Who has believed our message? To whom will the Lord reveal his saving power? (Isaiah 53:1 NLT).
Isaiah asks two wonderful questions to provide the prelude to his famous 53rd-chapter prophecy about the coming Savior, Jesus.
First, “Who has believed our message?” That’s simple. I believe. And millions more. Your golf club is full of believers (i.e., those who mentally assent).
But the second question is better and quite relevant to Revival. “To whom will the Lord reveal his saving power?”
This raises the bar. There are millions of believers (i.e., those who affirm belief), but only a few have seen his saving power.
On February 8 at Asbury University, the Lord revealed his saving power to a new generation of college kids. Those college kids did not just believe; they saw His power to save, reconcile, and love. And I saw the same thing in 1970.
What does the saving power of this revival mean for me? Three quick points.
One- God’s saving power is available for all generations. Today’s revival confirms that my encounter with God in 1970 was not some youthful fantasy. It was real! And conversely, my old-timers’ testimony should prove to the kids of this generation that their experience can last a lifetime! They can still be testifying in 2076!
Second, I must admit that the 1970 revival experience tainted my future church life. My dissatisfaction with the church is partly the result of what I saw with my own eyes in 1970. The typical modern-day Sunday service is a one-hour event with a few songs, a sermon with three points, a pastor who disappears behind the stage after sharing his Biblical thoughts, and a final song. It has little resemblance to my revival experience.
Where are the tears? Where are the changed lives? Where’s the urgency that for somebody, ‘today is the day of salvation”? The real action in 1970 was around the altar with tears of repentance and joy.
But third and most important for our golf world, I am sure these revival times are not just for churches and holy auditoriums with many ecclesiastic symbols. The sign over the platform at Asbury says, “Holiness Unto the Lord.” Indeed, Hughes Auditorium is a modern Holy of Holies for Wilmore, Kentucky.
But my question is this. Is revival possible at the local golf or country club where we live and play?
I am happy to report that the answer is YES. The same Holy Spirit who came to Asbury on February 8, 2023, has found his way into my club in south Alabama. He is ‘changing the conversations’ at our golf course. Jesus is no longer just a curse word after a shank.
He is a Savior seeking and saving the lost. It happens in our Links Players’ groups. But it also occurs in conversations on the course, in the pro shop, and at the bar. Jesus is showing up everywhere.
You may remember the twosome walking down the 1st fairway of Emmaus Country Club. Jesus appeared and walked seven miles with them. He even caddied for them. They could only say, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as He talked with us…” (Luke 24:13-34).
How about your golf club? Have you seen him there? Is your heart burning within as He talks with you? Do you hear the winds of revival blowing through the trees and down the fairways?
Prayer: Oh Lord, thank you for your saving power coming to the world- even my golf club! Amen.