Revival. The very word brings conjures up different things in the minds of people. For some, they think of art, music and other cultural events. For those with certain Christian backgrounds, it speaks of passionate a series of evangelistic meetings or renewed religious interest.
The dictionary defines revival as, “an act or instance of reviving: the state of being revived.” By definition, a ‘revival’ requires a state of death, neglect or loss. I’ve often said, before you can revive someone, they have to have been “vived” at one time.
Revivals usually occur after a prolonged spiritual and moral decline. This has always been true historically. The church becomes apathetic to its master, its morals and its mission. It loses its zeal and becomes ineffective. Its worship becomes dull and uneventful and its membership declines. It needs to be 'revived' occasionally, for its own sake.
Jonathan Edwards, in his book “History of Redemption” stated, “Though there be a more constant influence of God's Spirit always, in some degree, attending His ordinances; yet the way in which the greatest things have been done towards carrying on this work, always has been by remarkable effusions of the Spirit at special seasons of mercy...”
The Church in America today is in desperate need of spiritual revival. As a whole, it has lost its way when it should be the light in the darkness that is ever increasing around us.
When I thought of a title, the word “tribulation” came to mind. Why? As a teacher of bible prophecy, I know that one of the main reasons The Tribulation events spelled out in the Book of Revelations, is to bring about a world-wide revival before the end of the age. This is clearly spelled out in chapter 7 of Revelations.
The dire events and the preaching of the 144,000 who are anointed to proclaim the coming of the Lord, ushers in a great harvest of souls to the Kingdom of God (vs 9-10).
This has caused me many times to ponder will it take tribulation (distress, trouble, hardship, misery, pain) to open the door to a spiritual renewal in America?
The other aspect of this concerns those people who are crying out to God to send revival to our land. Frank Bartleman’s statement in 1905 at the Azusa Street Revival comes to mind: “The DEPTH of REVIVAL will be determined exactly by the DEPTH of the spirit of REPENTANCE.”
In America today and even in the realm of the Church of Jesus Christ, we want or expect things with little to no effort on our part. We have turned the tables and see God as one to serve us and our desires.
If we desire a heaven-sent revival to sweep across our land, then it’s going to take some “tribulation” on our part. The old-timers used to call it “travailing in prayer”, which means exertion and effort on our part.
Second Chronicles 7:14 spells it out for us who believe: recognize our need and our inability to change things, repent and call upon Him. His promise? To send revival!
The question simply is whether or not we are willing to travail or wait for tribulation to see revival?
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