Young Christian Leaders' Alliance

The idea of a new reformation has been posed on many occasions in the past few years and decades. Many believe that God will do a work near the end of time which will show His power in a way paralleled only by His work in and around the early church. Such a belief has a foundation in Scripture. It stems mainly from passages describing a “latter rain” – a time of preparing for the final harvest.  These descriptions are found, for example, in Joel 2:23, Zechariah 10:1, and James 5:7.  It is believed that if Pentecost was the “early rain,” a “latter rain” is also still approaching, with similar proportions.

There have been numerous claims as to what the essence of this reformation will be. Statements vary that it will be anything from a revival of miraculous healing to a realization of true self-esteem. What is the truth about the final reformation?

The Bible gives us one main reason the “latter rain” is withheld. Jeremiah 3:1-3 describe the state of much of the church today – trusting and falsely loving everything but God Himself.  In order for the new reformation to take place, God’s Word must become the sole final authority.  We must truly believe in its truth.  We must be willing to follow God’s commands in our lives, for His sake and not that of others.  Thus, the first element of the new reformation is that the Bible must become our ultimate operational standard.

There are several specific areas in which a return to Scriptural authority is necessary. First, believers need to be willing to “wake up” and reclaim a healthy, Christ-like mind. Scripture tells us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (I Corinthians 10:5). Rock music and worldly television are two influences which often contribute to the inability of believers to obey this command.

Second, each of us must have a right fear of God. The Bible says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). A fear of God will lead us to have respect for others, while giving us the courage to take a different path (Matthew 10:28).

Third, we must recognize and live the fact that the church is not an institutional system, but a community of believers God has created to edify each other on a daily basis (Hebrews 3:13). Church must become more than a once-a-week-event; it must be a cooperation and communication with others in the body of Christ, throughout the week.

Finally, the gospel must once again be preached as a message of salvation from sin (Matthew

1:21). It is not enough to scare people out of Hell. If claimed messengers of Christ do not teach His victory over Satan’s dominion, a grave danger exists that they are on the path of the “traitors” described by Paul in II Timothy 3:5: “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”  

God’s reformation will come in His time. Let us be strong in our “long patience” for the latter rain (James 5:7). In the mean time, let us accept His supremacy, its foundation.

-R. Josiah Magnuson