Why are Some Revivals Short-lived?
Many years ago, I tracked Arthur Wallis, the author of the book, "In the Day of Thy Power", to his small dwelling somewhere near Exeter in England. Here was a godly brother intent on discovering what is the kind of church that can retain revival and continue the revival fire. The Lord greatly blessed the week-end that I had with Bro. Arthur Wallis. The next time I met him was at Killadeas Convention in Northern Ireland where both of us were speakers at that convention. Bro. Duncan Campbell also joined us there.
Then again, when I preached in Wales, I was rather taken aback and pained when I discovered that Evan Roberts who was greatly used in the revival in Wales, had just died only a few years earlier. The revival in Wales was largely confined to the years between 1901 and 1904. The painful question haunted me, "Why did the revival cease after so short a span of time when thousands were added to the Kingdom of God and the aftershocks of this revival were experienced around the world?"
As a pilgrim and a learner, I wanted to know in what areas I personally needed to arm myself against the loss of God's power and how to preserve those conditions which were required for sustaining the holy flame of revival. The decline and demise of great movements were very painful to me. Hence I am putting down a few jottings of those truths which I have learned.
First, the earthen vessel does not generate the glory. Many wonderful changes take place in the earthen vessels, but it is still the earthen vessel. The glory belongs to the Lord and we should never touch His glory.
Secondly, when a preacher climbs into the pulpit, it should be his firm resolve that only Christ should be seen. As men we have our foibles and frailties and even queer mannerisms. We often tend to crowd out the Holy Spirit with our wonderful flourishes of oratory (and foolishness).
It is pathetic to see men with a great past lean heavily on cold-storage sermons. Under the Spirit, each sermon is tailor-made for the congregation in front of the preacher. Thus when a preacher loses touch with God and becomes a poor conductor of His power and a mere automaton, then revival will cease.
It is a pathetic fall in any preacher when finance, filthy lucre and money-needs begin to play an important part in a preacher's thinking. Today it is all about money. Money is not the currency of heavenit is faith! When a preacher does not grow in faith, the needs of his family and other needs can befog him completely. Then a preacher becomes a blind watchman and soon this blindness develops dumbness besides. Thus God speaks of "blind watchmen" and "dumb dogs." I have never seen a dumb dog, but many preachers deserve this title. "Come unto me, I will give you a featherbed," may be the cry of our modern prosperity preachers, but Jesus says, "I have no place to rest my head."
When a team of brothers who have prayed and labored together, no longer do so, due to a variety of reasons or no reason, revival ceases. When the Spirit of prayer is gone, then revival ceases.
I cannot see how it is possible to walk with God without becoming continually small in your own eyes. Many preachers don't grow in humility. That proves to be their Waterloo. Then there is the temptation to exalt one's own favourites or children. A preacher has to lift his own family in faith. Otherwise, his own family becomes a deadweight and a hindrance to revival.
Just now we are having revival meetings in numerous places before the Annual Retreat of May 2012. Teams of our evangelists are sent out to these places. I have just heard that even the core group of preachers who are designated to preach in a particular place, do not gather together or pray. Citing pressure of work as the excuse, they just come in, preach and leave after hardly a day's stay. Such men are killing God's work rather than building it.
At one conference where my dad was the main speaker, when he saw an important speaker was to come for a single sermon and depart immediately, he took the unusual step of sending a telegram to him not to come. My dad zealously guarded the platform. He did not want performers there, but only people who lifted Jesus and just disappeared themselves.
We had better take heed and humble ourselves before the manifestations and the outpourings of revival recede and cease and pay heed to these few red flags which I have just put before you.
If these red flags do not make you repent and change course, I fear nothing will! You have bought your own coffins.
---Joshua Daniel
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