The apostle Paul goes into great depth as he explains the statues of sinful humanity gone awry in 2 Timothy 3:1-4. He describes the condition of individuals by saying the following, “Know this: In the last days perilous times will come. Men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, slanderers, unrestrained, fierce, despisers of those who are good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.”
Paul’s characterization of culture is troubling to say the least. Sadly, in our current world here in America and abroad, we are seeing these dire characteristics in glaring fashion. Our world seems to be spiraling out of control on multiple levels, and one wonders how far things can and will go during this season of history?
As much of the church in America and beyond has slept spiritually over the last few decades, the world around us has made large strides in halting our influence and silencing our voice. Through liberal theology, a tolerance of sin, a perversion of the grace message and a cowardice posture, we find ourselves in desperate need of being awakened spiritually. We are also extremely needful of God’s divine intervention in our midst—I’m speaking of the church.
Below is an excerpt from my book, Samuels Arising. I want to challenge and encourage you in the area of spiritual awakening. As I recently interviewed my dear friend, Dr. Michael Brown, I once again felt a call to a greater awakening, coupled with holy desperation and this book speaks to the importance of this reality.
Over the years, I have also come to realize that I do not have to wait for the rest of the church to awaken spiritually in order for me to live a life ablaze for the Lord and His eternal purposes, even in the midst of moral decay. Over the years, I have read the history of men and women who refused to serve God from a distance. Their lives were a prophetic testimony of God’s eternal purposes. They did more than carry a message; they became the message!
I’m convinced that the pressing need for this season of church history is for believers to experience God’s eternal fire in their hearts once again! Hear the words of E.M. Bounds: “God must be represented by a fiery church or He is not truly represented. God is all fire and His church, if it be like Him must also be aflame with the great eternal interest of His.”
As you read the following portion from my book Samuels Arising, may your heart be set ablaze for Jesus as never before. May you truly be awakened to the fact that eternity is more real than your present, temporal life on this earth. May you feel the words of the late missionary to India, Amy Carmichael who once said, “Make me thy fuel, flame of God.”
Samuels Awakening
“And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant hears.’ Then the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle'” (1 Sam. 3:10-11, ESV).
Samuel lived in an age of tragic spiritual sleepiness; a generation “which knew not the LORD” (Judg. 2:10, KJV). Both priest and people lived in spiritual darkness. High Priest Eli had lost most physical eyesight (1 Sam. 3:2) but much more tragically, He had lost spiritual vision. As a result, the whole land fell under a deep spiritual fog. Samuel inherited this spiritual sleepiness from Eli.
But Samuel would not sleep forever. Soon, God would awake him in the middle of the night. Calling Samuel by name, God would sovereignly jar Samuel’s heart, bringing him out of dead religion and compromise and into intimacy with the Father. No longer would he only know holy things. He would know the holy God!
Through this awakening, God would set Samuel immediately into His prophetic calling. First, Samuel would bring the piercing Word of the Lord to Eli, his own spiritual father. Then, he would carry God’s accurate prophetic word to the rest of Israel for his whole life:
“And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the LORD” (1 Sam. 3:19-20, ESV).
Yes, awakened to God’s eternal purposes, Samuel would never turn his back on the Lord. Instead, God would use him to begin a prophetic movement in Israel. The uncommon would become common again: God’s Word, presence and purposes would be known to the many.
Your Samuel Awakening
Are you spiritually asleep like Samuel was? Again, I’m not asking if you go to church, practice religion, know the latest worship songs, quote the Bible, tithe or speak fluent “Christianese.” You could do all these things and yet remain dead to God.
This is what I do mean: Do you show signs of spiritual sleepiness? Are you fascinated with entertainment? Do you have a selfish life-focus? Do you compromise in any way? Do you lack a strong prayer life? Do you lack a burden for souls? Have you believed or preached a perverted, permissive gospel? Have you lived under a false sense of security? Friend, if you’re spiritually asleep, God is letting forth a divine wake-up call!
God’s Will for Your Life
It’s not God’s will for you to live in spiritual dormancy! Why merely live around holy things when you can experience the holiness of God Himself? God longs to awaken you to His voice and ignite you for His purposes! You can experience the power, holiness, and glory of the living God. Just as God awakened Samuel out of sleep, God wants to awaken you from your spiritual sleepiness and set you into His calling.
To purchase a copy of Samuels Arising, click here or visit keith-collins.org.
The church must arise now and shine in the midst of gross darkness. We cannot wait for another generation. We must embrace the Lord’s purposes now and march forward in faith and holy boldness!
Join me this week on an important episode of Maintain the Flame as I interview Dr. Michael Brown. On this podcast, we discuss the challenges that have evolved in the American church due to the liberalization of theology over the last several decades, the current condition of much of the church, the swelling tide of hunger for the Lord that we are both seeing during this season and the hope for revival in America. I know that you will be stirred and challenged by this interview! {eoa}
Keith Collins is the founder of Generation Impact Ministries and Impact Global Fellowship. He is actively involved in itinerant ministry, teaching and writing. In recent years, Keith served as the president of the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry and as the director of FIRE School of Ministry, which were both born out of the Brownsville Revival in Pensacola, Florida. His recent book, Samuels Arising: Waking Up to God’s Prophetic Call, is now available on Amazon, and his podcast, titled Maintain the Flame, can be heard on iTunes and at cpnshows.com. You can contact Keith via his websites at keith-collins.org or impactgf.org.
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