Category Archives: Revival

Demonic activity in revival

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The present world is the arena for an uncompromising, bitter struggle – the struggle between good and evil, of God and his armies against the Devil and his.  We believe that the victory belongs to God in Christ.  But we know too that the Devil, although defeated, is not yet banished, and continues to war against all that is good and true and right with such malice and resourcefulness as we can scarcely conceive of.  Now, when ‘God comes’ in revival, and God’s people are stirred up to to repentance, prayer, evangelism and good works, it is certain that Satan will do all within his power to destroy the work, and if not destroy it, to damage and discredit it in whatever ways he can. …

The miraculous element in revival (II)

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A descriptive account has been given in the previous chapter of occurrences which seem to contain a miraculous element.  Now the question arises as to what construction we should put on these occurrences.  In other words, are we warranted to accept that there may be a miraculous element in revival?

As previously noted, those who have a ‘reformed’ understanding of revival have tended to view with suspicion allegedly miraculous phenomena.  But there have been others who have taken a more positive approach. …

The miraculous element in revival (I)

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One aspect of revival which merits careful study is the miraculous element.  Now it is perfectly correct to say that any true revival is of supernatural origin, just as is regeneration of an individual soul.  But this part of our subject still needs consideration from a more limited point of view.  The question still to be answered is, To what extent, if any, do miracles occur in revivals?

This is a question on which evangelical theology has not yet articulated a clear, unambiguous answer. …

Physical and emotional phenomena of revival

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One feature which is often notable in revival, is the presence  of a variety of unusual phenomena, ranging from physical prostrations to (real or apparent) prophesyings, visions, and miraculous healings.

Now some scholars have been content merely to note the occurrence of these phenomena without making any serious attempt at biblical or theological explanation.  Ronald Knox, for example, at the end of a long book which catalogues many extraordinary features associated with revivals and ‘fringe’ movements, clumps them all together, and says:-

How to explain these phenomena – Camisard child-prophecy, or Jansenist convulsions, or Methodist swoonings, or Irvingite glossolaly – is a question that need not detain us.…

Results of revival

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It is time to consider some of the effects of revival upon the individual, the church, and society.  We take as our starting-point the great results of the Pentecostal outpouring:-

Acts 2:43ff  Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. …

Preaching and revival

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Having considered the central place of the Bible and of biblical doctrine in revival, we move on to examine how the word of God is proclaimed during periods of spiritual awakening.  R.E. Davies asserts that a factor which constantly recurs in revival and awakening is ‘powerful, urgent, relevant, Christ-centred preaching’.  As the same writer reminds us:-

On the Day of Pentecost, the 120 disciples were filled with the Spirit, and immediately began to speak in various languages about the wonderful works of God. …

The Word of God and revival

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In this chapter, two closely related aspects of revival will be considered: first, the place of the Bible itself in spiritual awakenings; and second, the place of biblical doctrine.

THE PLACE OF THE BIBLE

One of the leading features of revival is that the Bible takes its rightful place as God’s truthful, inspired, and authoritative revelation.  The Book which had lain gathering dust on the bookshelf at home is now taken up and read with delight as people realise the importance and vitality of the message it contains. …

Prayer and revival

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We now move on to consider a vital element of our subject, namely, the indissoluble link between prayer and the coming of revival:-

[It] is God’s will, through his wonderful grace, that the prayers of his saints should be one great and principle means of carrying on the designs of Christ’s kingdom in the world…It is revealed that, when God is about to accomplish great things for his church, he will begin by remarkable pouring out the spirit of grace and supplication, Zech 12:10.

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Repentance and revival

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Sensitiveness to sin

If, as we have seen, a leading feature of revival preaching is the setting forth of God’s holy character, and his righteous law, and his judgement against sin, then it follows that the experience of those being revived will be characterise by repentance.  If revival is to be defined as the coming back to life of something very nearly like a corpse, then it follows that the first act which must be performed is to mourn and confess the spiritual lifelessness from which we would be delivered.…

Experience of God in revival

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Although revival has often, and very accurately, been defined in terms of the renewal of the spiritual life of believers, and the accession of large numbers into the kingdom of God, an even more basic and fundamental understanding of revival could be given in terms of the way in which God is experienced at these times.  Quite simply, in revival ‘God comes’.

Now this experience of God’s presence is heightened in revival, but is not peculiar to it. …