I have just returned from a very encouraging time in Sweden. My wife and I (and our youngest, Sammy), have just been to Stockholm (November 19th-23rd) to the Vineyard Church. I was the main speaker at a Conference for churches in the Stockholm area.

I went with a heavy word to share - a word of warning from the Lord. On the Saturday night, I threw away my prepared talk and preached a message based on 2 Chronicles 7.14, calling the church to humility, prayer, seeking God's face and repentance. During this I spoke out the following message:

'My Swedish Bride: You have seen the devastation in Central America. You have seen the storm come and the floods rise. You have seen people swept away by great rivers of mud. You have seen babies and children sheltering in the trees, the young people washed away by the filth. You have wept over this. Indeed, you have sought to help through financial means. You have even prayed.

But in your own nation you have not been alert to the spiritual storm that has been raging for years. You have not seen the people being swept away by great rivers of sin. You have not wept over the children and the young people as their homes have been destroyed and their families split apart. You have not been alert to the cry of a whole generation lost in despair. Even when I allowed over sixty young people to die in a fire in Gothenburg, you have not truly risen up with weeping hearts and bold cries. But now, my Swedish Bride, it is time to awaken. It is time to wash the dirt off your pure white bridal gown. It is time to seek the Bridegroom's face. It is time to make a stand against the tide of pitch black evil in this land. It is time to arise and shine like light in the increasing darkness (Isaiah 60.1-2).

Bring down the strongholds over the nation. Confront the idols of money, sex and power. Wage war against the principalities and powers. Confess your national sins. Rend your hearts and I will rend the heavens. Repent of your sin and I will revive your church. For I love you, as a bridegroom loves his bride. I love you. I am passionate about you. There is still time. There is still time'.

As I spoke these words, the people in the conference started to weep. By the end of the message, people were under heavy repentance and experiencing godly sorrow for their nation. This led into fervent intercession that the Lord would save Sweden from judgement and that he would remember his mercy.

There was particularly strong conviction about an exhibition celebrating homosexuality in Uppsala Cathedral. This was exceedingly blasphemous. People were really weeping over the sins of the church as well as the sins of the nation. Cultural idols were being confronted in prayer. There was truly a 'revival' anointing on the place.

The pastor of the Stockholm Vineyard Church, Hans Sundberg, described this meeting as one of the most powerful he could ever remember. His teenage daughter had dreamt the previous weekend that one of her unsaved friends from school would respond to an altar call and he did! Praise the Lord! Young people were being particularly touched by the Lord.

I believe this was a key moment. Please pray for Sweden that God's mercy would triumph over his judgement. The people at the Stockholm Conference recognise that they are at a crisis point in their nation's history. Pray that they seize the day and that the church awakes! Mark Stibbe.

Web site adress: http://www.europeawake.org/ 
This article: http://www.europeawake.org/misc/news/article2.htm

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