The revival mandate

By: Rev'd Tunji, Adepoju

A tale of two kingdoms
In the tales of two cities; Charles Dickens made a summary statement about two cities; today it is like Dickens was off the mark; this is because now it is the tale of two kingdoms: Kingdom of God and Kingdom of the world.

This is the best of times and this is also the worst of times; we have suddenly gotten to the peak of human knowledge and innovations; like the law of diminishing returns; man has suddenly entered the season of diminishing or inverted thoughts and reasoning.

The only difference between men and beasts is morality; today, there is no more moral absolutes in the world; In the last five decades, especially in America and Western Europe every attempt is being made to subvert morality and by implication, Christianity.

As a result of great innovations in science, technology, research and internal doctrinal confusion and competition among mainline orthodox and protestant congregations; more than any time in the history of the world: the kingdom of this world, which is also the kingdom of satan is brazenly confronting the kingdom of God;

Powerlessness has now been elevated to a pedestal; the church in her helplessness and confusion is busy making pacts and borrowing strategies, methodologies, plans and tactics with and from the world. This has now diminished and brought the public image and opinion of the world about the church to an all time low.

A survey by G.S Barma has shown that there is no significant difference between the value systems of church goers and non-church goers in the United States of America.

This statistics seems to be holding even in Nigeria where most fraudsters in EFCC, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, net are staunch members of prominent denominations and prominent clergies are fingered for corruption.

More than at any other time in the history of man: occultism and satanism is being openly propagated in low and high places; satanic revival is taking place in various thrones of government world wide and the church do really look helpless in the face of this rampaging armies of hell.

Satanic revival, manifesting in the form of secularism, atheism, free thinking, humanism, existentialism and individualism is slowly and steadily being accepted in societies in the west and being imposed on third world societies through the forces of digitalisation expressed on the platform of government, education, media, arts and entertainment.

As if this is not enough; unprecedented scandals among clergy of many denominations is not really helping matters; this coupled with a carefully scripted and meticulously packaged atheist and communist propaganda has made the church a real shadow of her former glorious days and target of slanders, mockeries, obscenities and ridicule in recent times.

We are now being confronted by challenges resulting from extreme knowledge manifesting as post modern, post Christian and humanistic world totally hostile to a biblical worldview.

In a time like this; what can we really do?

Should we just fold our hands? Should we continue to watch? Or take positive actions?

The Church under fire: challenges demanding a strategic approach

The church has come under increasing fire from varied and diverse directions in recent times; the challenges confronting Christianity in today’s post cultural, post modern, post Christian, humanistic and secular world demands a strategic approach:

It is really lamentable that today’s church is still confronting a sophisticated enemy with an outdated strategy: We have relatively abandoned the mountains of culture to the world especially the education, media, arts and entertainment world;

If we will not completely lose our Christian identity in an increasingly hostile post modern and post Christian world the church must change her rules of engagement significantly:

The primary focus of the church in these turbulent times must be on raising world class change agents who will be able to reinforce the biblical world views over the seven mountains of culture.

The greatest challenge confronting the church in these end times is how to timely raise change agents in right quantity and quality for preservation of Christian culture for incoming generation.

If the church does nothing and continue to use obsolete methodology and actions rooted in rigidity; the Christian culture may become extinct in the next 75 years;

“This is the mandate of International Institute of Revival, IIR, to raise, train, empower and release anointed world class leaders of leaders for end time revival or in other words “CHANGE AGENTS”.

“End time revival is simply replacing secular, atheistic and humanistic world view with the biblical world view in the seven mountains of culture.

The need for change agents…..in the next 75years?

Christianity is really at crossroads today; more than any other time in Christianity, there is an increase in the sorties of darkness flown and delivered in major sectors of culture of human existence;

The impacts and implications of these acts may not be appreciated now; however in the next 75 years there are certain implications that must galvanize us to actions today:

We need to ask ourselves some glaring questions;

Ø                What will the face of Christianity look like in the next 75 years or 3 generation away?

Ø                Will there be any Christian culture in the next 75years?

These are some likely implications:

Ø                Goodness will gradually reduce in both Christian and non Christian word.

Ø                Greatness will further reduce as goodness is being reduced.

Ø                Religious freedom shall be gradually taken away.

Ø                The society will become less safe more and more.

Ø                Standard of living will keep going down.

Ø                Influence of Christianity will contract and reduce more and more.

The need for change agents in these trying times in the church cannot be over emphasized;

Without mincing words; irrespective of our theological persuasion or denominational affiliation there is one area of universal need in today’s church:”The Change Agents”.

Twelve characteristics of change agents:

Change agents, the greatest need in today’s Christianity; are really in short supply; The increasing challenges in the Christian world is placing an all high demand for raising change agents in all Christian congregations world wide.

With all sense of modesty; I think the question today is not whether we need change agents, but whether we can raise the required numbers to cope with the ever increasing need in this present church age.

In the light of the urgent needs and demands for change agents; it is very doubtful whether the supply of change agents can meet up with the urgent demand for this revival factors.

The first step in raising change agents is to identify the distinctive hall marks of a change agent; The identification of the required traits of a change agent will help us in the training, raising, empowerment and releasing process.

The beauty of change agents is that they are required not only in the sectors of religion, but in government, education, business, family, media, arts and entertainment; The seven mountains of culture.

Truly, change agents are end time, revival factors:

There are certain non –negotiable hall marks of change agents; the beauty of the scenario is that these attributes could be acquired through spiritual disciplines:

The most important twelve characteristics of change agents include:

Ø                A change agent is a fire man and revivalist.

Ø                A change agent is a world class leader.

Ø                A change agent is diligent in labour and service; Proverbs 22 v 29.

Ø                A change agent is an Intercessor and a gate keeper.

Ø                A change agent is creative and entrepreneurial.

Ø                A change agent is a man of knowledge.

Ø                A change agent is a man of wisdom and understanding.

Ø                A change agent is a man of excellence and excellent character.

Ø                A change agent is a man of purpose and vision

Ø                A change agent is prophetic.

Ø                A change agent is a spiritual exile

Ø                A change agent is a disciple of the spirit.

“The raising and training of change agents is the greatest need in christiandom at this time.”

The seven mountains of culture: operational base of change agents

The seven mountains of culture are the operational environment of change agents.

The assignment of change agents here is to continue to reinforce dominant biblical worldview in the critical areas of culture.

 

What kind of fire do we need? God says Jeremiah 23:29: “Is not My word like a fire?” says the LORD, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” a fire that would remove all the false teaching.

The proliferation of change agents in all nations of the earth to reinforce and re-establish biblical worldview is the antidote to ongoing worldwide satanic revival.

Rev Tunji Adepoju is the President of International Institute of Revival, IIR.

He could be reached through revtunjiadepoju@revtunjiadepoju.org