Revival, Where Is It?

[A.W. Bowman]

What is a revival? How does one judge its authenticity? What are the results to be expected from such an event?

---------------------------------

In most churches I visit I will frequently hear the call to (or for) a revival. In one church I heard it often. The result? There was a two to five day (or even a week or two) period of high emotional exuberance and/or mood swings, euphoria, psychometric healing and yes, even be some spiritual and/or physical healing performed by God Himself! But, true revival?

Two definitions:

Religion: a new interest in religion, or the reawakening of such interest

Christianity: a meeting or a series of meetings of evangelical Christians intended to awaken religious fervor in those who attend

When the term “revival” is used within a congregational setting there seems to be an unstated meaning that is shared only by the members of that congregation. Generally it is understood that “God will move” and there will be reports of physical healing, special blessings (relational, financial, material/physical, etc.) and some new members will be added to the assembly. While we must grant that there has been, and continue to be, pockets of genuine revival taking place in various parts of the world, they are generally small, localized, short lived, and without a significant lasting impact. Even so, in some parts of the world, the church is growing!

However, here in the USA we are stuck in the past, celebrating the Azusa Street Revival of the early 1900’s. In less than one generation from the Azusa Street movement, we find that experience broken up into a large number of splinter groups and movements, each with it own group of spiritual gurus, set of unique doctrines, and delectations (in one form or another) of being “God’s chosen and anointed ones, while everyone else got it all wrong”. Today, even the original mission that hosted the movement has died.

The two largest surviving groups from this initial experience are the Assemblies of God (Trinitarian) and the United Pentecostal Church International (Oneness, aka Jesus Only Movement). And, to the shame of Jesus Christ, the war in which these two major players have engaged in over this past century shows little signs of abating.

The question has to be asked:

If the Azusa Street revival was an authentic movement of God, then what happened to it?

[shawndell]

Originally Posted by HaShaliach

What is a revival? How does one judge its authenticity? What are the results to be expected from such an event?

---------------------------------

In most churches I visit I will frequently hear the call to (or for) a revival. In one church I heard it often. The result? There was a two to five day (or even a week or two) period of high emotional exuberance and/or mood swings, euphoria, psychometric healing and yes, even be some spiritual and/or physical healing performed by God Himself! But, true revival?

Two definitions:

Religion: a new interest in religion, or the reawakening of such interest

Christianity: a meeting or a series of meetings of evangelical Christians intended to awaken religious fervor in those who attend

When the term “revival” is used within a congregational setting there seems to be an unstated meaning that is shared only by the members of that congregation. Generally it is understood that “God will move” and there will be reports of physical healing, special blessings (relational, financial, material/physical, etc.) and some new members will be added to the assembly. While we must grant that there has been, and continue to be, pockets of genuine revival taking place in various parts of the world, they are generally small, localized, short lived, and without a significant lasting impact. Even so, in some parts of the world, the church is growing!

However, here in the USA we are stuck in the past, celebrating the Azusa Street Revival of the early 1900’s. In less than one generation from the Azusa Street movement, we find that experience broken up into a large number of splinter groups and movements, each with it own group of spiritual gurus, set of unique doctrines, and delectations (in one form or another) of being “God’s chosen and anointed ones, while everyone else got it all wrong”. Today, even the original mission that hosted the movement has died.

The two largest surviving groups from this initial experience are the Assemblies of God (Trinitarian) and the United Pentecostal Church International (Oneness, aka Jesus Only Movement). And, to the shame of Jesus Christ, the war in which these two major players have engaged in over this past century shows little signs of abating.

The question has to be asked:

If the Azusa Street revival was an authentic movement of God, then what happened to it?

The question I have to ask is,what is happening to us?What is happining to the U.S.A?How come God??in Africa,in Brazil in all these other countries and America is dieing.The death throws of spirit here in America?I remember when I was a child you could hear the church 3 blocks away before you even got into the parking lot!!Im crying out please,please,please God do not forsake us!!!!!!!!!!!We have lost our first love because we dont love him enough to give our whole being,everything we are to our God!!!!We have taken our eyes off Jesus and started watching the world,and other denominations and have become self ritious,and uppety!!We need to put on sack cloth and sit in ashes fasting in humbleness,whale,and moan,and let God beat our hearts into submission!!!!OHHH JESUS,JESUS!!HELP US!!!

[Sam]

There are a couple of characteristics of Revival (my opinion)

1. Revival assumes first a condition of spiritual death and then life from the dead.

2. Revival is temporary.

3. Soon things are back the way they were before the "reviving" or "life from the dead"

[KWSS1976]

Down the hall and to the left

[Sam]

Where is revival?

For this dispensation, you will find it at:
8855 Dunn Road
Hazelwood, Mo 63042
Phone: 314-837-7300

All genuine, God-given revival will proceed from and be funneled through the above address.

[*AQuietPlace*]

Originally Posted by Sam

Where is revival?

For this dispensation, you will find it at:
8855 Dunn Road
Hazelwood, Mo 63042
Phone: 314-837-7300

All genuine, God-given revival will proceed from and be funneled through the above address.

Not according to the WPF.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by *AQuietPlace*

Not according to the WPF.

Who listens to them or pays any attention to them?
They're just a bunch of frustrated old men.
(like Don Quixote)

[Sam]

I have a Gaither CD called Revival and this song is on there.
It was written by Joel Hemphill.
I’ve tried to get the words down correctly:

Chorus
Let’s have a revival from the pulpit to the pew
Let’s have a revival that starts with me and you
Then reaches out to a lost and hungry world to bring them in.
This is our joy, it’s our survival.
Let’s pray for a Holy Ghost arrival, let’s have a revival.


First Verse
Some times we’ve just gone through the motions, left the Spirit out
No power in our programs, no victory in our shout
But God will give us back our joy, let’s open up the Bible,
And lay aside formality, let’s have a revival

Repeat Chorus

Second Verse
I asked an old time preacher how revival came back there.
He said we always started down on our knees in prayer.
Just take those two books, the songbook and the Bible,
If you sing and preach God’s Word you’ll have revival.

Repeat Chorus

[A.W. Bowman]

Okay, Sam - LOLOL

Now kids, looking more to the serious side of the issue, "If the Azusa Street revival was an authentic movement of God, then what happened to it?"

Why have we not seen another such revival like those recorded during the 19th century or the turn of the 20th?

We get a lot of pat answers and programs to promote and create a revival, but not too much becomes of them. As Sam suggested, the revival (spirit) does not seem to hang around very long after the string of meetings fade away and we are back to where we were before the revival took place. Then we are preaching about having yet another revival!

What is missing from this picture?

[Withdrawn]

Originally Posted by HaShaliach

What is missing from this picture?

An acceptance (or resignation) that becoming a follower of Jesus has very little to do with where you spend your Sunday mornings and has EVERYTHING to do with what you do with the remaining 166 hours in your week.

We settle into the mindset that we "go to church" rather than the truth, that we "ARE the church." We settle for highs and lows that are centered around the meeting place instead of recognizing every opportunity we have throughout the rest of the week to engage the Holy Ghost for mutual edification, personal devotion and study, and evangelism.

Of course, IMO!