The Spiritual Condition of America, Politics, Culture, and Current Events Analyzed Through the Lens of Scripture. Welcome to the Alex McFarland Show. What is revival? Hi, Alex McFarland here. Welcome to the program.
We have got a very great show today. In fact, I think that we might have a show with actually historic implications because in a moment, you're going to meet a ministry friend that I just got acquainted with, Pastor Sri. He is the author of the brand new book, Pulpits Ablaze: The Resurgence of God's Portals. And I had the privilege not long ago of being on the phone with Shree. He's an evangelist, he's a pastor, an author who cares about revival in America, really probably more so than most American Christians that I've ever met.
And we'll bring him up in just a moment. But I want to begin by reading from God's word and reading from Isaiah 64. And as you look around the darkness, the world that is very lost, maybe you've just, like myself, prayed for God to intervene. And you can relate to the sentiment of Isaiah 64. That thou wouldst rend the heavens, that thou would come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, as when the melting fire burneth and the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence.
Maybe, like Isaiah 64, you've agonized in your heart, oh, oh God, come down here and intervene. And then in Isaiah 64:7, you know, this is the irony: in a world of sin, in a world where people are lost. I mean, you think about the 21st century, and there's so much immorality and the rise of sexual sin and heresy and even occultism. But in light of this, Isaiah 64, 7 says, There is none that calleth upon thy name. Who stirs himself to take hold of thee?
I mean, we should be having all-night prayer vigils, really. We should be interceding and crying out to God on behalf of lost people. And I begin our time today talking about the need for revival and really the need for America's pulpits, yes, the pastors, the shepherds of local churches, to call sinners to salvation, to cry out and motivate the church to be salt and light. And it's like there's not this outcry that there should be.
Well, not long ago, I met a fellow traveler in the gospel journey, Pastor Shree. And one thing I'm going to do is ask him to pronounce his name because I would probably get it wrong, and I don't want to do that. But Pastor Sri, S-R-I, Shree, is the author of Pulpits Ablaze, and I'll let him tell what's on his heart. But this is a book I recommend. I just got.
It in the mail a few days ago, and it's basically a call to revival and one man's commitment to see a spiritual awakening in our times. He's our guest now, and I welcome him to the program. Pastor Shree, thank you for being with us today, sir.
Well, thank you so much, brother. Thank you for such a great honor, and it's a great privilege that I can even communicate.
Something that God has laid on my heart and been stirring in my heart for years. With a man of faith and someone who have traveled and saw many things, and still giving an opportunity to hear what God has laid on my heart. It's really a blessing for me.
Well, it's a blessing to get to know you because you and I spoke on the telephone the other day. We didn't have video. It was just a phone call. And I want to say my heart was moved. And I knew just hearing you talk about your commitment to the Lord Jesus, your commitment to see the world save the Great Commission.
I was very moved, and I put it on speakerphone, and my wife Angie heard much of our conversation that you care about America and that the United States. We've been a very blessed nation, but we're a sin-sick nation that needs repentance. I want to thank you for caring about this country.
So, give us your backstory. Tell us your story, how you found Jesus Christ, and how God brought you to this moment in your journey, brother.
Well, I was born in India. Of course, the name that you wanted me to pronounce, it goes Srikanth Virabhatni.
So far, only people that are able to get it right, my last name was of Italian descent. I guess it's close to their last names.
So, your first name is Srikanth? Yes. Shrika and then tell us your last name again, please. Vera Battini. Uh uh you're Pastor Shree.
Yes, I I'm just trying to be as convenient as possible for all my brothers and sisters in America, you know. And I even made it so easy to remember my name. If you want to remember me, you can also remember me as a spokesperson for revival in America. SRI. And so you grew up in India, right?
Yes, I was born in a Christian family. We went to church and all that, but my parents were Anglicans, so obviously I went to the Anglican church. But church didn't mean much to me other than a religious obligation. And I was doing my own thing, and I went to college to acquire a bachelor's degree in engineering. And by this time, I was battling with Multiple addiction, substance abuse, and Again, internal problems with anger, ego, and all that kind of stuff.
So it even pushed me to a point. Maybe I should get rid of my life because I couldn't find my way out. Because my, you know, only way in India, typically, if you're trying to skip classes or go to a higher level in your life, it's probably Primarily through education.
So, as I have fallen into the trap of all these addictions and such and such, it actually derailed my hopes of making anything out of me. And, you know, misery always seeks company.
So I went and started myself connecting with some kind of local gangs there in my college town and all that.
So obviously, that's a beast that just I couldn't ride out of. You know, it just for whatever circumstances I was in, I was in.
So at one point, I felt like there is no way out for me. I'm just gonna. and my life and I even contemplated and made a few silly attempts Thank God I wasn't successful. But at one point, there was a senior in the college sort of presented a gospel to me in such a way that just sort of tugged my intelligence. Not only an emotion but also an intelligence.
Why are we making God complicated? You know, he's present there.
Next day, I would give a try. You know, for me, it's one of those things. If I said I would do, I would do.
So the next morning, I'm on my way to take my shower and I'm just wrapped in my towel. And I'm like, okay, you told that you would do something. And I just, while I was on my way to the shower, maybe the most powerful prayer I have ever prayed. Because, you know, growing up in an Anglican church, we don't know much about altar calls or any such things in where I grew up.
So there is no such thing as sinner's prayer or such acquaintance was not there for me.
So Here, I'm just standing there on my way to take my shower, and I quickly said, Lord, change me. That was all I could come up with. Wow. But for sure, it came from my heart. And I meant it.
I'm looking for an exchange. There was never a question God is real or not, because for me I thought it was always there. But how to connect was a different thing. Hold that thought. Forgive me, Pastor Shu.
We've got to take a brief break. Folks, that powerful prayer, Lord, change me. Maybe that's where your heart is today, folks. Just as the Lord radically Works in the life of Pastor Shree. And I have a similar experience myself.
Jesus Christ can change you, Jesus can help you. And he will help you. And when we come back after this brief break, we're going to continue our conversation. But maybe today is the day, folks. That you need to call out, and Jesus Christ will hear you, Lord, change me.
For more life-changing content, stay tuned. We've got a brief break. We'll be back after this. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland, a religion and culture expert. Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this.
Charlie Kirk is coming to the Grand Strand August 21. He's one of the world's most influential social media voices and one of the people most responsible for the resurgence of young people standing up for America, getting registered to vote, and learning about our Constitution. Hi, Alex McFarland here. You are invited to part three in our speaker series, Conversations That Matter, with Charlie Kirk, Thursday night, August 21, 7 p.m. at the Alabama Theater on Highway 17 in North Myrtle Beach.
For tickets, visit the Alabama Theater website at alabama-theater.com. Hear Charlie Kirk, August 21, and there will be open mic question and answer. For complete information on the speaker series, go to alexmacfarlane.com slash conversations. He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to the Alex McFarlane Show.
Welcome back to the program. Alex McFarland, our very special colleague and friend, Pastor Shri from India, his book, Pulpits Ablaze: The Resurgence of God's Portals. It's a fantastic, inspiring book, and the website is pulpitsablaze.com. Brother, before the break, you were telling your story that pivotal day when you said, Lord, change me. Please resume.
Yeah, I think it was one of Whether it is innocent or whether it is intentional, there was some kind of a convergence that happened that place that was beyond my human comprehension, beyond my human intelligence.
So, as soon as I said that prayer while I was still wrapped in my towel on my way to the shower, this is one of a kind experience that I have experienced. That something, a kind of like a power gushing coming from above, and something got gushed out of me. This is something I can only tell because I'm the only one that experienced it. I'm not saying this is true for everybody, but there is an heavenly exchange that takes place when you let Jesus come in. And in that exchange, for me, what I gained from it is like for me, it was an instantaneous deliverance from a lot of my addictions.
At that moment itself, I was set free. I can feel that. You know, you know, you know, inside because that craving that those kinds of things are gone in a split second. But at the same time, I have to caution that. There were some that didn't leave.
I still have to work it out with the help of the Word of God. I still have to work with the Holy Spirit to let me see, let me expose and walk through that deliverance path. But when that experience happened, somehow for me it just. Quantified something for me. It's like, okay, I got to pursue this.
This is very real. And I got to go and take it to the next level.
So it's just an innocent excitement. And the next thing I go, I go and sit in a Bible study and ask them, Hey, what can I do to help you guys? Started serving them food there and started organizing things. And then, next thing we know, we were doing these youth retreats for hundreds of people all over, like we were doing for these professional students, basically who are trying to graduate, either as an engineer or as a doctor. These groups, we were gathering all of them, and started this fire that somehow got kindled in me, not knowing it is the fire of God, but I'm just participating in it.
I was just being a willing vessel, just walking into it. And we have seen scores of people changing to God. And my roommates, all my roommates, we were just party people. And all of them started seeing Jesus. And even they are from all different backgrounds, whether they are rich, poor, Hindu, different backgrounds.
Everybody started pointing towards Jesus. And all of college started to recognize what is happening here. Pastor Shui, let me ask you something. For, I'm going to say the last 10 years, I've been hearing some just wonderful, wonderful reports out of India. You know, in fact, I was supposed to go to India to preach in 2020, and I had letters from a governor in a province, but COVID came along and the quarantine and my crusading in India had to get postponed.
But God is doing a great work.
So I have a twofold question. Number one, tell us about the state of Christianity in India right now, because I hear God is doing great things. The other part that I would love for you to comment on: what is your assessment of the spiritual temperature of America right now. First of all, India, God's at work bringing many to Christ in India, isn't He? Amen.
Yes, it is. You know, every story has the good, bad, and ugly. Every history is like that. The same thing is true with India. Right now, some of the extremism that is on the rise, that is trying to Push people away from Christianity.
And this was, I think, one example that has happened with me that I believe will give you the temperature of India better.
So I was there in India, and as I was traveling with God about this revival that God was putting in my heart, I would not have the freedom to speak about it, not to release it elsewhere. But this time, when I went to India, funny as it may sound, in 2020, when I was there in India, I was in the church and the Holy Spirit leads me.
Now is the time for you to release it here. At that time, actually, there were scores of churches being burned, and people are being dragged into the public squares and being shot for their faith. Mainstream media was not picking this up at all, but that was a real thing that is happening. And when I released that, and when I left after I left India and came back to the US, the report that I received was: this is in the same town I was born and brought up. I have never seen something like this.
All the churches, almost all the churches in that Town came together, and a lot of these people, it was a downpour of rain, and these people were all kneeling down in the main streets and giving praises to God. Wow. Wow. And that was something I have never seen before. We had crusades, we had meetings, we had all the other things, but this time it was the change of God, the people of God coming and coming into public.
So, the thing that I'm seeing is the persecution is rising, but also the boldness in Christ is also rising. Amen. Both are hap happening at the same time. That is the current condition of church in India. In your book, you mentioned my my hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina.
Yes, yes, yes. Wow, that's amazing. My wife was born there, and that's an amazing gift. I think for me, Greensboro is a very special town. I've been there a couple of times because my wife's grandpa used to live there.
I I'm surprised you and I we may have passed in the airport before and not really known it. Possible. My even though my port of entry was New Jersey, the last flight that I landed in was in Greensboro. That's where my wife came to pick me up. Amazing.
What a small world.
Well, let me ask you this, and I've been privileged to know quite a few. Fantastic Christians from India. And folks from India, that not only do they make really good Christians, a lot of Indians are great apologists or defenders of the faith. And maybe that's just the analytic, meticulous mindset. You know, Indian Christians make really good apologetics voices.
But what is your take on America? Because, and I love America, I love the church in America. But this thing of really radical discipleship, a lot of American believers. You know, laying down your life for the sake of Jesus and the gospel, that's just unknown to many American Christians.
So give us your assessment. I mean, don't hold back. Give us your analysis of the health of the church in America. We, as somebody coming from India, even though I became a citizen here, we always looked at the US and the Church in the US as our big brother. that would somehow come to our aid at one point or other.
whether it is physically or even spiritually.
So the influence from the church in the United States. Can be seen everywhere, you know, particularly in the church world.
So for me, there is that fascination, right? I'm going to some special place. And when I was coming here, that was the same fascination I had toward the church in the US. And now, when I come to the church in the US, There I've come to find out. There is more.
Of a corporate church in the sense of like running it like a corporate business. Rabban, a church that is set out to the Lord. Yeah. Yeah. The protocol, I couldn't find myself but to compare.
I mean, like, I was like, I'm comparing. I worked in the uh software world later on. And when I see the structure of the software world, And a structure in the church is very similar. Yeah. Hold that thought.
We've got to take another break. We're going to come back and continue not only where we are in the American church, but where, with God's help, we might go. Our very special guest, Pastor Shree, author of Pulpits Ablaze. Don't go away, we're back after this. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland, a religion and culture expert.
Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this. Hi, Alex McFarland here. You know, I was at a college speaking, and I guess we ministers get too wordy.
Somebody said, Can you describe Christianity in only two words? And instantly, this came to me, and I said it: loving substitution. And students raised their hand and they said, What does that mean? Loving substitution. Here's the thing: because Jesus Christ loves you, He was our substitute on Calvary's cross.
The appropriate measure of God's wrath that you and I deserved was put onto Jesus. You don't have to die and suffer for your sins because He was the substitute who died for you.
So, if you call out to Christ, He will save you, He will forgive you. I urge you to do that today because Jesus Christ has a plan for your life, and it begins with you putting your faith in Him. Thank you for listening. Thank you for your support. Learn more about this at alexmacfarland.com.
Do you have a desire to deepen your faith, better understand Christian apologetics, or to get a biblical perspective on current events?
Well, I've tried to make it simple for you to do just that. On my website, alexmacfarlane.com, there's a new section called Ask Alex Online. It's simple, it's clean, and you can read my answers to common questions about God, faith, and the Bible.
So visit the website, alexmacfarlane.com and look for the section that says Ask Alex Online. He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to the Alex McFarlane Show. Welcome back to the program. We're going to resume our conversation about revival in America, but I want to remind everybody to please be in prayer.
By the time you hear this show, we're wrapping up our youth camp, seven youth camps, nearly 1,200 teenagers. Already this summer, we've seen hundreds of kids open their heart to Christ and be born again. And as you may know, we challenge these young people not just to pray a prayer, but know this is a call to a life of following the dear Lord Jesus.
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Well, somebody else who shares that calling and, in my mind, is just an exemplary international representative of Christ is our very special guest, Pastor Shree. And before the break, sir, you were talking about the corporate model. You know, I often say this: the church is more than a business. It's not less than a business. There has to be.
Accounting and protocols, but it's not corporate, it's spiritual, isn't it? Amen, amen. I think one statement I just came to. Me was like the church has become more of a social club than a spiritual hub. You know, God asked us.
to meet the social needs not at the Price of putting the spiritual needs at the altar. We can just pick up on the social causes and ignore The spiritual identity or the spiritual equity that we have to be building in the church. The bigger purpose for the church is to educate people in the things of the spirit. To be able to inspire people in the things of the spirit and be able to operate in the spirit rather than in the flesh. Because, as church, we are preparing ourselves to live an eternal spiritual life, not karma life.
So, this process of preparation, if we are not able to tackle the spiritual things, if we are not able to allow the believers to experience the supernatural, experience the spiritual, and also at the same time to see the value of the spiritual elements, if you don't, you know, for you, America is just a piece of land. If you don't see it from a spiritual angle and a spiritual perspective, you won't see that this is something God has chosen for a specific purpose and specific reasons that He wants to fulfill in this nation. I think the eye to see and the ear to hear, these are some of the things that are not even being encouraged in the church. It's more of like, okay, let me finish the obligation.
So, obviously, when we do those kinds of things, we lack power. And we lack that spiritual Authority that God has granted to us. And which is what we are seeing, you know. The Bible says Lot was a righteous man, but he lived near Sodom. In a way, I think of some American Christians almost like Lot.
Yes, they are righteous people, but they've been sort of lulled into spiritual sleep, yes, such that the darkness of a lost world does not break their heart anymore. Are we like Lot these days? Yes, sir. That is what the truth. You said the word right word, sleep.
The Holy Spirit was showing me about my church, you know, everybody is trying to pronounce it to be dead. But the Lord says No, it's just asleep.
So how do we wake up? For me, that's the easy and exciting part of it. The reason for that is America has a lot of equity. In other words, you have a lot of spiritual momentum that has already been given to you. Thank God for the forefathers of this nation because they have seen and they have foreseen what God is for this land.
And they made covenants with him throughout that plays a big role. Remember, God is a God of covenant. You know, he tells the things very clearly in the sense, hey, there you go. That's a covenantial position. Yeah, I'm holding up a picture, folks.
I've got it on my desk behind me of George Washington praying. It's called the Prayer at Valley Forge. Yes. And Shree, you're right. The founding fathers they wanted to make a covenant with God.
You know, as you and I record that, July 4th just passed.
Well, Patrick Henry, and I've been to where he lived in a place called Red House, Virginia. But Patrick Henry gave a speech one time on July 4th. He was one of the founders, and of course, he famously said, Give me liberty or give me death. But Patrick Henry said that America was founded as a covenant nation to fulfill Christ's great commission. I think a lot of people now they don't know that, do they?
No, they don't. I mean, like, what is, you know, everybody talks about Pennsylvania, the Liberty Bell. What is that Liberty Bell? You know, it is about the proclamation and being the voice of liberty. Let the truth be proclaimed, and that is how we became the city on a hill.
Not because we are good with our money, or not because we have these resources, not because of gold and all these kinds of things, but we have. Being built on the gospel. We have been built to declare the gospel. And even that was the journey that God took me on, even when He took me to the Plymouth. Like I know you've been there.
And I had a great opportunity to be on the Lot One. Where the first two Treaty ever was signed between the Americans and the Englishman and the Indian men at that time. And right there, where they signed is the same place God was leading me, and we had a powerful, powerful time. But God was showing me that covenant is still active. What these people, the Mayflower people, have made as a covenant with me that is still active.
And I'm going to breathe in this nation. That is why he put that on my heart. Even when I was standing at the Abraham Lincoln's Memorial, He said, ask me for one more time. Mm. And I want to breathe on this nation one more time, the greatest awakening.
Even though people are trying to say the church is dead, he's like, no, no, no, it is just asleep. Amen. The word for us right now is, that is what the book I wrote in is. Tali takumi, tali takumi. Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
Amen. Amen. That is the voice that God has given me for the pulpits. Why am I going? What is the spark I'm taking to the pulpits?
Just being able to take that word and tell that little girl, that little pulpit that has been asleep.
Some have pronounced it dead, but the word of the Lord that has come to us is to say, Talita Kumi. In the name of Jesus rise up and walk. Folks, if you're just tuning in, the voice you're hearing is Pastor Shree. He's the author of Pulpits Ablaze. Part of the book says this: listen to this, folks.
It is the spirit-led pulpit that made America great, and it is the spirit-led pulpit that will make America great again. I urge you, if. Like myself, you care about the soul of this nation and the eternal destiny of millions of people and the impact that our nation has been called to make for the Great Commission. Please read this book. This book is changing my life.
Brother, I like to believe I was already on board, and yet this book has lit a fire in my heart. Where may people get your book? It can be requested on our website, pulpitsablaze.com, but very in a very short while, probably. Probably less than a week, we will make it available on Amazon also. But pulpitsablaze dot com is the place that we will be navigating and making it available, whether it is on Kindle, every place that you can try.
If you have other places that you wanna find it at, please drop a comment on our website. We will do everything possible to make it happen.
Well, amen, amen. And it's brand new, Copyright 2025. I feel quite privileged to have seen a copy before the general public. We've only got a moment or two left, and no doubt this is only the first of many. visits together, my dear friend.
If if you had a a ver a scripture verse or a prayer or a cry to God on behalf of the United States of America, brother, what would that be?
Well, my prayer is as simple as this one more time. Ga. Amen. one more time. You have done it in the past.
You know, God took me to the pulpit that was used by Jonathan Edwards in the first great evacuity. Amen. A pulpit that was used by him when God was laying this on my heart. I'm going to breathe, and I'm going to breathe it through my pulpits. And he took me to that pulpit.
I shouldn't even know. I'm just like you said, I'm a first-generation immigrant. I shouldn't even know about that. Yet, God was giving me the privilege to go touch that place, even though I'm not an idol worshipper. The opportunity for me to see that prophetic convergence that God is saying, hey, I'm still not done with the church in the United States.
What I have done, I will also do again. Amen. And that's where he promised. This is what my promise promise from God is. I will pour out the greatest glory this earth has ever seen.
which will fuel in the greatest awakening. This earth has ever seen, and that is to start from the church in the United States of America. Amen. I'm going to say this, and we're about out of time. Alex McFarland here, along with Pastor Shree, desiring that the pulpits would be ablaze with God's Word, that hearts would be ablaze with love and commitment for Jesus.
Folks, I'm going to say this, and then I'm going to have Pastor Shree Pray. The Lord is coming soon. I believe we are very likely near the return of Christ. As John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, said, we have nothing to do but the saving of souls. I mean, really, folks, if you know Christ, our life mission is to make him known.
Pastor Sri, I'm going to ask you to, we're almost out of time. I'm going to ask you to close us in a word of prayer for the church in America and everywhere, for every last one of us. As you feel led, would you close us in a word of prayer, asking God for that great awakening once again? Father, we bless your name, Lord. Thank you, Lord, for you're the God of purpose.
You're the God who creates all things with a purpose, and you call the end from the beginning. When you called this nation to existence, you called it good, Lord. And your people have made a covenant with you which you are honoring every day. We bless you for that, and we thank you for it.
Now we come back in agreement with that covenant, Lord, with my brother. Alex, Father, as you have said, two or three touching together. Right now, we are on this earth for this nation, Lord, coming in agreement, believing and seeking the throne room one more time. One more great awakening, Lord, one more revival, one more reset that would lead us into the greatest resurrection and resurgence of your portals, O Lord. We breathe that upon the United States of America in the name of Jesus.
Every pulpit in the United States of America shall be set ablaze for your glory. Let it come upon the Holy Ghost fire coming upon it as we have declared. It is the spirit-led pulpit that made America great, and it is the spirit-led pulpit that is making America great again right now. We bless you, we honor you, and we praise you. Jesus, have your way.
Your kingdom come, and your will be done in our lives, in the church in the United States of America, as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Amen. Folks, remember Jesus is as close by as a prayer.
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