“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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV
This past weekend, I got to watch the movie A Great Awakening. For those not familiar with the film, the film is based on a true story of how God used George Whitefield, a seemingly nobody, to preach the gospel in the American colonies which ultimately lead to what is now known today as the First Great Awakening. Being mistreated most of his life for having a lazy eye, Whitefield experienced for the first time in his life the genuine love of Jesus at Oxford University through John Wesley’s group the “Holy Club.” Whitefield, a theater student, eventually abandoned his dreams of being a stage actor and would become a minister of the gospel. Unfortunately, the gospel that Whitefield preached was met with hostility from the leadership in the Church of England. Despite the opposition, Whitefield’s zeal to preach true repentance remained resolute and Whitefield took the gospel to the American colonies which spread like wildfire and penetrated the hearts of millions of colonists.
For most of my life, I have heard the church always express the desire for revival. I myself have often prayed for it, wishing to see one on a large scale; one that not only impacts the church but our cities. But after watching this film, I am convinced more than ever before that what we need in America today isn’t a revival but AN AWAKENING.
I’m sure that some of you are a bit rattled after reading the previous sentence. If you have a similar background as I do, you’ve likely heard that revival is what our country needs. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe revivals are a blessing and are very much needed. But before you jump to any conclusions, allow me to ask one very simple question, “Do you know the difference between a Revival and an Awakening?” Truly take a moment to think about this question before proceeding.
I will reveal the answer to that question in just a few moments but to be completely transparent, I couldn’t answer this simple question a few months ago. Much to my chagrin, I didn’t know the difference and thought revival was the pinnacle of what man can get from God (it’s not). I began seeking answers to this question after watching Charlie Kirk’s Memorial Service. Throughout the memorial service, several of the speakers mentioned that “revival” was happening. Leading up to that point, I heard several reports from CBN of revival taking place in America – Asbury, UniteUS at Florida State University, Gen Z church attendance surge, etc.
As a Christian and minister of the gospel, I have been taught that “revival isn’t revival if it stays inside the four walls.” And while I do believe this statement to be true and I long to see a genuine outpouring of the Holy Spirit, I was wrestling with the idea that true revival was occurring. Whether we are aware of it or not, our country is divided and we are literally witnessing the unfolding of a major culture war unlike anything in our nation’s history. Congressman Nick Freitas said it best,
“I don’t think they realize it yet, but murdering Charlie is going to be remembered as the day where we finally woke up to what this fight really is. It’s not a civil dispute among fellow countrymen. It’s a war between diametrically opposed worldviews which cannot peacefully coexist with one another. One side will win, and one side will lose.” – Nick Freitas
Charlie Kirk was murdered for his faith and politics. I thought to myself, ‘if revival is truly happening, wouldn’t we see a shift in the culture?’ While I believe woke ideology has been on a decline since President Trump won the election in 2024, the reality is that the shift is political in nature, not a spiritual one. This leads me to one simple truth that I didn’t become aware of until quite recently – if the church won’t impact the culture, the government will. And sadly, this is where we are today. Political leaders and pundits have a greater influence on society than the church does. If you don’t believe me, look at how many subscribers Benny Johnson and The Officer Tatum has on YouTube and compare that to church attendance and live stream views. The church should be the loudest and most influential voice of our society but it’s not. The church’s position of neutrality the past thirty years has allowed politics to be the driven force to decide the morals and standards of our country. And as a result, half of our country erroneously believes it’s their moral obligation to silence and in extreme cases eliminate anyone who opposes what they believe to be a righteous cause.
Despite the current state of the United States, is revival truly happening in America? Based on the information that I’m about to share with you all – Yes; however, we need an awakening. With that stated, I’ll pose the question again, “What is the difference between a revival and an awakening?” The difference surprisingly isn’t all that complicated –
REVIVAL IMPACTS THE CHURCH WHEREAS AN AWAKENING IMPACTS THE CULTURE.
In the early 1900s, many revivals took place in the United States. Some of the most famous ones were The Billy Sunday crusades and the Azusa Street Revival. Many people came to the knowledge of Jesus Christ through these revivals; however, these revivals hardly impacted the broader culture. At the time, the biggest issues in society were Eugenics and Darwinism. Eugenics justified the disposal of babies if they were born with a defect or if they were born with physical traits not desired by the parents. And Darwinism opposes the Creationist worldview by stating that man came from monkeys and weren’t made in the image of God. Another famous American revival that took place in the 20th century was the Jesus Movement. In the 1960s and 70s, millions of young adults and teenagers who were strung out on drugs and engaged in sexual promiscuity were saved through The Jesus Movement. However, one of the greatest evils came out of that same time period – The Sexual Revolution. The Sexual Revolution is why pornography, fornication, homosexuality, and abortion is so prevalent today. The Jesus Movement did very little to change the culture or slow the spread of The Sexual Revolution. Had Azusa Street completely destroyed Eugenics and Darwinism and had the Jesus Movement annihilated The Sexual Revolution, those events would be recorded in history as awakenings. Instead they are documented as revivals.
Now that you know the difference between revival and an awakening, how many of you reading this would concur that what we need today more than ever before is an awakening? An awakening to destroy woke ideology and the hatred for Israel? An awakening that flips a switch in the hearts of man that makes them realize that mutilating gender confused children and killing babies is an abhorrent evil? Perhaps some of you reading this might think, ‘It doesn’t matter because Jesus is coming soon.’ If you’re thinking that, Jesus didn’t call us to have an escapist mentality but to be fully engaged in the master’s business while His return is tarried.
“I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” John 9:4 NKJV
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9 NKJV
If you are a Christian and you concur that an awakening is what we desperately need in America, I encourage you to make it a matter of prayer and to make a shift in your daily prayers. Ask God not for a revival but ask Him to send an awakening in America. An awakening not for the church’s sake but for the sake of those who don’t know Jesus and for the generations to come after us.
Joshua Hawk 