The Berean Call's T.A. McMahon wrote about a Christian gathering put on by Youth With A Mission (YWAM) called "The Send" during which various speakers sought to motivate the thousands of youth gathered there to preach the Gospel. McMahon wrote:
It began with an enthusiastic exhortation given by mostly young dynamic speakers to the equally enthusiastic crowd to fulfill the great commission: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark:16:15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
See All...). That urging underscored the theme of the event, which was titled “The Send.” The goal was to motivate and send the young adults back to their neighborhoods, their high schools and universities, their workplaces, their cities and nations, and then to countries far and wide in order to share the gospel.
They were told that God would empower them to be extremely successful in their attempts at evangelizing the world. Andy Byrd of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) declared, “We are here for the greatest move of God in human history…. Five years from now, we will be in a Jesus Movement beyond anything we could have imagined, and it all starts tonight.” Speaker Lou Engle stated that following the death of Billy Graham a major revelatory shift has taken place, featuring “the proclamation of the gospel, signs and wonders…stadiums will be filled, and Billy Graham’s mantle is coming on the nation…. It will be Jesus the evangelist [who] is going to fill stadiums in America….Why wouldn’t I believe that I would see stadiums with massive evangelism, signs and wonders and miracles, and hundreds of thousands of people being saved in America? We believe this day something will transfer and bring us into…worldwide transition into the greatest Jesus movement we have ever seen!” That would be wonderfully exciting if it were true. But it’s not. [1]
If anyone notices, T.A. McMahon does not believe that any spiritual awakening towards Christ will ever take place. He gives his reasoning:
Why would I conclude that? The reasons are manifold, the primary one being that it’s at odds with what the Word of God tells us about the present spiritual condition of the world and the state of the church as the return of the Lord draws near. That situation is characterized by anti-Christianity outside the church and apostasy within.
In chapter 24 of Matthew, His disciples asked Jesus to tell them what it would be like at the time of His coming. “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.” Additional verses concur: Luke:18:8I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
See All...: “…Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Second Timothy 3:13: “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” Second Timothy 4:3-4: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” Second Peter 2:1-3: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of [blasphemed]. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” [2]
There is no denying that this present world will inevitably face judgment. There is no denying that wickedness and spiritual darkness are increasing especially in western society. There is no denying that false prophets, false teachers, and even false Christs have increased steadily over the years. And there is no denying that there are an increasing number of people who would rather hear only what they want to hear instead of giving heed to what they need to hear. A day will come when Christ will come to take His people off the earth before the wrath to come; no doubt about that.
But what is wrong with hoping and praying for your local community and even your nation to come to repentance in Christ? What is so wrong with desiring another Great Awakening here in America? It is as if McMahon is using the darkening times that we live in as an excuse to not even try to win as many souls to Christ as we can, and not just him, but there are others of that same attitude as well.
I don't know if T.A. realizes this or not, but the times that we live in can be used as an excuse by some to not share their faith or actively evangelize like they should be.
Now, for the Church to be oblivious to the times in which we are living is dangerous, but to say that we should not desire or do what we can to bring about the revival and awakening towards Christ and try to demoralize those who are seeking it is just wrong, even if don't believe that a Great Awakening is going to take place yourself in spite of all the best efforts done to bring it about.
After all, Jesus did say to "occupy till I come" (Lk. 19:13) in other words, we are to be actively about the work of God until Christ does return, and a central work is preaching the Gospel of salvation and winning as many souls to Christ as we can. Unfortunately, much of the Church has not been faithful in this business and it has neglected to maintain its members and base in more ways than one.
Now granted, another Great Awakening in America upon which national repentance towards Christ is the result may or may not happen, even if the Church as a whole was faithful preaching the Gospel and vigilant in maintaining its base, but that does not mean that we should not desire for a nation to come to repentance or do everything we can to persuade as many people to Christ as we can possibly persuade.
But if indeed there is to be no last days revival, as McMahon says, then how do we explain Acts 2:17-18 where it is written:
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy...
There is no doubt that this is at least one of the main passages of scripture to which proponents of a coming last days revival point. So which is true? Increasing wickedness, or a worldwide revival? Since I do not believe the Bible contradicts itself, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that both scenarios are true:
Wickedness and spiritual darkness will increase, but at the same time, as the world grows darker, God will be more actively at work amongst His people which can only mean that there will be a last days revival taking place to a certain degree; as to what extent it takes place is not clear.
If the Apostles were living in the last days when they received the gifts of the Spirit, then how much more are we which makes Acts 2:17-18 all the more relevant? But if there is to be a last days revival so to speak, then that revival can only begin within the Church. It cannot begin outside the body of Christ. And if there is to be a spiritual awakening that is to draw many in the world to Christ, the Church has to be made ready to be the vessel to bring forth that Great Awakening and in order to be that vessel for such a number of things must first take place within the Church:
1. A return to the authority of scripture and the rejection of all doctrines and trends found to run contrary to the full counsel of and plain sense meaning of scripture.
2. Diligent study of the scriptures by both leaders and laymen alike. (2 Tim. 2:15)
3. Renewed vigilance in preserving the purity of doctrine within our ranks.
4. Dedicating ourselves to being made ready to earnestly contend for our faith (Jude 3)
by preparing to give an answer to the challenging questions with which we are confronted and to refute the arguments against our faith that keep men from repentance who, if not for the lies that blind them to the truth of the Gospel, might actually repent.
5. Restoring accountability amongst our ranks for conduct and teachings brought into our ranks by both leaders and laymen alike; there is a swamp in our ranks that desperately needs to be drained.
6. A revived commitment to retaining steadfast faith and courage in the face of growing hostility and persecution.
7. A restored resolve to retain an undying zeal for our Lord.
8. Remembering that God does not measure success in numbers but in faithfulness to His Word and to the calling that He has given each and everyone of us, and to the faithful use of the gifts and the talents that He has bestowed upon us to fulfill the callings He has given us.
9. Actively exposing and reproving the works of darkness. (Eph. 5:11)
If the above changes do not take place within the Church as a whole, then we definitely forget about any kind of a revival towards Christ on any given scale. T.A. McMahon goes on to reveal what is most concerning about the figures involved in the "Send" event:
Here is what those leaders are saying, including those at Bill Johnson’s Bethel Church and his School of Supernatural Ministry, Loren Cunningham’s Youth With A Mission (YWAM), the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) leaders, along with dozens of likeminded and very influential Word-Faith/Healing preachers and their ministries: They believe that God is pouring out His Holy Spirit in these last days, which will result in worldwide revival. As the revival grows, Christians will be placed in the highest governmental leadership positions throughout the nations. This will culminate in a Christianized world that is responsible to restore it physically (governmentally, environmentally) and spiritually (morally, and through restoring social justice) in order for Christ to return to earth to begin His physical rule…
There is absolutely no basis for this teaching in Scripture. One overwhelming obstacle to Christians thinking they can take dominion over the world is the entire book of Revelation. The next kingdom to come in God’s timeline is the kingdom of the Antichrist! That takes place during the “great tribulation,” when God pours out His wrath on the entire world. Jesus himself described what will take place as being so devastating that “such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew:24:21For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
See All...). The prophet Jeremiah adds “that none is like it,” calling it “the time of Jacob’s trouble,” and likening it to a woman laboring through birth pains: “…I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail [labor], and all faces are turned into paleness” (Jeremiah:30:6-7 [6] Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.
See All...).
What is astonishing about the false scenarios promoted by these “Christian Kingdom-Now Dominionists” is that none of the above verses can be spiritualized (read twisted) to indicate worldwide revival. On the occasions when those verses do come up, rationales denying them issue forth, such as “God is doing a new thing that abrogates what He has written.” By no means! God tells us, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away” (Mark:13:31Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. [3]
If a global revival were to take place, there would be no need for Christ to return at that time because God is not going to subject to judgment a repentant people and world. Such an event would delay the rapture, tribulation, and return of Christ. The Dominionist theology is just absolute nonsense, yet finds its roots in Preterist theology for which Augustine of Hippo was largely credited for bringing forth in his best known work, The City Of God upon which the eschatology of the Catholic Church was formed and then carried over into much of Protestantism.
See All...). The prophet Isaiah wrote, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah:8:20To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
See All...). Not only do these false teachers have a dominionist objective that is completely at odds with what God’s Word says, but also their pronouncements are rooted in a completely corrupt belief system.
This movement has been referred to as the Word of Faith, Healing, and Prosperity ministry. Its roots go back to false prophets and teachers such as E. W. Kenyon, Kenneth Hagin, Charles Capps, Kenneth Copeland, Fred Price, Marilyn Hickey, Joyce Myers, Rodney Howard-Browne, and, of course, the leader of the pack, Benny Hinn (See The Confusing World of Benny Hinn). Although all those who teach these unbiblical beliefs and practices have their own specialties (e.g., healing methods, commanding prosperity, positive confession, using faith as a technique, performing as gods under God, etc.), their foundational belief is that God is restoring to the contemporary church the signs, wonders, and miracles that are found in the Book of Acts. [4]
Now where I stand in agreement with McMahon the most is that the figures involved with this "Send" event have been known to have been caught up in the charismatic movement and the "Word-Faith" or "Prosperity Gospel" movement; neither or which are sound in their doctrine nor preach the Gospel of Salvation through Christ. It needs to be noted however that two of the prosperity gospel proponents (Joyce Meyer and Benny Hinn) have reportedly renounced the prosperity gospel they once taught and promoted. [5, 6]
If the organizers of "The Send" event are preaching a Gospel that is different than the Gospel delivered by the Apostles and the scriptures, than that gospel that they are being sent out to preach can only contribute to a growing apostasy and not a sought after revival. And to his credit, McMahon is right in inquiring as to what kind of a Gospel that YWAM is calling upon its members to spread as he further explains in his column and while this author does not know much about YWAM and its teachings, that they would align themselves with figures who have been known to teach and promote false doctrines is especially troubling.
But if the world at large were to return to Christ at any time, it would just mean that sin has not reached its full measure which is also required for judgment to take place, but the gospel needed to bring about a revival of any sort is not a prosperity gospel, a charismatic gospel, a Catholic gospel, or any other gospel apart from the Gospel of Jesus Christ which, in short, preaches:
1. A God who created us.
2. That we are inherently sinful and have fallen short of His moral standard of perfection which results in separation from our Maker and eternal damnation because God, in His purity, must punish that which is made impure and cannot allow sin into His direct presence.
3. A day is coming when all will have to given an account before their Maker for everything said and done in this life.
4. That God in His love and desire to show us mercy sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins and be raised from the dead so that anyone believing in Him would not suffer judgment, but be forgiven of their sins and granted salvation.
That is the Gospel needed for a revival of any kind. Any other gospel will only lead into a spiritual apostasy. But the best conclusion that we can come to is this: Evil will increase, yet at the same time, God will be more actively at work among His people and as a result, we may very well see a substantial number of people come to Christ despite the growing evil.
This appeal I must make to T.A., and that is while Contender's Edge agrees with you that false and watered down gospels contribute to the apostasy taking place, there are still those who have been faithfully preaching the true Gospel and have retained sound doctrine within their members and yet still desire, hope for, and pray for revival in both American, and if possible throughout the world.
We should not disparage them for having that desire, even if it doesn't come to pass, because a desire to win souls to Christ is perhaps the greatest motivator for preaching the Gospel. While I am not at all suggesting that we ignore the times in which we are living, at the same time, we need to take care that we do not play into Satan's hand in that we end up being vessels of apathy among the saints. Those the adversary cannot destroy by persecution, he is attempting to lead astray with false doctrines and lying signs and wonders, and those whom he cannot deceive, he is trying to make apathetic by making them think that there is no use in trying to actively go out and call as many people to Christ as possible.
It is easy to get discouraged by all the negativity taking place and all the bad and disappointing news that we may hear, but we should also take time to look for where God is at work as well so that we can remain encouraged and hopeful. And it is that hope of making a difference in the Kingdom of God that motivated me to publish this hatchling of a blogsite.
But regardless of what happens, we need to be faithfully serving Christ in whatever capacity He has given us as though there could be a revival, even if the revival that many professing Christians hope and pray for does not take place and if people persist in hardening their hearts towards their Maker, then that just means that our redemption is drawing near and the day is coming when we will be departing from this sin-cursed world which will face its judgment and eventually pass away to make way for a new world in which there is no sin, death, or evil of any sort.
And the more faithfully we serve our Lord, the great the reward and honor we receive in Heaven and that is what we need to be striving for daily.
End Notes:
1. T.A. McMahon, "The Send Deception," The Berean Call, November 1, 2019
https://www.thebereancall.org/content/send-deception
2. Ibid
3. Ibid
4. Ibid
5. "Joyce Meyer Says She Let Prosperity Gospel Teaching Get 'Out Of Balance,'" Charisma News, January 10, 2019
https://www.charismanews.com/video/74734-joyce-meyer-says-she-let-prosperity-gospel-teaching-get-out-of-balance?fbclid=IwAR1IrOFHpdOR6NDyXqLENtjFCa-0nKoRYGhexqsDAjkijP9c-lk9Y5htB4I
6. Leonardo Blair, Christian Post reporter, "Benny Hinn renounces prosperity gospel, says 'Holy Ghost is just fed up with it,'" Christian Post
https://www.christianpost.com/news/benny-hinn-renounces-prosperity-gospel-says-holy-ghost-is-just-fed-up-with-it.html
Scripture references:
1. Luke 19:13
2. Acts 2:17-18
3. 2 Timothy 2:15
4. Jude 3
5. Ephesians 5:11
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