Revive Us Again- Part 2
Dave Andrews • April 6, 2021
Revival and Repentance
As we continue on in the month of April, and our Spring Friendraiser Month, we have already started talking about Revival, which is a part-and-parcel to our chosen theme this year “Revive Us Again: Overcome in ’21.” Previously we have covered “why” revival, but what does revival look like? It looks a whole like
repentance. God’s Word sheds light on this; and I can’t think of a better set of instructions on revival than
2 Chronicles 7:14.
We know what we want…we want His healing of our lives and land in our lifetime. One might presume that it starts with calling out the unsaved. But in this passage, at the very start, we find that revival starts with “my people”...that is God’s people. God’s people are called to go before the Throne in humble repentance…doing a 180 turn away from wickedness.
Revivalist Vance Havner said “We will do anything and everything else in our churches today but repent. Yet a fresh confrontation with God and an outpouring of His Spirit would dispel error and worldliness, meet social issues and produce real unity as no effort in the flesh could do.”
As I broach that subject of repentance, I want you to know I am trying to tread carefully. There are two extremes. One side says…I’m saved, I’ve been a Christian a long time…I’m in good shape. Repentance is easily dismissed. Then on the other hand, another may go too far calling fire and brimstone down on the lowly heathen, lacking mercy and humility, and acting ineffectively a whole like the Pharisees or worse. So as I ask every one of us to repentance, please know that I have more than my hands full with that myself.
As Christians, repentance started on our journey with Christ. However, in the church today, where great Biblical education has occurred, many of the problems we have with sin are found in secret or sins of omission, rather than public in your face types of sin. But even that is changing too. So I would love to ask you to ask the Lord (big step I know) to show you where you are falling short of His calling as a servant of the King.
As a lifelong resident and attendee of the church in the Western Slope, and as someone who hears and knows way more than I would like about churches and ministries locally-- I want to mention a few things to consider as possible topics for repentance.
Idolatry.
It has always been a problem for God’s people…since Moses led the Israelites out of the promised land. This sin of worshipping things which distract us from the true God seems removed from us in this day of “enlightened minds.” But just because we don’t give “worth-ship” to statues of gold and silver doesn’t mean we don’t worship gold and silver. Honestly, our biggest form of idolatry in this day and age comes in the form of plastic. Credit cards, cell phones, TVs, computers…stuff. We can’t get enough. We look to “stuff” and others for our fulfillment. It’s a distraction from the heart of God. Even the beautiful things He has blessed us with can play distractions from our King at times…our families, food, church functions, jobs, and more. But the story of the Rich Young Ruler rings true…we are to give God greatest priority, above everything.
“Lord, show me where I am distracted and help me to focus on you at all times.”
Conformity. We know that we are not to be confirmed to the pattern of this world, and rather “transformed.” Unfortunately, sometimes it’s the world that does the transforming. It can be really hard in our cancel culture. Nobody likes to be viewed as a relic of the past, a “hater,” or “Bible thumper,” or “fundie.” As a matter of fact it has always been a challenge for God’s people to not pick up the sins of the nations around them. Yet we have adopted the social gospel for the actual Gospel (as if the world needs a museum for our good deeds), the popular view vs God’s view (homosexuality, abortion, sexual immorality, evolution, the list goes on), and refuse to take a stand because we “don’t want to come off wrong” (yet the world will hate us either way). Many times, we have good intentions in setting ourselves apart, but because of apathy or business elsewhere, we fail in actual real practice of our faith.
“Lord help me to live as you have called me and to bear the strips you too bore.”
Dissention. I love to joke that my spiritual gift is dissention in the church. In reality, this is a serious problem and is no laughing matter. Scripturally, the Body of Christ is called to be unified. Yet we are not. It’s a problem from leadership down. We isolate ourselves from one another because we are not big enough to let the non-essentials slide. Instead of bickering, we opt for peace by surrounding ourselves with only those of like-mind, or those we just would rather be around, dividing our efforts and effectiveness for the Kingdom. Church leadership and ministry leaders become defensive and jealous of other churches and ministries. Churches become delusional that what we are doing is the only thing going on. It should rather be all about Christ, the head of the body. The body should not be severing limbs, but rather working closely in conjunction with one another. Wouldn’t it be great to see churches and ministries start praying for one another and selflessly and constantly working together simply for the benefit of one another…and all for the purpose of lifting up the Kingdom of God and Christ the head of the body?
“Forgive us Lord for fighting with our brothers and sisters.
Bring us together that you may be glorified for your sake alone.”
Self-centeredness.
We humans tend to think that we are the cause of the world’s problems and also the only solution. In a grander sense, yes, we caused sin to come into this world and continue to perpetuate the problem. But only Christ is the solution. He had to come because we are insufficient. He alone paid for our sins on a cross, he alone rose from the dead, and He alone is glorified above all in Heaven; the Kingdom of God is about Him. Sometimes we forget that this world is not our home, nor what we live for. We handed the reigns over to Him when we were saved. So we are to live not for ourselves, but for Him…and for the life to come in His Kingdom.
“Lord, forgive us for selfishness. Help us to live and die unto you.”
Our list of sins are just as unique as we are. Whatever your sin is, and we all have at least one…let’s pray in humble repentance of sin today…for ourselves and on behalf of one another. Then we change and walk away from those. We are to live as true disciples. Keep it up, for we know Christ will present us to the Father one day…and we shall finally really be changed! But let’s start the process now. Let’s seek His face with faith-filled expectation that when we repent, He will truly and most certainly hear us and heal us.
-Dave Andrews
KJOL Station Manager
A host of young new female artists are making an impact on Christian music right now. Here are “thumbnail sketches” for nine of them. Franni Cash --Franni Cash was one of the lead singers of We The Kingdom until she left in 2023 to pursue a solo career. --We The Kingdom includes Franni's father Ed Cash, her brother Martin Cash, and her uncle Scott Cash Madison Watkins --2018 American idol semifinalist --after a successful mainstream music career left her "feeling empty" she "turned to God" and chose Christian music Megan Woods --Massachusetts native, who grew up in an abusive relationship and struggled with her self-worth until a friend convinced her Jesus is real. She went to church, studied the Word, started leading worship. --appeared at Nightvision 2026 Evelyn Cormier --27 yr old who grew up in New Hampshire --began performing in church at age 10 --appeared on Season 17 of American Idol (2019) Chevas Phillips --worship leader at Bethlehem Church in Atlanta. --formerly a singer in bars until she experienced a profound spiritual conversion following her husband's salvation COUNTRY MUSIC ARTISTS Haley Jones --26 year old independent artist from Jacksonville, Florida --performed at Cowboy Up For Christ in Montrose July 25 Holly Brand --country musician from Mississippi with Integrity Music Rachel Purcell --native of Muscle Schoals, Alabama (home of two famous recording studios from the 60s) --she also performs as a country musician under her maiden name Rachel Wammack --signed to Centricity Music, along with Lauren Daigle, Jordan Feliz, Aaron Shust CJ Prather --Georgia singer/songwriter (female) with a "southern rock meets worship" style
Canadian Vineyard worship leader Brian Doerksen died this week after a brief battle with stage 4 cancer. He was 60. Doerksen wrote " Come Now is the Time to Worship , plus Refiner’s Fire and Light the Fire Again among others. Doerksen grew up in British Columbia and joined the staff of Langley Vineyard Christian Fellowship during his early 20s, writing songs for Vineyard Music and later Integrity Music. He wrote his first hit, Come Now Is The Time To Worship , in 1997 after he moved to England . He was barely getting by at a small church when he and his wife learned that both of their children had Fragile X syndrome, a form of mental retardation. Doerksen realized they would need care for the rest of their lives. As he walked through London, he heard the phrase “Come, now is the time to worship.” He ran home and immediately wrote out the song. Within weeks, other churches were singing it, and soon it spread around the world. In 1998, Vineyard and Integrity Music released the live version (featuring Wendy Whitehead) to audiences worldwide, and the income allowed him to move home to Canada and raise his children. You can read the full story in the links above.
New music on KJOL explores themes of failure, redemption, revival, and asking God to shed His grace on thee. America The Beautiful Steven Curtis Chapman Chapman has teamed with Christian country musician Chris Janson for this patriotic classic embellished with Chapman’s original lyrics. Chapman says the song "offers a thoughtful commentary on the state of our nation, and calls for listeners to see beyond the lines that separate us, to listen more, and remember that we’re stronger together. Rooted in hope, gratitude, and the enduring ideals of America, it’s a timely reminder that freedom rings loudest and clearest as we choose to let grace, unity, and kindness guide us." Revival Jeremy Camp This song “continues Camp’s return to his Rock roots, with driving guitars, pounding drums, and Camp’s signature vocal. “Revival” is an anthem about surrender and renewal.” In Spite of Me Colton Dixon Dixon sings: “I hope you find the answers, I hope that you find peace, I'm praying your perspective, Isn't based on what you've seen, 'Cause I am just a sinner, Who has been set free And I hope you find Jesus, In spite of me.” Dixon explains: “What started as an open letter apology to those affected negatively by church people, ‘In Spite of Me’ quickly became my personal prayer for those directly around me. None of us are perfect, including myself. While I try to always do and say the right thing, sometimes I fall short. My hope is that my wife, kids, friends, and every single person I come in contact with find Jesus even in spite of my shortcomings. God I’m Just Grateful Chandler Moore This song has a long and rather complicated history of failure, recovery and redemption. Moore was a founding member of the Maverick City Music collective. But in 2023, he checked into a rehab facility to address his history of struggles with drugs and alcohol. (He says he has been sober since.) But then in 2025, he left Maverick after a dispute with the group’s former manager. He later wrote this song with Elevation Church pastor Steven Furtick and Pat Barrett, among others. It was released by both Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music. Even though I don't deserve it, You did it Even though I couldn't earn it, You give it Who am I that You keep me on Your mind? God, I'm just grateful for You All my life, You've been right here by my side, God, I'm just grateful for You
NOTE: to see the article featuring ALL the Nightvision artists, go here: https://www.kjol.org/meet-the-nightvision-artists-2026 Anne Wilson says being a rebel means choosing God over social pressure. She has just released a book called Rebel: Following Jesus When the World Walks the Other Way . It comes on the heels of her 2024 album, also called Rebel. Wilson burst on the music scene in 2021 with the song “ My Jesus ,” inspired by the death of her 23 year old brother Jacob, who died in a car accident when Anne was just 15. Since then, she has had eight hit singles, most recently “God Story.” She says her book is a way of expanding on the message of her Rebel album. She told the Christian Post: “I realized I had so much more to say than what I could fit into a three-minute song. The whole topic is really about what it means to live as a Christian in today's world, to stand for the Gospel, to be bold in your faith and to take a stand for what you believe in." With her distinct voice, attractive appearance, and catchy songs, she could easily be a successful country music artist. But Wilson says "I'm not going to compromise my faith to fit country, and I'm not going to compromise my sound to fit Christian radio. This is who I am. I love Jesus. I love country music. I'm going to do both." When Anne Wilson takes the stage at Nightvision on Friday, June 5 at the Mesa County Fairgrounds, she hopes her audience will remember one thing: “Living life for Jesus is the best life you could live.” Rebel: Following Jesus When the World Walks the Other Way releases June 9.
Nightvision 2026 features a host of first-time artists. Returning artists include Katy Nichole (2022), while Blessing Offor and Jeremy Camp were here last year but their performances were lost due to the massive hailstorm which hit Friday afternoon. Here’s a quick look at each of this year’s lineup. Friday, June 5 Caleb & John Caleb Crino & John Secker Caleb studied piano at Belmont University in Nashville. John is a self-taught guitarist. They met through a mutual friend while performing with similar Christian artists. Megan Woods Massachusetts native, who grew up in an abusive relationship and struggled with her self-worth until a friend convinced her Jesus is real. She went to church, studied the Word, and started leading worship. Andrew Ripp Andrew Ripp has openly battled alcoholism and chronic anxiety and fear. He says his music is a means to “step into a battlefield” and put his anxieties in their place. He co-wrote "Rescue Story" with Zach Williams. It is a deeply personal testament for both of them about their transformation from addiction and struggle to redemption. Benjamin William Hastings A native of Northern Ireland, Hastings was a member of Hillsong Worship and Hillsong United. He wrote “100 Billion X (So Will I)”, recorded by Hillsong United, and Taya Smith (which has been viewed 300 million times on YouTube). Anne Wilson 24 year old Kentucky native whose song “My Jesus” became a breakout hit in 2021. It was inspired after the death of her 23 year old brother Jacob “who was my best friend” when she was 15. For more on Anne Wilson, see the new blog: " Anne Wilson is a Rebel " Saturday, June 6 Hopeful Hopeful is a southern California “indie alt rock band” formed by Randy James and his close friends who “shared the surf & skate culture.” whose aim is to “kick hopelessness in the teeth” with a message of faith in Jesus. Miles Minnick Minnick is a San Francisco “pioneering Christian Hip Hop artist blending faith and culture.” His rap career began at age 15, until his life was changed when he encountered God and became a Christian. Blessing Offor Blessing Offor was born in Nigeria, blind in one eye. He and his uncle moved to Connecticut when he was six in hopes of treating his glaucoma. But when he was 10, an accident left him blind in both eyes. He was a finalist on NBC's The Voice in 2014. His appearance at Nightvision 2025 was hailed out. Katy Nichole 25 yr old Katy Nichole (Litwiller) is a musician from Arizona. She wrote “In Jesus’ Name” in 2022 after three years of pain following surgery for scoliosis. She says that after the rods were removed, her back was healed. She first appeared at Nightvision in 2022. Jeremy Camp No other artist has made more appearances (six) at Nightvision than Jeremy Camp. He was scheduled to perform in 2025 but was hailed out (along with Blessing Offor). He lost his first wife, Melissa, to cancer in 2001. That inspired his song (and movie) “I Still Believe.” He later married musician Adrienne “Adie” Liesching in 2023.
Well, there goes May…and welcome to the month of June! We are looking forward to how God works through this ministry of KJOL this month. Last month, we spent a lot of time planning and working on various projects to see very little actually come to fruition. Perhaps this month!
