Revival



I thought about and hoped for Revivals.
 
      I read of Revivals long ago with Charles G. Finney. How glorious they sounded. I started searching for in-formation on Revivals. At Bible School, I went to the library and bookstore in search of literature on Revivals. I found two small books. For such a glorious event, I was surprised to find so little written on the subject.

  Outside of books, I snatched references to Revivals such as hearing a radio preacher say the congregation needed to deal with a particular sin before Revival would come. I saw churches regularly have evangelists come to help start Revivals.

  From what I've read and heard, Revivals are something most view as, "a fervor for the Lord that comes and goes. It can't possibly be hoped to be sustained. It's an emotional influence. A stirring of sleepy emotions."

  Looking back to that radio preacher, my heart broke when I heard him comment, "until that sin was dealt with, Revival could not come".

Our Desperate Need!

   What does 'Revival' really mean? The 're' means 'again', and 'vival' means 'alive'. The very word necessarily means that if Revival is possible, death or slumber must be present. This is a serious situation. Many look forward to the Revival of their congregation, which is good, but it's also horrifying. It's horrifying since it means that, at present, they're walking as either lukewarm or cold:

  16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.           
Revelation 3:16 (Jesus speaking)

  A church can't continue under such conditions. A church's ministries are to be done by the power of the Holy Spirit. Unless we're Revived in Him, this can't be done. Ministry done without His power are works of fleshly power. They ultimately bring no fruit to life. That which isn't Revived, generally cannot Revive another. If a church isn't Revived, it had best set aside all and I mean all other works, ministries, services, etc. and seek nothing but Revival until it comes. A church that isn't Revived and doesn't seek Revival would be better off just closing the doors and forget coming together. Any people persuaded to join such a dead or lukewarm church would be blind led by the blind. The works done by a church must be works led by the Spirit and empowered by the Spirit. This requires total consecration. A hungering and thirsting after righteousness:

  6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.   
Matthew 5:6

  Jesus promised satisfaction to the truly hungering heart, but let's not fool ourselves. Are we truly hungering or is it just a mild appetite? To the truly hungering, Jesus promised satisfaction. With a true hungering comes our consecration to set aside all interferences in our quest for God, and go all out after Him, come what may. In a state of total consecration, for the Christian, there's life (Revival) because He's all and His is the life that lives in us. This life is not our own. Ours only brings lukewarmness and slumber.

Commitment In The Heart or Emotions?

  Is Revival a stirring of emotions? Yes! Emotions are to follow, however, not lead.

  I know a man who decided to stop watching evil TV programs. A little later, he began to waver in his commitment. When he was reminded, and chastised, he turned off the show mopily saying, "Yeah, I know that isn't good to watch." He moped about having to do what he knew was right before God! This indicates a state of spiritual luke-warmness or death. The original commitment was due to a stirring of emotions. Emotions die, and so does the commitment based on them. When the commitment's in our heart, not our emotions, our commitment won't tend to just vaporize like those on emotions. The scriptures say a Christian is characterized by delight:

  17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.       
Romans 14:17,18

  If we delighted in the Lord, we wouldn't mope about doing what was right. We delight in His ways. We're not distressed about the things we don't get to do anymore. It's our delight to put them away:

  7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,   
Philippians 3:7,8

  Do you have this same mind that was in Paul?

Revival - It Can Be Yours Today!

  It's your decision. Do you mope about not getting to have the 'dung' anymore? Something's seriously wrong if you do! I'd call it perverted!

  If you're one in desperate need of Revival, start where all good Revivals start, with repentance. Hunger and thirst, He'll do the rest.


Copyright 1994 Darrell Farkas 
All quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

For more pertaining to this see "Wake Up For God" in the Library.



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Free to Copy under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND3.0 License by Darrell Farkas
All quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible


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