Dear Friends in Christ,
We just celebrated the 235th anniversary of our country’s independence. Just weeks before July 4th one television network had the pledge of allegiance prior to a sporting event and purposefully left out “under God.” Many people were outraged by this and the network offered a semi-apology. Conservative people look at our country and shudder over the continual moral decay and bad decisions from our government. Romans 1:26-32 reveals three levels of God’s judgment upon people who reject His revelation. By all appearances the United States has reached level three, the final horrible consequence of turning away from the Lord.
Even more troubling than this is the condition of the church in America. Churches continue with their programs and building projects, but lives within the membership mirror those of the world. Christians divorce at the same rate (50%) as unbelievers. Believers are addicted to alcohol, drugs, and pornography. Hal Large, a Central American missionary, once said, “The world is discipling the church in America, instead of the church discipling the world.” Part of the problem is that in many churches the Word of God is no longer the priority. Drama, music, and fun-time have replaced the preaching of the Bible. It is not unusual for church people who come for counseling at WGM to know nothing about the Word of God. Even basic truths of forgiveness of all sins through the blood of Christ are foreign to many who attend church every week.
Recently, while on a time of vacation, I read the biography of Leonard Ravenhill. This man of God was born in England and ministered here in the United States for many years until his death in 1994. In the early 1960s Ravenhill preached against many of the evils in our country. His main ministry was prayer. He would sometimes pray for eight hours a day. His prayer for America was revival. With all the problems we have in our land, prayer is the only answer. Even some politicians believe that. Recently Governor Perry of Texas called for a three-day prayer time for the drought in his state. In the future he plans to host a one-day prayer rally for our country. As he puts it, “There is hope for America…we will find it on our knees.” This man is not ashamed to declare that we must pray to Jesus.
In 1857 Jeremiah Lamphier, a layman, began a noon-time prayer meeting for businessmen in New York City. God brought revival to the city and it spread across the country. Numerous crew members of ships entering New York harbor came to Christ because the presence of the Lord was so strong. By the end of a two-year period nearly 1,000,000 people across America had come to Christ. God can do this again, but it requires Christians to repent over their lack of prayer and their moral and spiritual sins. It means restoring the prayer meetings which have been removed from so many churches. It calls for Christians to discover the Bible once again.
The Wales Goebel Ministry will continue to pray for revival. We will continue to uphold the Word of God as the only solution for the real need of mankind. We will continue to share the gospel. We value your partnership with us in prayer and support.
In Christ Our Life,
Dr. Jay Jackson
