Dear People who Keep Company with God,
There is anticipation that we are entering a season of revival that may lead to spiritual awakening in our nation. Last week, Todd Bentley came to Concord for one night to bring the Lakeland Outpouring to NC. There was a traffic jam several miles long of people attempting to get to that meeting. I saw several people park their cars on the side of the road and walk approximately two miles to get to the arena. My oldest son, Aaron, remarked, “This is wonderful that there are so many hungry for God now.”
Last Thursday morning as I awoke I heard these words: revival is coming. Typically this would be very encouraging and exciting to hear, however with these words was a sense of great soberness. I immediately remembered Arthur Burt telling me, “brother everyone wants revival, but not everyone is willing to pay the price of revival.”
This past Saturday the Lord again reminded me of the reality of this as I read an email from Iris Ministries concerning Rolland and Heidi Baker. They are the directors of Iris Ministries which has planted over 7,000 churches in Africa and are feeding and caring for over 8,000 orphans and vulnerable children in several countries of Africa and beyond. Miracles, signs and wonders are a regular part of their ministry. However, they have paid a great price personally. For the past several months Rolland has suffered with some health issues. His primary care physician located in the Dallas, Texas area, states, “Rolland Baker is currently under my care for a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which has caused some short-term memory loss due to the intense ministry and administrative responsibilities he has overseen for many years.” We should pray for Rolland to be completely restored and at the same time learn from his experience.
History is also a great teacher and it has been said, “Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.” In 1904 God used Evan Roberts to lead a revival in Wales known as the Welsh Revival. The whole nation was affected by this revival. During the revival the crime rate dropped, alcoholics were delivered and reformed, and pubs reported losses in business. Bad language disappeared from the lips of many; it was reported that the pit ponies used to mine coal in that day failed to understand their born again handlers who seemed to speak a new language void of cursing and swearing. Even soccer and rugby became uninteresting in the light of new joy and direction received by the converts.
Evan Roberts was 26 years old when this revival began and carried a tremendous anointing and authority to lead the revival; however Evan made a critical mistake which I believe prematurely shut the revival down. Because the presence of the Lord was so thick and Evan had such a tremendous anointing, he slept very little for prolonged periods of time. God had given Evan older men who strongly urged him to take care of himself, but he ignored their counsel as he was carried along in such a powerful move of God. By 1906 it all caught up with him. Evan Roberts left the revival and went to Leicester, England to recuperate from a mental and physical breakdown and the Welsh Revival came to a premature end. Evan eventually had 9 breakdowns and at the end of his life wondered what purpose he had on earth.
This is not the Father’s heart – I believe His heart for us in this wonderful season is clearly revealed in this prayer of the Apostle John,
Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 2
Many Blessings, BW