Revival

[timesachanging]

What do you consider true "revival" of the church? Anyone know church history?

 

[tim_from_pa]

I consider true revival of the church when historically the Church deepened their spiritual knowledge by discussion of doctrine or even wrestled with issues involving doctrine. That may on the surface sound very cold as we are often warned by dire evangelists that we "have to believe in our hearts and not our heads" and the undo emphasis in some sort of spiritual manifestations.However, without knowledge, it acts as a ship or airplane without a rudder and will go spiraling out of control. What evangelists should be saying (but often do not come across as saying) is that true faith is not merely the mental assenting of facts only, but a personal application and action on the promises of God. Faith in the New Testament is really more of a verb (an action) than a noun (a belief) that modern day people confuse it with. In fact, what I just said is a word of knowledge that can make the difference between saving faith and mere acknowledgment. Then..... if we continue looking deeper into spiritual truths based on history, prophecy, and spiritual principles, we can get the full appreciation of God's entire truth.Thus, revival will come as our emotions follow the spiritual learning of the bible and praise will result. However, if we pray for a revival and it ends up with someone jumping up and down praising the Lord, and then ask that person, "What did you learn today that made you alive?" If the answer is "I don't know, but it sure felt good!" Then I know that's the wrong kind of "revival". In other words, make sure that if one means by revival "being on fire for the Lord" that it has a strong rock foundation in the knowledge of His word. When some Christians see a deeper meaning to something, often it is considered fringe by others. But I'll tell you, there is nothing more revitalizing than discovering a hidden truth that seems new because one just learned it. And one just naturally wants to praise the Lord for it. That's true revival.

 

[Christina]

Amen TimI couldnt agree more

 

[marksman]

When I was at Bible College, I did a study of revivals down through history. There were some common characteristics in most of them.1. The people involved were very dissatisfied with the current state of their Christian experience.2. They became very aware of their sinful nature and God's holiness.3. They spent long periods of time praying, pleading with God to invade their territory and bring a revival.4. When God responded to their praying it was through a sovereign visitation of the Holy Spirit5. Meetings often went on 24/7. There was no beginning or ending. 6. There were a lot of physical manifestations such as people falling down under the power of the spirit.7. People were very aware of the presence of a Holy God which made them feel very dirty.8. There was no organisation in the meetings. People had to go with the flow of the Holy Spirit and fall in line with whatever he was doing. 9. The presence of God was so powerful that people walking along the street would fall to their knees and confess their sin and get saved.10. No one was allowed to control the revival. The Holy Spirit made all the decisions.

 

[Christina]

5. Meetings often went on 24/7. There was no beginning or ending. 6. There were a lot of physical manifestations such as people falling down under the power of the spirit.7. People were very aware of the presence of a Holy God which made them feel very dirty.8. There was no organisation in the meetings. People had to go with the flow of the Holy Spirit and fall in line with whatever he was doing. 9. The presence of God was so powerful that people walking along the street would fall to their knees and confess their sin and get saved.10. No one was allowed to control the revival. The Holy Spirit made all the decisions.Well if you ask me when these last ones happened it was lack of sleep and frenzy and God never once in scripture says he works this way. There is a difference between praying and singing, to the Lord and reading scripture together and having ana pagan feel good frenzy of babbling and carrying on in hysteria in fact he tells you to be quite and find a place go in shut the door and pray.

 

[marksman]

Well if you ask me
I don't remember anyone asking you and the obvious question is how much study have you made of the revivals down through the centuries?If you haven't done any study, you are very keen to show your ignorance of the topic and please do be very careful about what you say as calling the work of the Holy Spirit in these revivals pagan is nothing more than blaspheming the Holy Spirit.Having personally experienced God in revival in two churches, I can attest to what happens on such occasions as being a genuine and sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. Please be assured that satan NEVER convicts a person of the holiness of God and their own unworthiness.