“Emotionalism” in Revival
Nothing is new under the sun. In every revival, there are criticism towards “excess” and emotionalism that is displayed in the assemblies. In every revival there has been accounts of people laughing, shouting, shaking, and spinning. And in every revival there are mixed reactions as to it’s authenticity. Thousands of bible-believers are torn between it being counterfeit and legit.
Take the Azusa Street revival as an example. We Charismatic believers prize and exalt Azusa Street as an authentic revival yet can forget that in the Azusa Street meetings there were accounts of people laughing, shaking, and some even barking. Does that make it godly? No, but despite the bizarre manifestations that may have come God still moved by the power of His Spirit.
There were accounts in the Welsh revival, and John Wesley meetings, and Jonathan Edwards, of criticism towards excess. But when we think of these revivals, much of the evangelical world prizes what God did in these spiritual awakenings.
Yet as much as we prize the past accounts of God’s workings in His church, we point the finger at moves of God like Brownsville, or any other meeting where people might shake or shout more than the usual.
Am I saying that every time someone shakes it is the Holy Spirit? No. But I am saying that if someone shakes it is not the Holy Spirit? No either.
On the day of Pentecost, while I don’t believe the disciples were in a drunken stupor looking like fools, I do believe there was MUCH emotion. So much was the emotion of this moment that onlookers mocked them saying they were filled with much wine.
How about King David? When the ark of God (typifying the presence of God) was carried back to Israel, David wasn’t looking around seeing the style of music or how people worshiped. He jumped, shouted, and spun around, looking like a madman to his own wife. Yet his response was the he would be more “undignified” that what he was.
Is there such a thing as fleshly manifestations? Absolutely. But we have to be careful when we judge a revival as a whole and put everything into the same box.
I believe Lakeland may have very well started as a move of the Holy Spirit. But too much emphasis is obviously being placed on miracles and manifestations rather than the word of God.
In every revival, the acid test if it is legit or not is the fruit that comes out of it. The fruit of the Spirit will always result in a greater love for Christ and for fellow man. If a revival is doing such a work, and people still shake or shout too much, I’ll take that over a meeting where there is much structure and much doctrine yet little life and love.
Are we called to “test” all things? Absolutely. But let’s be sure our testing is Scriptural and proper. Sometimes our “testing” may not be spiritual but carnal and critical without properly examining the whole.