Historian and author David Barton says that even though Americans pray for revival, there is a difference between revival and an awakening.
“An awakening means that not only does the Spirit of God bring people to Christ, but the culture is impacted,” Barton told a group with the Alabama Citizens Action Program. “I’m afraid our culture is yet to be impacted by a biblical worldview.”
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Barton spoke to ALCAP family and friends Jan. 21 after the group’s annual prayer rally at the Alabama State House. Barton founded Specialty Research Associates in 1987, and the organization was renamed WallBuilders the following year based on the Old Testament story of Nehemiah.
Understanding revivals vs. awakenings
Barton noted eight revivals in American history and suggested the last three brought mixed results.
“The 1870 revival brought the Sunday School movement, and this was good,” he recounted. “Sunday School was a literacy program for uneducated young people, but it became a great Bible teaching ministry.
“We had another national revival in 1900 [and] I was part of the ‘Jesus movement’ of the 1970s, and we witnessed everywhere and saw thousands come to Christ. But the Jesus movement seemed not to affect the sexual revolution in any way,” Barton continued. “Despite revivals in the past 110 years, America has seen the rise of Darwinian socialism, atheistic Marxism and eugenics. A secular website, helpfulprofessor.com, declares we have 81 types of genders and gender identities.”
Barton said genuine spiritual awakenings bring biblical discipleship.
“Take Matthew 19 for example,” he noted. “Jesus gave a definition of marriage, defined two genders and excoriated the Jewish ‘no fault’ divorce system. Today Christians have higher divorce rates than the unchurched.
“Jesus spoke about what we’d call today public policy issues in opposition to government and culture.”
A second aspect of genuine spiritual awakenings is application of Scripture to daily living.
“God established the family, government and the church,” Barton asserted. “It stands to reason that believers would seek to influence all three. I believe today the government influences culture more than the church does. And many Christians refuse to get involved in government. I call these ‘two-thirds Christians.’
“If you change the heart and don’t change the culture, you lose both.”
Barton on a Christian’s duty to country
Barton has written extensively about America’s spiritual roots.
“Our founding fathers quoted Englishman John Locke more often than any other philosopher,” he said. “Locke is a difficult read, but he used more than 1,500 biblical references.
“And the revivalist Charles Finney was converted in 1792 after studying law. In his book, ‘Hindrances to Revival,’ he wrote, ‘The Church must take right ground in regard to politics. … Politics are a part of religion in such a country as this, and Christians must do their duty to the country as part of their duty to God.’”
Barton said he believes America is poised for another revival.
“Twenty-two American states have or are trying to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms,” he noted. “And the IRS has ‘stood down’ on enforcing the Johnson Amendment banning political involvement.
“Unions and Planned Parenthood do political endorsements as nonprofits, so I think it’s good now that churches are free to do this as well.”
‘In the trenches’
ALCAP Executive Director Greg Davis told the group at the steps of the Alabama State House that “prayer makes a difference, and politics, policy and people matter.”
“These pastors here today care about people. They see the consequences and results of bad policy when broken people come to them for help,” Davis said. “They’re in the trenches, and they also are here to pray God’s blessings and wisdom for all of you.”
Visit wallbuilders.com or alcap.com for more information.
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