Showing posts with label Daniel K. Norris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daniel K. Norris. Show all posts

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Why the Cane Ridge Revival Holds Prophetic Hope for America's Third Great Awakening - DANIEL K. NORRIS CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Barton Stone, the pastor at the Presbyterian Church there had sent word far and wide inviting everyone to come "camp on the grounds" during their first annual communion service.  He promised it would be, "one of the greatest meetings of its kind ever known."  It didn't disappoint.

Why the Cane Ridge Revival Holds Prophetic Hope for America's Third Great Awakening

Barton Stone, the pastor at the Presbyterian Church there had sent word far and wide inviting everyone to come "camp on the grounds" during their first annual communion service. He promised it would be, "one of the greatest meetings of its kind ever known." It didn't disappoint. (Chris Light/Wikimedia Commons)
It had been a long journey through the forest and hills of Kentucky just to make it to the log cabin church in Cane Ridge yet tens of thousands found the outcome to be well worth the effort. Barton Stone, the pastor at the Presbyterian Church there, had sent word far and wide inviting everyone to come "camp on the grounds" during their first annual communion service. He promised it would be, "one of the greatest meetings of its kind ever known." It didn't disappoint.
By Saturday afternoon it was estimated that more than 25,000 people had descended upon the fields surrounding the church. Stone had expected thousands, but this was more than he could have imagined. It was immediately apparent that the covered platform he had constructed outside the church would not suffice for so many. So Stone dispatched seven separate ministers into the fields to contend for a harvest among the people. Stumps, carriages, and fallen trees became platforms for preachers as they ministered to different sections of the multitude simultaneously.
In the crowd that afternoon was a mother with her two teenage daughters standing at her side. They were listening to a Baptist minister who stood before them on a stump. He preached with powerful words about the deadly consequences of sin. As they listened, the two daughters were suddenly seized with conviction. They cried out from the depths of their souls and then fell to the ground like two dead women. This was a new and strange sight for everyone in the crowd.
The mother, a devout woman who loved the Lord, became very concerned. She bent over the two girls, fanning their faces in a frantic attempt to wake them up, but to no avail. It was an hour later when one of her daughters finally stirred just long enough to cry out with a piercing scream, "Mercy, Lord! Mercy!" She then fell back into her trance-like state.
Both girls laid there motionless for hours upon the ground with the most awful look of terror upon their faces. From time to time they would awaken, let out a blood curdling cry for mercy and then return to their agonizing slumber. The wretched despair they carried on their countenance lasted for a few hours before it finally broke. It was suddenly replaced with the most beautiful, heavenly smile. "Precious Jesus!" one shouted as she rose to her feet. The whole of her being had been transformed. The encounter was forever life altering.
The young woman was filled with such fire and zeal that containing it was impossible. She opened her mouth and immediately began to preach the gospel to all those who surrounded her. Her voice belted across the crowd as if it were amplified with a supernatural force. It caused a stir, and a new crowd began to gather around her.  As she spoke, dozens of men and women were struck down to the ground like men slain in battle, each experiencing a similar encounter as she had just had. This wasn't an isolated incident. Similar scenes were breaking out all through the fields that day. That weekend, countless souls were won to the Lord in the most incredible fashion (Trail of Fire, page 39).
Oh, that God would do it again in our nation and do it like Cane Ridge!
The story of the Cane Ridge revival is one that stirs something deep within the spirit. I found myself moved in a remarkable way as I studied and wrote about this extraordinary move of God in Trail of Fire. I know I am not alone. Every year thousands make the trek to Cane Ridge, Kentucky, to visit that old log cabin meeting house. They go to learn about and to remember this remarkable move of God. Some go in hopes of capturing a burning ember of that ancient fire. All leave with the same prayer resounding in their hearts, "Lord, do it again, like Cane Ridge!"
It is very much like what the psalmist Asaph invites us to do. He writes, "I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will meditate also on all Your work and ponder on Your mighty deeds" (Ps. 77:11–12, MEV).
There is great benefit in looking back at the stories of the past to be encouraged by all God has done.
Consider the work of Cane Ridge for a moment. This was 1801. The United States was barely 25 years old, and Kentucky had just joined the Union less than 10 years earlier. The new nation was quickly growing as more and more people continued to venture West. The days of Jonathan Edwards and the Great Awakening had already begun to fade as the U.S. expanded. Once again the moral foundations America once knew were slowly eroding. Churches were few and far in this vast land. As people moved farther and farther away from their churches, they began to forsake the Lord. This was the wild frontier, where the only rule of law was a gun or a rope. It was a time when wickedness abounded and very few people professed real faith. It was a spiritually dark time for America.  
Yet in dark times, the light of the gospel shines brightest. The fire that fell in Cane Ridge sparked a movement. Revival spread across the American frontier like wild fire driven by a stiff wind through the dry brush. In the years following, there was an exponential explosion of church planting. Similar camp meetings were organized in several states. Though none ever matched the attendance of the original meeting at Cane Ridge, the effect was undeniable. America was once again awakened!
I'm certain there are many who wonder if it is possible for God to move again in such a powerful way. They have concluded that America is too far gone to experience another great awakening. Cane Ridge shows otherwise. This revival that took place 215 years ago offers us great hope today. Look back at what God did and let it bring you to the revelation that He can and will do it again!
My friends, revival will always be God's remedy for an ailing land. Revival is the moment that the Lord Almighty invades a community, the slumbering saints are awakened and sinners are reborn. True revival offers total reformation for individuals, communities and even nations.  
Yes, America is experiencing a spiritually dark time once again. The founding principles that brought us great freedom and prosperity have been forgotten. America is lost. But don't lose hope! Consider the works of the Lord. In times of great darkness or spiritual drought, these stories remind us that we've been here before, and when we finally turn back to God, He always revives. Look back at the times He has moved across our land. Remember and meditate on the times you've personally experienced the power of His presence. Let those stories fan the embers in your life back to flame.
We need God to do it again, and do it like Cane Ridge!
You can learn more about the Cane Ridge Revival along with nine other moves of God in my latest book, Trail of FireTrail of Fire tells true stories from 10 of the most powerful moves of God. However it is more than a book about what God has done, it is a call to what God is doing. Pick up this book and break free from the dry, dull routines of religion and become a catalyst for revival! 
Daniel K. Norris is an evangelist who worked alongside Steve Hill bringing the message of revival and repentance to the nations. Together, they co-hosted a broadcast called "From the Frontlines." Norris also hosts the Collision Youth Conference that is broadcast all over the world. He can be contacted atdanielknorris.com.
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Friday, January 31, 2014

No, Hollywood, You Can't Have My Kids! DANIEL K. NORRIS (From The Frontlines by Steve Hill)

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No, Hollywood, 

You Can't Have My Kids!

Daniel Norris
Daniel Norris
I was sitting in a green room with a well-known individual when my wife walked in, holding our little princess. The gentleman sitting next to me took notice of what her mom and I already knew. 
“That girl is absolutely gorgeous!” he exclaimed. Then he added, “She needs to be on TV.”
Instinctively, I responded, “I love her too much to prostitute her to the world like that.”
Extreme? Not at all. I’m not interested in raising a star. I’m raising a saint!
Right now, the world is watching as Justin Bieber becomes the latest to take the all-too-familiar path that so many have blazed before him. It’s striking to see how many of these fallen stars begin their ascent to fame in the church. They left God’s house for the promise of bright lights, adoring fans and big paydays. Many times they end up in the jailhouse, crack house or funeral home. 
How many celebrity parents wish they had fought harder to keep their kids out of the limelight so that they might remain in the Lord’s light? Probably fewer than I’d hope.
These stories offer a very real and public example of why we parents have to fight hard to keep our gifted children out of the world's hands. It’s time we tell Hollywood, “You can’t have our kids!”
Personally, I am completely uninterested in what Justin is doing. I don’t care about his latest tattoo. I don’t care about who he is dating. I don’t care what club he was caught walking out of, and I don’t care about the house he just egged.
What I do care about is my kids. 
We live in a world where achieving celebrity status is touted as the apex of success. We celebrate and idolize individuals in every arena of life. Even in the church!
I’m not concerned about how many people know my child’s name; I’m concerned that my child knows the name above all names. I don’t care how many people follow her; I care that she only follows Him.
Parents, we haven’t fought the world hard enough for our children. It is our job to nurture, protect and train them up in the ways of the Lord. Let's learn from the mistakes of the past and not fail our gifted children in the future. Here are a few ways how:
1. Fight to help them discover all their God-given gifts. 
If you’re gifted to speak, sing or shake a hand, there is a place for you to serve in the sanctuary. However, those gifted with other skills, like leadership, athletics, academics, acting, writing and so many more, rarely find a place for those gifts to be discovered and developed in the house of God.
God is the giver of the child and the gift. He commissions the family first, then the church to steward those gifts. We have to seek ways to encourage their talents and teach them to use their gifts to glorify the Lord. 
2. Fight to guard the gift.
I'm sure you've seen the “my child can beat up your honor student” bumper sticker. Every proud parent should celebrate their child’s accomplishments. But when celebration turns to bragging, we’ve stepped over the line.
Many parents attempt to live vicariously through their children's accomplishments. They believe what their child can do says something about them as parents. This teaches our children that “doing” is more important than “being.” (Honey Boo Boo, anybody?)
My child’s spiritual life is not secondary. It comes first, and nothing else compares. We don’t skip church or pass up prayer time or devotions for school, athletics or anything else. 
When you choose to forego spiritual things for secular things, you are silently teaching a dangerous lesson. Parents will push their children to excel in life on the field, stage or classroom but neglect to see them excel first before the Lord. If we fail here, we fail everywhere!
3. Fight to celebrate the Giver of gifts.
“First of all, I want to thank God” is the nod you often hear thrown out after an award or championship game is won. I’ve been in rooms with people watching who say, “Oh, I didn’t know he was a Christian!"
He’s probably not. 
If you can’t see the fruit of the Spirit in their lyrics, acting or sportsmanship, you will not find it in their life either. No shout-out to Lord can make up for a loose life. 
We must teach our children to glorify the Giver, not the gift. They must learn they are gifted only because God is good. 
If the gift gets elevated, it becomes an idol. When God is elevated, the gift can bring Him glory.
We teach our children that true worship is a lifestyle and that everything they do can be done as unto the Lord. It is only when God takes priority in their life that the gifts can find their proper position.
The Lord has blessed us with three amazing children, which means I’ve got three incredible reasons to fight for this generation. I know that God has an amazing plan for each of them, just as He does for each and every child. I also know that the enemy has a plan for them as well. He desires to kill, steal and destroy. Not on my watch! I’ll fight to see God’s dreams accomplished in them to the fullest. 
Sorry, world—you can’t have my kids!
Daniel K. Norris is an evangelist who works alongside Steve Hill bringing the message of revival and repentance to the nations. Together, they co-host a broadcast called From the Frontlines. Norris also hosts the Collision Youth Conference that is broadcast all over the world. He can be contacted at danielknorris.com.
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