The signs are abundant that another “Great Awakening” is now being ignited in America. I have been prophesying this for twenty-two years, and I have to admit it is an amazing thing to watch it happen. We actually may be entering the greatest move of God in American history. I have also been given dreams in which I was shown possibly the greatest revival yet in church history coming to Cuba. Others will ignite in Europe, including what used to be communist Europe, and particularly Russia.
As we look at the nations and their spiritual condition, we might look at the Great Commission like a young Lieutenant in an army who is the leader of just a small platoon, but is given the command to capture a large, fortified city. We would think: “How could that possibly be done?” Then if he is promoted and given a powerful army to do it with, it becomes much more plausible. Think of this—we have been promoted to a much higher position than any general as children of God, and we have been given much more power than any army. We have been given the Holy Spirit of God, and we will be empowered to do everything we are called to do.
Even though we have been empowered and can always expect power from the Holy Spirit to accomplish any mission we are given from above, we do not command the Holy Spirit, but He commands us. We are able to do all that we are called to do as we obey the Captain of the hosts, Jesus. Like any good soldier, our task is simple—obey all that we are commanded to do.
We are in the army of God, and like any army, when we are not engaged in actual combat, we will be training for it. Those who are the best trained are those who will inevitably do the best when action is called for. An officer seeks to promote those who are always trying to do their best and will do more than the minimum required just to get by. This is certainly true of our Captain. Christians who read and study more are in prayer meetings more, volunteer more, witness more, and go on missions when they can. These are the ones promoted by the Lord into leadership.
Obviously, I know you are one who is prone to do more just because you are reading this WFTW. You are clearly seeking more, which is desperately needed in these times. The body of Christ in America is mobilizing, and the reason for the mobilization is becoming more clear. Even though it looks like evil is prevailing in America such as never before, this is provoking the righteous possibly as never before. Christians are waking up and getting engaged in the current issues of our times, resolving to be the salt and light we have been called to be.
There may have never been a more clear illumination in America of the difference between light and darkness, and the agenda of the darkness to bring the nation into bondage, as we are seeing right now. It is a most profound clash between what the Bible calls “good” and “evil.” It is also a basic clash between freedom and bondage, which are certainly shaping up to be the great clash between light and darkness that we have been foreseeing for many years. It is now time to engage.
America is tottering over the precipice of falling into the most terrible human bondage ever released on the earth—Marxism. How could that be? Hasn’t the world learned that Marxism does not work? Those who have lived under it have certainly learned this, and even the Russian Prime Minister Putin recently rebuked our President for not learning the lessons of history that Marxism does not work. However, many Americans have obviously not observed the great lessons of recent world history, and many young Americans were not old enough to have witnessed the terrible stripping away of the human soul to make automatons that Marxism results in. Now this most terrible evil is making a grab for America.
We should not blame the foolish, the naïve, or the young for falling for this terrible deception, but rather blame ourselves. This is the result of a lack of discipleship for converts. We may have gotten many of them to raise their hands while standing in the back of some large crowd in order to give themselves to Christ, but then we left them to flounder and try to grow on their own, and they have, for the most part, died spiritually. They do not have the light because it was not given to them by those who have it. Winning elections will not stop what is now upon us. We must go deeper.
Last February, about fifty Christian leaders with international ministries came together at Heritage to determine what we should do about the rising crisis in America. This meeting resulted in calling another meeting at the end of April which drew about three hundred ministries from almost across the spectrum of the body of Christ. We decided on a mandate for our steering committee to form a board and establish an organization for addressing the great crises of our times, helping to prepare the church for them. We did and named it, The Oak Initiative, which was formally incorporated in August.
Word has spread widely and quickly about The Oak Initiative. Most seem to consider it a vehicle for mobilizing Christians politically, but that is not our main purpose. Our main purpose is to help raise up “oaks of righteousness” as described in Isaiah 61:3. This is the passage of Scripture that the Lord read when He began His ministry, and it is the one we will be reading and seeking to fulfill at the end of this age.
A healthy oak tree will have a root system as extensive below the ground as it has branches above the ground. This is the main purpose of The Oak Initiative—to help raise up the strongest Christians possible with roots as deep as their outreach. Our goal is to see Christians across the spectrum of the body of Christ become the best informed, most knowledgeable, and the most effective at being the salt and light that they are called to be. Our goal is to strengthen and build Christians into disciples who can truly disciple nations, and therefore, fulfill the Great Commission.
I am without apology in trying to recruit you for The Oak Initiative, which can become a vehicle for greatly strengthening Christians, and therefore the church, helping her to fulfill her mandate to prepare the way for the Lord, if it is built upon seekers such as yourself. The Oak Initiative is incorporated as a 501(c), and we will boldly enter the debate of the important issues and current events, but our main purpose is to be a vehicle for promoting true biblical discipleship.
The greatest revival in the world will be short and have very superficial fruit without Christians becoming disciples and growing deeper as their influence expands outward. Getting laws passed, good people elected, and good judges appointed, is important, but this will accomplish little without Christians growing in Christ. Too many Christian movements have been used for political purposes. We intend to use political events for the purposes of Christ. Watch how it unfolds.
For more information on the Oak Initiative, click here
