In 1982, David Pawson was invited to speak in New Zealand. His had a reputation as a bible teacher, so people the people of Wellington were surprised when he said that he had a prophecy. He carried two burdens that God had given him for our nation. One burden was as follows:

God wants New Zealand back.
He wants New Zealand back as
a nation that will be a model to the nations
of a people who are living under the government of GOD.
God intends New Zealand to be one of those nations
where he demonstrates his Kingdom.

God wants New Zealand back.
He is wanting his people to reign with him.
Don’t wait for eternity to begin to reign with him
He is looking for a queen to reign with him now,
because New Zealand has a king an his name is King Jesus.
This country needs a change of government.
New Zealand is a nation that could be brought
under the government of God
and be a light to the nations.

This burden was not understood; his second burden was simple:

God want’s to bring revival to New Zealand for the first time.
God will bring revival through economic ruin.

He then asked, "Who is willing to pray for economic ruin, to make revival possible". This burden was not well received in Wellington, but when he was handed a vision that confirmed his burden, David Pawson took the message of “revival through economic ruin” around New Zealand.

Twenty-three years later, another David has brought a similar message to New Zealand. David Wilkerson also carried a real burden from God when he spoke to Christian leaders in Auckland. The following is a summary of his message.

David Wilkerson had a strong sense that calamity will affect a big percentage of our population, even up to one million people. The collapse of our real estate boom will hit New Zealand like a whirlwind. If God has to touch every pocket book, he will do it because He loves this country.

The Lord knows what He is doing and everything is in His divine order. Many people are putting together money in the bank to see them through the storm they intuitively see ahead. They are putting their energy into a nest egg, rather than trusting in God, caring for the poor, the widows, etc.

He quoted Ezekiel 16:46-56 that lists the following sins

pride
fullness of bread
abundance of idleness
did not strengthen the hand of the poor and needy
haughty

There is no greater sin than apathy, because apathy is a by-product of covetousness. We have bought into the idea that happiness only happens when we have nice things, a house, a job, etc. Apathy demands judgement before any other sin. He asked God to smite our apathy.

An interesting question is why this message of economic trouble has come again, after so long. And why was David Pawson’s burden not fulfilled. 

The reason for the delay is that God was giving his people time to get ready. If he had allowed an economic disaster to strike New Zealand at that time, many of his people would have been ruined.
Many Christians would have been swept away,
because they were not prepared.

If the economy had collapsed,
most people would have been shaken 
and many would have fallen.
God needed his people standing together,
so they could minister
to those who were shaken.

David shared his burden,
he also told us how to get ready.
People listened, but they did not hear
Crash, Crash, Amen, Amen! they said,
but no one got ready.
So God could do nothing,
he could not fulfil his word.
A word that is not heard,
cannot be fulfilled.

Our complacency 
has held back God’s ability to shape our nation.