For many Christians, the world seems impossibly dark right now. The scale of abortion is truly massive, with over 1.1 million per year in the U.S. alone. There has been an explosive rise in occult and pagan practices, human trafficking continues as a multibillion-dollar industry, and Christian persecution — especially in parts of Africa — has led to the deaths of thousands. Wars rage in multiple regions, while record levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation disproportionately impact today’s youth.
Many feel crushed by the weight of the world’s depravity and wonder if things will only get worse.
But Rick Burgess, BlazeTV host of the spiritual warfare podcast “Strange Encounters,” offers hope against the oppressive darkness: Revival is also happening.
Rick points to a powerful example at Joby Martin’s Church of Eleven22 in Jacksonville, Florida. Last month, at the church’s annual Beach Baptism held at Hanna Park, 2,552 people were baptized in the Atlantic Ocean — the largest single-day baptism in the church’s 14-year history and a significant jump from nearly 2,000 the year before. Over 14,000 people gathered for the event.
“[Martin] said that these were numbers that they had not seen before, and most of these people were young people,” he says.
Rick explains what’s happening right now on the spiritual plane.
“[Satan] always overplays his hand, and what he's doing right now with this revival of evil — it's actually working detrimentally against his plan,” he says.
“Now we have a generation of young people … they've looked at this overplaying of evil's hand and saying, ‘If this is the best that a fallen world can offer me, I don't want it. I'm going to Jesus,”’ he continues.
Rick believes Eleven22’s record-breaking numbers are part of a larger movement, especially among younger men, who are rejecting the emptiness of modern culture and turning toward authentic faith instead.
In the midst of widespread moral confusion and spiritual darkness, moments like the Eleven22 baptisms serve as a powerful reminder that God is still at work — and that light often shines brightest when the darkness seems overwhelming.
To hear more, watch the full episode above.
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