[b]Hindrances to Revival[/b]
\tIt has been on my heart the last little while to write an article of challenge to by God's grace motivate us to prayer, and to help us pray in a way that hits the mark. One of the ways we can focus our prayers is by praying about the things that stand in the way or hinder revival. I pray God would use this consideration, challenge, and exhortation to motivate and direct us in such a way that revival no longer needs to tarry.
[b]Hindrance #1 - Wrong Motives (selfishness and “us”-focus)[/b]
\tThe first point in question is that of motives. As I reflect on various prayers and prayer meetings that I have had the opportunity of relating to, it seems to me very often and rather quickly, this subject of motives surfaces. In Jeremiah 17:10 we read, “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.”
\tMany times I hear prayers like, “Lord you need to visit our church, our people, and our nation.” In and of itself this may not be wrong, but often it reveals and belies an underlying problem, and that being the motive is for us and not for Him. Paris Reidhead in the popular message “Ten Shekels and a Shirt” talks about this wrong foundation and motivation and calls it humanism. “God then becomes a means to our end, rather than the glorious end that He is.”
\tThere are several areas of concern where this issue of motives tends to manifest itself. The first one I would like to mention, may be the most obvious, that of personal benefit. Now of course, we all must have a personal benefit in revival, but it is the “cart” and not the “horse”. If I am seeking revival primarily for what I get out of it and that alone, I believe I have a mis-guided motive. If I entertain secret desires of receiving favor or honor of men, because of being involved in revival, it will be the very thing that hinders revival and ultimately makes it so that God will not be able to use me freely.
\tThe second way this issue of wrong motives may manifest itself is respective to my particular church, group of churches, denomination or affiliation. It is my personal opinion that denominations are not legitimate in the Body of Christ, but be that as it may, if I am seeking revival for “us”, and “us alone”, whatever that “us” may be, I do not believe He will be able to trust us with His Spirit freely. God is not power to put in our program. Paris Reidhead tells the story of a pastor from West Virginia who came to him for help. He had a “successful” Sunday School program, a “growing” church and a “flourishing” radio ministry. However, he sensed he didn't have personal power like he aught to have had and wanted the anointing that Paris had. Paris proceeded to tell him he couldn't have it. Why, Paris said, “I knew that rascal, because why, I knew me”. He had done all that without God and now he wanted a little power for his program. Paris told him he was like that fellow pulling up to the filling station in a big Cadillac and saying to the attendant fill'er up with the highest octane you got. Paris told him he would have to get out of the driver's seat and let the Lord drive. No, that would never work, because he would just reach over and grab the steering wheel. He would have to get in the back seat, but that wouldn't be safe either, because he would still reach front and grab the wheel. The only safe place for him was to crawl in the trunk, whisper through the key hole to the Lord, “You put whatever you want in, and drive wherever you want to go.” This is a beautiful picture of how we must get out of the driver's seat and control.
\tThe third area I wish to point out in this manifestation of wrong motives, may not be popular to address, but by God's grace I believe I must. That issue is the issue of either cultural or national identity. Once again God is not “power to put in our program” [Paris Reidhead]. It is not the subject of this consideration, but our nation (or any other nation besides Israel or Spiritual Israel depending on your views) does not have any special place or favor with God. God owes no favors to one nation over another, save that righteousness exalts any nation Proverbs 14:34. We never read of the Apostle Paul decrying the heathenism of the empire he was under. He seemingly wasn't even concerned about such things, but he sure was concerned about the church, and about those that were called by His name. It's not time to decry abortion, divorce and remarriage, sodomy, and sins of every kind in the nation. We should expect the world to do such things, but we must decry it in the church and those that call themselves by His name. We need to invest our time in evangelism and preaching the word and leave the governing and issues of the kingdoms of this world with those that are of this world. God will not save our nation, He saves people, not programs, not governments, but people, and yes He may stay judgment because of the “salt” found in a given nation or people group, but it is a by-product and not a prime product. This I believe is, has been, and will be the tenor of true New Testament Apostolic Christianity.
[b]Hindrance #2 Moloch (Pride, Power, Position)[/b]
The second main hindrance to revival I wish to address, is the issue of pride and position. This point follows closely on the heals of the previous one. Bro. Don Courville once mentioned that one of the things the Holy Spirit instructed them to do as they were invited to an area to seek God for revival, was to pay attention to whose Kingdom it was. Paris Reidhead in the message The Dangers of Third Generation Religion, and Dean Taylor in the message Soul Idolatry talked about the Canaanite god of Moloch and how this god is alive and well today. The issue of power, pride, and position has ever stood in the way, hindering revival. In addition even when revival has broken through it has often been side-tracked or stopped by men “grabbing the reins”. This temptation is especially true for men of organizational or denominational position. The “higher” the position, the harder it is for men to be totally humble and open to what God wants to do. That is one of the reasons, I believe, that “God resisteth the proud but gives grace to the humble” James 4:6. I believe it is why God has chosen the foolish, weak, and base things to confound the wise, mighty, and high things 1 Corinthians 1:27.
[b]Hindrance #3 Unreality & Dishonesty [/b]
I believe this has been and continues to feed into and relate closely to the previous hindrances to revival that I have addressed. In Isaiah 58 we see a people that even though fasting were not getting through to God. They did not bother to stop and ask why. In Malachi 2:13 God did not regard their weeping and tears, because of their refusal to deal with personal and corporate reality. My mind goes to the young man in the revival in the Hebrides, who cried out to God “Are my hands clean, Is my heart pure?”. We must ask the hard questions on why revival hasn't and isn't coming. We dare not continue “as usual” expecting it will come eventually. If we are content to live without Him, then many times He will just wait till we are desperate to meet our need. We must examine ourselves and our lives. In a separate article entitled Accountability Questions and Heart Thoughts on Revival I have addressed some of the reality check questions and issues that it is imperative we face today.
Another manifestation of not being in touch with reality is prayerlessness. Leonard Ravenhill once stated that he wouldn't go to a revival conference unless they laid all night between the porch and the altar. In reply to that quote sister Charlene wrote, “This moves me and bring to mind what God has been putting on my heart for so long. I have been to many prayer events in the last two years, I remember going from one place to the next, and being the only person praying for the event as it was going on. I was saddened, didn't people want to pray for God to work? If prayer was so important, then why was there no who came to pray? These where people who were those who talked about prayer and lead prayer stuff. But where were they? Over last two years I have seen much talk, but little action when it came to people gathering and praying, and not playing. I agree we need not to preach it, but live the word of God.”
By God's grace I am trusting this point will be different this year at the Conference(s).
[b]Tuesday evenings (Summary)[/b]
\tIn closing I would like to summarize some of the things God has been doing in, and teaching us in our Tuesday evening prayer call meetings. Brother Don Courville shared some thoughts from the book he wrote, Revival or Ruin. These points have related closely to some of the things I have written above about desperation and reality. Sister Joan has prayed and “coined” the phrase “no back-up plans”, meaning we are investing everything in God and have no other alternatives in mind. Brother
Gareth Evans instructed us on not using worldly methods “ox carts”. God has been teaching us in various ways how he can use nobodies (anyone) to accomplish His plans and purposes. Then Brother Ralph Sutera speaking on the text “Break up your fallow ground” exhorted us to be on praying ground, confessing and forsaking all known sin. And finally, Brother Brian Long exhorted us on doing all things for His glory. I have a sober yet joyful expectation that if we humble ourselves, pray, and walk in the light we have, He will come and change us (the church) and affect many others to the praise of His glory. Oh let us avail ourselves of the wonderful opportunity that is being afforded to us.
Submitted by Merle Weaver
