Revival in North Carolina
REVIVAL IN THE CORNFIELDS OF NORTH CAROLINA
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NOTE: Below is an extract from a secular newspaper in Asheville,
North Carolina, USA - from a few days ago. The thing that struck
me about it was not so much that Revival has begun - but that
there are clear signs of a DEEP SPIRITUAL HUNGER in the
community at large. I wonder how widespread this is across the
USA right now? (By the way, these were Baptist Revival meetings
under a big tent. -The response far exceeded all expectations).
“THOUSANDS TURN OUT for REVIVAL, RIVER BAPTISMS”
by Susan Reinhardt,
-Asheville Citizen-Times, Sept 11, 2006.
CANE RIVER — Thousands walked Sunday from the revival tent
through clay and dirt toward the glittering gray river. They didn’t
bother to roll up their jeans or hitch their skirts, but waded with
purpose into the rain-chilled waters, meeting with the pastors who
submerged and lifted them, cleansed of sin and received of salvation.
Diane and John O’Shields of Burnsville were first in line and had
more than one reason for getting wet in what some revival officials
say was North Carolina’s largest river baptism. The baptism came
as the faithful stretched into six weeks what was conceived as a
two-week Cane River Tent Revival led by the Rev. Ralph Sexton Jr.,
of the ministry by the same name. No one in this small idyllic
Yancey County town just northeast of Asheville has ever seen
such a sight — thousands coming nightly to sit under a giant
white tent and hear messages of hope. Before the baptism,
murmurs circulated throughout the tent that this event would go
down in history. And Sunday, as up to 3,000 or more people
flowed like refugees from the big tent in the cornfield, those
already at the river sang “Victory in Jesus.” ‘That sweet, sweet
spirit’ Diane chewed her nails as she tried to contain her emotions.
Crowds swelled on each side of the riverbank. Wearing a black
pantsuit and pearl earrings, she wiped tears from her eyes as she
waved at watching loved ones. She and her husband held hands,
closed their eyes and mouths and briefly disappeared under the
water. The couple, married for 21 years, decided let this chance in
the water with a reverend, the presence of God and countless
witnesses work double-duty. “It’s our Baptism and wedding at the
same time,” she said, her dress soaked and her face salted with
tears. “We weren’t married in a church, so this is our marriage
ceremony, too.” Theirs was just one among of the hundreds of
stories and reasons people had for wandering into the waters,
wetting their Sunday best or blue jeans. Dee-Dee Carver said the
devil had hold of her the past two years. It’s not that she sinned or
carried on wildly, she said. She’d just turned her back on God.
“The past five years,” she said, her face going from glowing to
pained, “I’ve been dealing with a rebellious son.” She said he was
into drugs and trouble and she needed the Lord’s strength to see
her through. She’s been a Christian for years. But like many who
gathered every night for six weeks at revival, she needed a fix — a
Jesus fix. The polish and shine had worn off her soul and this was
the ticket to fix it.
“I’ve been coming every night I can,” the 51-year-old Madison
County woman said. “I come here and feel that sweet, sweet spirit.
I think it’s God’s way of saying, ‘I still love you.’”
MORE than 4,000 a NIGHT
Sexton began this revival in a cornfield six weeks ago with
nearly 30 area pastors and churches who came together for a
single cause: healing, soothing, saving and bringing God into
troubled personal lives and into a world in a state of unrest and
war. It started July 31 and was supposed to end two weeks later,
but people kept coming, clogging roads and bringing the need for
fire trucks and helicopters.
Sexton said he is humbled and encouraged by what he’s seen in
the cornfields owned by John Young, who pastors baptized
Sunday afternoon. “I’ve had opportunities in the past to be involved
in area-wide meetings,” he said. “But this exceeds all
expectations.” Asked why some nights more than 4,000 would
show up, including teenagers, Sexton credited the Lord and the
times we live in. “In our communities, there seems to be a hunger
to return to basic moral and faith values,” he said. “We have an
unsettled world. Every continent has a madman and every country
is asking for peace and safety and we’re finding none…“
WHAT was PREACHED
-extracts from Ralph Sexton’s website:
“Bro. Ralph encouraged the congregation with the stories of young
people who began seeking God for revival.. Last week at Mountain
Heritage, they couldn’t have class for kids and teachers talking
about the power of God. In South Caldwell County, 125 or more
young people had been meeting at the flag pole at 7:30 each
morning to pray for their school and their community. In Haywood
County, some young people were skipping lunch to pray for revival.
A group of young men from Henderson County had been in the
Mountain Heritage Crusade for the first 10 nights. They had been
fasting for 21 days, and they came early in the afternoon and went
into the cornfields to pray for God to move in this community.
Bro. Ralph asked the question,”If the church of the Living God
does not have revival, what is going to happen to us?”. We have
dropped our defense, we have lowered our guard, and we are being
lured away…”
….”Bro. Ralph preached a message from Proverbs 22:6 entitled,
“Spiritual Child Abuse.” According to a Holy God and His Word,
when we pass up the opportunity to walk with Him and live holy,
we are abusing our children spiritually. We need to invest our life
in them. We can buy them stocks and bonds, but the greatest gift
we can give them is knowing God!
The light of God exposes our real nature. Preaching pulls the
covers off sin, and it brings us to the intersection of grace and mercy.
When was the last time God heard your cry? We don’t know if this
will be the last time God passes by our way. When He is this
close, we don’t want to miss Him!
Over 150 souls have been saved in the past four services! We have
received letters, calls, and emails from teachers, government
officials, and business leaders. The “Cane River Revival” has
invaded the community.”
…”Bro. Ralph preached a message from Matthew 16:21-26 entitled,
“The Devil’s Flea Market.” He asked the question, “What will a
man give in exchange for his soul?” The devil will make you a deal.
He doesn’t give up! Everyday he is on the corner saying, “Give me
your prayer life, give me your sweet fellowship with the Holy Ghost,
give me your tears.” He says, “You can have anything you want if
you will just give me your soul.” He is a liar and a deceiver. He
doesn’t make a deal worth your soul!
When parents listen to the devil and go back to the world, their
babies are usually following them. We need to have an urgency
and a desperation on the Church. There is no guarantee of another
night under the tent or another night to get right with God. Bro.
Ralph told us that we can see a harvest of souls if the Church will
get cleaned up. Please don’t put off getting right with God!”
….”Brother Ralph preached a message from Psalm 130 entitled,
“Why Is God Looking Our Way?” He has been reading on the
revivals throughout history for the days that we have been unable
to meet under the Old Gospel Tent. Each of the revivals have one
overwhelming tie - a soberness and a holy hush along with the
realization that what was going on was from the Hand of a Holy God!…
Sin has never been bolder, but even the lost people know that God
is in the neighborhood. “If not now, when will we have revival?” We
have a generation of young people who have never seen the power
of God! We have no promise of tomorrow.
Revival is not an alternative; it is imperative! The beginning of revival
is one soul who will get so broken hearted that they say, “More
than I want to see the sun come up in the morning, I want God to
meet with us!” Are we desperate for Him? Let us get on our faces
before Him as we prepare for the last night of the meetings….”
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~SOURCES - (1) The Asheville Citizen-Times Newspaper -
http://www.citizen-times.com/
(2) http://www.ralphsextonministries.com
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