REVIVAL, REVIVAL What is Revival !!!!!
Revival is an extraordinary work of the Holy Spirit producing exceptional results……. The re-entry of Christ’s manifest presence – Richard Owen Roberts
Christ showing up in a compelling new way to significantly overthrow the status quo and establish the claims of His kingdom afresh – Steve Hawthorne
Revival is a war between the Spirit and the Devil – Dr J. Edwin Orr.
There is a fresh focus in revival on Christ’s person (who He is to us, especially His character as God’s Son) and on His passion (who He is for us, especially in His death, resurrection, and ascension). As a result, we experience together in new ways the fullness of Christ’s life over us (as He rules over us as Lord and Head of the church) and in us (as He indwells us with His resurrection power). All of this presses us into new involvements in the fulfilment of Christ’s mission, where we live and among the nations, as He carries out His purposes (through us), and as He establishes His preeminence among many peoples (going out ahead of us to lead His global cause to victory and to bring about the consummation of history) – David Bryant.
The imparting of life to those who are dead, and the imparting of health to those who are dying – James Buchanan
Revival is a community saturated with God – Duncan Campbell
To be revived is a blessing that can only be enjoyed by those who have some degree of life. Those who have no spiritual life are not, and cannot be, in the strictest sense of the term subjects of a revival… A true revival is to be looked for in the Church of God – Charles Spurgeon
Revival is a church word; it has to do with God’s people. You cannot revive the world; the world is dead in trespasses and sins; you cannot revive a corpse. But you can revitalise where there is life… – Douglas Brown, Revival Addresses, p.77
A true Holy Spirit revival is a remarkable increase in the spiritual life of a large number of God’s people, accompanied by an awesome awareness of the presence of God, intensity of prayer and praise, a deep conviction of sin with a passionate longing for holiness and unusual effectiveness in evangelism, leading to the salvation of many unbelievers. Revival is remarkable, large, effective, and, above all, it is something that God brings about – Brian Edwards.
All above from Brian Edwards, Revival, A People Saturated with God, pp25-32
In writing the movement, I would like first to state what I mean by revival as witnessed in the Hebrides. I do not mean a time of religious entertainment, with crowds gathering to enjoy an evening of bright gospel singing; I do not mean sensational or spectacular advertising — in a God-sent revival, you do not need to spend money on advertising. I do not mean high-pressure methods to get men to an inquiry room — in revival; every service is an inquiry room; the road and hillside become sacred spots to many when the winds of God blow. Revival is a going of God among his people and an awareness of God laying hold of the community. Here we see the difference between a successful campaign and revival; in the former, we may see many brought to a saving knowledge of the truth, and the church or mission experience a time of quickening, but so far as the town or district is concerned no real change is visible; the world goes on its way and the dance and picture-shows are still crowded: but in revival the fear of God lays hold upon the community, moving men and women, who until then had no concern for spiritual things, to seek after God.
Duncan Campbell, The Lewis Awakening, p. 14-15
A revival is nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God.
Charles Finney, Lectures on Revivals of Religion, Chapter 1, What A Revival Of Religion Is
“You cannot revive something that has never had life, so revival, by definition, is first of all an enlivening and quickening and awakening of lethargic, sleeping church members. Suddenly the power of the Spirit comes upon them … they are humbled; they are convicted of sin … then, as a result of their quickening and enlivening, they begin to pray. New power comes into the ministers’ preaching, and the result of this is that large numbers are converted. So the two main characteristics of revival are, first, this extraordinary enlivening of the members of the church, and, second, the conversion of masses of people who have been outside in indifference and sin.”
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jone
“Revival awakens in our hearts an increased awareness of the presence of God, a new love for God, a new hatred for sin and a hunger for His Word.”
Del Fehsefeld Jr. ‘Seeking Him’ Life Action Ministries p 13
“Revival is not some emotion or worked-up excitement; it is rather an invasion from heaven which brings a man to a conscious awareness of God.”
Steven Olford, ‘Seeking Him’ Life action Ministries -p 15
Revivals begin with God’s own people.
“Revivals begin with God’s own people; the Holy Spirit touches their heart a new and gives them new fervour and compassion, and zeal, new light and life, and when He has thus come to you, He next goes forth to the valley of dry bones…Oh, what responsibility this lays on the Church of God! If you grieve Him away from yourselves or hinder His visit, then the poor perishing world suffers sorely!”
Andrew A. Bona
God’s part and man’s part in a revival
God is the God of revival, but man is the human agent through whom revival is possible.
Revival begins with the revelation of Jesus Christ
In 1922, a year after a revival in Lowestoft, Douglas Brown declared, ‘Revival begins with a vision, and the vision begins with a new sense of Jesus Christ. Revival does not begin with theology but in a theophany. It begins with a revelation of Jesus Christ Himself and a sense of the nearness of the Master.’
Quoted Brian Edwards, Revival, p56
Set your sails for revival
We cannot organise revival, but we can set our sails to catch the wind of heaven . . .
G. Campbell Morgan
“Meet the divine conditions.”
Revivals are supernatural demonstrations of God’s power. When will we learn to let God work in His own way? When will we spend more time in seeking to know what His way is that we do in devising human plans and methods which only bring us a sense of failure and loss? We need a revival. The church needs a revival. The world – hungry, restless, sin-cursed, dying – needs a revival. God wants us to have it. Let us make every effort to meet the divine conditions, and let us expect Him to answer by fire.
P V Jenness
Revival comes only to a desperate church.
I believe that we are never going to have a revival until God has brought the church of Jesus Christ to the point of desperation.
Stephen Olford
Continue to live without it.
As long as we are content to live without revival, we will – Leonard Ravenhill.
The Revival On The Isle Of Lewis – 1949 & 1952
A widespread revival swept through the West Coast of Scotland, where a small group of islands called the Hebrides.
The evangelist Duncan Campbell and two elderly intercessors, sisters Peggy and Christine Smith started to pray; the prayer was pure and simple. The prayer has cry and desperation for the move of the Holy Spirit. Duncan Campbell came to conduct two weeks of the evangelistic campaign and ended up staying two years.
Amazing again, it all came down to people who have the same desire and oneness came together to PRAY, to PRAY for Revival or Move of the Holy Spirit. GOD was glorified.
I pray that GOD will raise that type of MEN & WOMEN or PASTORS or Churches who will say, let us get together and PRAY for the Revival, let us pray for the MOVE.. let’s get in one spirit and cry out and pray.