The Secret Revival

By Mark Whitten

For decades American believers have been crying out for revival in the land, just as the Jews had been waiting for God to shatter the silence of the inter-testament period. A faint whisper can now be heard on the plains of our society through the forerunner spirit that was once at work through Elijah the prophet and John the Baptist. It cries in the silence of a barren and religious landscape, "prepare the way of the Lord, make straight paths for him."

There is a generation that can hear the rumblings of creation and the root-system of religion being torn from the ground with violent expectation of a coming king who has roused himself for the day of His glory. But still, there are far too many in the camp of the Lord who have been deafened by the voice of the accuser, deadened by religion, and lured away by the empty promises of the world system. The Father is raising up a generation of deliverers who have a forerunner message in their hearts who will be used to win the lost and liberate the church for her finest hour in human history. These deliverers will lead many to righteousness and thus shine like the stars forever in the history of Heaven.

Before God swings his sickle over the earth for the final harvest of souls, he will raise up a remnant of followers rooted and established in His love and committed to the first commandment and the fear of the Lord. These deliverers are being identified and trained by the Lord himself this very hour in small pockets of revival all over the land. But this revival is not one that is sustained in corporate ministry settings or by outward manifestations of the Holy Spirit, though such happenings are a reality in God's kingdom and vital to the display of His glory in the earth. This revival is of a different kind. It is a secret revival.

The secret revival is breaking forth by the Sovereignty of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of individual believers all over the world. It is a revival of whole-hearted devotion, spiritual discipline, commitment to obedience, and personal intimacy with the Bridegroom God. It is a revival of the deeper life. It is an uncovering of the ancient and a call to sacrifice for something greater than one's self. The secret revival is breaking out as single flames that will be linked into one raging fire that will change the spiritual landscape of the earth and reveal a new power and expression of the Church in the end days.

The secret revival is revealing the urgency of the times in which we live and the severity of tribulation that will come upon the Earth and against the Church in the last days. Missions and martyrdom will be a hallmark of this revival as well as intense fasting and prayer. A heart for natural Israel and the Jews will be prevalent among this people as will the desire to meet in homes and intimate gatherings to discuss the scriptures, worship in spirit, participate in prophetic ministry and share meals together. Some will form communities of refuge in the mountains and wilderness, while others will invade cities with the power of God. Many of these deliverers will choose a life of celibacy over marriage and it will not be uncommon for these products of the revival to make vows of poverty and simplicity. These unknown soldiers will gird-up communities of faith with supernatural strength and will be pillars of power for the local church. Many of these nameless and faceless warriors will be elevated to places of influence in the body of Christ worldwide as well as in government and business, but the majority of this deliverer class will operate in secret power through intercession and mercy ministry.

This is a generation of One Thing. This generation longs to spend significant amounts of their time gazing at the beauty of the Lord in long and loving meditation, worship and intercession; not wasting away on entertainment and the pursuit of comfort. For these people, the Lord Jesus is not just a means to having a powerful ministry and effecting lives, but he is an end to the means in and of himself. Jesus has become the chief desire of these flaming hearts, as Haggai prophesies, "…the desired of all nations will come…" These are a people who realize that the church is not a building or an event but the assembly of God's people, and who love to fellowship together as friends of the bridegroom. These are those that have counted the costs of following Christ and carry similar spirits to John the Baptist, Anna of the temple, Mary of Bethany, and King David. As Jesus set his face like flint towards Jerusalem and the mission of the cross, so the generation of hungry hearts has set its vision to know God and be known by him.

Unity and humility set this people apart from the zealous ones of the past who caused much harm because they shared truth without love and sowed discord instead of peace despite their superior revelation. For there is only one agenda and one kingdom that these fierce ones pledge allegiance: it is the Lord's.

The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his Holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive a blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. (Psalm 24:1-6)

There is a secret cry igniting all over the land; and those who sense the rumblings and experience the groaning need not feel alone, for they are among a growing population in God's Kingdom. These valiant ones only need to continue to press in to the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus, following with fierce faith and bold obedience, and linking arms with others who have like minds and similar passion. The secret revival is spreading like a wild fire and changing the landscape of Christianity in our nation. Questions remain: who is living the secret revival? Who will burn and set others on fire? Who will dare to risk such unbridled faith? Who will challenge the system and bring revolution? Who will endure in the face of compromise? What will it cost?