One More Revival

Billy Graham recalls a time when his wife Ruth, commenting on the downward spiral of morality in our nation, exclaimed, "If God doesn’t punish America, He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah."

Sodom was once a great power in her day—a city-state, a dominant force. But God judged her. He identifies her sins in Jeremiah 23:14: "But now I see that the prophets of Jerusalem are even worse! They commit adultery and love dishonesty. They encourage those who are doing evil so that no one turns away from their sins. These prophets are as wicked as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah once were."

They commit adultery and love dishonesty. They encourage those who are doing evil. . . . We live in a time in our nation when right is wrong and wrong is right. Everything is upside down.

God gives another assessment of the sins of Sodom in the book of Ezekiel: "Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door" (16:49).

Pride . . . gluttony . . . laziness. . . . Think of our nation and the sense of entitlement. Everyone expects to be entertained. I am reminded of the famous statement by the Roman satirist Juvenal as he spoke of Rome and her decline: "The people that once bestowed commands, consulships, legions, and all else, now concerns itself no more, and longs eagerly for just two things—bread and circuses!"

It seems to me that is what America is like today: "Entertain us. It’s all about us."

I believe that our nation has two choices before us: One is judgment. The other is revival. Judgment is coming, that is clear. But my prayer is there will be at least one more revival before this happens.