TOPIC:“A Call To Spiritual Revival”
by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap
“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one” (Ezekiel 22:30, NKJV).
Someone once defined revival this way: “Revival is the inrush of the Spirit of God into a body that threatens to become a corpse.” At this time in the life of Israel they were almost spiritually dead in their relationship to Jehovah. It was then that God raised up a Jewish street preacher by the name of Ezekiel to call upon the Jews exiled in Babylon to repent from their idolatry and sinful way of living, and turn back to Him. It was to be a time of spiritual awakening and renewal.
Since the priests were no longer carrying out their God-given duties of preaching and teaching His laws, Ezekiel pictures God as coming down to Jerusalem to search for a man who would lead the people back to Himself and His altars of worship. A man who would prepare the way to spiritual revival. But notice the tragic words found in verse 30: “but I found no one.” And because of that, God sent judgment on Jerusalem and Judah in 586 B.C.
Now let's leave the Jewish situation and come to where you and I live today. Instead of the past we have the present. Instead of Jerusalem we have New York City. Instead of the Temple we have the church. Read again verse 30: “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap on behalf of the land” (NIV). I ask: Do we not have a multitude of gaps in the moral and spiritual life of America? We certainly do!
And the God of Heaven at this very moment is looking for people, who are alert to the conditions and convinced of the cure, who will close the gaps by standing courageously for spiritual revival and recovery against all of the forces of evil. He found one on D. L. Moody. He found one in Billy Graham. Now He is looking for another person to fill the gap. Here's the penetrating question: Will you answer that call by meeting the conditions? I pray you will!