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Discussion Forum : Scriptures and Doctrine : WHAT IS REVIVAL: And can revival be defined ??

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sonofthunder
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Joined: 2005/3/31
Posts: 419
Son Of Thunder i come from a land down under, due south at the bottom of your work globes

 WHAT IS REVIVAL: And can revival be defined ??

I can remember how growing up in my teens and being an integral part of a small independant church and inner-city work ( Which was evangelical conservative and holding to the essential fundamentals) how that the Senior pastors always spoke of this thing of (revival) and their hammer always hammered on this anvil of the need of personal revival! In fact: The words "We need revival" became the catch-cry and earnest plea of almost every sermon heard from behind the pulpit! Further to this We had and held frequent "revival prayer meetings" - which took place on a regular weekly basis! Upon which we would set aside A whole day - for both prayer and fasting and of course FOR the seeking of genuine Holy Ghost revival to come to our shores.
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However Looking back now: And reflecting upon those moments i would suppose the closest thing we saw to that of GENUINE revival was when the churches got together for a big campaign and UPCOMING spiritual event ... which involved the booking of a big name speaker and KEY NOTE MINISTRY from overseas. This event was to co-incide with lots of street witnessing (sewing the seed) and a combined - but well orchrestrated peaceful street march! Which took place from the city civic center square (CBD) and on towards the booked location where the meetings were to be held. This revival took place over about 5 to 6 nights and in consecutive fashion were held in a rather large stadium like arena and complex.
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SO What happened? Did revival breakout? did souls get saved? Did sick bodies get healed? were people gloriously set free from demonic powers and satanic strongholds??
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Well I guess: And In all fairness and in answer to that question. That yes to some degree some of the above mentioned things did happen! (But in the whole and in the main) things did not go as had planned! Let me explain: The big name preacher ( Who has since passed away ) did not preach on - nor did he evangelize in the manner that the organizers of the event had hoped or had wanted! So Subsequently: This led to much dissent and friction among the organizers that had so carefully and strategically had planned the occassion ( and months in advance i was told ) This led to increased tension in the air...even whilstthe meetings were in progress - you could literally feel the dissent and dissapproval, over how the course of the revival ... was going!!
With The local pastors clearly and visibly very distraught and even some....angry. Anyway to cut a long story short after that campaign had ended! The organizers and pastors vowed and agreed never to have the big name preacher back again. All good and well - but In the Meanwhile: Word had it that the big name preacher who had long since left town to fly back to his own country -- had unsparingly accused the people and christians of Australia of having an "annais and sapphira spirit" hmmm. (strong words)
Needless to say: He never came back again!
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I guess too: Pastors from local churches had viewed this event as being an occassion and opportunity for some much needed GROWTH AND HARVEST! and for God to ADD to his church (daily) such as should be saved. But Instead found themselves having to deal with dissapointment and questions from those in congregations that asked why? And what went wrong pastor? And how could we get it so horribly wrong? As clearly expectation had fallen way below the mark - and what was expected.
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Meanwhile: Now Some Ten years have passed and elapsed since that first negative encounter had occurred! But The story doesn't end there: The next biggest thing to come to our town and rival the previous encounter! Was when a man who was touted, billed, and promoted as a genuine apostle was coming! and this time things were going to be different, or so they said? As a man promoted to be a genuine apostle (who mind you) had already seen the dead raised and seen phenomenal supernatural signs & wonders follow his ministry on the mission field where he worked - was now coming over to our nation and land...
And so With put the past clearly behind us NOW and the (first bad experience) a distant fading memory - we were ready to press on and soldier on! We had totally moved on, as it were! And with the benefit of the doubt clearly given - and the olive branch of peace extended. (I thought count me in - yet again)
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But what happened this time? Well Like the previous occassion it was very well promoted in advance with flyers and brochures handed out & distributed en-masse! and with church bulletin boards and church news announcements (just a BUZZ with excitement) Promotional material went out into private homes and letterboxes and the event well canvassed - everywhere and in all places. The excitement and expectation in fact was so thick - one could cut the air with a knife. Everything was in readiness and well planned as we simply just waited now for THE MAN OF GOD to show up and come to our town and let the spiritual awakening begin!! He had come: in fact very HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND EVERY THING SEEMED TO BE (ON-THE-NOSE) Every thing seemed to check-out and be above board - so far as the man-of-God was And his reputation were concerned! And Having also spoken ALREADY in many western churches throughout the known world. THE expectation was very high and reached fever pitch - in our city. So needless to say: we thought and sincerely believed ourselves to be in very good hands - this time?
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And again: why would't you? When you recieve a brochure that states and reads as follows " The lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life! bring all your sick loved ones, and bring them them in wheelchairs! and those battling the dreaded C word (cancer)! As this man truly: had the goods and the runs on the board -- and is healing people all around the world! And all of which Apperently could be verified and documented as true...and no lie!!
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So why would you doubt then? or anybody doubt for that matter? And after all - remember: almost ten years had elapsed since the first negative experience with revival had occured! And what pray-tell if the great man of God and things spoken of him are all true? I could be missing out! So Why would anyone then vascilate, hesitate, or procrastinate to come and be a partaker? or attend? Hey Another tilt at genuine revival and souls saved, and sick bodies healed. ( count me in - yes please )
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As the day and prescribed events drew closer I was one of the first to enter the buiding and fill the auditorium! and to occupy the seat of the learned! I mean to tell you, man, I was both hungry and eager, and ready to whoop lots of devils. I figured this time surely ive got the devil licked - and whooped big time!!
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And after all: It had been now a ten year drought since the previous negative experience, which was all but forgotten and a distandt bad memory ! so i figured nothing to lose - but possibly everything to gain. So (count me in) and like many other thousands of Christians at that moment in time we came expecting, ready, eager, earnest and waiting.
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So what happened this time? Surely to goodness not a repeat of the first revival you spoke of at the beginning of your article? (Surely not)? Well in spite of the excitement and hype - the people of this nation were to once again - be let down! And the alleged miracles that were supposed to happen and were reportedly common place in the man of God's home country, never did materialize. IN fact: Nothing happened of the sort! No miracles, no healings, nor any great manifestations (unless of course you count being slain on the floor and being in some semi- comatose state - of deep sleep ) a genuine manifestation of the Spirit? Otherwise then: you were in for a big let down - sadly. And all of the "wheel chair" bound folks who had made the long trip out to the "meet" and had lined the "altar" from one end to the other ... in anticapation of recieving a miracle at the hands of the great man-of-god - recieved nothing! In fact NOT one single wheel chair bound person stood up on their feet and testified that they had just been were healed.
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As the campaign wore on and continued: And all hopes for what we would describe as genuine revival! however: Soon began to all (but fade and subside away) All Hopes of mass healing And deliverance and more importantly souls saved for God's kingdom! All but evaporated! Instead all we witnessed was long prayer lines and large cues out the front with people lying slain on the canvass floors (in some kind of deep semi-comatose sleep) At one stage at another venue ( same speaker) during the campaign - a man with what could ony be described as having permanent damage to his ankle bones & feet .... stood upright all of a sudden and began running all around and about the building! Man You could have heard a pin drop as we all looked on with wonder and amazement! A friend of mine sitting close to me had remarked in strong voice "Glory TO GOD -look at him go" "praise GOD HE'S JUST BEEN HEALED" he exclaimed - as we all looked on in amazement as the impotent man ran up and down these church aisles. We thought at last, at long, long last some genuine miracles are manifestations are happening and taking place .... yaayyy
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But what happened after that? Surely this would have generated more faith in others to believe and no doubt revival would have broken out (of a truth) (all around you) and within those 4 walls you speak of? And surely people would have jumped up and down all over the place - declaring in no uncertain terms hey "Ive just been healed" ??
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Sadly though: When the man who was impotent in his feet (from his mothers womb) had returned to his seat and looking somewhat pale and exhausted for the experience. All of a sudden and Right then and there and before our eyes: He literally began to have a cardiac arrest and almost died right there on the spot! in front of the entire congregation! In the end it was the mercy of God that he "just" survived and revived to tell the story - of how he almost died in a "revival" meet!
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So how then do you gauge what happened this time? And Did many in the end get healed and gloriously delivered? Did the local churches recieve an an influx - and boost to congragation size? I sincerely wish i could report good news on that front. But again expectations -leveled out- and were not met!!
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So having had two bad experiences stephen you don't believe in revival anymore? Is that it? Is that really what this article is about? Have you thrown the baby out with the bathwater? Where do you stand then? tell us? why make us wait? tell us plainly - your views?
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That's actually a very good question: Being that i am someone that has read many books and accounts on revival - and what revival is supposed to mean and represent! I mean to say: ive read all of the works by leonard ravenhill and all of his treatises on the subject of revival! and also many other books considered classic works - on the topic of revival.
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Seriously speaking: I don't know how to define revival anymore! I mean to say: Is it spiritual a outbreak that comes and goes? that grows in intensity but eventually peters out? in order to make us hunger and thirst for the same again? Is it a great spiritual awakening and/or renewal? or is it simply counted as a great move of God which God himself must initiate. ecetera.
What glossary of terms define it? and how to do we recognize and discern genuine revival as oppossed to fake ones and false ones? and that of just plain quirkiness and flakiness (or) and that of just hyped up emotionalism. Tis a fair question

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Doubtless: There would be some in here that would assert with great conviction and great authority that they know the difference between true and false revival!! ( And because i had (2) previous bad experiences that does not not in any way tarnish previous revivals with the same brush i experienced here - in australia )
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Truth O'Lord: One man experience does not affect or alter what takes place in another man;s experience! or other generations that follow after them (Amen to that) I agree totally!!
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What is noteworthy: Is two things: The pastors and other experienced men here in australia had very sincere and honest expectations for revival. And secondly the main speaker/ speakers that came here were well credentialed and everything seemed to check out -- as good and proper. But yet things do not go as planned and many were discouraged by the events that happened. But the good news is most have recovered and are moving on
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But some would say: They were revivals or expectations that came from the charismatic or the pentecostal left and right wing ( And so brother ) had the events been confined to the conservative evangelicals or the "classic pentecostals" then the result or expectation might have been a very different one!!
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I guess my reponse to that is: Perhaps you are right in making that assumption! But i don't know that i have ever witnessed or been a partaker of anything of that resembles true or authentic revival! So for (NOW) i reserve my judgment and will wait
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I have a friend who tells me: That if i or another preacher mention that word "revival" one more time (she says this in jest of course, but partly serious) she is seriously going to explode. She is very much (dis-illusioned and fractured) by previous on-goings here in Oz, but nevertheless i still encourage her "to keep on keeping on" and to hang in there!!!
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I have since had to revise my use of certain terminology and phrases when i am around her! However these days: even though i am still personally comfortable with the use of the WORD and term "REVIVAL" and/or "spiritual outbreak" i have since re-aligned my focus and myself to concentrate more ON "the spiritual maturity" (of the believers) and of the teaching of God's people ( The new testament church primarily is a teaching and learning centre) and our primary need is coming into fullness, and growing up in HIM in all things - to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, who is the head of all things - even the CHURCH!! Friends like it or not! Agree or dis-agree -- WE are not going anywhere fast, until we understand the things we both say and affirm - to others!!


_________________
Bro Stephen

 2009/3/2 22:30Profile
passerby
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Joined: 2008/8/13
Posts: 742


 Re: WHAT IS REVIVAL: And can revival be defined ??

"Revival is a renewed conviction of sin and repentance, followed by an intense desire to live in obedience to God."

- Charles Finney

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 2009/3/3 1:47Profile





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