while many of us are consumed with the desire to see revival as in past days(myself included).
I have wondered what might revival look like today, with all our mondern technology and the different lives we live now?

If I had to 'guess' rdv, I'd have to say, the revival we'll see, will come when and because of, the coming Persecution ... in other words, in the 'midst of'.


Annie

I'd rather let others speculate. It is from them that I form my opinions anyway. Here is one of many I have read.

“If God ever visits us again in real revival, there will be many red faces as churchmen and religious leaders blush and hang their heads in shame for the silly and stupid ways in which we have tried to promote the work of God in the energy of the flesh by the help of the world... Most pastors understand that the traveling prophet can say things the pastor cannot say- that he fills a different role and follows an utterly different pattern. They complement each other. One plants, another waters, but God gives the increase. The teacher plants the seed, the pastor cultivates the crop, the evangelist gathers it, but the prophet must first lead the way and break up the fallow ground. Breaking up the rock hard ground is never a pleasant, comfortable business, and churches often resent the plow of plain preaching. Blessed is the pastor who knows the difference, and stands behind the lonely prophet who calls the church to repentance!” Reference Used-"Are We Playing by the Book?” by Vance Havner

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Patrick Ersig

revival looks like obedience to God's Word, who have the testimony of Jesus.

Servanthood.

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Jina

When revival comes one thing is certain- the emphasis shifts off of what others are doing and onto what YOU have been doing. When revival comes YOU will repent. When revival comes YOU will make restitution. When revival comes YOU will write that letter or make that phone call. Yes, when revival comes the whole of our energy turns inward and the first thing we notice is our own personal wretchedness.

Revival is when God comes. When He shows up everything changes. I have been in such stirrings and they were very short lived. Men do everything they can to stop a real revival. Between the lukewarm and the zealots everything comes to naught (para C.G.F).

I recall an incredible urgency coming over me in late 2003 for our church. God shook me totally out of slumber. I had an urgency for repentance that you could not believe. I preached repentance everywhere I went for a solid year.

In a three week period we baptized 30+ people in water. We held a solemn assembly while the leadership was on vacation and many came confessing before the people. It was a time of tremendous humility before God. I have thought of writing a book about those few months. Never have I known of God in my personal experience to move like this on a local level- especially in my life.

Then things began blowing apart. Between those who were aggravated by the call to deep repentance and those calling to tear down the church buildings and families everything went totally off the rails. I went into a deep depression that only God could bring me out of. The enemy jumped right in the middle of things and before it was over with we are in far worse shape than before.

It is only recently again that I have even been able to call for repentance. Pitiful it is. But it is nothing new. The enemy always works on the extremes to bring down a move of God. We guarded against weird manifestations thinking that would keep things on the rails (Im classical pentecostal). But in came the radicals and with the radicals the lukewarm had an excuse to do to our revival what CRI did to Toronto and Brownsville. They could write it off as a bunch of religious nuts that have gotten involved in some sort of cult movement.

Suddenly folk were coming into our church (zealots) rebuking the minister from the crowd. They were well intentioned, but needed to be more sensitive to what God was doing. People were standing outside the stadium with signs declaring Billy Graham to be a false prophet and the like. That was a few blocks from my church and just added to the lukewarm's cause. We were slowly getting the sinners prayer out of our camp by teaching and understanding and prayer- and suddenly... almost like someone running up to a drug house under surveilance and screaming DRUG HOUSE! It blew the whole thing.

And here is the essence of what went wrong- men trying to be the Holy Ghost- when the Holy Ghost had already shown up. Men trying to force their opinions on people without the unction of the Holy Spirit and His leading. Doing far more harm than good. Self proclaimed prophets and the like. It almost killed me. I questioned God over it all. I was angry at everyone from the lukewarm to the zealots. I'm pretty much over it now. But the tell tale signs are all around me even now. But for our revival there was no survival. I only pray and hope that God will visit us again. I believe He will.

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Robert Wurtz II

David Wilkerson's thoughts on revivals.

I have been receiving a number of letters asking my opinion about certain "revivals" in Canada and the USA. I have been told, "Brother Dave, your name is frequently used in the ------- revival. Times Square Church is named often. Does this mean you approve of that movement?"

I have never endorsed any so-called revival. First of all, I do not consider my opinion as being that important - and secondly, I can neither help nor hinder any true spiritual movement. I have not been to any of these meetings so I have no personal involvement. I have been so busy ministering to multitudes of hurting people here in New York -- and shepherding a ten-year moving of the Holy Spirit in this great metropolis at Times Square Church.

Do I believe any of the "revivals" represent the last-days outpouring -- the last great revival before Jesus comes? No! Not at all. We should rejoice in every work of the Spirit that results in true conversions -- but any "revival" that purports itself to be "the great revival" and is promoted and "spread" by its leaders must be immediately discounted. When the last great outpouring comes, it is prophesied to come "upon all flesh." It will not be isolated in just a few areas. No one will be counting numbers. Hungry seekers will not be falling backwards -- but frontward, on their faces, humbled and broken. The preaching of the cross will be central. There will be no fundraising, no introducing of star visitors. The meetings will be times of wooing by the Holy Spirit, because He never drives people to altars -- He woos them. No. one will have to defend such an outpouring. All manifestations will focus on Christ, not flesh. Weeping, brokenness, a lifting of holy hands in thankfulness for God's mercy and grace will produce a true spirit of joy.

Local revivals usually have a life-span of five to six years, or less. Even the Azusa Street revival that gave birth to modem Pentecostalism lasted less than six years. People flock from around the world to see the "new thing." Good reports and evil reports go throughout the land. Theologians and preachers either bless or curse it. Some who attend are blessed and changed; others leave wounded and confused. So it is today -- nothing changes. I have heard from some of our readers who visited a revival and were greatly touched. Others write telling us they left emotionally wounded and convinced it was mostly flesh. God be praised for all who have repented and are changed. For others, I grieve. Tides that come in must go out. The Toronto tide is fading fast -- it's tide going out. Soon it will be only a memory. So with all other localized revivals. The excitement ebbs -- the crowds leave -- and suddenly it is all over.

My recommendation? Get your own revival! You will find it in Isaiah 58:10-11. You need no airline ticket, no travel. I have found the springs of water that never fail!

"And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not."

http://articles.christiansunite.com/article10387.shtml

Quote:[b]My recommendation? Get your own revival! You will find it in Isaiah 58:10-11. You need no airline ticket, no travel. I have found the springs of water that never fail!

"And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." [/b]




Thank you Conquer.

I am convinced in my own mind of this, if your opinion differs, so be it. To see the first New Testament revival, read the book of Acts. That is the diagram. Joel 1 describes what is necessary for revival, and Joel 2 speaks of the outpouring. This outpouring on flesh was documented in the book of Acts.

Peter was a reflection of the Father, Stephen of the Son, and Paul the Holy Ghost. The same with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Notice Jacob and Paul were broken, before they became a blessing to all nations. So brokenness will be seen in a revival, and this brokenness will more or less make you a blessing to others in His service. Watchman Nee disussed how God always breaks what is offered to Him.

A revival is not when there is a intellectual high, or an emotional movement. When the Holy Ghost visits, He is supernatural, so you will know it is Him because the effects will be supernatural.

To see what the Comfortor will bring during a visitation of the Holy Ghost, read John 16:7-8:

[16] Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

[17] And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment

The Holy Ghost brings the conviction of sin. Ravenhill describes how the straightest church-goers will cry out like harlots and drunkards. How sweat would drip off of men's noses because of conviction. Wesley was said by Paris Reidhead to have people fall unconscious by the hundreds. William Booth had men shred hymn books under conviction. Duncan Campbell described hundreds gathering in different places simultaneously; some at churches, some in fields, many crying out to God in public. And I am sure most have heard the effects of the Holy Ghost under Jonathan Edwards.

The Holy Ghost has not changed, so today's revival will have the same supernatural results.

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Hal Bachman

I think what you described LGB is just "The Normal Christian Life".

I think that's what David Wilkerson is saying too.

If we already had our Pentecost, why are we still sitting up in the upper room, waiting for something more ?

If our lives are not in the 'state' that you just described, At Present, then it's NOT God's fault, that HE must "send" something "more".

He died, and sent us our individual Penetecost, if we've been Baptised in His Spirit ... so what do we lack, that they in Acts had ?


Not a few have written, that we (personally) should be "Living" in the state of Daily Revival, if we are walking IN Him.

All that you've described, should be our [b]normal[/b] Christian Walk.

And if and when we 'reckon' that, as Paul used that word, 'then' we can affect others.... just as they do right in New York City from 'Times Square', of all places ... God Bless them .


Blessings.

“To the church a revival means humiliation, a bitter knowledge of failure, and an open and humiliating confession of sin on the part of her ministers and people. It is not the easy and glowing thing many think it to be, who imagine that it fills the empty pews, and reinstates the Church in power and authority. IT COMES TO SCORCH BEFORE IT HEALS; it comes to rebuke ministers and people for their unfaithful witness, for their selfish living, for their neglect of the Cross, and to call them to daily renunciation, to an evangelical poverty, and to a deep and daily consecration. This is why a revival has ever been unpopular with large numbers within the Church. Because it says nothing to them of power such as they have learned to love, or of ease of success; it accuses them of sin, it tells them that they are dead, it calls them to awake, to renounce the world, and to follow Christ.” Reference Used-"Revivals: Their Laws and Leaders" by James Burns

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Patrick Ersig