Hallmark: Repentance necessary for 'God to move in Arkansas'

LITTLE ROCK - Speaking from 1 Kings 18, Clay Hallmark, president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) spoke about the need for “God to move in Arkansas again,” during the morning session of the ABSC Annual Meeting, held at First Baptist Church, Little Rock, on Nov. 1. Hallmark is pastor of First Baptist Church, Marion.

“I wonder, when is the last time you saw a real move of God in your church?” Hallmark asked. “How about in your association? When’s the last time you saw a real move of God in your community? Perhaps more importantly, when is the last time you’ve seen a real move of God in your own lives?”

He noted the circumstances surrounding the nation of Israel in the time of Elijah, saying the worship of false gods was being promoted, there was an intolerance of the worship of the true God and there was an economic crisis, including a drought and famine. He noted it sounded similar to the situation in America today.

 Highlighting the text, where Elijah challenges Baal’s prophets, Hallmark pointed to several things that are important if God is to move in among Arkansas Baptist churches. These include the challenge of God’s man, the cooperation of God’s people and the consuming evidence of God’s power. Then, Hallmark said there was a confession of God’s greatness.

Hallmark pointed to the need for repentance, confession, turning from sin and turning back to God.

“For three years, they’d been in drought, ... but because there was a time for repentance, and a time of removal and a time of restoration, praise God, there was a time for rain. God sent the rain.

“And I want you to know something this morning, Arkansas Baptists. It’s time for the rain of God to fall upon our lives once again. It’s time to stop pretending to be something that we’re not and be something that we could be if we let God work in our hearts.”

Hallmark said it is time for Christians to turn their hearts to God, lead their churches with “encouraging power that comes” from standards of God’s Word and to “speak out for God’s Word for cause of lost souls.”

“And dear friends if we would,” said Hallmark, “the fire of God would fall, and a time of rain and refreshing would come.”