David Reagan - Billy Crone on Hope for a Last Days Revival
Why is American society collapsing all around us into immorality and violence? Could it be due to the failure of the Church to boldly preach the Word of God? Stay tuned for a presentation by Billy Crone, one of our nation’s premiere young prophetic voices.
Dr. Reagan: Greetings in the name of Jesus, our Blessed Hope, and welcome to Christ in Prophecy. The theme of our 2018 Bible conference was “God’s Prophetic Voices to America.” At the conference we featured several prophetic voices that were mentioned in the book that I wrote with the same title.
One of our speakers who was not featured in that book was Billy Crone, the pastor of Sunrise Baptist Church in Las Vegas, Nevada and founder of “Get A Life! Ministries.” The reason he was not included in the book is because he is a new prophetic voice that burst on the scene rather recently. And in a very short time, he has become an Internet sensation.
At our conference he spoke about “The Hope for a Last Days Revival.” In the process he presented a powerful challenge to the Church to arise from its lethargy and start proclaiming the Gospel with boldness. Incidentally, Billy talks very fast and with great passion, so you had better put on your seat belt and hold on to your chair!
Here now is an excerpt from Billy’s presentation.
Billy Crone: But here’s my concern. Here’s what I felt led to preach on. Could it be though in the midst of all this good news that we can be making church, we could be making the same mistake that the Jewish people did at Jesus’ First Coming right on the heels of the Rapture?
Now, let me show you with what I’m about to talk about. The verse will pop up here. Open your Bibles to Luke 19 that is going to be our opening text. Could we be making that same mistake? Well, let’s see what mistake did the Jewish people make at Jesus’ First Coming? Luke 19 is our opening text. Right? Verse 28-44, okay. Luke 19. But here’s what the Word of God says to me, what was the mistake? Well it is Jesus’ triumphal entry and He points something out to them. And here’s what He says there, verse 28, “After Jesus had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As He approached Bethphage and Bethany on the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you. And as you enter it, you’re going to find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell them, ‘The Lord needs it.’ Well, those who were sent ahead and found it just as he had told them.” Obviously He is God. “And as they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ They replied, ‘The Lord needs it.'” So they gave it to Him. “And they brought it to Jesus, and they threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. And He went along, and the people spread their cloaks on the road. And when He came to the place where the road goes down to the Mount of Olives,” listen, “the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen. And they said, ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’ But some of the Pharisees in the crowd they said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’ And Jesus said, ‘I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.'” Now listen, “As He approached Jerusalem and He saw the city.” He what? He wept. But wait a second they are saying yeah come. So He wept over Jerusalem, right? And He wept over it and He said this, “If you, even you, had only known this day that would bring you— What? You missed it. “What would bring you peace,” He said. Right? “But now it is hidden from your eyes, and you’re headed for doom. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you, and encircle you. And then what will happen you will hemmed in in every single side, and they will dash you to the ground. And you and your children within your walls they will not leave one stone on another.” Why? Because listen, you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.
Sad, sad passage here at the triumphal entry. Jesus He weeps over Jerusalem. It should be a great time of celebration but He weeps. Because why? We know the story because He knew as God that they were about to reject Him. He was about to be rejected by His own people. Oh, they sang that they wanted Him. Oh, yeah come on in. But He knew that they really didn’t want Him. He knew their problem was this: You want a political savior, not a spiritual savior. You just want somebody to remove the Roman oppression, get rid of that. That’s what you’re excited about. Jesus wanted to give them something better.
In fact if you take a look at the parallel passage in Matthew 23 which by the way is right before Matthew 24, which is where Jesus–for those of you hooked on math–which is where Jesus gives us the signs of His next coming. Right? Before that again contextual He reveals the problem that they had. Right? Let’s take a look at that passage. Matthew 23:37 Jesus said, “O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem you who kill the prophets and stone those who sent you. How I often have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.” But what? “You were not willing.” Why were you not willing? Because their hearts were on the wrong thing. They had the wrong desire. This is why Jesus wept, His people–the answer to all the ills in their society. The long awaited Messiah the one they say they wanted to come. They didn’t want a spiritual savior; they wanted a political savior. And Jesus wept because only He the Prince of Peace, the one and only Messiah can bring peace to your heart, to your nation. So He wept. And then He says, “Because of that, because of that mistake you’re headed for doom.” Very, very sad. That’s the Jesus, His warning, listen Matthew 23 that’s what He warned. He exposed their hearts before He talked about the signs of His coming.
And here’s my whole point church, I wonder if we the Church are on the verge of doing the same thing? And if we’re headed to our doom. Because I don’t know about you but things are going great, praise God in the current administration. But I don’t know about you but it hasn’t been that long and I’m already starting to see, Church, are we going back to sleep at the wheel? And are we making the same mistake? And are we putting only our hope in a political savior? And will we be headed to our own doom? And again I am glad for the current administration. And I praise God President Trump is making so great moves as we already talked about, and not even talking about his support for Israel and all the great things he’s doing over there. Hey, I don’t ever want to go back to the previous administration that was bad news. But listen President Trump is not the one who can make America great again. Only Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace can.
We don’t need to put–yes, praise God I’m taking every ounce that I can to celebrate the time we live in. Whoa-ho especially after that last eight years. But don’t put all your eggs into just that basket. Don’t make the same mistake as the Jewish people. You want to make America great again? Then Church we need to get back on track and start proclaiming Jesus Christ. He is the one that can make our country great again.
And this is what I want to give you guys a question: Will America experience a last day’s revival? I don’t know. It certainly doesn’t look like it. And we know the seven year Tribulation is coming. But I don’t know maybe God’s got one final genuine revival up His sleeves. But all I know if we make the same mistake as the Jewish people and go back to sleep at the wheel because we are more concerned about the economy, then the state of eternity. If we are more concerned about a political savior, instead of the one and only Savior, it’s never going to happen.
And I don’t know about you but I want to finish on a high note for Jesus Christ when the Rapture happens. Because guess what? Jesus Christ will find each one of us doing something when the Rapture occurs, do you realize that? What will He find you doing? Just being all excited just about the economy? Being all excited about just self? Sinning? Living in this world. He will find you doing something. But wouldn’t you want to be one who is there leading souls to Jesus Christ. Wouldn’t it be awesome if you are there praising God, the next minute you’re in Heaven. Whoa. Because it is going to happen. But could we be a part of a last day’s revival? Well, all I know for that to ever happen– I don’t know God’s thing, but if it is ever going to happen we the Church have got to get back on track. We’ve got to get proclaiming Jesus Christ. Now, what I want to demonstrate to you creatively is that’s nothing new. You talk about our country being great? You take a look at our Christian heritage folks, and what made our country great was our country was founded on Jesus Christ. You take a look at our Founding Fathers and what they set up for us, why our country was so great for so long it had nothing to do with the economy. It had everything to do that our country was founded on Jesus Christ.
And I want to show that to you today. And the first evidence that our country was founded on Jesus Christ is because our Founding Fathers say so. Now, we saw this verse last night with Robert Jeffress but let’s take a look at it again. Our Founding Fathers took this very serious. You going to build a nation. You are going to do anything make sure it’s built on Jesus Christ. And that is what they did 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, “But each one of you should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid.” Which is who? Jesus Christ. Why? “Because if any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw his work will be shown for what it is.” Why? “Because the day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives he will receive his reward. If it is burned up he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved but only as one escaping through the flames.”
Now, Paul’s charge here as we saw last night to not waste your life on temporary things that you need to build your foundation on Jesus Christ with lasting things. Believe it or not our Founding Fathers believed in this verse. And it wasn’t just for their personal lives, they believed in this verse as a foundational truth to build the foundation of our country on. They built our country purposely on Jesus Christ, on the Bible, on God, on Christianity.
Now, we’ve been lied to and the Church we have rolled over and played dead because we have accepted the lie. And the lie goes like this–I know you’ve heard this one. Oh, no, our Founding Fathers, you better get out of here Christians and Christianity because our Founding Fathers demanded separation of church and state. How many of you guys have heard that lie? That is a lie from the pit of Hell. When somebody asks you that question you need to challenge them Christian in love. Excuse me where does that phrase separation of church and state appear in our Constitution? Answer it’s not there. Where does that phrase separation of church and state appear in the Bill of Rights? Answer it’s not there. It came from a letter, a letter from Thomas Jefferson in 1802 from the Danbury Baptist who were concerned they wrote to Thomas Jefferson and they were concerned as Baptist, a Christian denomination that another Christian denomination in America at that time was getting popular. They were concerned that that they were going to become, listen, the official denomination of the United States of America. So, they wrote to Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson wrote back in that letter where you see separation of church and state, and referring them back to the Bill of Rights to the First Amendment which says, “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” In other words he’s basically saying he has confidence in the foundation that they set up through Jesus Christ that, listen, here’s what that phrase meant historically even in that letter. Again it’s not in the Bill of Rights. It’s not in the Constitution. It’s in this letter. But even in the letter all he meant, all he meant was this, no Christian denomination will officially be chosen as the official Christian denomination of the United States of America. That’s it. Now, notice in the historical context there it’s Christianity. It is not talking about Buddhism, or Hinduism, or Eastern Mysticism, and everything else under the sun. And he’s certainly not talking about the exclusion of it. He just said we’re not going to officially be Baptists only as Christians in America. That’s all it is. We have been lied to.
Now, I want to demonstrate to you just how much we have been lied to, okay, by taking a look at what our Founding Fathers believed. You tell me if they didn’t deliberately build our nation on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Let’s take a look at some of that evidence today. We could be here all day with quotes, but obviously I’ll just share a few of them. John Adams said, “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles–” Of what? “Christianity.” He said it. I didn’t. “Without religion, meaning Christianity this world would be something not fit to be mentioned in polite company.” I mean what? Hell. So in other words you remove Christianity, what’s it going to turn into? And that’s what happened today. “The Christian religion,” he said, “above all religions that have ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity, and humanity.”
John Quincy Adams says, “My hopes of a future life are all founded–” On what? “–the Gospel of Christ. In the chain of human events the birthday of the nation is linked forever with the birthday of the Savior Jesus Christ.” Listen. “The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government.” Upon what? “The first precepts of Christianity.”
Patrick Henry said, “Being a Christian is a character I prize far above all else this world has or can boast. Righteousness alone can exalt America as a nation. The great pillars of all government and social life are virtue, morality and religion. This is the armor, my friend,” this meaning Christianity, “is what renders us invincible.”
John Jay. This came from the US Supreme Court. Listen. “Mercy, and grace,” the Chief Justice said this, “mercy and grace and favor” did come by who? The Supreme Court. “Jesus Christ by conveying the Bible to people–” we’re ruin their lives, we’re being intolerant bigots. Oh, I’m sorry wrong translation. What does he say there? “We certainly do to them the most interesting act of kindness.” The Supreme Court said this. “The most effectual means of securing the continuance of our civil, and religious liberties is to always remember with reverence and gratitude the source from which they flow.” Where does it flow from? “The Bible, the best of all books for it is the Word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world, and in the next. Continue therefore,” from the Supreme Court says, “to read it and to regulate your life by its precepts. Providence,” meaning God, “has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”
Benjamin Rush the father of public schools under the Constitution. “The Gospel of–” Who? “Jesus Christ prescribes the wisest rules and just conduct in every situation of life. Happy they who are enabled to obey them in all situations.” “The great enemy of salvation of man, Satan,” he said, “in my opinion has never invented a more effective means of eliminating Christianity from the world then–” What? “–by persuading mankind that it was–” What? “–improper to read the Bible at school.” You tell me that’s not what’s happened. He said, “That came from Satan.” Right? He said, “Christianity is the only true and perfect religion; and in proportion as mankind adopts its principles, obeys it precepts they will be wise and happy.” Listen. “The Bible should be read in our schools in preference to all other books.” That’s straight from our Founding Fathers.
And they want us to believe that separation of church and state, which is not in the Bill of Rights, it’s not in the Constitution and it’s ripped out of historical context, means keep Christianity out. That’s a lie from the pit of Hell. But let’s take a look at a couple more, we’ll move on. Noah Webster. Listen: “The religion which has introduced civil liberty is the religion of–” What? “–Christ and His Apostles. This is genuine Christianity and to this we owe our free constitutions of government. The moral principles and precepts found in the scriptures ought to form the basis of–” What? “–all our civil constitutions in law. And I’m persuaded that no civil government of a republican form can exist and be durable in which the principles of Christianity have not a controlling influence in.”
And finally the nail in the coffin, we could be here all day but this is the Congress, the US House Judiciary Committee 1854 said this, “Had the people during the Revolution, the American Revolution had a suspicion of any attempt to war against Christianity that revolution would have been strangled in its cradle.” Why? “Because in this age there can be no substitute for Christianity–” Listen. “–that was the religion of the founders of the republic.” Listen, “And they expected it to remain the religion of their descendants.” In other words you and I. They built our country on Jesus Christ, on God and the Bible. And that was the success that was the foundation they were laying, not just for their time but for our time as well. And the reason why we’re going down the tubes is because we’ve got off that foundation. We bought into a lie. We listen to the Atheists instead of our own true heritage. And we’ve let them take God out of our whole system. In fact I want to give you another one. We even have presidents, presidents who were involved in such Christian activities as this. Watch this video.
You see the statue to the left of the door over there? That white marble statue. That is President James A. Garfield. President Garfield was one of the young Major Generals in the Civil War. He was a war hero. He became Speaker of the House. He became the 20th President of the United States. And by the way that man founded Howard University. General O. O. Howard took it over after he founded it, just a really cool guy. But what we never hear about that President of the United States is that he was a minister during the Second Great Awakening. This is actually one of his letters signed James A. Garfield, 1858. In this letter President Garfield recounts that he had just finished preaching a revival service where he had preached the Gospel 19 times in the revival. He says as a result of his preaching he said that 34 folks came to Christ and he baptized 31 of them. Now, that doesn’t seem like a typical presidential activity today. That’s what we used to do with presidents in the past. Again, you’d walk through you’d see a statue you’d think, “Oh, there’s a president.” You’d never think there’s a minister. We’ve so compartmentalized Christianity to such a small box that we don’t realize our military leaders, our ministers, our educators, our presidents used to be ministers. That’s why I say about one-fourth of these statues are ministers of the Gospel.
But we’ve compartmentalized it. And we don’t even know it because we have rolled over and played dead. We have believed a lie. Once the axiom in the history; those who don’t learn their history– Are what? Doomed to repeat it. We don’t even know our own history in America. We’ve been lied to folks. This is our presidents. This is the foundation that our country was built upon. They not only believed in Jesus Christ, the Founding Fathers, as their Lord and Savior, they clearly built the foundation of our nation. That’s what made our country so great. And we have so rolled over and played dead on this. Church we’re the ones that need to lead the way back. We need to get back to that foundation. The lost aren’t going to do it, it’s us. But we have so rolled over that the previous administration when they went about mocking God, and Jesus Christ and the Bible, we let him get away with it. Remember this video? Watch this one. This still burns me to this day. Let’s take a look.
Moreover, given the increase in diversity of America’s populations the dangers of sectarianism are greater than ever. Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation. At least not just. We are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, and a Buddhist nation, and a Hindu nation, and a nation of non-believers. And even if we did have only Christians in our midst. If we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools? Would it be James Dobson’s, or Al Sharpton’s? Which passages of scripture should guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus which suggests slavery is okay, and eating shellfish is an abomination? Or we could go with Deuteronomy which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith. Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount? A passage that is so radical that it’s doubtful that our own Defense Department would survives its application.
I not only find that absolutely offensive. I find it blasphemous. And he should have been ejected. And it is ludicrous when you do the homework and understand. Christian our Founding Fathers must be rolling over in their graves. I just shared with you a just few, a handful. There are volumes, and volumes of proof of who they built our country on. It was the foundation of Jesus Christ. They revered Jesus Christ. They revered God’s Word. They didn’t mock it. That is not acceptable. And that’s not our history.
And folks I’m telling you if anything is going to happen, if anything is going to turn around. If America is going to be made great again. If we can be a part of a great revival before the Rapture happens. Because again listen, this isn’t going to last forever. Do you realize that? As good as this is it’s not because the seven year Tribulation is coming. You realize that. Okay. You are not going to stop that. Right? Plus if the Lord should tarry and we are still alive when the Rapture hasn’t occurred at best we’ve got what 12 years? Understand the cycle of our elections. You had Reagan for what? Eight years. You got another four out of Bush senior who lied, read my lips, “No, new taxes.” You liar. Right? Right? You lied so we had 12 years. And then bang they came back again. And just like Dr. Reagan said you think this is going to last forever? Wait until the next one gets in power. So, we got a short window. And what should we be doing with that window? I don’t know about you but wouldn’t it be great to finish strong? Finish like our Founding Fathers who were willing to risk it all. They took on the greatest power on the planet of the time, Britain, and they whooped their pants off. Whoa. Who are these rag-tag bunch of men? Because they believed and trusted their lives to Jesus Christ. That’s why we succeeded. And we got to get back. We not only got to get back to that Christian with this short window of opportunity we’ve got, because that’s all it is. Don’t squander it away. We got to get back to having that same backbone as our Founding Fathers did. Speaking and proclaiming Jesus Christ.
One guy puts it this way, listen to this, he goes, listen, “Life liberty or the pursuit of happiness will not endanger somebody because somebody says a 30 second prayer before a football game. What’s the big deal? It is not like somebodies up there reading the entire book of Acts. They are just talking to God in whom they believe in and asking Him to grant safety to the players on the field, and the fans going home from the game. But what about the Atheists? What about them?” He says, “Listen, nobody is asking them to be baptized. We are not going to pass the collection plate. Humor us for 30 seconds. If that is too much bring a pair of earplugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyers. Unfortunately a couple will call their lawyers. One or two will tell 10’s of thousands of American’s what they can and cannot do. But it is a Christian prayer someone will argue. Well, yeah, hello this is the United States of America. A country that is founded on Christian principles. And according to every phone book Christian churches out number all other 200:1. So, what do you expect somebody chanting Hare Krishna? If I went to a football game in Jerusalem I’d expect to hear a Jewish prayer. If I went to a soccer game in Bagdad I’d expect to hear a Muslim prayer. If I went to a Ping-Pong match in China I’d expect to hear a Buddha prayer. But this is the United States of America so why are we shocked when we hear a Christian prayer?”
And he said, “Our parents and our grandparents taught us to pray. And our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to stop from praying, to cease from praying. And whatever you do don’t mention the name of Jesus. God help us. And if that last sentence offends you sue me. The silent majority has been silent too long, and it is high time that we tell the one or two who scream loud enough that listen that the vast majority doesn’t care what you want anymore. It’s time the majority rules. It’s time that we tell them you don’t have to pray. You don’t have to say the Pledge of Allegiance. You don’t have to believe in God or attend our services that honor Him. That’s your right, and we’ll honor your right. But by golly you are no longer going to take our rights away because we are fighting back and we will win.
Why? Because we are Christians. We are the ultimate winners. Nobody has a brighter future than us. We belong to Jesus Christ, the King of kings, the Lord or lords, the Master of the Universe. We cannot lose. And we need to get that same backbone and risk it all even persecution, and threats like our Founding Fathers did. Don’t you realize they put their lives on the line? They were going to be hanged, if they were caught they were killed. But they risked it all for the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. They built, that’s what made our country great. And in this short window of opportunity if we are going to experience revival I’m convinced we’ve got to get that same backbone back.
Closing
Dr. Reagan: Now, folks, that’s what I call preaching! People tell me that Billy is the only person they know of who can talk faster than me. And that’s saying a lot because I have been given the nickname of “Uzi” because people say I can talk faster than an Uzi machine gun can shoot!
If you would like to get in touch with Billy Crone’s ministry, you can do so at getalifemedia.com. You’ll find many videos and books there that he has produced about all aspects of Bible prophecy.
Well, that’s our program for this week. I hope it has been a blessing to you, and I hope, the Lord willing, that you will be back with us next week. Until then, this is Dave Reagan speaking for Lamb & Lion Ministries saying, “Look up, be watchful, for our Redemption is drawing near.”