Yesterday, we were at a camp that had been established to rehabilitate men who had been lost in drugs and bring them to salvation.  I understand that, in the 14 years that this camp has been in operation, hundreds of men have come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Many pastors have come out of here and established churches all over Cabe Verde.

We gave an altar call at the end of the second service and everyone came down.  I’m not sure that they fully understood what we were asking for, but about 50 men came down to the altar.  Oh well, we prayed them all through anyway, just to make sure.

In between the morning and afternoon services, we have been handing out handfuls of tracts and sending everyone out in twos to go witnessing in the area around whichever church we are at.  It works like a charm!  This is something new for almost everyone we preach to – they have heard of this, but never done it. The results are always stunning and immediate – souls come in for the service and many get saved. Once they realize how simple this is, it is as if a light bulb goes off in their head.  They get it. Revival is this simple. Go get the lost and bring them in to the House of God so they can be saved.

We are breaking ground here that has never been tilled. The concept of revival is no longer an ideal that has happened somewhere else, but has now taken on a tangible reality that they can reach out and touch. It is no longer a remote possibility, but is now a concrete reality. These is no longer what they wish for or hope for but for what they have taken to the Throne of God and have claimed in the name of Jesus Christ. God has awakened the substance of faith inside their hearts, and revival is not far away.

There is still one element that is missing, however, and I am struggling with it every day. It is not enough to want revival or even to have the faith to receive it – there must be repentance. It is not only for our own failures but the failure of the entire church to keep the fire burning on the Altar. Revival can only take root in the soil that is found in broken hearts.

Like Nehemiah and Daniel, we must fall to our knees and ask forgiveness for falling into our lukewarm, comfortable ways of “church as usual” and our refusal to carry the torch of the Gospel to the lost and dying souls out in the highways and byways of this world. It was the last commandment our Savior gave us before He left, but we have not kept it.  He said “Go!” but we have not gone. He said to make disciples of every creature, but we have barely made it to church.

We are a barren woman who has refused to keep God’s most important commandment – to bear fruit. We have not had a love for souls and as a result have lost our first love for God.  Everything else we have done is like a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal.

We are in sore need of repentance.