We urgently need a mighty move of God in America. We need a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which will awaken believers to the reality of people lost without God.
Urgency can be defined as importance requiring swift action. As such, one of the essential qualities of the kingdom of God is urgency. Let me suggest that if multitudes are going to receive the witness of Jesus Christ, there is a great urgency, which exists for the continual manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit
Jesus tells his disciples in Luke 10 as they engage in the evangelism of their generation: "Say, ... the kingdom of God has come near to you" (Luke 10:10b-11b). How were the disciples to demonstrate the nearness of the kingdom? Jesus tells them to heal the sick—a direct manifestation of the Holy Spirit's power.
Urgency in 21st century evangelism is the announcement that the kingdom is just as near today as it was then.
Why would the kingdom manifest in our generation with anything less than it was in Christ's? Urgency means that the kingdom is of supreme importance and requires a demonstration of God's power. Such kingdom urgency necessitates a kingdom message, coupled with kingdom power. How do we live in this place of urgency?
We need the Spirit's presence! We must not allow the "tyranny of the immediate" in today's culture to numb us from our need of "immediate urgency" for the Spirit's presence.
Paul reminds us that the kingdom of God is righteous, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). Our ongoing fellowship with the Holy Spirit equips us to be kingdom ambassadors operating with kingdom urgency and power.
It is His holy and healthy power working in us and through us that draws the world around us to His transforming grace.
Let me offer two thoughts on this idea based on the internal and external expression of the Spirit's presence in our lives:
His Grace Working Inward
There is an inward urgency of the Spirit within the lives of believers:
We see this in Romans 15:13. "May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit." The greatest need for every human being is hope. Paul tells us that no matter the obstacles or challenges it is possible to overflow with hope. This is the work of the Holy Spirit establishing the kingdom—righteousness, joy and peace—internally. Are you abounding with hope? Without it, urgency is impossible. Only the hope-filled recognize the importance of swift Kingdom action.
His Grace Working Outward
There is an outward urgency that the Holy Spirit release through the church to draw the lost to Christ's transforming grace. This is found in
Romans 15:19: "By the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and as far around as Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ." This verse shows us Paul expressing the kingdom with urgency through his witness. The result was that throughout all the surrounding cities and provinces the Spirit manifested the message of the Kingdom.
The importance of the kingdom requires our swift and holy action. Our generation wants an expression of authentic kingdom urgency. Jesus the King is worthy of nothing less. 
Mikel French has challenged spiritual awakening all across America, where many celebrations extended into multiple weeks, and has conducted celebrations in France, Sweden, Russia, Romania, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia, Germany, South Africa, Malawi, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Haiti, Japan, Singapore, India and Thailand. He conducted an outreach celebration in Manila, Philippines, reaching 200,000 teenagers with The Book of Hope. Through the generous support of partners, he has presented the message of Jesus Christ to millions of people in the nation of Russia through televised citywide Soul-Winning Celebrations. Mikel considers it an honor to assist in conducting the annual pastor's conference, where thousands of pastors from Russia's 11 time zones come for training, teaching and equipping. Mikel and his wife, Marsha, reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Rebecca Moore contributed to this article.
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