Throughout the centuries, since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, there have been numerous recordings of Holy Spirit inspired ‘revivals’ or ‘awakenings’ in the world and probably many more that were not recorded, big and small.
When I look at my own life since my spiritual rebirth in May 1988 in the little South Coast town of Mosel Bay in South Africa, I can distinctly see times of ‘revival’ in my own spiritual walk. These personal times of revival may not have had the worldwide impact of a ‘Wesleyan Welsh Revival’ in the 18th Century or a more modern revival like the ‘Toronto Blessing’ or the Brownsville Revival’ both in the 1990’s, but on a personal level they have certainly had a tremendous life-changing impact on me and my personal walk with Jesus and have drawn me back to and closer to him.
The Holy Spirit is the primary mover and shaker of all types of revival, whether it is on a personal level of restoration and growth or on a corporate level such as the ‘Toronto Blessing’ and they are all done to increase the Kingdom of God to the glory of Jesus.
What is revival and what is its purpose?
Most modern dictionaries today will describe the word
revival as something like this:
an improvement in the condition of someone or something, a
strengthening of someone or something. The strengthening of the fortunes of
someone or something.
Or
an instance of something becoming popular, active, or
important again.
And some synonyms for revival would go like this: a
comeback, bringing back, re-establishment, reintroduction, restoration, reappearance, resurrection,
resuscitation, re-launch, regeneration, revitalization, reinvigoration,
awakening, rejuvenation, stimulation, rebirth.
My instances of personal revival in restoration and growth are
not uncommon amongst Christians and some of you will probably have experienced
similar things in your own walk. My spiritual condition and my physical
condition were improved, restored, delivered and revitalised, and all the other
synonyms applied to revival, by a sovereign move of God through the power of
the Holy Spirit and to the glory of Jesus. He defeated Satan’s plan to destroy
me!
Now what God did for me and what he has done for others in a similar fashion is not new. God has been doing this from the time of creation! He is and wants to be continually and intimately involved in a personal relationship with each and every one of us and He actively pursues this relationship through the power of the Holy Spirit to glorify Jesus. This is why Jesus sent the Comforter to us when he ascended into heaven.
John 14:15-18 (NIV)
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
The corporate revival is what took place at Pentecost (Acts 2) where God poured out his Holy Spirit and many unbelievers came to salvation and the disciples and others began their ministries in the power of the Holy Spirit and the Lord added to the numbers of those being saved daily!
Acts 2:2-4 (NIV)
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:47 (NIV)
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
And a good example of a personal revival s in the case of the Apostle Peter after he had denied the Lord three times, ran off weeping bitterly and then decided to go back to fishing!
John 15:15-17 (NIV)
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
Peter is fully restored and experiences tremendous personal growth and greater understanding of God and his purpose here on earth!
God revives us when we go cold or are in a ‘bad’ place and when we seek his face with all our heart! Revival begins with the Church with each and every born-born again Christian praying in the unity of the Spirit.
Now let’s get something straight here, revival is not a new phenomenon and when I say new, I mean it is not just a New Testament or a ‘today’ thing, as the writer of Ecclesiastes says, there is nothing new under the sun!
Ecc 1:9 (NIV)
What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
There is no knew thing under the sun, God is the same yesterday, today and always, He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. God knows those who are his. God knows those who will heed His salvation call. He gives us so many chances to respond to His call through the power of the Holy Spirit and to the glory of Jesus!
One of the ways the God has used and still uses and will continue to use to reach mankind is through revival by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the lives of ‘men’ It is the Holy Spirit that draws us to Jesus for our salvation. God will continue to bring revival to us, His Church, both corporately and individually. God has done this from the beginning of man’s days, and He will continue to do so until Jesus comes again. It’s all about Jesus, all glory to the Son! But the Church needs to be proactively praying for revival in ourselves as individuals and corporately our different congregations in order for His will to be done in our lives.
In the Old Testament we see how God sent his Holy Spirit to restore and revive Israel, His chosen people, on numerous occasions through the prophets and through the judges. The book of Judges is a prime example of this, God brought revival by the power of the Holy Spirit and through those individuals (the Judges), He brought revival to the nation of Israel. He also did this through some of the Kings and other individuals like Mordecai and Esther. This was done by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s take a look at Othniel, one of Israel’s first Judges as an example.
Judges 3:9-11
9 But when they (Israel) cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. 10 The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. 11 So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.
This type of revival happened on many occasions in the Old Testament over many years. Unfortunately man has developed a bad habit of forgetting what God has done and often grows cold or just falls into complacency.
In the New Testament we read how God brought revival to individuals and to the Church of the time through the ministry of Jesus. Jesus moved in the power of the Holy Spirit, his very birth was through the power of the Holy Spirit. The miracles, signs and wonders he performed were all done in the power of the Holy Spirit. All these things brought revival to his chosen people. At the betrayal of Jesus by Judas and when he was arrested, the disciples fled in fear and panic and Peter denied him three times soon thereafter. I guess you could say that they became ‘unrevived’ – this is probably not even a proper word, but I hope you get my meaning in this context. This same type of thing often happens in today’s Church and we are often deceived by false prophets and teachers!
Now these situations doesn’t take God by surprise in any way, remember he is the beginning and the end; nothing is a surprise to Him! He wrote the script for us and he doesn’t change His mind, what He has ordained will come to pass!
OK so here we have a bunch of freaked out and ‘unrevived’ disciples who watch the crucifixion of Jesus and without their leader they decide to give up and go back to their old jobs; let’s go fishing is the general consensus; forgetting everything they’ve been taught and all the miracles they have witnessed. Yes, I’ve been there and done that! I expect some of you have too? But God brings revival to the disciples through the power of the Holy Spirit! Look what happens next.
Jesus is resurrected after three days by the power of the Holy Spirit and he appears to the disciples and many others and just before his ascension into heaven, he tells the disciples that he is going to the Father and that he will send them the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) and tells them to go and wait in Jerusalem. He then ascends into heaven.
Now the disciples are still a bit unsure of themselves and are still in a state of ‘unrevival’, but they obey the Lord’s instructions and return to Jerusalem to wait for power from on high. I don’t think they fully understood what that meant. When the disciples went back to Jerusalem, they gathered together to pray in one accord in an upper room, together with some other close followers of Jesus.
Ok. So now remember this bit because I’m going to say it big and bold so that you won’t forget:
Acts 1:12-14 (NIV)
12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
It is the prayers of the saints, praying in unity and in one accord that ushers in revival in the power of the Holy Spirit. When we cry out to God – revival comes both individually and corporately!
Now why do I say this? Well turn with me in your bible to Acts 2. Excuse me! You haven’t got your bible with you? Naughty, naughty! Go and fetch it quickly or switch on your electronic version.
After the upper room prayer meeting, we move on to the day of Pentecost and look what happens now!
Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Here we have it then, REVIVAL, in a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit, a mighty wind and tongues of fire! The very first Pentecostal revival meeting energising, empowering and equipping the saints to step out and minister in the power of the Holy Spirit, performing miracles and signs and wonders and drawing the lost to salvation in Christ Jesus – to his glory!
This was an explosion of new life within the Church both individually and corporately which resulted in a blessing to the sick, the possessed, and the lost and to mankind in general, this is what revival is all about.
Look around you child of God, look at the news, walk in the streets, society is breaking down fast and getting worse by the day. Rally around my brothers and sisters, gather the saints, sound the trumpet and call out to God, Church. Pray for revival in one accord – the world needs the saints to be revived, the world needs revival, the world needs JESUS and we need a mighty outpouring of his Holy Spirit upon the Church – a mighty wind and a mighty flame! The Church should be praying for revival in unity and in one accord.
Let’s take a quick look at the amazing things that happened in this Holy Spirit inspired revival at Pentecost in bullet form and fired from the gun of the Holy Spirit!
- The disciples and the Church are revived and filled with the Holy Spirit.
- The disciples’ measure of faith is increased and they begin to minister in power and boldness.
- Miracles, signs and wonders accompany their ministry.
- Thousands of unbelievers get saved.
- The sick are healed and demons are cast out, setting people free.
- Paul is converted on the Damascus Road.
- The gospel of salvation is spread to both Jew and Gentile across the known world of the time.
- The infilling of the Holy Spirit is spread to others by the laying on of hands
- And much, much more!
- It is a sovereign move of God in the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit
- It restores an individual – a returning prodigal son like me and of course the prodigal son as in Luke 15:11-32.
- It empowers the Church to move in the power of the Holy Spirit performing miracles, signs and wonders.
- It draws the lost to salvation.
- It inspires prophecy and the other gifts of the Spirit thus enabling God’s children to hear His voice and to know His will so that the Fruit of the Spirit can be manifest in us and through us!
So now we’ve had a look at the Holy Spirit’s involvement in revival and what really stands out to me is that God is always calling us to him and desiring to be intimately involved in our daily lives and in this day and age God does this through His Holy Spirit, who is also the Spirit of Jesus – remember the Holy Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit; is one God!
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is a promise from God that the Church needs to fully appropriate in order to walk in faith upon God’s path and in God’s will for us both as a corporate body and as individuals. In others words the Church needs to be walking and living life in the Spirit – this is why Jesus sent the Comforter to us!
But most notably the key to these revivals and probably every other revival as well, is the Church, men and women of God coming together in unity and praying for a sovereign move of the Holy Spirit to draw the lost to salvation in Christ Jesus. A Church that lifts the name of Jesus higher and higher so that He will draw all men unto himself!
Let’s just remind ourselves of the main points that we need to embrace when God touches our lives with revival. This will also serve as a keen reminder of how the Church needs to pray, the Church needs to always be in a state of Holy Spirit empowered revival:
- Revival comes through God’s sovereign outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
- Revival comes when the Church comes together in prayer and in unity and in one accord.
- Revival comes to individuals and corporately to the body.
- Revival is contagious, it can be spread by man filled with the Holy Spirit and stepping out in faith and reaching out to the lost to fulfil the great commission. It will spread from man to man, church to church, town to town and from country to country – Joel 2:28-32 and repeated by Peter in Acts 2:17-21 at the Pentecost revival.
- The Church in this day and age should be praying and preparing for revival in order to be ready and raring to go when God pours out His Holy Spirit in the last days.
- It is God’s desire to work with men filled with the Holy Spirit to spread revival – the Church needs to be bold and brave and step out in faith.
Remember that everything God does is to the glory of the Son, Jesus! It’s not about the miracles, signs and wonders, these are just a part of God’s blessings, it’s all about Jesus. Everything we do should be to the glory of the Son, our Saviour and Lord – Jesus!
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father
In Jesus’ name and in the power of the Holy Spirit I pray that you would bring revival to my heart. I pray that you would rejuvenate my Spirit and fan into flame the gifts that you have placed within me and that you would, by your Spirit, help me to encourage others to seek your face and to pray for revival within your Church and to my own congregation where I fellowship. I pray for an outpouring of your Holy Spirit that would energise and empower the Church to be bold in preaching the Word and to step out in faith and minister in the gifts of the Spirit. I pray that people will be drawn to you, Lord, for salvation. I pray for miracles, signs and wonders, healings and deliverance to follow us wherever we go to the glory of Jesus. I pray for a revival that will never end until your return. I pray that I would not grow cold and that you would keep your fire burning within me and within your Church. Amen!
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