He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” -Luke 19:40
With the current political climate and every day seeming to bring a new crisis, Americans are wrestling with issues we wish we didn't have to face. Thousands of American's are combating challenges such as censorship, unopened schools, upheaval, riots in their communities, and a pandemic that just won't go away. 80 million American's are angry and feel jilted, while the other half of the nation ignores our feelings and requests. In effect, America is in the middle of social cold war with itself, which makes it very difficult to tell friends from foe.
In these times, it’s easy for us to contract a condition known as “Elijah Syndrome.” We fall into the temptation that we are alone, that God has surely forsaken us. Audrey has received dozens of calls from her followers informing her “that it is all over” or "we have lost." The tone of despair is thick across our nation and within the church. We truly believe there is no savior, and even though the war is far from over, we surrender to an enemy we cannot see.
Elijah once believed the same thing. He believed that no one was left who genuinely loved God and he wanted to die because the burden of despair felt too heavy. Depression, negativity, and forgetting the true power of God consumed him. When God supernaturally opened his eyes, he saw for the first time the 5000 men and women who wholeheartedly rejected Baal and followed Jehovah. We in America have fallen into the same trap Elihja did and it’s time to crawl out of it.
He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." -1 Kings 19:14
Every person has battles to fight, be that a battle of purity, patriotism, ministry, or spiritual warfare. While each battle is different, we can't assume we are alone in the fight, as if we are the “last beacon of hope to the world.” We have to take a step back and acknowledge the powerful "rebellions" God is inspiring across the entire globe!
You can Google the “awakenings” happening right now in other countries and you will find social media posts of the millions of people standing up to stop tyranny and religious discrimination. America is not alone in her quest for truth and freedom. Jesus said Himself that if we were to be silent, the stones would cry out to praise Him--and unless you start hearing stones talk, God’s people are still multiplying, working, and moving to build His Kingdom and reshape this world!
We don’t have time to go through all the incredible revivals happening across the globe, so we wanted to focus on one nation-changing group in Uganda that Audrey experienced firsthand.
During her tour of Uganda last year, she was scheduled to speak with a group of students who call themselves BANG (Becoming A New Generation.) These young people have witnessed the ravages of AIDS, war, poverty, and issues we in America have never had to face. These young adults have learned from their failed history that the "old ways" don't work, so they are taking matters into their own hands. Every BANG student places a hand over their heart and pledges to be the change.
Here is their pledge:
As you can see, these students are on fire to reclaim what Satan took from their society! They aren't waiting for a government program to save them, they are saving themselves!
The first things Satan tries to take from us are our faith, our family, our patriotism, and our purity (either sexually or spiritually.) These students noticed that to reclaim their nation and generation they had to reclaim these values first. In a world where we feel all is lost and falling apart, we can look to the people of other nations and see that it is indeed not! These young adults have the wisdom of adults who have lived a full life! They are passionate about the life they have been given and chose to live it with purpose, dignity, and deliberation.
While you may feel despair and isolation at the seeming progression of evil in our country, and as you fight a personal battle for purity and morality, and as you fight the spiritual battle to overcome “Elijah syndrome,” remember: God has not left you alone. The globe is full of people (some of them young and underprivileged) who have taken oaths to stand strong and defiant. So can you. God is moving. He is working. He is still the light to our path.
Revival and awakening have only just begun.