It's those 'unofficial rest nights' that vex my spirit as a Pastor when I've already carved away as many nights as possible and still call it revival! We generally do a Sunday through Wednesday leaving them the entire weekend and some still take the 'unofficial rest night'.
It's almost like they don't realize that we can, if necessary, have revival without an Evangelist but it's impossible to have revival without THEM!
As someone who's been in the ministry I understand your vexation. As someone who's been out of the ministry, working full time, shift work I can understand the Saints.
The neat thing is, our church is in an amazing season of revival and we're not having a special evagelist speak every night in a row for a month. The prayer has been stepped up and God is moving.
__________________ Mrs. LPW
Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Does anybody notice that almost every person posting on this thread speak fondly of the 'every night until God is done' type of revivals? The general attitude is that God got more done in their lives during those times...
QUESTION: Could it be that we don't see more because we sacrifice less by our 'revival when we can' instead of 'revival until God's done' mentalitites?
QUESTION: How many of us posting would be faithful to 'every night until God is done' revivals again?
Funny how we can talk fondly of them but most wouldn't pay the price to go back to them in our generation.
When you have service 6-7 times a week it builds momentum. But I don't know about every night, especially if the evanglist is getting older
When you've got small children who get extremely cranky and don't sleep through the night, rest nights are required for sanity.
I understand what you are saying.. And I am not trying to pick that apart, BUT, I found that in those times of sacrifice that I got the most out of service. And I was not the mother who kept their child in the nursery. They learned how to sit in church and it was very very hard at times, but it paid off. In revival times, I had no problem with them falling asleep! In fact, I looked forward to those times! But looking back, I would not change those week long revival services for anything.
I would be one to attend faithfully today and I am not just saying that. When the preacher has heard from God after prayer and fasting, I don't wanna miss it. I've been in both kinds of revivals.. Services where 2 or 3 hours seems to go like a couple of minutes and then you have some that speak for 30 minutes and you know you've been there for 3 hours! LOL
__________________
I never met a chocolate I didn't like!
*sigh* I did nothing yesterday.... I wasn't finished so I did nothing again today!
Does anybody notice that almost every person posting on this thread speak fondly of the 'every night until God is done' type of revivals? The general attitude is that God got more done in their lives during those times...
QUESTION: Could it be that we don't see more because we sacrifice less by our 'revival when we can' instead of 'revival until God's done' mentalitites?
QUESTION: How many of us posting would be faithful to 'every night until God is done' revivals again?
Funny how we can talk fondly of them but most wouldn't pay the price to go back to them in our generation.
I am afraid there is much truth to this. Today's generation want a million dollar blessing on a penny sacrifice.
I understand what you are saying.. And I am not trying to pick that apart, BUT, I found that in those times of sacrifice that I got the most out of service. And I was not the mother who kept their child in the nursery. They learned how to sit in church and it was very very hard at times, but it paid off. In revival times, I had no problem with them falling asleep! In fact, I looked forward to those times! But looking back, I would not change those week long revival services for anything.
I would be one to attend faithfully today and I am not just saying that. When the preacher has heard from God after prayer and fasting, I don't wanna miss it. I've been in both kinds of revivals.. Services where 2 or 3 hours seems to go like a couple of minutes and then you have some that speak for 30 minutes and you know you've been there for 3 hours! LOL
I don't keep my children in the nursery either. My two year old is in with us every Sunday night (Sun AM he's in Sunday School) He is being taught to behave in church, that's the reason I don't put him in the nursery. But he can only sit still for so long and he starts to get tired and very cranky. I do take small snacks and a few "toys" to occupy him.
There are some services where I have to spend the service out in the lobby.
You must have had laid back toddlers?
My toddler is anything but laid back.. and he can't talk very well so he makes this growling/screaming type noise when he's ticked off... it's very loud and can be very disruptive. He is indeed in the "terrible two's" right now. Very strong willed like his dad!
When he's four and has learned to behave things will be different. But I still won't be taking him night after night for a week till midnight or later like the old revivals used to go when he's only young.
I also have a newborn, he was three months on Sunday. They don't stay quiet either. That's quite impossible. So while I totally hear what you are saying, and it would totally work if they were a bit older... it totally doesn't work for me now. Believe me I've tried...
There was a time that I wouldn't miss a special service.. because I wanted all I could get from God. I still want all I can get but I have very small children right now and I know the Lord visits me in my quiet times at home too.
It's the season I'm in right now.. all too short I'm afraid. My kids will be grown before I know it.
It's from this vantage point that I understand those who can't go every single night of "revivals" but need to have nights off.
__________________ Mrs. LPW
Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
I don't keep my children in the nursery either. My two year old is in with us every Sunday night (Sun AM he's in Sunday School) He is being taught to behave in church, that's the reason I don't put him in the nursery. But he can only sit still for so long and he starts to get tired and very cranky. I do take small snacks and a few "toys" to occupy him.
There are some services where I have to spend the service out in the lobby.
You must have had laid back toddlers?
My toddler is anything but laid back.. and he can't talk very well so he makes this growling/screaming type noise when he's ticked off... it's very loud and can be very disruptive. He is indeed in the "terrible two's" right now. Very strong willed like his dad!
When he's four and has learned to behave things will be different. But I still won't be taking him night after night for a week till midnight or later like the old revivals used to go when he's only young.
I also have a newborn, he was three months on Sunday. They don't stay quiet either. That's quite impossible. So while I totally hear what you are saying, and it would totally work if they were a bit older... it totally doesn't work for me now. Believe me I've tried...
There was a time that I wouldn't miss a special service.. because I wanted all I could get from God. I still want all I can get but I have very small children right now and I know the Lord visits me in my quiet times at home too.
It's the season I'm in right now.. all too short I'm afraid. My kids will be grown before I know it.
It's from this vantage point that I understand those who can't go every single night of "revivals" but need to have nights off.
I wasn't crackin' down on ya! Please so misunderstand. My boys were far from laid back! lol! It was hard but I did it! I wasn't "allowed" to miss. My husband and I were the musicians.! lol... I guess my point was that it was a sacrifice for me and it was hard because if they did fall asleep then they'd wanna stay awake all night after we got home. I would have loved to been able to get in bed at a decent time, but looking back, the blessings and renewings I received were so great, I'd do it all over again. Please don't get me wrong, I wasn't coming down on ya. Just talking from my own experiences!
My children are a little older now and all those services they spent in training have paid off! WooHoo!
I'd gladly attend some revival services! We need it!
__________________
I never met a chocolate I didn't like!
*sigh* I did nothing yesterday.... I wasn't finished so I did nothing again today!
I am afraid there is much truth to this. Today's generation want a million dollar blessing on a penny sacrifice.
You are right on! One will never truly experience what their soul is longing for with any sacrifice. One will never know what it is like to have God fully working in their own life, until they learn what a true sacrifice is!
__________________
I never met a chocolate I didn't like!
*sigh* I did nothing yesterday.... I wasn't finished so I did nothing again today!
So my question is are all the apostolic churches backslidden? I mean, if you used to have revivals for weeks and now can only muster a couple of days that does mean something is wrong?
. And I am not trying to pick that apart, BUT, I found that in those times of sacrifice that I got the most out of service. And I was not the mother who kept their child in the nursery. They learned how to sit in church and it was very very hard at times, but it paid off. In revival times, I had no problem with them falling asleep! In fact, I looked forward to those times! But looking back, I would not change those week long revival services for anything. 
lol! It was hard but I did it! I wasn't "allowed" to miss. My husband and I were the musicians.! lol... I guess my point was that it was a sacrifice for me and it was hard because if they did fall asleep then they'd wanna stay awake all night after we got home. I would have loved to been able to get in bed at a decent time, but looking back, the blessings and renewings I received were so great, I'd do it all over again. Please don't get me wrong, I wasn't coming down on ya. Just talking from my own experiences! 
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