Why do you call it an
“AMERICAN” Christ Awakening?
“AMERICAN” Christ Awakening?
Can it really heal a whole nation?
My New Balance running shoes used to say, “Made in America.” But no more. How many products do you use daily that were made somewhere outside our borders? This is a constant economic concern debated by Washington politicians.
Made in America! Specifically for Jesus followers, biblically speaking, we can be certain that any supernatural move of God—often called revival—will always be tailor-made for the specific group or nation among whom it is manifested. Therefore, to talk about an awakening to Christ in our nation as “American” is like saying we should expect a powerful renewal that is “Made IN America” and “Made FOR America” though it originates by divine intervention OUTSIDE America—namely, made in and coming from the throne of Heaven!
For us today that means one thing for sure: Ultimately, the coming God-given, “Christ-ward” transformation that CHRIST NOW is serving every day is meant for, within, and about America as a whole, beginning with what God does among his own people in America—the Body of Christ.
Beyond that—in fact, even because of that—we look and pray for an awakening in every nation to ALL the Lord Jesus Christ is as the Savior of the world.
The phrase “American CHRIST Awakening” assures people that the spiritual revolution we’re praying toward and fostering is not something intended to unfold only in certain places or with certain kinds of groups within our nation’s geographical borders. Rather, this gracious miracle is meant for an entire people from coast to coast—for ALL who live in America, for “whosoever may come.”
No Christ Awakening movement will ever unfold exactly the same with identical characteristics as previous revivals, without regard to the uniqueness of a culture or nation, a people or organization or party—including where it begins inside a Christian denomination or a single local church—or even an individual—as it pours forth.
Quite the contrary! Though the fundamental, biblical dimensions that make up every Christ Awakening remain supracultural, the fact is that the ways such a Heaven-sent breakthrough becomes contextualized will vary widely.
Bottom line: The outworking of any Christ Awakening depends primarily on what is already transpiring in a Christian movement and a culture before the awakening begins—including God-ordained, spiritual preparations already put in place.
To say it one other way: All the radical changes that ultimately arise out of a Christ Awakening, intended to touch all of life and culture—all of it the work of the Holy Spirit—will vary, sometimes dramatically, in terms of HOW those changes unfold at the grassroots.
To borrow Jesus’ analogy of his Kingdom, the quality of the “dough” determines how the leaven works within the dough as it penetrates it to transform it.
Examples of this principle applied
Dream with me a little:
Let’s imagine a day when an “American Christ Awakening” gives birth to a necklace of similar national movements unfolding in other settings with their own distinctions, such as these: a German Christ Awakening, a British Christ Awakening, a Brazilian Christ Awakening, a Korean Christ Awakening, a Russian Christ Awakening.
Or take different arena—denominations. We could witness a Presbyterian Christ Awakening, a Methodist Christ Awakening, a Greek Orthodox Christ Awakening, a Pentecostal Christ Awakening.
Also, we can apply the principle to parachurch groups. There could be an InterVarsity Christ Awakening, a Wycliffe Christ Awakening, an NAE Christ Awakening, a Young Life Christ Awakening.
Once the awakening begins to pervade the culture at large, we might see outcomes like these: a Democratic Christ Awakening, a Republican Christ Awakening, a Congressional Christ Awakening, a Hollywood Christ Awakening, a BLM Christ Awakening, an AMA Christ Awakening, a Wall Street Christ Awakening, a New Jersey Christ Awakening, an Ohio Christ Awakening.
To bring it down to the local setting, think about these possibilities: First Baptist Christ Awakening, Faith Lutheran Christ Awakening, Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Christ Awakening.
Or, at the most personal level, we would have phenomena such as John Smith’s Christ Awakening, Mary Wilson’s Christ Awakening, Anton Ramos’ Christ Awakening, Janice Wong’s Christ Awakening.
Of course, one day, all of this grace will climax in a grand “cosmic CHRIST Awakening,” resulting in a new heaven and new earth. At that time, every other Christ Awakening will prove to have been simply an “approximation” of that final consummation when the knowledge of the glory of Christ will cover the nations like the waters cover the sea—with every knee bowing to declare Jesus is Lord (Philippians 2).
Until then, every current Christ Awakening must always be regarded as a foretaste, marked by its own preliminary distinctive characteristics (many or few) and based on the “context” in which each awakening unfolds. Each one is a foreshadowing of the final revival yet to come.
In every Christ Awakening,
the Church must lead the way!
the Church must lead the way!
In virtually every case, a Christ Awakening must begin within the lives of believers and then flow out of God’s people to the communities around us as we wake up through fresh encounters with the supremacy of God’s Son. As Paul says in Ephesians 3 (NIV, emphasis added):
His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Therefore, our nationwide campaign for a Christ-focused, Christ-exalting spiritual revolution throughout America—for a broad-based, Kingdom-style reformation in our land—must begin by fostering and fueling this movement within thousands of churches in America.
Saturation coming! Multitudes of Jesus followers must become sufficiently saturated with the person, power, and presence of God’s reigning Son until this spiritual revolution among God’s people breaks out of our walls and begins to spread beyond to the world around us, bringing the blessings of the gospel to every sector of society.
As a result, Christians who become wholly alive to the whole Christ will become the vanguard—a prototype and a change agent—of the kind of extraordinary spiritual and moral transformations that must take place throughout America as a whole in this desperate, defining hour.
We envision a day not far off when every level of our national life will move more CHRIST-WARD—increasingly giving him his rightful place in our life together as our Redeemer King and Lord of all.
This is why we have settled on this specific title for our initiative:
The 2024 Nationwide Campaign
for an American CHRIST Awakening.
for an American CHRIST Awakening.
It has already begun. Come and join us!
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NOTE: For an in-depth overview of why a Christ Awakening is so gravely needed at this juncture in our nation’s life—describing what such a Spirit-given uprising would involve—please refer to our foundational vision presented in my extended blog post HERE.
About the Author
Over the past 50 years, David Bryant has been defined by many as a “messenger of hope” and a “Christ proclaimer” to the Church throughout the world. Formerly a minister-at-large with the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, president of Concerts of Prayer International (COPI), and chairman of America’s National Prayer Committee, David now provides leadership to ChristNow.com and Proclaim Hope!, whose mission is to foster and serve Christ Awakening movements. Download his widely read ebooks at ChristNow.com. Enjoy hundreds of podcast episodes. Watch his weekly vlogs at David Bryant REPORTS. Meet with David through Zoom or in-person events through David Bryant LIVE!
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