A Great Awakening Is Our Only Hope
Michael L. Brown

The title of this book grabbed my attention. I have read one or two of Michael Brown’s other books but this one seemed like an interesting read. Little did I know what this powerful book can do for you and me. It’s a call to experience God’s presence through revival today before it’s too late.

Brown begins the book by saying there is more God wants to do and more He has for His Church. He asks whether we already for the more God wants to do. He tells the story of his own walk with God and his testimony. He shares a first-person testimony from a person who came to the Brownsville revival in the mid-1990s.

Chapter 2 gives a history of church leaders cried out to God and asking for more than religion, for revival in America and around the world. These cries happened before the 1960s when it seemed the devil’s grip on America was tightening. He talks about how the times have really changed beginning in 1960s through the 1990s. Politics and religion alone cannot save America. He says, “No matter how dark things look, God can turn the tide. But we must get desperate.”

In chapter 3, Brown recounts when Israel had a revival because they rediscovered the scrolls of the law in the temple that had been lost. As a result, there was a revival throughout the land. They got rid of all the implements of false god worship. The Word of God must be the center of our revival. People need to realize the high-stakes of our sins. We must not deceive ourselves that we are okay. We must realize how sick our nation is and how much we need God.

Chapter 4 reveals how much we need to realize our great sins so we can see the great goodness of God. He calls it “Gospel 101.” We cannot see God’s righteousness if we do not realize our sin. We must get the gospel right. He outlines the gospel message. True repentance goes deeper than sin. He discusses shallow preaching, or even worse, counterfeit gospels. He gives examples of how we have gotten the gospel wrong.

In chapter 5, the author talks about repentance and how it works. Many Christians today think their sin is okay. Like David, they think their sins are not that bad. We must not become calloused to our sin. He uses the story of David and Bathsheba as an illustration of the dangers of thinking we are okay. When we are truly repentant, we experience God’s mercy. We rationalize our sin and say it is not as bad as someone else’s.

Chapter 6 is called “Restore My First Love.” We need to develop a love for God greater than any other love. He reminds Christians of the many hymns they used to sing when saved from their sins. We need to want to be one with God and burn with passion for Him alone. We must focus on Jesus instead of ourselves. We must deeply want the cleansed by God.

In chapter 7, Brown talks about sounding the alarm of our desperation for God. He says the Church has become complacent. The Church needs to have a sense of urgency. We need to hear the trumpet call again before our nation slips into chaos and it’s too late. We should be concerned about our nation and world.

Chapter 8 is about God’s honor being at stake. He says that revival can begin also because of a jealousy for the Lord’s name. We need to be grieved by the things happening in the Church that are wrong and sinful. Do we have pain when we see what’s happening in the Church and the world? How hungry are we for revival first when we have a heart for God, we see the things that need to change, and only He can change them.

In chapter 9, Brown addresses Celebrity Christianity. He talks about how not every that proclaims God is not godly. We need the presence of God. We must not give in to the wisdom of the world and the power of the flesh. He says some people are doing mighty works for God without a deep relationship with Him.

Chapter 10 asks, “Is it too late?” We must strike a balance between complacency and depression. We must be urgent while the time is not too far past. A massive awakening can change the hearts of people and our country. God’s judgment and revival can still happen for America. It can happen for the whole world.

In chapter 11, he talks about going from revival to awakening. He defines revival as “a season of unusual divine revelation resulting in deep repentance, supernatural renewal and sweeping Reformation in the Church along with the radical conversion of sinners in the world often producing moral, social, and even economic change in the local and national communities.” He unpacks the meaning of this definition with examples.

Chapter 12 is an encouraging chapter about what the world has yet to see. He shows the original story of this phrase, “The world has yet to see what God can do with the consecrated man like me.” He asks if these words describe you. He ends with a powerful call to find out the answer to that question. Michael Brown offers a great book about revival and what it truly means. He offers reflection and commentary on the current situation of America. But he doesn’t stop with the negative. He tells you how to experience God’s presence first, and then revival in your church and the world. I highly recommend this book for anyone seeking God’s powerful presence today.