Monday, June 05, 2023

A Cultural and Spiritual Awakening?

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This weekend Victor Davis Hanson was asking the question, "Is the Sleeping Conservative Dragon Finally Waking Up?"

I believe it is.

Some Christian leaders believe there is a spiritual awakening rippling across the country---they note that 4,100 people were recently baptized at the historic Pirates Cove beach in Southern California.

I believe there is a spiritual awakening. 

The darkening of the culture is revealing the Light of God's truth.

Here's some of what is happening.

Be informed, not misled.

Victor Davis Hanson published an article last week in which he said, "Conservatives and traditionalists are often exasperated at the ongoing woke cultural revolution in their midst."

Then he asked, "How can America be turned upside down, as it is when there is little public support for the things happening around us?"

"They don't see much backing for the current border policy and illegal immigration, yet it continues," he said.

He noted that Americans are generally fed-up with the nonsense---from the LGBTQ+ agenda to American jurisprudence being weaponized and warped.

He said, "In 2020 torching a federal courthouse or massing at the White House grounds, in efforts to get at the president, earned either few arrests and little or no jail time. In 2021, if one entered the Capitol and illegally paraded around like a buffoon, he could get a five-year prison sentence."

He asks, "How then did these extremist policies that have little popular support become institutionalized?"

In part, he answers his own question: "They were asleep at the wheel in 2020, when left-wing-funded lawsuits radically transformed Election Day in many states into a mere construct. Some 70%  of the electorate in key precincts voted by mail or early, with far fewer ballot audits or authentication."

Hanson says, "Traditionalists often feel they have no time for politics. They prefer to focus on their families, jobs, communities, and churches. Until recently they shunned organized boycotts. They abhor massing outside the homes of left-wing politicians and judges."

They shrug and concede that universities, teachers, government unions, the corporate boardroom, Wall Street, Silicon Valley, the media, entertainment, and professional sports are hopelessly activist and left-wing.

The environmental, social, governance (ESG), diversity, equity, and inclusion, and LGBQT+ agendas were unfathomable acronyms to Middle America and thus mostly ignored.

So conservatives often slept through the woke revolution.

The upside-down culture.

There are a thousand examples of how "up-side-down" our culture really is. Here are several examples from the last few days.

Rushingbrook Children's Choir was singing the National Anthem in the Capitol and was stopped by the Capitol police. 

Why? 

They were told that "certain Capitol Police said it might offend someone and cause issues."

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted, "The National Anthem sung by children is not offensive; it's needed more."

Cal State Long Beach’s spring commencement ceremonies did not include a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” among its graduation festivities to honor its 15,000 graduates. 

However, the school’s alma mater song was sung as part of the events. Its mascot, a non-binary shark who uses plural pronouns, was also on hand to wave to the crowds.

And Cal State Long Beach hosted nearly a dozen “Cultural Graduation Ceremonies” focused on “American Indian, Black/Pan-African, Cambodian, Chicano/Latino, Lavender, Pacific Islander, Pilipino, Undocumented, Vietnamese and International Students,” according to its website. 

Kellogg High School (Idaho) takes the cake.

Spokane's KREM TV News 2  reports, "Kellogg High School postpones graduation due to safety concerns. The ceremony will be rescheduled 'when it is determined that the ceremony can be held safely'."

A shooter? Oh, no. It's worse than that.

More than 30 Kellogg High School students walked out Friday in protest of a disciplinary decision for one of the seniors. Administrators say that a student made unapproved comments about gender and, as a result, will not be allowed to walk at graduation.


That's right. "Unapproved comments about gender."

It all started with one sentence at the end of the year assembly.

"The seniors got to say one piece of advice or one thing they wanted to tell the rest of school, and Jaeger Hall, a junior at Kellogg High School, said, 'Boys are boys and girls are girls, and there's no in between.'" 

The next day the student in question was told they would no longer be allowed to walk at graduation because they broke the rules; they didn't get prior approval to express their beliefs.

I assure you this will not be the end of this matter at Kellogg High.

A spiritual awakening.



Just months after the Asbury revival took the world by storm, a recent story about more than 4,100 baptisms unfolding at a historic California beach inspires the faithful.

Another big sign of spiritual revival in America occurred at a historic California location. More than 4,000 people were baptized in Pirate's Cove on Pentecost Sunday to celebrate the gift of eternal life and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Jesus Movement.

Oceans Church organized Baptize SoCal, advertised as "the biggest water baptism in history." The huge event coincided with a major anniversary of the Christian awakening that saw hundreds of thousands of young people come to Christ in the 60s and 70s.

More than 280 churches and 8,000 attendees watched as 4,166 people fled to the shore of Pirates Cove to declare their new life in Christ.

Attendees report the atmosphere was electric as people praised God and celebrated their "Kingdom family."

"What an amazing and historic day," said musician and pastor at West Coast Life Church, Ray Gene Wilson. "Thousands baptized at Pirates Cove, God is moving in California!"

"A moment I'll never forget," one attendee commented on Instagram.

"This is absolutely amazing praying for all in their new walk with Jesus…. Welcome to the Kingdom family," another Instagram user commented.

Worship leader Lindy Cofer said, "The Church is alive! What a beautiful sight in Southern California yesterday!!! On the 50th anniversary of the Jesus people movement."

"The Church is alive. And the gates of hell will not prevail against it."

In Matthew 16, Jesus asked His disciples who the public thought He was. After several answers--- 

"He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Takeaway

The secular Leftist ideology is collapsing, like a house built on the sand. While all hell is trying to prevail against the biblical Church, it will not because it cannot prevail against it.

The culture follows the church. As the Church experiences an awakening, so will the culture begin to experience a renewal and an awakening.

Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Engaged. Be Prayerful. Be Bold.