“So, he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.” I Kings 22:15
Sometimes I feel like I have more questions than answers, and sometimes I am left wondering why the things I see do not line up with the things I feel. I guess that’s where the proverb comes in that it is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.
Often, something sounds so good on the surface, but doesn’t feel right in your guts, and you wonder why.
For instance, I keep hearing about the coming “breakthrough” revival that is just about to hit this area in which I live, specifically through Assemblies of God. Many Christians are excited about the coming prospects, and you can hear it in their voices as they tell you about all the prophesies that have been spoken over them, and the visitations from other revivalists who just feel like this area is a “magnet”.
They will tell you that they have even gone on a 40-day fast for this revival. Of course, they didn’t really fast for 40 days; they just had a lot of people go on a lot of tiny fasts for a period of 40 days. They talk about the all-night prayer meetings they’ve had for revival. They don’t tell you that they didn’t actually pray all night – they just had a bunch of people take a lot of little time slots throughout the night.
They talk about getting right with God and getting “realigned” or “shifting to correction”, but nothing is mentioned about broken-hearted repentance and weeping before God. Instead, we hear about the wonderful party they had at the revival meeting.
Gee, it all sounds so good, and who would dare to say anything disparaging about it? But you know, the more I hear about it, the more that something seems missing.
So I back up a bit and give the same sarcastic answer as Micaiah did, “Go and prosper.”
“Hope everything is beautiful.”
“You go, girl!”
“Good luck.”
“Hope you make it!”
In my heart, however, what they are spilling out just doesn’t feel the same as what they try to make it sound like. What these people are calling for is a party with all the balloons, but I hear nothing about the desperation that the Word of God requires for revival.
If they are afraid to even speak the severe words that call for deep, broken repentance, then do they really think that their churchy, substitute phrases will pierce through to people’s hearts?
If all they will fast is for a day or so, and all they will pray is an hour or so, then it doesn’t sound to me like they are serious. You can quote all the so-called “fair-haired boy” prophesies that you want, but I don’t see that kind of “pretty prophesies” in the Bible without a price being paid somewhere by somebody.
Any revival that comes without a crucified price from the people of God is superficial at best and will not come with any substance. Lest we forget, the altar of God is not a place of singing and dancing, but of blood, sacrifice, and death.
I do not see broken hearts that are desperate for a return to righteousness so they can have an outpouring of the Holy Ghost. Neither do I see people that are cut to the heart for lost souls that are on their way to an everlasting Hell.
Until I see that, then, like Micaiah, I remain unimpressed.
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