Cornerstone

Psa 85:1-13

In a seminary class entitled “Revivalism” we conducted research on the movement of the Holy Spirit in awakenings among the Christian people. The subject matter was fascinating. The variety, the spontaneity, the powerfulness of these times was exciting. The personalities involved were glamorous. The astounding thing that surfaced during this time of research, however, was that it appeared that revivals seem to come in cycles of seventy-five years. As we plotted not just meetings but awakenings of various intensity it seemed that the pattern held true for the most part. Every seventy-five years in some part of the world a spiritual awakening was in progress. This is not to say that the Holy Spirit would not be willing to keep His people stirred to a red hot heat with revival fervor. It is to say that in the frailty of our humanity, and in an environment of depravity the human race has to learn and re-learn its intense need for God. Another thing that surfaced during this research complimented this thought. Each period of revival was preceded by a prolonged period of intercessory prayer by a group of people who were sick of sin and desired to feel the flame of God’s presence once again. Revival, drift, apathy, apostasy, destitution, repentance, revival seems to be the cycle that we follow. Where are we now in this cycle? Can we skip a step or two in the cycle if some of us get serious and begin to plead the blood of Jesus Christ for a revival of spirituality? I believe so.

Dr. Gayle Woods

Acts 19:30-41

Horatio Seymour, was twice the Democratic governor of New York (1853-54, 1863-64). The Democrats even nominated Seymour as their presidential candidate in 1868, but he lost to Ulysses S. Grant. He is best known for his assertion that the Emancipation Proclamation was illegal. He also opposed military draft by the federal government saying it was an unwarranted violation of states’ rights and claimed that the draft law discriminated against New York City. In July 1863, during the Draft Riots in the city, Seymour made a conciliatory speech that led Horace Greeley to denounce him as a Copperhead (a Southern sympathizer), a charge that contributed greatly to his defeat for reelection. The things he opposed are accepted as necessary and true today. We may wonder about people that seem to always be on the opposing side to the stream of society truth and yet we see the same evidenced as people continually take a stance against God’s Word. Today as I traveled I was horrified to hear a radio advertisement paid for by an “Adult” bookstore describing their smutty videos and DVDs. Later I heard a radio announcer sneering as she told how a Jewish radio talk host had protested against certain magazines in a sporting goods store. People strike out at truth daily and yet it will continue to prevail.

Dr. Gayle Woods