Good revival theology???

Hi, I have read lots of books on revival and I have found few that develop revival's theological underpinnings in the context of contemporary theology and systematic theology in general. A focus on revival is seen by most in the church as theologically unsound, fanatical and likely to burn people out, or at least discourage people when it never happens, despite all their prayers.

Personally, I can't stop praying for it, studying and reading about it. Also, the fleeting experiences I have had of the Holy Spirit coming in power, in conviction of sin leading to radical converts, and miraculous healing have made me hungry for much, much more and on a much greater scale.

If revival really is a possibility in our unbelieving age where the church is either bound by postmodern paralysis, a suffocating prosperity focus or a legalistic deadness, and if God wants to send revival, and if it could lead to similar effects as the First or Second Great Awakenings (i.e. a good chunk of the population beings saved and the course of Western history being re-directed), then this topic is of vital theological and practical concern in the church!!

Some branches of contemporary theology have become very focused on eschatology and the Kingdom of God; they would claim that the kingdom of God is 'the' central theme in Scripture, but they are not really that interested in what this kingdom looks like when it breaks into our world (except perhaps the social justice dimension). Has anyone ever read any books examining the relationship between the Kingdom of God and evangelical revival??

There seems to be a strong correlation between these two. The eschatological tension between the kingdom now and future is often used to explain away why people don't get healed, and why the church is not doing so well, but could not the kingdom coming in power be God's will and desire, more than his withholding of it?? (Jesus told us to pray: "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven")

Surely the kingdom coming in power today, looks the same as it was in the day of Jesus and the apostles, and in past revivals in church history: mighty conviction of sin, regeneration and salvation, and in Pentecostal revivals: visions, healings, demons being cast out, etc ("But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." Matthew 12:28). Could this outpouring of God's Spirit (i.e. revival) not be called the sovereign in-breaking of the Kingdom of God??

Has anyone else found any good discussions on the relationship of revival with wider theology or any better theological framework to examine revival within??

One book called "The Kingdom the Turned the World Upside Down" by David Bercot.

He is not necessarily addressing "revival" theology; but the issues he discusses could well be the difference between having revival, and the responses to revival, and none.

Blessings,
Lori

Hey HarvestNow. I am of the same mind and am studying this more as it burns brighter within me. It seems I have done much study, prayer and preaching just to see the revival. It is as if I have said, if I do this then revival will happen. In my opinion much of world serves God on the same plane. They say, "I will help myself to God, on my own time and in my own way." It seems to be an attitude of churchdom. Duncan Campbell says it well, "So much of the steam is not going to the piston but out the whistle."
Rather, he says, God does not respond because we pray for it, but first humble ourselves and then pray, just like 2 Chronicles 7:14 says. God honors His Word and covenant. "If my people...will 1) humble themselves and 2) pray. In that order.
Rather we ought to ask that God might help Himself to us, as He wishes and in His way. Richard Owen Roberts talks about a great error in the church today being our view of God. God has been brought low, and in a low view of God we have quite a high view of ourselves. With a high view of ourselves we have a dangerously low view of sin.

Duncan Campbell, Richard Owen Roberts, J Edwin Orr and a host of others are ones who have a great view of God and talk about it.
Roberts has two sermons, in video format, that talk about the Nature of Revival and the Theology of Revival. Very simple but powerful teaching. I'm not sure if it is on this website, but can be found on sermonaudio.

Let's dialogue...and encourage one another. if you cannot find these videos and want to see them, PM me and I will make sure you get them.

FOR HIS GLORY!

I think Jonathan Edward's [i]Religion Affections[/i] would be very helpful. I have read it, and it is an in-depth treatise on revival, genuine conversion, and its counterfeits from someone who was a central part of the 1st Great Awakening.

A shorter, more introductory book to Edwards' "Religious Affections", is his other little gem, "A Surprising Work of God." I recommend it.

Rather we ought to ask that God might help Himself to us, as He wishes and in His way. Richard Owen Roberts talks about a great error in the church today being our view of God. God has been brought low, and in a low view of God we have quite a high view of ourselves. With a high view of ourselves we have a dangerously low view of sin.

Excellent post Ruach34 -

The metioned messages are available here, highly recommended ...

[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=279&min=20&orderby=titleA&show=20]Richard Owen Roberts[/url]

Rather we ought to ask that God might help Himself to us, as He wishes and in His way. Richard Owen Roberts talks about a great error in the church today being our view of God. God has been brought low, and in a low view of God we have quite a high view of ourselves. With a high view of ourselves we have a dangerously low view of sin.

Hi, thanks Ruach34 for your encouragement, I have Richard Owen Robert's books on repentance and another of his on revival and will read them soon (and listen to the sermons as well)! I think when God places a burden for revival; it would be disobedient to not pray for it. It is not presumptuous to pray for revival when we have a God given burden. Perhaps many receive this burden but give up praying for it??

I also have an Arminian perspective on things, so am sometimes a little uncomfortable with what I perceive as a more passive stance on the fate of the lost, that I feel Calvinists have when discussing revival. Better to err on the side of prayer for the Kingdom and preaching the gospel than passivity (this is my bent anyway).

Also, this is a discussion for another forum post, but I don't believe an Arminian perspective has a low view of sin, but rather an even higher view of it, as the choice to reject Christ is free and therefore so much more terrible (and it also has a high view of God), but I will say no more!

I know many who have had the experience of praying for his Kingdom (or revival?) to come on a local level and have had these prayers answered in dramatic ways (Jesus told us to pray: "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven", so it always his will to bring the Kingdom in one sense), and I suspect the truly burdened corporate prayers of humbled saints will invite and receive the Spirit's activity on much greater scale as well.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you ... If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:9, 13).

Cheers, for everyone else's suggestions as well.

"Has anyone ever read any books examining the relationship between the Kingdom of God and evangelical revival??"

Brother, I believe that when we are praying for revival that we are praying for the kingdom of God to come, and when we are praying as Jesus taught on to pray "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven", then we are praying for revival. For the kingdom of God is the rule and reign of Jesus Christ, and a true revival is the Holy Spirit coming in power and doing the work of the kingdom through men.

Men have been afraid to talk much about the kingdom coming because of the extreme teaching that Christians are going to take over the world before Jesus comes. We know that this is contrary to the Word of God. However, Christians are not to passively await the return of Jesus while the powers of darkness have their way in this world. Christians are to occupy until Jesus comes, and whatever sphere of life that the Lord has us in, we should be claiming it for His kingdom, being salt and light.

Mike

Yes, there are good books about revival, I recommend "Why Revival Tarries" and the sequel "Revival God's Way" by our beloved Leonard Ravenhill. Let me also give a note of warning: You can have your heart warmed by reading all the good books and not have an inkling of passion for yourself. There is a lot of study going on about revival, tons of books and dissertations are written about it. False apostles and prophets refer to true moves of God and want their ministry seen as a succession of historic revivals; they derive the validity of their ministry by making lot of references to them.
You can have all the knowledge about moves of God's and be as cold as a stone. Our full bookshelves will witness against us and pronounce us guilty of knowing it all and doing nothing about it. God forbid that we are only hearers and knowers but not doers.

Narrowpath

(edited for spelling mistakes.)

I recommend "Why Revival Tarries" and the sequel "Revival God's Way" by our beloved Leonard Ravenhill

There is also a third book to this set of Ravenhill's books, it is called "Revival Praying."

Great books suggested so far... wonderful study... just make sure we're seeking to have what God wants, not just an experience that makes our skin prickle...

If you just want an experience like that, its an idol and God can't give "revival" to an idolater. Like Ravenhill said "Anything you love more than Jesus Christ is an idol- I don't care what it is."

Lets pray like they did in Acts so many times... for the furtherance of the Gospel, and hey if the "experiences" and tingly feelings come, great. But we're in this for His glory, not a neat story ;)

Thanks for all the suggestions and for bringing up this topic. I'll be getting my hands on some of these books.

God bless you all. Keep Jesus first!

-nate

"Sometimes we want to write history, but lets just let Him write His-Story."

In total agreeement with AbideinHim, when we pray for 'Your kingdom come," we are praying for revival.

Recently, the church I attend did a series on One Prayer. The question, 'if you could pray for one thing, what would it be.' There were several things mentioned and fearfully there was no suggestion for His Kingdom to come.
Yet, this one prayer idea could be a consideration for us now in Christiandom, not a one prayer theme but One goal. What is our purpose, as blood bought brothers and sisters, in this earth? Is it to separate ourselves and keep distance because we disgree on terminology or such? No, rather, as Paul said, "I determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified." (NASB)
My one prayer is that we could join together, in the face of our diferences and determine to know Him, to seek His face.

Have you ever wondered why there so much fighting in the World? The world talks about peace, peace, but there is no peace. Why? Because when they come together they fight about the solutions to peace. Then it erupts into World Wars...

How alike to that are we in the church. We quarrel and fight...proud in heart, esteeeming ourselves over each other.

O God, save us from our quarrels and conflicts among us (James 4:1). Verse 6 says grace is given to the humble. O, God, how we need humble men and women...Your face is turned away from the proud. Send a revival of Humility!

Bonar, Horatius True Revival and the Men God Uses

Bonar was a powerful soul-winner and well qualified to pen this brief, but illuminating study of the character of true revivalists.

Edwards, Jonathan A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections in Three Parts

This work is of immense value today to both those who decry the expression of any emotions in Christian experience, as well as those who equate emotional expressions as the only evidence of true spirituality.
Edwards, Jonathan The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God

The 'Distinguishing Marks,' published in 1741, was based on a sermon Jonathan Edwards preached in Boston during the Great Awakening which spread through New England and the British Isles.

Finney, Charles G. Lectures on Revivals of Religion

Arguably one of the most exhaustive analytical studies of revival that has ever been penned by an authentic revivalist. 'In spite of its controversial nature, the influence exerted by this book on revival movements has been unique, especially chapters I-VII.' Arthur Wallace.

Fish, Henry C. Handbook Of Revivals For the Use of Winners of Souls

With unrelenting zeal for God the writer systematically deals with every conceivable Revival-related issue, covering such themes as Objections, Evangelists, Children, Hindrances, Preaching, Prayer, Handling Inquirers and Training Converts, as he carries the reader through to a place of personal decision to stand within the ranks of history’s Revivalists. A great book!
Murray, Andrew Revival

Some deep insights into the dynamics of revival from the pen of a man whose ministry lives on through his numerous spiritual and devotional writings

Payne, Thomas Revivals - How Promoted; or Channels of Blessing

Reflections on some personal and historical revivals designed to encourage the church to engage in seeking God for fresh waves of revival power.

Penn-Lewis, Jessie War on the Saints

A chapter from her famous 'War on the Saints' dealing with the dawn of revival and the polace of the Baptism in the Spirit.

Sprague, William B. Lectures on Revivals of Religion

Some arguably claim this to be the most important lectures on revival ever published in America. It is certainly a very significant book from the reformed tradition.

Wallis, Arthur In The Day of Thy Power

Arthur Wallis was a great Christian statesman whose work on Revival, 'In The Day Of Thy Power,' was, and still is, the most insightful and helpful work on the Biblical principles and dynamics of Revival ever written.

SOURCE: http://www.revival-library.org/index.html?http://www.revival-library.org/quotes/revival.htm