The Revival We Need

[Barb]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

I don't think the church is really praying though, for it...the church talks about praying for it...we evoke high brow churchy prayer for it...

Let's revisit Azusa again.....William Seymour was not noted for his preaching. They said he spent his time with his head in an apple crate moaning and groaning in prayer and that others were praying too. It was not a preaching service with music and someone preaching a message every time. It was not a regular 30 min before church prayer meeting. They were burdened and prayed fervently....they were not rushed to get to Denny's after the meeting.

They did not worry about getting home in time to catch American Idol.

I am reminded of a message Gordon Mallory preached on the revival in the Philipines....it was called Prayer and Fasting. Prayer and fasting was not elective for them. It was not another program the church does that you can get involved with. It was the bread and butter. It was what EVERYTHING was staked on. The preaching and the outreach was pointless if there was not constant prayer and fasting to such an extent that it did not bring rejoicing, but tears from the realization that there was yet still sinners unsaved.

We have a lot of rejoicing services....you can watch others shockamoo all night long. But when does the power of God drive us to our knees in tears and burdened for souls?

I feel the conviction of the Holy Ghsot, Prax...

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Barb

I feel the conviction of the Holy Ghsot, Prax...

Praise God

[OneAccord]

This is very good. I really appreciate this post and I pray that it will ignite Revival Fires in our hearts... especially mine.

Prayer... fasting...yes, these are building blocks for anout pouring of the Holy Ghost. But there's something more. The Bible, and history as well, tells us clearly the missing ingredient for a move of God. Acts 1:14 tells us the disciples "continued with one accord in prayer and supplication". They were united BEFORE Pentecost. Acts 2:1 says they were UNITED in one accord DURING Pentecost. Finally, Acts 2:46 tells us they were with one accord AFTER Pentecost. The pattern is repeated in Acts 4:24, Acts 4:31,32 and in Acts 5:12. These folks were united as one before, during and after the outpouring of the Holy Ghost at Solomon's porch. Without that unity, that co-hesiveness, we will not see the revival we so earnestly seek. Look at the Welsh Revival, the Azusa Street Outpouring and so on. Unity is the key. And, historically speaking, there has never been an exclusively "Oneness Revival" or "Trinitarian Revival". Revival is sent by God to break down the fences, to remove the barriers.

Revival has always been and always will be, a melting pot... a place where our differnces are melted away in the Presence of God. Whether we like it or not, God sent revival brings people together. Perhaps not doctrinally, but spiritually. True, until we are united doctrinally, any "spiritual" unity is relatively short lived. But, every outpouring of the Holy Spirit has always been of short duration. Pentecost lasted only a short time, as did the Azusa Street outpouring. But as long as we can be united in spirit, we have every reason to expect an outpouring of the Holy Ghost. For it to arrive, though, we've got to rid ourselves of our strife and bickering. We'll have to lose our "spiritual pride". And, we'll have to say as Abraham... "Let there be no strife between me and thee...for we be brethren." Thank you Charlie Brown for a great word from the Lord.

[Sister Alvear]

I want it more than my daily bread...I join you folks in prayer for our world...I do believe in a last day revival and it doesn't matter to me how many do not believe there will be one...I feel the fire of God buring in my souls From China to the seas..spreading in south america and on to africa and all the nations of the world.
If HG people would quit their fighting and obey the go ye command we could really see something our generation has never seen...as long as we try to kill each other we run the risk of God choising someone or some other group to get His work done.

[Felicity]

I believe in revival too and I definitely believe in an end time revival. There have been several revivals just in the last decade that have greatly affected many areas of the world. The revival that took place in China was phenomenal - truly amazing and truly sovereignly designed and birthed by God Almighty.

Does or would anybody here agree that most of the great revivals that have happened which have impacted whole countries, nations and regions have have not come through or as a result of a church?

I know that prayer moves God and that God responds to love for the lost and intercession on their behalf.

There are men and women today standing in the gap and their prayer is making a difference.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Felicity

I believe in revival too and I definitely believe in an end time revival. There have been several revivals just in the last decade that have greatly affected many areas of the world. The revival that took place in China was phenomenal - truly amazing and truly sovereignly designed and birthed by God Almighty.

Does or would anybody here agree that most of the great revivals that have happened which have impacted whole countries, nations and regions have have not come through or as a result of a church?

I know that prayer moves God and that God responds to love for the lost and intercession on their behalf.

There are men and women today standing in the gap and their prayer is making a difference.

I don't necessarily believe in an end time revival. I believe in the possibility for revival for the church or any local church if they will get with it so to speak

[Praxeas]

Uh, see the problem I see is....we keep saying there is an end time revival coming...well either there isn't or the end times have not come. As long as we just keep saying it's just going to happen...what incentive do we have to actually just stop talking about it and MAKE it happen?

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

I don't necessarily believe in an end time revival. I believe in the possibility for revival for the church or any local church if they will get with it so to speak

I've always believed that there will be a great falling away but also a great revival that takes place in the end times.

I think we've seen both happening simultaneously even in my generation. There have been huge sweeping moves of God in different places around the world but also many many who are growing lukewarm and falling away.

I can only speak from our own experience but I know that any revivals we've had in the churches we've pastored through the years have happened unexpectedly and in ways that we didn't plan. God just moved.

It's like I said earlier. I think that revival comes as a result of a synchronization of God's time, God's man, God's plan and God's will.

Prayer is an absolute essential and sometimes a result of prayer that was made long before we ever walked through the doors of a church where we felt God led us to pastor and lead.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Felicity

I've always believed that there will be a great falling away but also a great revival that takes place in the end times.

I think we've seen both happening simultaneously even in my generation. There have been huge sweeping moves of God in different places around the world but also many many who are growing lukewarm and falling away.

I can only speak from our own experience but I know that any revivals we've had in the churches we've pastored through the years have happened unexpectedly and in ways that we didn't plan. God just moved.

It's like I said earlier. I think that revival comes as a result of a synchronization of God's time, God's man, God's plan and God's will.

Prayer is an absolute essential and sometimes a result of prayer that was made long before we ever walked through the doors of a church where we felt God led us to pastor and lead.

I think God's part in the thing is that His church is apathetic and He does things to break them out of their mediocrity. We don't have to wait for God to have revival, but if we don't all want it enough and a few are praying.....God will work on the others some how

[Sister Alvear]

I believe that God only needs a praying person to bring revival anywhere...some of the greatest revivals have come not through organized effort but through men and women that have carried a deep burden.

May I say here without trying or meaning to be critical in anyway...the church as a whole is full of forms, fashions, rituals, traditions and a part of those things are ok I am sure BUT those things are not the real purpose of the church…the ACTS church was a praying church. History says, they lived as if invaders from another country. Their whole lifestyle, thoughts and actions are far removed from what we call the church today.

Felicity, is right about China. I have read scores of books and talked to many Christians with first hand knowledge of China even in it’s greatest persecution the church grew in numbers…they had no one to impress. They lived and live CHRIST.

The need to pray is always present but where luxury abounds sometimes that need is not deeply felt as it is in some parts of the world. So many times luxury brings spiritual poverty and our traditions take the place of really being saved.

I am a seeker by nature. All my life there has been a deep current running through my soul telling me there are deeper things. Many deep things we have experienced here in Brazil but we need to go deeper.

I was with a group not long ago and I couldn’t help but notice how shallow they were. Something in me wanted to cry out, “there are deeper things” but of course that was not my place. On the outside they looked “OK” but what flowed from their months was so shallow…

May God break through to the world that shells us…and shake us…make us different from the “business as usual” style…May we become a flaming torch. May our churches fill with sinners and our homes become meeting places for the glory of Christ.
May we not be concerned with STATUS and be concerned with the REAL move that God yearns to bring into our mist.

I am weeping…