sin will then serve Christ.

He then challenged all to be a part of the revival and not to miss it.

There was also a very informative handout by George Barna which clearly
shows the state of Christianity -

$100 million worth of bibles are sold every year in the US, the top
selling book, by far. But less that 4 out of 10 read it weekly and 3/4
of all adults say there is no such thing as absolute moral truth.  85%
believe that Jesus died, rose and is alive today. 1/3 of all adults -
including more than 1 in 5 born again Christians - contends that when
Jesus was on the earth he committed sins. 4 out of 10 don't believe in
the physical resurrection.

Adults are ten times more likely to say that their spiritual life is
more important to them today than it was three years ago. But just 3
out of 10 say that having a satisfying spiritual life is a top
priority.  Among the top concerns of Americans is the moral decay of
the nation. But upon comparing christians and non-Christians on 65
common non-religious behaviours and values, there were no instances in
which Christians were substantially different. This ranged from getting
drunk, getting a divorce and engaging in adultery to gambling and
intentionally lying.

His conclusions - The time is ripe for revival; but the church is not
in the midst of it. God needs a remnant of passionate believers
committed to His cause. He does not need a majority, He does not need
our money, He does not work to our timetable, and He does not force
Himself upon a recalcitrant people.

He closes "I do not pretend to have the ultimate answer for our people.
I simply ask that you consult to God for guidance... I present these
perspectives with a plea for swift and certain action for time is of
the essence. I feel a deep sense of urgency because the window is
rapidly closing upon us."

by Michael Inglis