A Revival Cry
by Gene Easley
If the present church age is known for anything special, it might sadly be its insatiable desire for material prosperity. Pulpits are full of those teaching that financial prosperity should be one's main concern as a Christian. Treasures in heaven no longer have the same value they once did. It’s the "here and now" with which the church is most preoccupied.
Paul told Timothy to flee the desire to become financially prosperous (1 Timothy 6:6-12). Instead he was to "lay hold on eternal life." The result of our disobedience is seen in the fact that our dependence on money has made us less dependent upon God. Material things have satisfied us, and we feel no need to communicate with our Maker.
The church has so nurtured the wants and desires of the physical person, and not of the spiritual, that we sit dead in our pews with our pockets full and our hearts empty. We are being taught to forget the eternal and to focus on what this life has for those who pursue it. The Christian sits in a spiritual stupor as the prosperity preacher brings his latest revelation on what the Bible really means. Quite to the contrary, what the church really needs is a Holy Spirit outpouring that will awaken us once again to true Biblical values! There must be a revival cry, or the church will die!
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal; for where your treasure is, there will you heart be also" (Matthew 6:19-21). These were the words of Jesus. He knew man's heart was prone to seek the glitter and glamour of the temporal. He also knew the message that the world would clamor for would be a message of "get everything for yourself." So He warned us not to lay up for ourselves treasures on earth.
If revival is to be seen in the church of the last days, there must be a return of saints seeking eternal treasures. God's Spirit cannot be poured out upon a self-seeking, prosperity-loving generation. A true revival cry must be accompanied by forsaking all to follow Christ. When material gain tops the priorities of the pulpit and congregation, one might witness zeal and enthusiasm, but there will never be a genuine, spiritual move of God.
The revival cry is not a cry to have the largest congregation. Neither is it a cry for the best programs or the nicest facilities. It is a cry for a spiritual awakening--a cry for a fresh cleansing of the saints and a new outpouring of God's Spirit.
The revival cry is not a cry for the saints to learn formulas for getting rich quickly. It is rather a cry for His presence at any cost. Success today is being measured by the dollar sign. Not only is this true in the secular world where money is known to be man's god, but also it is becoming the accepted practice in the church--where saints should know better.
There must be a cry for eternal values, or we will lose ourselves in the quagmire of earthly pursuits. We will either cry out for more of God, or we will cry out for more of the world's offerings. The devil's first appearance in the Word of God came with enticing words, "The world has something better for you, Eve." That was the Serpent's message. Eve looked at the forbidden fruit and quickly became convinced that God was holding back something good. Her cry went up for that for which she coveted. Later as she stood naked and shamed, she quickly realized that she had been deceived. The church, too, has listened to the wrong voice as it has given ear to this covetousness.
Adam and Eve lost that sweet communion with God--being with Him in the cool of the day. Walking in Paradise, talking with God, and having no troubles to oppress their minds, yet they allowed themselves to be deceived. We can not prevent our having to intermingle with a society that's crying out for self gratification, screaming for earthly pleasures to satisfy its soul. But we can set our values at a different level. We can cry out for a spiritual awakening! We can cry out for the return of that sweet communion which Adam and Eve lost by listening to the wrong voice. May there be a cry for revival again in the church!
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