Revival

There is a great deal of talk about revival. Many are claiming that there will be a last days harvest. I wish I could be as confident as many others are.

Recently, I've had a look at the Welsh revival of the early 1900's. A young man named Evan Roberts was the leader. He was not the only one involved. Many Christians were concerned about spiritual state of the church in Wales. It was dead, sound doctrine perhaps, but without any life. Prayer groups began to seek the Lord for revival. God answered in a spectacular way, with 100,000 conversions in the first year. That does include those who were church members but not saved. At least one ordained minister was born again during the revival.

I wondered why this incredible revival fizzled out after a couple of years. Evan Roberts wore himself out by not sleeping and not taking any break from the work. Meetings revolved around praise and worship and personal testimonies. There was a great deal of emotion, but little teaching. Sound familiar?

"Worship" has replaced sound teaching in a lot of churches today. If the songs had any spiritual content, it would be different. Mostly we endure rock music with a few "God words" thrown in. Modern songs are so banal that many have taken to adding a rock arrangement to old hymns.

We do not need revival, we need restoration to truth and life as the foundation of the church. Truth and life are not "things". Lord Jesus is Truth and Life. if we will get back to basics, we will have the opportunity to grow. Revival will then be on a godly basis and genuine, not the fake that I fear is coming to deceive again.

If I had to use one word to describe modern denominational Christianity it would be "Ichabod". The glory has departed. Lord Jesus has not forsaken His church. His church has forsaken Him. Some years ago, I attended a very large (by Aussie standards) Baptist church. The name of Jesus was mentioned once in the first 40 minutes and that was in the children's talk. Excuse me! We meet in Jesus' name and He is there with us! How can we not acknowledge Him? If we invited a President or a Prime Minister to a meeting, would we not at least acknowledge that he was there? Even if it was "thanks for coming"? We seem to forget that it's Jesus' church.

Hand waving and hand clapping to feel good music is not worship. We should worship God in spirit and in truth. Repeating a few God words to music is not worship and it's not truth. It is surely not spirit either.

I have my doubts that denominational Christianity can change now. I am more of the view that revival will start in the hearts of the few that are convicted of their own shortcomings. When I complained to the Lord about these things, He said to me, "I have 7,000 who have not bowed the knee to Baal". So there are many who have not been caught up in what I call "Christianism". They are the invisible, unappreciated, often rejected believers who will not conform to the status quo.

I do a bit of street witnessing every now and again. I've met a surprising (to me) number of people who used to attend meetings. Many confess Christ still, but they are not able to stomach the religious hypocrisy of the churches they used to attend. It's tragic, because we need fellowship with one another. I am convinced that Lord Jesus is building His church and the gates of hell will crumble before her. I just hope that I live to see that day.

I pray for revival almost every night...

And I believe that it will in fact come.

Why wouldn't it? Is it not a prayer that is according to His will?

1Jo 5:14, And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
1Jo 5:15, And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Mar 11:22, And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Mar 11:23, For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Mar 11:24, Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

There are conditions to revival. I am not convinced that those conditions have been met. The talk of revival that I've heard is little different to the deception of the Toronto Blessing. It's God's will that none should perish but that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Are all saved? Do all come to the knowledge of the truth? No.

Christians who have no knowledge of the Toronto "Blessing" (really a blight) could be excused for getting excited about the current talk of revival. I would be delighted if this was true. Some of us have been praying for 45 years where I live.

Maybe it would be good to look at what Bible verses are being referred to when people say there will be a "last revival" because I can't imagine that the church will change its ways unless there is nothing left to lose...

To: OP/Gideon300
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Question:
Did Austrailia have..'National Revival/Spiritual Awakening' in history?
- Not..a short term (A few weeks) revival meetings.
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I asked this question to one fellow (from Austrailia)..on another Christian Forum.
- He said.."there were revival meetings.."
- But he was not sure..about 'national revival/Awakening' in history.
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Revivals/Spiritual Awakenings..were often despised & criticized.
- in Christian history.
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Example:
'The Great Awakening' in North America/US.
- It had an impact/influence..during the early days of history.
- Some people criticized/despised it.

Revival is something I have pondered about over the years. Lord has always gave a warning before a judgement took place, and what greater judgement was there but the flood and the tribulation to come. Sometimes the simplest of knowledge can lead to a great understanding. Take Methuseleh who lived 969 years, his name in Hebrew means "death shall bring" meaning upon his death the flood would come. If you follow time in the bible you would know Methuseleh died the same year as the flood, year 1656 from creation.

After speaking with the woman at the well in John chapter 4 and spending several days with the Samaritan people, Yeshua/Jesus made a mysterious statement. "Do you not say four months to the harvest?" The Lord had recently been at the Passover and went to spend some time in Judea, then coming near a Samaritan city where he met the woman at the well. Following his footsteps this could have been at Pentecost, and by saying four months till the harvest would take us to the feast of Tabernacles. I have this understanding that at a future Pentecost we will have a 120 day warning before the tribulation begins, just as the Lord gave a 120 year warning to the ancient world.

The woman probably represents the church, the outcast in this world, made up of jews and gentiles. I truly believe the Lord will prepare us for a great harvest which is to come.

Without a doubt there will be a revival! He is stoking the fires in the hearts of His people!

Instead of questioning all the details, being His prodigal daughter, knowing I was created with a purpose, knowing I have faced all these battles for a reason...I say Yes, Lord! What is your plan for me, what would you have me do?
He has equipped me, prepared me, and opened all the windows. I breathe, submersing myself in Him, and I wait for the moment He moves to set me loose through an open door.

All I know is that He didn't make me a church. He made me His hands and feet.
The revival begins in the heart of each of those that believe in Him and answer His call. Big or small, each of His children have a part to play in the whole of His plan.

God wants to grant revival but the churches keep rejecting it and showing the Holy Spirit where the door is.

"Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
And it’s good enough for me."

Australia has had revival a number of times. The last real revival was in the 1970's, when I was saved. A number of non-Pentecostal denominations embraced the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. It was called Charismatic renewal. I don't know why, perhaps to distinguish the movement from the often despised Pentecostals.

The Pastor of my Baptist church excommunicated someone who tried to enlighten people as to the reality of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Not long after, the pastor went to a conference in the USA. He came back full of enthusiasm for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This link gives a more in depth history:

http://www.chr.org.au/documents/4.-Re-visioning-Australian-Colonial/Stuart-Piggin.pdf

If we're looking toward His return doesn't it make more sense to pray for the falling-away?

I'm of the opinion (one that is informed) that there will be no more revivals but only a calling out of those who are still in the institutional religious systems. This will occur prior to the apostate churches and systems being folded into the religious system of the world as one cohesive expression of humanism.

I'm fun at parties.

Revival is not about numbers of people unto Salvation.
From God's Perspective, It is always about His Spirit Renewing from within.

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25See, I have told you beforehand.
26“Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.

versus

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom [a]is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
13“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

I suppose, given the ambiguous definition of the word, each of us can have a different perspective about what "revival" truly is.

In all historical examples there is always a count of "souls that came to Christ".

Sticking to that standard, I do believe, in our day, we will see many more Arabs enter the Kingdom as they throw off the yoke of Islam.

The Biblical standard, historical and from God's perspective , has never been about numbers but about the Spirit and His work in those whom God calls.
When 3,000 came to Christ on Pentecost, that was a small number.
Gideon with 300.
David and his 3 mighty ones who traveled with him.
Nineveh, a whole nation, still small compared to the world population.

The LORD sets the standard, not religion.
HE said "as in the days of Noah" = only 8 souls were saved.

Many will come to Christ as we draw near to His Return = as many as the Father calls and many more will fall away.

STANDARD: "So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."

STANDARD: Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit says the Lord.

Have you studied the Word to see better concerning what took place in Noah's day???

The Lord wants to perform surgery on the hearts of many people (He wants to circumcise their hearts, perform heart transplants, and cut away the cancer of sin); and in some cases He pours in the oil and the wine as an anesthetic; and this produces what we might perceive as "drunk in the Spirit".

For those who think of such a thing as being disgraceful; and who think that it cannot be true revival; I believe that God is going to bring a revival to them in which He performs surgery on their hearts without pouring in the anesthetic of the oil and wine of the Holy Spirit.

They will call it true revival; because, after all, you cannot have true revival without pain because of the work that God is doing in people's hearts...

You have to have that travail of the soul and conviction in which people are crying out and groaning in pain from the conviction...

I believe that the Lord will perform surgery on their hearts without anesthetic because they spoke against the work that He was doing with anesthetic being poured in...

Even as a kind of punishment.

As we look at the days of Noah which happened in the year 1656 from creation, millions perished and only 8 saved

Please find "revival" in the New Testament.

Right.

Let's not get too worked up over this discussion or make assertions that others have not studied certain scriptures.

If we are talking about returning to the standard of Christ of course I'm all for it but the Lord is clear: there will be a great falling away. We are in the midst of it now. Buckle up.

We have a handful of believers at my church. Meeting in the pastors house. The big congregations with rock music and flash buildings would mock us, but we preach the Word fully, no compromises.

Revival should be about adherence to Jesus' teachings and His Word.. not emotionalism