Leonard Ravenhill's Son: US Persecution Levels Could Be a Sign of the Second Coming - GREG GORDON/SERMON INDEX

Leonard Ravenhill's Son: US Persecution Levels Could Be a Sign of the Second Coming

2/15/2017 GREG GORDON/SERMON INDEX   charisma news

Will strong persecution come to North America in our lifetime?  Seasoned preacher and Christian author David Ravenhill believes it will. He states that in his lifetime, we could see the "underground Church" start in North America because of persecution.

Currently around the world, persecution against believers in Jesus Christ is on the rise. Many churches' theology leaves out the possibility of persecution, because in their lifetimes, they did not have any

However, the Gospels are clear that coming worldwide persecution will happen before Jesus comes a second time:

You will be arrested, punished, and even killed. Because of me, you will be hated by people of all nations. Many will give up and will betray and hate each other. Many false prophets will come and fool a lot of people. Evil will spread and cause many people to stop loving others. But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved. When the good news about the kingdom has been preached all over the world and told to all nations, the end will come (Matt. 24:9-14).

You can read below a transcription of David Ravenhill sharing a stern warning of what could happen and the need for revival in the church:

"How many of you know that we need revival? Unless we have revival in this nation, we won't have a nation. My father [Leonard Ravenhill] said, way back in the 80s, that "if America does not concentrate in prayer, it will pray in concentration camps." And I used to laugh not outwardly, because I respected my father, but inwardly I would think, This is America! The land of the free, the home of the brave. We have a Constitution. We have a Bill of Rights, and so on and so forth.

But I have learned that those things are fast disappearing. And the church is being turned against. We are the ones who are the problem, if you like. We are the ones who speak out against homosexuality and all the other things we know are wrong morally. Yet we are the ones [who] are mocked and laughed at and so on. We will be, I believe in a number of years, driven underground. It would not surprise me that in my lifetime we will have an underground church in North America because of the persecution. And the only answer is revival. The Spirit of God coming and sweeping through this land." 

Greg Gordon is the founder of SermonIndex.net, which was established in 2002. Millions of audio sermons have been distributed through this world-wide ministry. He is also the author of The Following of Christ and other books. Greg has traveled to many countries and across North America to thousands of churches and ministries bringing a message of radical Christian discipleship. He has also been involved in organizing over 12 international historic revival conference events where thousands of lives were impacted.

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What Will It Finally Take to Make America Truly Desperate? - JENNIFER LECLAIRE

What Will It Finally Take to Make America Truly Desperate?

11/11/2014 JENNIFER LECLAIRE   CHARISMA MAGAZINE

(Flickr/Lorraine.)

In the midst of writing a book on revival, I experienced a new kind of spiritual attack. As I put pen to paper about a Great Awakening, reformation and transformation in our nation, the enemy subtly worked to bring what I can only describe as "dryness" to my soul.

To combat this spiritual attack, I entered into worship in a deep way. I had an awareness of my need for God and set out to drink from His fountain until I no longer felt dry but could instead sense rivers of living water flowing from my spirit.  

At first my mind would not become still. I was thinking about a conversation I had with David Ravenhill recently. During our talk, we discussed how America is not yet desperate enough—not yet hungry enough—for a true revival unto another Great Awakening. That reality disturbed my heart, so I asked the Lord to start with me—to show me how the enemy is wreaking havoc on the souls of this generation and to put that desperation in my spirit.

Immediately, I saw pictures of famine, horrific violence in the Middle East and people dying from disease. Next, I looked up and saw a principality hanging over a large city from the second heaven. That principality was in the appearance of a dark cloud. From it came a voice that was commanding demons to execute a wicked agenda that included more famine, violence, immorality and the like.

Wrestling From a Compromised Position

Above that principality, I saw the throne of God. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father in heavenly places, far above all principalities, powers, might and dominion, as well as every name that is named—not only in this age but also in that which is to come (see Eph. 1:20-21). As born-again believers, we are raised up with Christ and seated together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (see Eph. 2:6).

This is our legal position. Yet I saw clearly during this encounter that we are not wrestling principalities and powers, rulers of the darkness of this age and spiritual hosts of wickedness from this legal position. Indeed, part of the church is literally wrestling against flesh and blood, which is breeding strife—even in the church. The church cannot agree on issues like gay marriage, for example, and we know where strife is, there is confusion and even evil work (see James 3:16).

Another part of the church is engaging in spiritual immorality, as pastor after pastor falls into moral failure even while preaching against it. Part of the church is experiencing a Word famine, in large part because many are not students of the Word. Instead, many depend on man to spoon feed them a biblical motivational message on Sunday mornings, do their praying for them and solve all their problems. Many are wrestling from a compromised position.

What's It Going to Take?

Make no mistake. The war that was raging in the heavens has, at least in some measure, manifested in the natural realm. The only way we can turn this around is to get desperate enough in our own hearts to see the salvation of the souls the enemy has taken captive—in the world and in the church—and enter intercession from a place of victory, recognizing we are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. I hope it doesn't have to get much worse in America to make us desperate, but I am concerned it will.

Even still, desperation alone is not enough. True desperation demands something from us.  As a church, we must deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Christ (see Luke 9:23). We must die to ourselves daily (see 1 Cor. 15:31). We must crucify our flesh and the lusts thereof (see Gal. 5:24). We must stand for the truth even in the face of persecution. Famine is rising, horrific violence in the Middle East is spilling over into our nation. Souls are dying and going to hell every day while we play patty cake in church and argue over who gets to lead prayer.

I pray that the Lord will stir a desperation in your heart to pray—to pray even while no one is watching—and I continue to seek the Lord to stir my heart with a desperation that will drive me to put away anything that gets in the way of my pursuing His perfect will for my life. If we all just did what the Holy Spirit told us to do, we could turn this nation around. We could see a Third Great Awakening that ushers in salvation and reformation unto transformation in the name of Jesus.

Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale and author of several books, including Satan's Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft, and The Spiritual Warrior's Guide to Defeating Jezebel. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

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Are We Headed Toward Revival or Retribution? DAVID RAVENHILL

Are We Headed Toward Revival or Retribution?

10/1/2014 DAVID RAVENHILL   CHARISMA NEWS

David Ravenhill

Within the last three days I've received two very different YouTube messages from two senior charismatic prophetic leaders. The first leader, Rick Joyner, was citing a very vivid and frightening dream he recently had of terrorists coming across our southern border and carrying out unimaginable acts of brutality. So horrendous were these acts that Joyner stated he was not even going to describe them due to their violent and barbaric nature. (Only today we learned of the beheading of an Oklahoma woman by a recent convert to Islam.)

The other video centered around the "Appeal To Heaven" movement. Dutch Sheets, a well-known teacher and prophetic minister, was relating how our nation's first flag was that of a green pine tree on a white background bearing the words "Appeal to Heaven."

America during its first fledgling years knew the people's only hope for existence as a nation was sole dependency upon God. The point of the message was that several people through dreams, etc., believed that God was once again bringing us back to this place of absolute dependency upon Him; and that as we sought Him, He would bring about a Third Great Awakening in our nation.

My first reaction to these very different prophetic words was one of confusion. On one hand was the possibility of retribution while on the other, that of revival.

What was I to believe? As I pondered over these words I came to the realization that both were correct and that one was not necessarily in opposition to the other.          

Let me see if I can explain myself. I believe it's all a matter of timing or order.

Imagine if you were one of the many hundreds of missionaries who had given their lives to serve God in China prior to the Cultural Revolution under Chairman Mao Zedong. Once the revolution had begun, you were forced to leave—no doubt wondering in your mind what on earth was going to happen now that all the missionaries had been forced out. Fast-forward to the present, and we are now witnessing one of the greatest moves of God in recent history. What at first appeared to be a major disaster turned into mighty testimony to the power and grace of God.

The prophet Isaiah declared, "When the earth experiences Thy judgments the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness." He went on to say, "Though the wicked is shown favor he does not learn righteousness" (Is. 26:9-10). It is my personal belief that America is in for a time of judgment and that to be shown favor now would only delay God's ultimate purpose.

That said, I believe we are going to see an increase in violence, terrorism and natural calamities. God will use this to separate the carnal from the consecrated and in turn, produce a church that is truly Christ-centered. It would not surprise me in the least to see an underground church in America in the not-too-distant future—a church where every member functions in their God-given gifting and where everyone depends not only on each other but also holds fast to Christ their Lord and Head.

I truly believe that God wants to send revival to our nation, but revival now would simply cause the vast majority of believers to go on with business as usual.

I well recall during the first year of our ministry working with Brother David Wilkerson in Teen Challenge in Brooklyn, New York. One cold winter's day two drug addicts came in seeking shelter. Bro. David talked to them for a while and then I saw them leave. Bro. David said to me after they had left that he couldn't help them because they were not desperate enough to give up their drugs. He went on to say that all they really wanted was a bed for the night and a good hot meal. I somehow think that is what the church is looking for in revival—a good sermon, some great music, followed by some carpet time.

But I believe God's plans are radically different. He's looking for a pure, passionate, powerful people whose only desire is to extend His kingdom. A people who will love not their lives unto death, and whose first love is not the NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL, but Christ Himself.

We are nowhere near to having Christ as our first love. God must first produce a real CRY in His people. We cry when we are in pain and not until. King David said, "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now I have kept Thy word" (Ps. 119:67, KJV). Or to put it another way, "Spare the rod and spoil the child."

The shakings have begun. Watch out for more. But remember, that while "no chastening seems to be joyful for the present ... afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness" (Heb. 12:11, NKJV, emphasis added).

I see Joyner's dream coming to pass first, and then followed by a great awakening.

That's my opinion, and time will prove me right or wrong.

David Ravenhill has served the Lord for more than 40 years as a missionary, pastor, teacher and itinerant minister, having worked with the late evangelist David Wilkerson, Youth With A Mission, pastor Mike Bickle and the late evangelist Steve Hill. He is the author of several books, including For God's Sake, Grow Up! and Welcome Home.

Unless otherwise specified, the opinions expressed are solely the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of Charisma Media.

Something Is About to Change - David Ravenhill (Identity Network)

Something Is About to Change By David Ravenhill

David Ravenhill

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For almost 50 years of ministry, I have heard the prophetic community tell us we are on the verge of something new. They use terms like a new anointing, new alignment, new generation, new move, a new season, change is coming, there is a shift in the heavenlies and God is about to do a new thing. Others have told us God is raising up a new company. I don't recall how many new companies I've heard about over the past 50 years. There have been at least a dozen or more that come to mind.

This growing chorus of change seems to be getting louder and louder. However, by the time one word regarding change is given, another has already replaced it.

This all begs the question: Are these genuine words or just the earnest desire of those longing for some type of recognition in the prophetic community? While the answer may well be yes to both of these possibilities, there is also a third one to consider.

Just the other day, I was reading Paul's letter to the Romans where he tells us, "The anxious longing of creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. ... For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now" (Rom. 8:19, 22, NASB). Not only does Paul tell us that all of creation is in labor, but he goes on to state,"And not only this, but also we ourselves … groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies" (v. 23.)

I believe what we are hearing from our prophetic brethren is the groaning and longing of those who yearn for the fullness of God's purpose to be revealed. This deep longing is being expressed through them in a variety of ways and words. They are feeling and sensing what creation is going through and can sympathize and identify with it. While not content to settle for things the way they are, they are voicing their frustration and longing through these cries of change.

Does God Change His Mind?

I have never held to the belief that God is forever updating and changing His plans as though His former plans were failing. It has always troubled me to hear that God is about to do something new, which implies He wasn't doing it that way before.

Take, for instance, "a new anointing for evangelism." Does that mean all of a sudden God has had a change of mind regarding the lost? I don't think so! His longing to seek and save the lost has no variation whatsoever.

There is no doubt in my mind that we, along with the rest of creation, have not yet fully seen all that God has prepared for us. While I don't pretend to know all that is implied by Paul's phrase "the sons of God," I do know that it is not a new company that will proudly strut their spiritual superiority before the rest of the body of Christ.

The day is rapidly dawning in which we will see all our longings, desires and groanings realized, which will be "the redemption of our bodies." The birth pangs are definitely intensifying and becoming more frequent with each passing day.

Until that day, let's patiently bear with those who can't fully articulate what they are feeling other than to say, "I'm sensing something is about to change."

David Ravenhill

www.davidravenhill.com

 

 

 

 

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