Here are some questions and my answers concerning revival:
> 1) Do we truly want revival.
As in all times, there are a remnant who do indeed truly want revival, but it is harder (and probably unproductive) to try and define the remnant.
Part of the problem is that people do not really know what revival entails – what it demands of us as believers, and if we cannot even give a nights sleep, or a few hours a week to pray for it then how can we say we are ready for the demands of holiness it places upon us as believers?
Do we want revival? The answer is probably no (for most of us). We want an increase in church numbers, and we want signs and wonders. We enjoy movements such as the “Toronto Blessing” and such like, but all these things require very little effort of us.
I am reminded of George Whitfield, and his time at University when he was in an agony of soul for months, so that he made himself quite ill.
There was a man who was desperate for revival, and it showed. Not only did it show, but his preseverence and seriousness was rewarded by God and he did indeed see revival.
The same is true for all the great revivalists, but is it true off us? Are we in agony of soul, or are we content with the occasional prayer meeting? I submit that if the latter is true then we do not want revival, and God will thus not give it to us.
I would note, also, that revival is something that happens to us first.
Again, if we read of Hywel Harries, who was in secret prayer at Llangasty church (which, incidentally, I visited just last week) when the Spirit of God responded to his heart cry and he knew revival personally. It was a response to this personal revival in his life that started the methodist movement in Wales, and brought that same revival to the whole Principality.
2) How will we know we are in revival.
If it happens to us, we will know it.
At the same time, we should be careful not to critisize other apparent
works of God, simply because they do not meet our expectations of revival.
We must allow things to bring forth their fruit, and if God is in them then the fruit will announce its source. (This does not absolve us from our responsibility to prove all things, but we should be aware that in every revival there have been church men who have opposed the move of God because it did not meet their expectations).
3) Is revival simply a sovereign work of God, or are there steps we can take to hasten it?
It is both. There are steps we must take to allow God to move, but whether he will move is entirely in his sovereignty.
4) What are some of the biblical evidences for revival?
Pentecost.
There are Old Testament analogies (such as when Hezekiah arose to the throne of Judah) but such analogies are incomplete in that the revival in the Old Testament is clearly quite different from a revival under the new covenant. Nevertheless, there are many many lessons to learn from these historical narratives.
5) What are some of the historical evidences/consequences for revival?
In Wales in 1904/5, crime dropped by two thirds. National events (even the national Eisteddfod) were cancelled and churches were built in every community in the Principlaity.
There are many more, but I’ll leave the posts for another day (although
a quick read of any history of a revival will be most informative).
