04-REVIVAL SOUGHT
The eternal quest of mankind is to know and experience God. Some want God to split open the heavens and descend to earth so they can see Him. Others want God to write His message in the sky or on a mountain so they can see it and know for sure what to do. Still others want to hear the actual voice of God yelling like thunder. Still others want God to “zap ‘em” so they’ll quiver on the floor or jump like a kangaroo. Even though most don’t say it, they want God to quit playing hide and seek . . . to come show Himself . . . to visit His people. A pastor who is a former student at Liberty promises an experience with God as he gives the Invocation in his church each Sunday morning:
I know God, and Today you can know God. This week I touched God, and Today you can touch God. But more importantly, right here, Today, God can touch you.
True believers want God to intervene in their humdrum experiences. They want God to manifest Himself to them. But for most, God cannot be felt or touched. Most people feel that God is not with them. They want revival, but don’t know what it is or how to get it. That’s why we wrote this book. Not just to give intellectual information about revivals, but so readers can experience God in their daily lives. Therefore, let’s try to define a revival so you’ll know what it is and how to get it.
But there have been certain seasons called revivals—when God has “poured His Spirit out on His people.” These times—also called awakenings—occurred when the presence of God is experience in powerful manifestations of the Holy Spirit. J. Edwin Orr |
"When the day of Pentecost had fully come" (Acts 2:1), God moved in a "remarkable manner" among His people. He continued his miraculous moving as the church was established. In the days since, God has continued moving among His people in these "special seasons" resulting in great blessing both to the church and secular community.
There are some special seasons wherein God doth in a remarkable manner revive religion among his people. Solomon Stoddard (America’s First Revivalist) |
In the early centuries of Christian history, God accomplished a similar work through Gregory "the Illuminator" resulting in the conversion of Armenia, Frumentius in the country of Ethiopia, Ulfilas in his ministry among the Goths, Patrick in Ireland, Clovis among the Franks, Columba as he preached the gospel to the Scottish Picts and Methodius in his ministry among the Slavs. The ministries of reformers like Savonarola, Wycliffe, and Knox reveal a similar supernatural working of God among His people. Places like Hernhutt, Northhampton, Fetter Lane and Cane Ridge are still remembered by Christians as places where there was a significant movement of God.
During the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries, many communities experienced an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This was the era of David Brainerd, Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, Charles Finney, Jeremiah Lanphier and Dwight Lyman Moody. While these names remain well-known among contemporary Christians, there were a host of others also whom God used to bring significant revivals to churches and communities. Some of their stories are also included in the pages following,
No Church that values its own standards can afford to depreciate revivals of religion. The whole history of the Christian Church from its foundation until now is the history of revivals. It should always be born in mind that real revival is something infinitely higher than a mere gale of religious excitement sweeping over the Churches. A genuine revival is a manifestation of supernatural and Divine power. Australian Christian World Editorial (1888) |
Some say that revival is an American phenomenon, a unique cultural experience experienced only south of the Mason-Dixon line. History argues otherwise. Both the Great Awakening and the First Great Awakening began in Europe. The story of this present time is that revival is indeed a global phenomenon. This is the age of Asuza Street, Evan Roberts of the Welsh Revival, the Korean Pentecost, and Jonathan Goforth of the Manchurian Revival. But it is also the age of great revivals in India and East Africa, Los Angeles, California and the Hebrides Islands of Scotland, East Timor, Indonesia and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Asbury College and New Zealand. This age has declared God dead, but He has shown Himself very much alive when His people humble themselves, pray, seek His face and turn from their wicked ways.