Revival

1st of February

What is revival? It is when something dead, comes alive. That is in our own personal lives, in the church, in areas and sometimes in an entire country. Satan can also revive areas that have not been open for him. I will not write much about that this time, but I do want to warn against it. I am very eager to revive all the areas that have not been open for the creative power of the Living God.

I have heard about revival since I was a child. It has been talked about, more or less, in different churches at all times, but only a few have experienced revival.

What are the signs of real revival? A real revival is characterized by wishing it, but by a deep longing for more of God. In a church that lacks life, they will often talk a lot about revival, but very little about the ways to get one. One should focus on Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit and not on revival. The same is true for healing. Many people concentrate more on the healing than the Healer. When we have the wrong focus, we might miss the real thing.

When we look at the revivals of the past, we see that they always have brought new and fresh revelations of Jesus Christ and the things that belong to the Kingdom. They bring to life a former truth that has not been emphasized for a long time. The Holy Spirit has brought life into a dead area. Some examples of this is a revival of faith, baptism of the Holy Spirit, healings, the gifts of the Spirit, realization of sins and the right teaching. The danger is that one can get so focused on the new thing that one forgets the other truths and one becomes lopsided. The Holy Spirit will revive something that was forgotten, but does not want to wipe out the other truths in the Word.

A revival is recognized by a deep sense of one’s sins. People will often cry over their sins and small sins might look big when they are brought into light. The Holy Spirit might show us sins that we have not thought about before. Maybe we have been too busy finding faults with others. The Cross will be painted before our eyes and we really see our need for salvation. Have we taken the Cross for granted? One understands once again that without the Cross, one would be lost. I believe the Holy Spirit draws people out of the gray zone and the dark becomes darker and the light becomes lighter.

I see quite a few churches that had the fire at an earlier stage, but now I only see ashes. We can go to Rev.2:2-4 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; And you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love”. It is Jesus who says this through His disciple John. We might be doing a lot for Jesus, but we can have lost our love. We can continue to read that the lampstand can be removed from them if they do not repent. Repentance is typical for a revival.

Another typical thing is a burning fire. The Bible talks about a consuming fire. A fire burns away the things that are false or in the way for the real thing, but a fire is also giving warmth. Fire is alive. Sometimes I thought that my stove had burnt out, but then I put some old newspapers in and they were blazing in fire. It doesn’t take much to make a big fire. Many revivals have started with one person or with just a few. A fire is spreading quite fast, especially in a wind. We compare often the Holy Spirit with the wind. When a small fire is taken hold of by the Holy Spirit, it can spread quickly. The bigger and wider the flame, the more difficult it is to quench. We can think of big forest-fires where huge areas have be destroyed and many have prayed for rain to quench it. Let us keep the fire burning in our own life, in our families and churches.

When there is a revival, one wants to see people saved. It becomes like a passion. When one understands where non-believers are ending after this life on earth, one gets a strong burden for them. One really wants everybody to enter the Kingdom of God before it is too late. Everything else becomes unessential. I believe that most of us would be desperate in saving a person who was drowning or burning. We would try everything we knew in order to help that person. Why are we so passive when spiritual death is concerned? We do not try to rescue our neighbors, colleagues, family and friends. How should we win them for Christ? I have asked myself that question many times. We have to ask the Holy Spirit for a key to every person. If we have the love, the Holy Spirit will give us the wisdom.

In a revival we will se the power of God manifested. When Jesus talked to the people, the words were followed by signs and wonders. We can’t just talk about healing, but we have to lay hands on the sick and they shall be healed says the Word. Jesus did that and He is the same yesterday, to-day and for all eternity. He has given His authority to the believers and we can do His deeds by using the name of Jesus. We have no power in ourselves, but there is dynamite in the name of Jesus. When people get healed, get back missing parts of their bodies or get delivered, they get very happy and the name of Jesus is glorified. The devil does everything he can to stop these manifestations since he does not want Jesus to be honored and glorified. Do we do everything we can in order for Jesus to be honored through our hands? Where there is fire and warmth, it is easy to be healed. Where sins are confessed and there is a strong love for Jesus and others, there is not much room for the devil. He can copy everything except for love.

I also believe that there will come another dimension of faith in a revival. This will not be a general faith, but one that will not give up. When one is in the presence of God, it is easy to believe. When one sees people on their knees, confessing their sins, people getting up from their wheelchairs, drug addicts throwing away their needles, tobacco and stuff, it is easy to believe in a God Who says that “Nothing is impossible for Me.” One really desires that these things should happen in one’s own life. We need to be more like the widow who never gave up. (Luke 18). She was pestering the judge, but she did not give up and she got what she wanted. We have so many promises in the Word of God and we must stop saying: “It does not work. God does not answer me.” LIES.

I also believe that we will hear a lot of praise and worship in a revival. We become so thankful and we have no other desires that worshipping Him Who is worth to be praised. This is also like a open door into revival. The Holy Spirit comes where the name of Jesus is praised. I recently heard about a country who had a revolution caused by thousands of people singing. Why shouldn’t we get a revival by worshipping the King of kings?

Revival can happen in a person’s life, in a church, area or country. Revival will often follow prayers and fasting. Where people have sacrificed time and most of all themselves in order to seek God, He will come with new life. He hears and answers the cries that come from the heart of His people. He has promised us that we will have what our hearts are longing for. Do you want more of Him?

I PRAY THAT YOU AND I SEEK HIM WHO CAN BRING REVIVAL IN OUR LIVES AND TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mother Else