The Grand Awakening Podcast Randall J. Hekman

Andrew Brunson and his wife Norine were involved in starting churches, training, giving aid to refugees, and holding a house of prayer in Turkey for 23 years. But that came to an abrupt end in October of 2016 when Andrew was falsely accused of terrorism and arrested. This resulted in him being held without trial for two whole years in various Turkish prisons.  However, due to a worldwide prayer movement and significant political pressure from the US government, Andrew was finally sentenced and then dramatically and wonderfully released in October 2018.   Andrew and Norine’s current ministry, WaveStarters, is focused on the Muslim world, the persecuted church, and in helping to prepare believers everywhere to stand strong for Jesus in difficult times. He and Norine have three children and now live in the Washington, DC area.
In this second podcast with Andrew, we talk about where the American Church is heading in our day. Andrew believes we will be facing increasing persecution and opposition in our culture. Certainly we can see that happening as Biblical Christians are increasingly marginalized and viewed as being “Christian Nationalists,” bigots, homophobes and haters. Andrew believes this may result in fewer real believers in our nation; but it will also serve to strengthen the faith and resolve of those believers who remain. Is revival coming that will expand the church? Andrew is not sure, but he believes the numbers of believers could grow along with increasing persecution and opposition by culture. God does desire “all men to come to saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.” (I Timothy 2:4). Will there be a huge revival before Christ’s second coming? We pray so!

Jared Blauwkamp is the young adult's pastor at Resurrection Life Church here in West Michigan. He has a degree in Exercise Science from Grand Valley State University and will be graduating this December with a bachelor's degree in ministry from the International School of Ministry. Jared has a deep hunger and desire to know Jesus and make Him known, to fight for a deep relationship with the Holy Spirit, and to restore the identity of the Father in the next generation.
In this podcast, Jared describes how he came to faith as a young child of age 4. But how, after a season of sinfulness, at age 10 he had an encounter with the living God that launched him into an intimacy with Christ that continues to the present day.
Jared also shared how his parents provided an incredibly godly example that, along with their prayers, has resulted in Jared and his 4 brothers all serving the Lord wholeheartedly.
Finally, and most importantly, Jared lays out what it will take for America to experience a true revival and spiritual awakening. He says we need two things: (1) Character Change: for us Christ-followers to be genuinely loving and serving the Lord with all our hearts. But we also need to see (2) God’s Power on Display: in the form of lives being miraculously transformed and other miracles like healings and the like that point people to Him. The latter will certainly garner the attention of the crowds. But the ultimate goal is not to be fixated on the miracles as much drawing our hearts to loving God with all that we are. 
Jared concludes by saying, with joy, that what he is observing here in West Michigan and beyond leads him to believe that revival is genuinely coming closer to us every day. Amen!

Vernon Spears was born in Louisiana, but his family moved to the Kalamazoo, Michigan area when he was four years old. There they attended the Second Baptist Church until, when Vernon was in 9th grade, they switched to a First Assembly of God church. Two years later, his family moved to Wyoming, MI, which is a suburb of Grand Rapids.  After relocating to Wyoming, Vernon’s family attended The First Assembly of God Church in that town.
 After graduating from Wyoming Park High School in 1990, Vernon went on to Michigan State University, graduating from there in1994 with a degree in Psychology.
 Since 1996, Vernon has been making a positive difference in people’s lives by working as a Probation Officer for the 61st District Court.
 Vernon is married to his dear wife Angie, and together they have 2 daughters, ages 18 and 21. He and his family began to attend Calvary Church in the year 2000.
 For “fun,” Vernon loves to exercise. In fact, he has successfully run 4 marathons and 20 River Bank Runs! He also enjoys memorizing Scripture, which he finds useful when running. On a part-time basis, Vernon coaches a middle school girls’ basketball team. Finally, he also enjoys acting, and has actually been part of two commercials and even had a small speaking role in a movie a few years ago.
 In this podcast, Vernon shares about his role as a Probation Officer for the 61st District Court here in Grand Rapids. He talks how he does his best to help those he is working with to make better life choices in the future. We also chatted about the “defund the police” movement that is growing in America. We agree that this trend only tends to increase crime rates because all we humans are born as self-seeking sinners who need the “certainty of punishment” to deter us from crime.
 We also discussed the contrast between two newer trends in American culture today: (1) The gender identity movement, which emphasizes how gender is fluid; and (2) The racial issue, which insists that people of different races can never truly be united.
 REALITY: God created two genders, male and female that is decided at our birth. Having said that, we do need to love all people, even those who struggle with this reality. And, regarding the race issue, the reality is that we are all members of the human race regardless of the color of our skin. And those who have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord have been lovingly adopted into God’s family, which makes us all forever brothers and sisters of each other. Bottom line: truth sets us free, while lies enslave us.

Andrew Brunson and his wife Norine were involved in starting churches, training, giving aid to refugees, and holding a house of prayer in Turkey for 23 years. But that came to an abrupt end in October of 2016 when Andrew was falsely accused of terrorism and arrested. This resulted in him being held without trial for two whole years in various Turkish prisons.  However, due to a worldwide prayer movement and significant political pressure from the US government, Andrew was finally sentenced and then dramatically and wonderfully released in October 2018.   Andrew and Norine’s current ministry, WaveStarters, is focused on the Muslim world, the persecuted church, and in helping to prepare believers everywhere to stand strong for Jesus in difficult times. He and Norine have three children and now live in the Washington, DC area.
In this podcast, Andrew talks about his experience in Turkish prisons for those two long years. He describes how disillusioned he became in prison, not knowing when, if ever, he would get out, and the physical, emotional and spiritual pain he was required to endure. In a real sense, he is still processing his past experiences with the Lord on a regular basis. He believes we need to love God and be faithful even when we can’t see God’s love and faithfulness. And that requires God’s Spirit to empower us as we daily die to self.
I encourage Christ-followers to pray for Andrew and his dear wife Norine. For them to experience God’s wonderful healing and comfort as they continue to courageously and faithfully spread the Gospel around our needy world.

Judith E. King was raised in Canada, but is now a Christian therapist in Grand Rapids, MI. Her interests include women’s issues, substance abuse, and caring for professionals in ministry. She has traveled extensively in her ministry of teaching, counseling and music, as she applies sound psychological principles, spiritual concepts, and a very biblical worldview. Presently, Judy works in her own private practice called “Sonlife Associates” which was founded by her and her late husband Dr. Stephen King, a medical doctor psychiatrist. She is the author of three books and numerous journal articles about her research and interventions. Judy is the mother of two children and she has seven precious grandkids.
 In this podcast, Judy describes God’s calling on her life that actually began when she was only four years of age. It grew further as she came to full faith in Jesus when she was eleven years old, at a Billy Graham Crusade in Toronto. Years later, after marriage to her husband Stephen, they together ministered to many people around the world. One of their primary interests was for those in ministry who were in need of spiritual, emotional, and even physical help. Judy describes the phenomenal move of God’s Spirit in Western Canada during the season we now call “The Jesus Revolution” in the 1970s. During this time they also witnessed a number of amazing miracles, two of which Judy recounts in this podcast. Finally, Judy shares what she senses American Christians need to be doing in our day for revival to happen again.

Sydney Faber has worked as a pastoral administrator and writer at ResLife Church in Grandville, MI for the past five years. After graduating from Grand Valley State University with a degree in Literature and Writing, she joined the Missions Department at ResLife and enjoys working with over 70 missionaries from around the world. Recently, she has had the honor of witnessing a massive move of God in the brick kilns and slums of Pakistan.
In this podcast, Sydney relates her amazing ministry in Pakistan as she and her team courageously and wholeheartedly followed the leading of the Holy Spirit in that largely Muslim nation. She describes how their team has helped many Pakistanis who have literally been enslaved to now begin to experience real freedom. Freedom from their human captors and, more importantly, also freedom from the burden of their sin as they have embraced Christ. I guarantee you will be blown away as you hear how the power of God has drawn thousands—including a number of former witch doctors—to genuine faith in Jesus!