I am in the process of re-reading America Is Too Young To Die by Leonard Revenhill. It was originally published by Bethany Fellowship, Inc. in 1979. Ravenhill was born in 1907 in Yorkshire, England. He became a well-known outdoor evangelist throughout England eventually coming to America. He passed away in 1994. Dr. Vance Havner likened him to a modern-day Amos. Havner wrote, “He defies the classification in the clerical catalog, as true prophets have always done . . . Ravenhill speaks for God to the Nation and to the Church.” He concludes, “Leonard Revenhill walks in the succession of those who are grieved for the affliction of Joseph. His message is the prophetic trumpet blast, not a pep talk at the civic club.”
The first chapter in America Is Too Young To Die is entitled “Amos Goes to Washington.” The chapter is simply a writing by Lon Woodrum that appeared in Christianity Today in 1967. Woodrum took excerpts from Amos 6-7 where he updated the text as though it had been written in his day. The things that he saw in 1967 are still the things that are seen and discussed today. In this post, I want to show side-by-side the Biblical text and Woodrum’s rendition used by Ravenhill. It seems to be the reminder needed today. May we preach with boldness. May we take the Gospel to the Nations. May we not fulfill Leonard Ravenhill’s observation: “Our pulpits today are occupied with puppets rather than with prophets, with organizers rather than with agonizers.” Read the rest of this entry »
