One Accord
I have mentioned on numerous occasions (but I cannot remember if I mentioned it in an article), that in February 1988, on a dreary, bone chilling, rainy afternoon, I was driving around in South Tulsa, in which I forget the reason why. My mind was not thinking about anything in particular with regards to the Bible, the Holy Spirit or anything spiritual. At any rate, The Lord spoke to my heart, “My agenda is to cause the Church to rise up in the power that I moved through her in the book of Acts.” At that time no one was preaching or teaching anything on the book of Acts. Whatever was mentioned about the book of Acts, especially among Charismatic and Pentecostal circles was Acts chapter two regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit. However, nothing was mentioned about a revival in which God would be pouring out His spirit in such a demonstrative way mentioned in Acts chapter two.
Obviously years have gone by since then. I was thirty-three when the Lord spoke to my heart about a move of His Spirit in the Church. Then in the 1990's there were powerful outpourings (legitimate at the time, I might add) in Toronto, Kansas City and Pensecola, Florida. The church I was Assitant Pastor of at the time was primarily effected by the outpouring that occurred in Toronto. After a while those revival's faded into the Christian revival history books.
Since around 2020, there has been an increase of ministries saying that a huge Great Awakening is going to be happening in America and around the world as well. Known and unknow ministers have been saying it. Yes, there have been some crack-pots saying it as well, but there have been numerous reputable ministers and ministries talking about it. What is more they have been talking about it as the Great Awakening being much like the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two, but on a much more massive scale.
On February 8th 2023 at Asbury University a revival broke out that lasted 24/7 for sixteen straight days. The Holy Spirit began to move spontaneously during a regularly scheduled Wednesday morning chapel service. Worship music, students and staff praying for one another, people confessing sins to one another. Also, there were numerous reports of physical, emotional and spiritiual healings. There were no major speakers. Some students and staff would share what the Holy Spirit put on their hearts, or share Scriptures from the Bible. People from all over the world went there. Eventually, they closed the campus to the public after February 23rd. Shortly thereafter, the move was relegated to revival history.
However, during the spring, summer, and fall of 2023 revivals started breaking out on not only Christian college and university campuses, but secular colleges as well. Many of the football players on the Ohio State University football team gave their lives to Jesus Christ and were baptized. Such was the case at the Univerity of Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Texas A&M, just to name a few. Revival started breaking out in various nations around the world. Sadly, since then, it appears that all these revivals have stalled out.
Recently a new movie about the first Great Awakening revival that occurred before the American War of Independence has come out. I have not seen it yet, but some reviews seem favorable, some so-so. The Great Awakening set the stage for the birth of America, with Christianity being imbedded in the culture and society.
Over time, America has increasingly become more secular. Unfortunately much of the American Christian Church has allowed itself to become influenced by the secularism of America than by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. There are those who are still believing for revival in America that will dwarf the first and second Great Awakenings, Azuza Street, the Welch Revival, the revivals of the
1940's and 1950's, the Jesus Revolution revival of the late 1960's early 1970's, and the Toronto and Pensacola revivals of the 1990's combinded. I am among that group. Just because the Lord put on my heart about Him moving powerfully through the Church again back in 1988 without it happening yet doesn't mean it won't happen.
Some people think America is on a downward slide that she will not recover from. There are those who believe that God's judgement is in store. I beg to differ. Let me share a few Scriptures.
“And when they were come in, they went up into and upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alpehaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren.” Acts 1:13-14 KJV.
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, the were all with one accord and one place.” Acts 2:1 KJV.
“And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meet with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added daily such as should be saved.” Acts 2:46-47 KJV.
“And at the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico. But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. And all the believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constanly added to their number, to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets, and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. And also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits; and they were all being healed.” Acts 5:12-16 NASB.
Other Scriptures that have the words one accord, are Acts 8:6, Acts 15:25.
The words one accord in each of these verses is a Greek word, homothymadon, which means one mind, one accord, one passion. Notes from Blue Letter Bible also say that it is a unique Greek word that also has in it's meaning to “rush along” and “in unison.” The image of all this is somewhat musical in that a number of notes are sounded, which while different, harmonize in pitch and tone. Another way to put it would be like an orchestra in which there are a number of different instruments that all sound different, but the players of the instruments have to look at their music sheets and the conductor to make sure they play the correct notes and are in unison with the correct tempo to make a unified beautiful sound. As the apostle Paul put it, the body of Christ (the Church) is made up of individual members, but there are differing gifts and callings. If our hearts and eyes are in one accord looking at our conductor, Jesus Christ, we will all be rushing along in unison, allowing the Holy Spirit to move through us and accomplish amazing things.
If you read the Scriptures referred to, you will note God moved in extraordinary ways through His Church. After the Day of Pentecost, the Gospel was preached all throughout the Roman Empire within forty years, (despite severe resistance from the Old Covenant religious system that was corrupted with men's traditions and influence from the Babylonian Empire, and the Roman Empire) with none of the technology we have today. There were no Jet liners, no automobiles, no modern boats, no television, radios, DVD's, CD's, video recorders, internet, etc. Yet in forty years the Gospel was preached throughout the entire then known world. Talk about revival. On paper, with all the resistance the Church had back in that day and the lack of technology, the Church should have never survived. But, although the natural statistics were against the Church, God made the difference. He did it before, He'll do it again.
Why hasn't there been a sustained revival since the Day of Pentecost, with the acception of the first Great Awakening? Why were there not sustained revivals in the 1940's, the 1950's the Jesus Revolution years of the late 1960's and 1970's along with the revivials in Toronto and Pensacola of the mid-1990's?
As mentioned earlier, America has increasingly become more secular. The American Christian Church has allowed itself to become influenced by the secularism of America than by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. This is not stated to be a criticism. It just happens to be the truth.
Over the past several decades, particularly since 2000, the Church of all denominations has been in steady decline. Much of it due to being influence by secular culture. This has led to the Word of God being watered down, the praise and worship being more of entertainment rather than true worship from the heart. There was once a time when Contemporary Christian Music, praise and worship was from the heart. However, it's deteriorated into entertainment. I'm not against any particular style of praise and worship. I do have my preferences to be sure. However, as long as the praise and worship is truly heart focused on the Lord, and about wanting to please Him with our praise and worship, I'll praise and worship with any style.
The Church of all denominations have gotten to the point of “going along to get along.” The Church has become an institution of trying to look “reasonable,” and “tolerant.” Church across the board are run more like businesses. I realize there is a business aspect to running a church, but the Church as a whole should not be run like a business. It should be run by the Holy Spirit. Decisions should not be made on a purely statistical or financial basis. The leaders of a Church need to make decisions based on seeking the face of God and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide.
This is why The Assemblies of God, the most successful Pentecostal denomination has for the first time been losing members by the droves. For over a century it was the fastest and largest Pentacostal denomination in America. While denominational churches and other Pentacostal churches were declining on a regular basis, The Assemplies of God had continous growth. At it's peak it had well over three million people nation wide. Now it has just over two million. The decline is expecting to get worse because there has been a decline in enrollment in the Assembly of God seminaries due to the fact that many Asembly of God churches have been shutting down.
The reason for the decline in Christianity, or the American Christian Church is because the Presence of God is not in our congregations whether we want to believe that or not. The Presence of God cannot expect to be in our congregations when the praise and worhip is not from a pure heart of worshipping Him, with worship leaders cheer leading people to praise and worship, and when church leaders water down the Word of God, and do not allow the Holy Spirit on their decision making.
Although it is true that the Presence of God can repell people, the Presence of God will also draw people. People with a heart towards God, allowing the Holy Spirit to purify us so that we can be used to our utmost capicity for the Kingdom of God cannot be stopped. The first century Church proves that.
So what is the solution? The solution is found in the earlier Scripture verses referrenced. We all have to become a people whose sole ambition is our relationship with God through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We need to examine our hearts, repent, and make our priority, our relationship with the only true God and His Son, Jesus Christ whom He sent. As we do this, and do away with our own agenda's, our own opinions, our own preferences and want the truth more than being right about our pet doctrines, that will result in our being in one accord. Being in one accord will make the Church in America and around the world unstoppable. Jesus said the gates (which represent the strength) of hell will not prevail against His Church. Jesus also said he gave us authority over all the power (which means the strength, the might, and the ability) of the devil. “What about what the Bible says about the end days?” What about it? The “end days” are probably going to be a lot different that what many suppose. Like we used to say in New York, “fuhgeddaboudit!” Let's just focus on our relationship with Father God, through His Son Jesus Christ, on examining our hearts, repenting where we need to, and allowing the Holy Spirit to purify our hearts. When we do that God will move like we have never seen Him move through the Church. And because of Him, we will be unstoppable. Love and God bless, Pastor Paul.