Seventh Week of Revival at Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in Pickens, SC

This is the seventh straight week of services at Mt. Sinai Baptist Church and they've had 5 saved so far this week. Since the revival began: almost 90 salvations, 4 men called to preach, 1 person surrendered for the mission field.

For the 2nd time since their revival begain, our Pastor moved our Wednesday night service to Mt. Sinai. The first time, there were 7 other churches present that Wed. eve. Tonight, only 3 churches did, so there was more seating space. We got there 30 minutes early, giving me a little more time to count. There were at least 120 in the pews and about 50 in the choir. My guess is that on Mon, Tue, Thur, and Fri they are averaging 275-300 people in their sanctuary.

Tonight, the pastor mentioned a church called State Line that's been holding week long revival services since the beginning of the year! Last night they had standing room only! And the pastor there told the pastor at Mt. Sinai that their church had been praying for the revival going on at Mt. Sinai! Isn't that GOOD! That's the way sister churches are supposed to be - not worrying about sheep-stealing but playing on the same team!! Wahoo!

I love to watch the choir sing. First, though, you need an understanding of what's been going on there. Every week night for 7 weeks they've been at church. Saturday night the teens have a special time of prayer for revival. Sunday they have services and their own pastor preaches, while Mark Stroud preaches in his own church. (Yes, I finally learned his last name!) The choir sings anywhere from 2-4 songs when we've been there. I assume they are singing as usual on Sundays. That means the choir is singing 15-25 songs a WEEK. Then there are folks doing specials. Then part of the regular choir is also part of the teen choir, and they sing every night. The theme song is "God's Been Good" and He sure has! He's been sustaining the choir, the choir director, and all the folks from Mt. Sinai who have been present for some 33 revival services, plus regular services on Sundays, and he's sustaining the preacher. Folks, these people have got to be getting tired physically, but you can't tell it when you see them sing and testify!

And I have to point out here that these are not professional singers - this is not what they do for a living. This is just a regular church choir. They are also not enticing people to attend services because they have a "rocking praise and worship team" complete with blaring rock music. This is South Carolina, these are Southern people, and they sing Southern, Gospel, Christ-centered hymns. The kind of songs that reach down and touch your heart and leave your toes alone!

In the back row of the choir, there's an older gentleman near the end. That man smiles through most every song he sings. Tonight they are singing a song in which we are compelled to lean on Christ, and he periodically raises his hand for a couple seconds, signifying "AMEN" to a particular phrase he's singing. I'm guessing he's seen enough of life to know there's no Other One to lean on. There are a lot of choir members smiling tonight. Tired? They have to be. But they are electrified and upheld by the Spirit of God, rejoicing that the Lord has chosen this church in this sleepy hollow of SC to bless with a revival.

As they begin a second song, I notice hands around the sanctuary are briefly lifted from time to time in testimony of God's promises, which the choir sings about. One line says something like, "we've often failed the Lord but He's never failed us" and many raise their hand or say "Amen." But it's not loud and distracting or confusing. It's simply a testimony of truth and faithfulness.

Before the preacher comes, I'm struck with this thought: Revival has not come to this church because they have a multi-million dollar campus, although they do have a beautiful sanctuary. Revival has not come because they have hired in professional singers or a nationally known preacher, although the singing is whole and true and the preacher is without question being used by God. Revival didn't come to this church because the members are all rich; indeed, I do not feel out of place at all, and folks who know us know we are far from being considered "rich." It's "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." (Zec.4:6) This is not of man. This is not manufactured or faked or put on for television. This is God moving in the hearts of His people. And it all started because the teens started praying some 9 or 10 weeks ago.

The atmosphere is more quiet tonight than in some of the other services we've attended, some 4-5 by now. But God speaks in a still small voice when He speaks to your heart. The preacher chose as his text Isaiah 6:1-11. When King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw God high and lifted up and he saw himself as a man of unclean lips, unworthy. In spite of our current national needs, of which there are many, we can still see God high and lifted up.

He talked about the Glory of God and what it can do in our hearts and lives, and how it should be evident on our faces. He said we need glory and not T-shirts and bracelets! I loved that.

What will fix our country? 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

This is revival. I'm watching a true revival. Not something faked for attention. Oh I've been in enough services where the hootin' and hollerin' brought lots of attention on the hooter and hollerer, but not to God. This is not like that. Yes, some of the services have had some shouting, but it's never drowned out the preaching of the Word of God.

Here's something else: The preacher does not demand the babies be removed from the sanctuary. As a matter of fact, I didn't realize until a week or so ago they even had a nursery available because there are many children in the service. For the most part, they are quiet. If they become loud, the parent steps into the foyer with them, but they can still hear the message. These little ones are experiencing a great moving of God. Will they remember this? Maybe, maybe not. But I'm going to remind my 2-yr-old of the revival services he was in when he grows old enough to understand. He sits with us. Only once have I had to take him out.

Also, the preachers aren't following a formal "program." They follow the leading of the Lord. The pastor of the church opens the services, and the order from there has been different every time. Sometimes the youth choir sings, then there's handshaking, sometimes not, sometimes the youth choir sings last, sometimes the specials come before the offering sometimes not, sometimes Bro. Stroud preaches and sometimes he just talks... Can you picture too many churches today doing that? But every time, the Lord is using the service to reach hearts.

One couple was close to divorce. They came to a service and got saved and their marriage is restored. One girl was ready to give up on life, but decided to give God her final try. He saved her - He not only spared her physical life, but He's granted her eternal life. Teens who've grown up in church are getting saved. Couples are getting right - women are submitting to their husbands, husbands are loving their wives, children and parents are setting things right. Teens are being called to be faithful in prayer and witnessing and devotions. They are expressing genuine concern over the souls of their family members. Grown men are crying and giving public testimonies of what God has done in their lives. I guess that last one impresses me a lot. I often wonder "where are the men in America's churches?" So many of them stay home, watching football or whatever. Our nation is falling apart and they'd rather be cushy couch potatoes than get right before God and beg God to right our country and save their neighbors and family members. But in this revival I'm watching the Spirit of God move on men - MEN! - and draw them to Him. Boy is that exciting!!!

I guess the only thing that's more exciting than that is watching the number of teens that seem completely sold out for God in this revival. Folks, this is the next generation. If God doesn't draw them to Himself, we're going to lose an entire generation. That's the future of the church. I'm so excited to see these young people on fire, having the incredible privilege of watching a moving of God in their midst.

If they go for an eighth week I hope to be able to attend another service. I would love to live closer. I would love even more for this to spread throughout the upstate of South Carolina, across the southeast, and across the country.

God offers Himself to us freely. Why are we settling for the world's fake copies? Our churches are becoming impotent against the floods of sin and immorality. We need revival to sweep our country. We need to pray. To seek God. I mean really seek God. Not just say it. God's stirring up our country for a reason. We better get on board.