Living in a Changing World — Episode 8: Revival or Progress?
It is easy to acquire a pessimistic, even cynical view of mankind as we age. Disappointments in others and in ourselves accumulate, leaving us with a despondent outlook. Read the words of almost anyone in history who lived into his sixties or seventies and you will notice this negative frame of mind.
It is true that the majority of people are lost in sin (I John 5:19). It is also true that evil tends to go from bad to worse (II Tim. 3:13). We understand this when we read about it happening in the Bible, and witnessing it ourselves makes this impression even deeper over time.
But there are times when groups of people, sometimes in surprising numbers, turn back to God. The Old Testament records periods in the history of Israel when this happened.
We may be seeing such a revival in the hearts of many today. There is still much evil in the world, but there seems to be a surge of interest in spiritual matters, especially among young people. This trend is no landslide, but it has marks of being genuine. This episode explores how and why this may be happening before our eyes.
Read about this subject
- Scripture: Jude 3; II Timothy 3:16-17
- “As For Us”
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Transcript
Kerry Duke: Hi, I’m Kerry Duke, host of My God and My Neighbor podcast from Tennessee Bible College, where we see the Bible as not just another book, but the Book. Join us in a study of the inspired Word to strengthen your faith and to share what you’ve learned with others.
Sometimes things change for the better. Not all change is bad. We talk a lot about how things have gone downhill in the last 100 years. But there are signs that things are improving. I’m not talking about the economy. I’m talking about the moral and spiritual condition of people here and other parts of the globe. We’ve seen the world change for the worse in many ways, but there are still God-fearing people. Not everybody is bad. Here are a few reasons to believe that we may be in the midst of a religious revival, especially among young people.
Number one: in the last few years, there has been a backlash against what happened during Covid. The year 2020 was a dark time. Schools closed. Businesses closed. Rumors spread that a deadly disease might wipe out civilization like some of the plagues we read about in history. Mainstream and social media fanned the flames of hysteria, and so-called experts told people to stay indoors and avoid contact with others. Bureaucrats even ordered churches to close. When some churches refused to comply, they were threatened, fined, and some were even arrested.
So, most churches shut down. Now that was a big mistake. Churches should not have closed during Covid. The government had no right to tell people to stay away from public worship. It was a case of two laws in conflict: the law of man and the law of God. And when that happens, we ought to do what Peter said in Acts 5 verse 29. When the Jewish council warned the apostles not to preach the gospel, Peter told these officials, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” The Bible tells us to worship God in private and in public. Hebrews 10 verse 25 says not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Acts 20 verse 7 says the early Christians gathered together on the first day of the week to worship. First Corinthians 14 verse 23 says this is when “the whole congregation comes together in one place.” If a person is sick and cannot go to church, then of course God understands. He does not expect people that are sick to gather for public worship. But He expects people that are able to assemble for worship. And I’m talking about “in-person” worship. Most churches went to what they called “online worship” in 2020. I know they felt they were doing the best they could given the situation. But the fact remains that the decision to tell people to stay at home and watch a video in the place of going to church was one of the worst decisions they could have made. I have talked to more church elders and preachers and concerned Christians than I can count since 2020 about their decision to close church services, and every one of them now says the same thing. They say, “We can’t get some of our members to come back.” People in churches all over the country have told me that they lost a lot of people during Covid. But here’s the other side of that coin. What happened in churches that stayed open during Covid? Where are they now? The answer is the same all over: attendance is usually up in those churches since Covid. Those churches took a beating in the first couple of years of the pandemic. But they stood their ground and now they’re growing. Numbers are up. Interest is up. There’s more zeal. There’s more evangelism. And people in those congregations love and appreciate gathering together for worship more than ever. I’m noticing that especially in younger people. I think there’s a revival in the hearts of young people. I’m not saying it’s a landslide. I know there are a lot of young people (and older people) who don’t have any interest in God. They’re selfish. A lot of young people have no respect for anything. But there are still young people that care. There are young people in their thirties, their twenties and even in their teens that are interested in spiritual things. They have questions about the Bible. They are hungry for answers. And they’re turning to God for hope. They’re coming to church. They’re talking to Christian friends about their problems. They’re studying the Bible. The devil has tried his best to kill religion since the outbreak of Covid, but there’s been a backlash against all the hype and hysteria of those early days of the pandemic. People—some people, that is—don’t believe everything the experts say. They don’t trust politicians to secure their freedom. They don’t bow to the advice of a health industry that rakes in trillions of dollars every year. If Covid taught them one thing, it’s what they used to make jokes about but forgot when Covid hit: you can’t believe it just because it’s own the internet. They’ve at least learned to think more on their own. I realize even among those people, and in particular young people, that there are many that chase some silly ideas and some preposterous claims. That’s bound to happen, at least for a while. But even then, there’s hope, because if they sincerely want to find the truth and keep searching for it, they’ll find it.
So what I’m saying is that in some areas, there is a surge of interest in religion among young people. I know some of you will disagree because you’re not seeing it where you live. Or maybe it’s not happening with as many as you would like to see. But it does seem to be a trend, so give it time.
But there’s another point to consider about what happened in 2020 when Covid struck. I’ve heard this said many times. The pandemic separated the men from the boys, spiritually speaking. Or, to put it another way, it weeded out the the worldly and the weak members and made the dedicated members stronger. And now that they’re back up on they’re feet after being knocked down by that experience, they’re moving forward with more determination and faith than ever. I think Paul’s words to the Philippians apply to this trend we’re talking about. He was writing about being arrested and put in prison and suffering all the persecution he faced. Christians then might have been prone to think nothing but bad could come from all the trouble that Paul endured. But here’s what Paul said, “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel” (Philippians 1 verse 12). All the bad things that happened to him didn’t hurt the spread of the gospel. Those hardships and pains furthered the gospel and gave strength to Christians! And the same thing applies to the awful experience in 2020 with the disease and the riots and the fear and confusion and division that followed. It was like the devil was unleashed. But we survived. And though some, perhaps many, have gone back to their old selfish ways, there are others who’ve become more spiritual than ever. And that’s the revival I’m talking about.
Here’s the second sign that we’re seeing a new day: People are opening their eyes to what the Islamic religion is really all about. I recently spent an hour interviewing an expert on this movement for a video. He said something that surprised me. He said he’s seen a change in the last year or two that has surprised him. Now he studies this movement daily. That’s what he does full-time. He’s written over thirty books on the subject. He has trained FBI about the tactics of Muslim terrorists. He recently testified before a congressional subcommittee in Washington on the incompatibility of sharia with United Sates law. And here’s what’s encouraging. He said he has seen a change in thinking about this subject in America and in other nations. He said people are opening their eyes to what Islam is more than he’s seen in the last twenty to twenty five years. You may remember that, after the 9/11 attacks, politicians and mainstream media said that Islam was a peaceful religion. They said the problem was Islamic radicals, not Islam itself. And they were successful in covering the truth for a while. But the truth is out now more than ever. The internet has done a lot of harm, but it has also done some good. And this movement is being exposed. People are learning about Muslims brutally attacking and killing innocent people in numerous countries. They are learning about Muhammad and the kind of man he was. And they are finally seeing what this movement is really all about. The word Islam means submission. The goal of Islam is to conquer the world and bring every nation in submission to Allah. That is what Jihad is all about. Jihad is the Arabic word for the struggle to bring the world under the law of Allah.
People are reading what the Quran itself says about war. Surah 4 verse 76 in the Quran says, “Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who reject faith fight in the cause of evil: so fight ye against the friends of Satan.” Muslims are commanded to fight in “the cause of Allah.” What is the cause of Allah? It’s to conquer other lands and establish sharia! That’s the goal, that’s the end game, of this movement!
Here’s another verse in the Quran:“Therefore, when ye meet the unbelievers (in fight), smite at their necks; at length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly (on them)…” (Surah 47 verse 4). This book tells Muslims to strike at the necks of infidels and bring them into bondage! And who are the infidels? Those who are not Muslims.
Surah 8 verse 39 says, “And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevails justice and faith in Allah altogether and everywhere…” This is not defensive war simply to protect the lives of Muslims. This verse doesn’t say to fight unbelievers until there is safety for Muslims. It says to fight infidels until justice and faith in Allah are established altogether and everywhere. That is pure sharia!
Then there is this verse in surah 9. “But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, and beleagur them, and lie in wait for them in every strategem (of war)…” (Surah 9 verse 5). This is called “the verse of the sword” for good reason.
Another verse in this same surah commands jihad: “Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the last day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth, from among the people of the Book, until they pay the jizyah with willing submission and feel themselves subdued” (Surah 9 verse 29). The specifically stated reason for fighting against unbelievers is religious. It’s not national war so much as it is a religious war. Notice the wording: “Fight” them.
In 2004 secret documents of the Muslim brotherhood were discovered in Virginia. These documents contain Islamic plans to overthrow western civilization. Let me read to you a few lines that should wake up every American.This “explanatory memorandum” as Muslims called it, tells Muslims to perform a “civilization–jihadist process” and says that Muslim brothers “must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the western civilization from within and ‘sabotaging’ its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated, and God’s religion is made victorious over all other religions. Without this level of understanding, we are not up to this challenge and have not prepared ourselves for jihad yet. It is a Muslim’s destiny to perform hard and work wherever he is, and wherever he lands until the final hour comes, and there is no escape from that destiny except for those who choose to slack.”
But the good news is that this plan is being exposed more and more, and a lot of people are not buying the myth that Islam is just another religion that’s under the protection of the First Amendment. A good is example is what happened in Texas recently, where 95% of voters in a recent primary opinion ballot said sharia is incompatible with state law. People are opening their eyes. They’re seeing the truth. We’ve got a long way to go still. The information war is not over by any means. It never is. But it’s encouraging to see people finally coming around on this issue.
Here’s another sign that public perception is better than what we’ve been told in the past. In recent years there has been a mass exodus from public schools. Parents have had enough of government schools forcing children to accept the LGBT, transgender and Woke agenda. They’re tired of school enrollment forms that confuse children about their gender. They’re sick of schools giving special treatment to boys and girls that “identify” as dogs and cats and have to be led around on a leash. They fear for the physical and moral safety of their children and have decided that enough is enough. As a result, enrollment in private schools and homeschool groups is exploding.
A good number of people are seeing that the idea of everybody being equal has been taken to extremes that are insane. And it’s interesting for Christians to watch this because we knew all this was wrong to start with. But we also knew it wouldn’t work. Boys are boys and girls are girls. Men are men and women are women. That’s how God made us. This goes back to the creation in the book of Genesis. In Genesis 1 verse 27 the Bible says, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created Him; male and female He created them.” Radicals today can do everything they want to get rid of the idea of male and female, but they never will. They can deny that there are two genders. They can file lawsuits. They can complain and harass schools and businesses. They can cry and protest in the streets. But they can never change what God has created. God created mankind as male and female. That feature is built into nature. It has not changed, and it will never change. And the Bible shows us that people have tried to change the concept of male and female before. What we’ve been seeing in the past few years is nothing new. The technology is new. The medical procedures are new. But this is not the first time people have been dissatisfied with their gender and tried to change it. In Romans chapter 1, here’s what Paul said people were doing. They turned away from God, and when they did, they tried to change the way God made them. Verse 24 says, “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind” (that’s Romans 1 verses 24 through 28). When these people rebelled against the Creator, they tried to change His creation. That’s why he said the women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. That’s why he said women with women and men with men is against nature. That kind of behavior is unnatural. Nature itself shows it’s wrong. Even if a person doesn’t have a Bible, he can see that it goes against the creation and the Creator.
More and more you hear people say it’s just plain common sense that we’re male and female. But it’s more than that. It’s the order of God’s creation. And we’re seeing part of society coming full circle, all the way back to Genesis chapter 1. And what we said about people waking up to the danger of Islam is true about people being fed up with the transgender movement. They’ve had enough. They’ve heard enough. They’re seeing that radical politicians are using this issue to divide and to control. And there are millions of parents who are determined to protect their children from this nonsense. And we say to all those parents, “Amen, and God bless you.”
Another positive sign is a renewed courage to debate religious issues vigorously and lovingly. For years, conventional wisdom in many churches told us not to debate religion. They said debating doesn’t do any good. They said that any kind of arguing, even in the spirit of love, only pushes people away. They said it’s not good to tell people that they’re wrong because that’s being judgmental. They avoided controversial issues like the plague. Now that was in stark contrast to the 1800s and the first half of the 1900s. That was a time when debating was common. People didn’t think it was mean. They didn’t think it was unbiblical. They saw it as an opportunity to learn the truth. And many souls did learn the truth and obey the gospel because of these public discussions. But when things begin to change in this country, especially in the 1960s, public debates about the Bible started to decline and eventually almost vanished. Older, mainstream denominations decided they didn’t want any part of debating the issues anymore. So they raised up a couple of generations of preachers that were told to avoid controversy. And that spirit spilled over into churches of Christ.
But that’s changing. Now people feel more free to discuss their differences and debate the issues. And, yes, some of those arguments get mean and ugly. Some of the debates are about things that don’t really matter. But some of the open discussion and debating in person and online today is good. And once again we’re seeing this trend especially in a certain age group: young people. They’re studying their Bibles and locking swords with each other. They’re passionate about what they believe. They have the courage to disagree. Not all of these young people are right. Many of them are wrong. But I’m saying at least there’s more discussion of the Bible these days and this is one way of doing it.
Of course, just because there is a trend doesn’t mean it’s right. The Bible decides whether it’s right or wrong. But in the case of disagreeing or debating religious doctrine, the Bible is very clear. The book of Jude, verse three says that we are to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.“ That verse doesn’t say to contend for your faith. It says to contend for the faith, that is, the gospel. To contend means to struggle, to wrestle for something. And so the Bible says that we are to struggle and fight for the faith. Not with swords. Not with our hands and feet, but with our words. The Bible says in First Peter chapter 3, verse 15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” Peter said to be ready to defend the truth. The Bible doesn’t just say to share the gospel. It says to defend the gospel. And notice that Peter said to make a defense to anyone who asks you a reason why you have this hope. He didn’t say to give a defense to anyone who asks you what you think about it. He doesn’t say to tell people how you feel about your beliefs. He doesn’t say to tell people what you parents taught you or what your favorite pastor said. He said to give a logical, biblical defense. Also, Paul said in Philippians one verse 17, “I have been set for the defense of the gospel.” Time and again we see Paul defending the faith in the New Testament.
And, there’s no better example of defending the truth than Jesus Christ himself. All you have to do is read the book of Matthew and you see the Lord defending the truth. You see Him debating the issues. In Matthew chapter 4 verses six and seven, the devil misquoted Scripture, and Jesus came back with another verse of Scripture to correct him. In Matthew chapter 9, some of the Jews criticized Jesus because he ate with tax collectors and sinners. But again, Jesus quoted the Old Testament to put them in their place. In Matthew chapter 12, the Pharisees accused Jesus’ disciples of breaking the Sabbath law. But Jesus took them straight to the Old Testament Scriptures to show them they were wrong. He put these self-righteous Jews in their place with a simple question: “Have you not read?” That is, haven’t you read what the Old Testament says about mercy? Later in Matthew chapter 12, some of the Pharisees said He was casting out demons by the power of Satan. But Jesus defended Himself and defended the truth. In Matthew chapter 15, the Pharisees again level a charge against Jesus’ disciples. This time, they criticized the disciples because they didn’t wash their hands before they ate. And the first thing Jesus did in response was to quote the Old Testament Scriptures that they were violating themselves. In Matthew chapter 19, the Pharisees put Jesus to the test when they asked Him if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason. Jesus took them back to the Old Testament and then told them that there’s one reason, and that’s the cause of fornication. In Matthew chapter 22, the Jews were getting desperate. They wanted to know what He thought about paying taxes to the Roman government. They wanted to know how there could be the resurrection of the dead. They wanted to know which commandment in the law of Moses was the greatest. And Jesus answered everything they said.
If you turn to the book of John, you’ll see Jesus debating the Jewish leaders time and time again. So when people today say that debating is not Christlike, they don’t know what they’re talking about. Jesus debated many times. And today there’s a change in thinking about this subject. And that’s causing people to study their Bible more. And it’s lead some people to the truth. When you look at periods of great revival in church history, what do you see? Controversy. Debating. That’s what happened in the protestant reformation movement, from the time Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the doors of the church building in Wittenberg, Germany and challenged any Catholic official to debate. The same thing happened in the American restoration movement in the 1800s. Debates were common. A lot of people attended those public discussions and a lot of people learned the truth and obeyed the gospel. And I believe we’re seeing the same thing happening today, not so much in public, in-person debates – what we would call formal debates – but in online debates and personal discussions. It just seems to me that debating and disagreeing about religious differences was put down for years by many church leaders of different kinds, and it didn’t work. And now that people feel more free to air their differences, they are talking to each other about what divides them. And that’s encouraging because it brings error out in the open and causes the truth to be seen more clearly.
Here’s something else that’s encouraging. We’ve all been outraged because of open sin all around us—bad language, people going around half-naked in public (some of them Christians), men and women of all ages living together without being married, homosexuality, drinking, watching movies that are not fit to watch, pornography, greed and every other kind of ungodly behavior. This has hit us like a tidal wave in the last two or three generations. And it’s still bad. But it’s encouraging to see Christian parents protecting their young children from this. There are Christian mothers and Christian fathers who are a lot more conservative on these points than their parents and grandparents. For instance, take the matter of modest dress. When Baby Boomers reached adulthood in the 60s and 70s, they decided they were going to wear anything they wanted. They didn’t care what people thought. That’s when the miniskirt appeared. And there were many people that just went along with it. Girls saw some famous actress or singer wearing one and they had to have one. Mothers went along with it and bought them for their daughters. And far too many Christian parents let it come into their home. You see, standards of dress that were once conservative were falling apart. And that just got worse and worse in the decades that followed. Dresses got shorter and tops got lower and bathing suits became nothing but expensive underwear.
But there is a turnaround in some young Christian families today. For whatever reason, they are not just blindly following what the world around them does. They’re not even blindly following their parents or older people in the church who should know better. They’re making their own decisions based on the Bible. They’re in the minority to be sure. But that doesn’t bother them. And I say again, God bless these young Christian husbands and wives and fathers and mothers.
There’s another issue that is coming more and more to the forefront and it’s encouraging to see Christians that stand strong. It’s the problem of drinking alcohol. This is the the oldest drug problem in history. It’s the most widespread drug problem in the world today. I’ve been to a lot of places in the world, to a lot of different countries, and I’ve seen it everywhere I’ve been. It just seems that the whole human race is bent on drinking their cares and troubles away, getting intoxicated to get their mind off their problems, or, just to party and go wild. And the United States of America is having a serious problem with alcohol. So, what, you might ask, is the encouraging part of that? Well, we’ve had Christian people for years say there’s nothing wrong with drinking as long as you don’t get drunk. They say that Jesus made alcoholic wine in John 2 which is false. That’s an unbiblical view. Jesus was not in the liquor making business. But my point is that I’m seeing an element of Christians coming together to make a stand against drinking. They are saying NO. They’ve studied the Scriptures and they know what the Bible teaches and they are ready to defend it. That’s just one more indication that the fire of faith is burning strong in the hearts of Christians today.
And here’s something I have noticed perhaps more than anything over the last five years or so. I am seeing more and more interest in the subject of divine providence. Not miracles, but the hand of God working in unseen ways in the world. People have seen enough fake miracle workers that make big promises, beg for money, and get rich off of people by pretending to do signs they can’t do. But they do believe that God works in ways we don’t see or understand. They love to hear sermons about how God worked behind the scenes in the Bible. They love the story of Joseph and how God worked in his life in ways nobody could see. They love what the Bible says in the book of Daniel that we’ve been studying—verses like Daniel 4 verse 17 where the Bible says that “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men.” I have watched people with their eyes glued on the preacher as they listened to what God said to Pharaoh in Exodus 9 verse 16: “I have raised you up.” I have been asked more questions about this subject than anything else I can think of in the last several years. Now why is that? Christians want assurance. They want to know if God works in the world. They want to know that the world is not spinning out of control because God is in control. The world seems like it’s in self-destruct mode. It seems that people are intent on wrecking their lives. And it just looks like they’re winning. But that’s where plain old Bible reading and good, Bible-based preaching comes in. God is not just watching from heaven. He’s involved in the world even though He works in ways you can’t see and don’t need to see because that’s His business and your duty is to trust. So I would say that this surge of interest in the Providence of God is a good indication that we are in the midst of a revival.
All this means that doors are opening. God is giving us opportunities we never imagined we’d see. So let’s not squander them. Let’s take advantage of them, because doors don’t stay open forever. They open but they eventually shut. And I’m convinced that this is a time of great opportunity. What Paul said in First Corinthians 16 verse 9 is a good verse to end this series with: “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”
Thank you for listening to My God and My Neighbor. Stay connected with our podcast on our website and on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever fine podcasts are distributed. Tennessee Bible College, providing Christian education since 1975 in Cookeville, Tennessee, offers undergraduate and graduate programs. Study at your level. Aim higher and get in touch with us today.