July 7, 2016 (Thursday)
Most of us know Washington Irving’s story of Rip Van Winkle, who felll asleep and did not wake up for twenty years. When he woke up, he went to a tavern to find strange faces and he was bewildered.
Their questions and his answers brought great confusion to them all. Finally, the people decided to let old Rip, if indeed that’s who he was, occupy a place at the tavern door where he could pass the time of day with the patrons. He learned to discuss with others how that there had been a revolutionary war – that the country had thrown off the yoke of old England – and that, instead of being a subject of his Majesty George the Third, he was now a free citizen of the United States. What a nap! He woke up in a new world.
If Rip Van Winkle had gone to sleep twenty years ago, in 1996, Bill Clinton would have been the president, the twin towers of New York would have been standing tall, there would have been talk about terrorism possibly some day coming to American shores, and marriage was possible only for opposite sexes.
After sleeping twenty years, Rip would wake up to a world that has changed. He would probably be surprised by some of the changes he would find. It would not take him long to conclude that there is a changing morality in this country.
If we had gone to sleep 60 years ago, waking up today we would find the world so different that we would probably pull the covers over our heads and go back to sleep. Almost anyone reading this blog would be able to list many things that have changed, and not necessarily for the better. We need a revival. We need a genuine spiritual awakening. B.B. McKinney gave us a hymn appropriate for this day.
SEND A REVIVAL, O CHRIST, MY LORD
1 Send a revival, O Christ, my Lord,
Let it go over the land and sea.
Send it according to Thy dear Word,
And let it begin in me.
Chorus:
Lord, send a revival,
Lord, send a revival,
Lord, send a revival,
And let it begin in me.
2 Send a revival among Thine own,
Help us to turn from our sins away.
Let us draw near to the Father’s throne,
Revive us again, we pray. [Chorus]
3 Send a revival to those in sin,
Help them, O Jesus, to turn to Thee.
Let them the new life in Thee begin,
Oh, give them the victory. [Chorus]
4 Send a revival in ev’ry heart,
Draw the world nearer. O Lord to Thee.
Let Thy salvation true joy impart,
And let it begin in me. [Chorus]