Men of God Rising Up?
Stephen R. W. Cooper on a Report from Promise Keepers
In church after church across the many denominations of Christianity in this country we have seen beginnings of revival, but not its fruition. Many of us have prayed long for national revival, but something always seems to hold it back.
However, as I attended my fourth Promise Keepers stadium event, I found more reason to hope than ever before. More than 50,000 men gathered in the Pontiac, Michigan, Silverdome (May 2–3, 1997) to repent of sin, turn to God and turn to their families as the call went out for the gathering of a sacred assembly later this fall.
The Call to Return
In the second session of the Promise Keepers meeting at the Silverdome, Dr. Bruce Wilkinson of “Walk Thru The Bible” ministries rose to speak on the often-quoted 2 Chronicles 7:14: “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” He pointed out that this passage has four key conditions, the first three of which have been met. All across the nation people have been humbling themselves, praying and seeking the face of God.
The speaker asked all the men in the assembly who had undergone significant spiritual growth in the last year to raise their hands. Thousands upon thousands of hands went up all over the stadium. He said he sees this throughout the nation. People are seeking the kingdom of God as never before. People throughout the nation are humbling themselves, praying and seeking a closer walk with God.
The Final Condition
All the conditions of 2 Chronicles 7:14 are being met, save one. The people humble themselves, pray and seek, but they do not turn from their wicked ways. He spoke of a recent convention of Christians at a large hotel convention center. Billing records showed that half the attendees’ rooms tuned in to the porno channel the night of the rally.
Statistics show that when it comes to divorce, sexual immorality and other problems, there is not much difference between Christians and non-Christians. Wilkinson pointed out that the nation will not be healed until the people turn from immorality. Focusing on sexual immorality as the most prevalent struggle among Christian men (as shown by a Promise Keepers poll), he called men who were involved in some form of sexual immorality to come forward and renounce it before God and the assembly. The floor of the Silverdome was filled by the thousands who responded.
One of Wilkinson’s challenges was for married men to go to the phones, call their girlfriends and say, “The affair is over.” I heard a man weeping at a pay phone as others encouraged him saying, “You can do it, brother!”
In session after session, we also were called to get out of debt and be proper stewards of what God puts in our hands, to be servants to our wives and families. Dr. Maxwell told us that success is not measured in money or position, but by how your family looks at you.
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