Originally published in Faith Wire
A US army chaplain has described what he believes to be somewhat of a “revival” occurring on a military base in Missouri. The numbers are staggering: over the past six months, nearly 2 000 troops have reportedly come to the Lord.
Chaplain Jose M Rondon, who is stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, has been posting about the astonishing spiritual awakening on Facebook over the past few weeks, detailing personal testimony and uploading video footage of soldiers worshipping God.
“Today, 380 soldiers came to salvation in Christ once and for all,” Rondon wrote in one post. “Thanks CH Tony Cech for the excellent, clear, and powerful messages during the three services. Since March 11 2018, we have seen 1 839 soldiers coming to Christ. God’s doing an unbelievable work through our military at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. May God bring the same powerful conviction of sin and love for Him that we are experiencing at Main Post Chapel all throughout our Nation and His world.”
Rondon told the Baptist Press that the key to such astonishing results is being direct and intentional in sharing the gospel.
“To be intentional is to be faithful to Christ and obedient to His Great Commission,” Rondon said. “But we will not succeed in making disciples until the lost make the first step to follow Christ as their Saviour. To be intentional not only means to preach Christ’s Word in the chapel, but to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit to share His message of reconciliation if, and when, the time fits.”
Rondon also posted a video showing hundreds of soldiers singing a heart-warming rendition of “Amazing Grace.”
“I’m excited about the future of our military for millions of our warriors who will sing God’s Amazing Grace. Glory to Christ, the only God, Saviour, and Lord in this life and the one to come,” he added.
Among the scores of soldiers coming to Christ, there are multiple testimonies of lives transformed and hearts turned to Christ.
“I used to have a lot of anger in me,” one soldier, Private Havens, explained in one of Rondon’s testimony posts. “I held grudges against people that have done wrongs against me. And I came here, and I realise that the Lord has forgiven me for my sins and I realise that I needed to do the same to others.”
He added, “I feel a thousand pounds lighter now that I’m able to let go of the burden of this, not hate, but just feeling wronged. And I have forgiven those that have wronged me. I feel better now.”
Rondon said Havens was just one example of the hordes of military personnel who have been coming to Christ in recent months.
“Private Havens is just one of many of the 1 000 and almost 800 soldiers, probably 1 000 by today, we will reach around 2 000 soldiers since March 11 coming to faith in Christ Jesus and growing into their faith as is the case with Private Havens,” he noted.
Retired Major General Doug Carver told the Baptist Press that such an unprecedented move of the Holy Spirit is indicative of these troops hungering after a sense of ultimate purpose in their lives, adding that the military men and women were on an insatiable hunt for the truth.
“Our troops, who are increasingly hungry for truth and relevancy in their lives, are finding a faith that works through a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ,” he explained.
“God is doing great things,” Rondon said, imploring Christians to keep praying for a continued move of the Holy Spirit in the lives of these brave men and women.
“I’m asking you to please pray and help us to see not only today and since March 11th with almost 2 000 people coming to salvation in Christ Jesus, that the Lord is good and He desires not only to reconcile us, to reunite us to Himself, through His death, burial and resurrection but also that He desires for the whole world and mainly our country, United States to know that if He’s doing great things in the military, He’s going to keep doing great things, in and throughout us for His glory in our society so in need of Christ Jesus our King.”
Amen!
