Has There Been Recent Revivals?

Okay, I'm starting to get more into this revival thing [laughs]. Kind of ironic since like, well, that's pretty much what this site is all about. But something dawned on me this weekend concerning revival (you know, like a light bulb being turned on in my head?)... and that is what has led me to start this topic "Has There Been Recent Revivals?" So what do you guys think? In your/our lifetime, have we seen any revivals and do we still see the fruit of them today?

Sister Yodi you wrote;Quote;But something dawned on me this weekend concerning revival (you know, like a light bulb being turned on in my head?)Will you please share with us what dawned on you re: Revival?

[laughs] I need some feedback first. I need you guys to tell me what you think the last revivals were. So... Rahman, since you were the first to... well, [laughs] sort of reply, just a simple yes or no and maybe an explanation of whether or not we've/you've seen/heard of any recent revival(s), meaning, let's say 1900's to now.

Do I interfere at the beginning of a thread like this by asking for a definition of the word ”revival” to be used as a foundation and a measuring rod for what to talk about?Lars W.

Sister Yodi, i personally have never seen a revival in the capacity that i've read about like the Welsh Revival, etc, on SI ... But according to brother Orr the last revival to visit America was in the early 50's, of which the likes of Oral Roberts was a part of, and brother Orr said that revival sputtered and ended in disaster ... i have to say that the closest i've been to actually seeing the Holy Spirit move in a capacity i've not seen since was in a service 20 years ago, in which He spoke a word to me about His coming "final" Revival ... It's funny that you should post this subject today for over the weekend our Lord has really been impressing on me to not be afraid to tell what He told me 20 years ago about His coming final Revival, and where it will begin, and so i have started to do just that to every saint i know, and will post it on SI ...Seems to me He's about to bring to pass my 20 year burden, or i'm about to be proved one self deluded saint ... i pray for the former, and hope to God it's not the latter, but either outcome will be freeing to me, as my Christian experience has certainly not been ordinary, in the sense of comparative experience of other saints i know ...Hope this qualifies as a reply, because i'm most interested on what's dawned on you!PS - To me a REVIVAL is a direct movement and work of the Holy Ghost by Himself, and thru men, in which Christ is lifted up in such a divine and supernatural manner that both saved and unsaved alike are convicted to subsequent repentance, and the walk and talk of that experience ... It's not a flash in the pan type movement, but one that gains momentum like the brush fires of California ... Revival to me is re-ignition of Pentecost, and is all about the sweeping of souls, in this case the remaining souls, into the Body of Jesus Christ.

Rahman,Why did you put your definition on revival as a PS at the end.It is worth much more than so!I insist on a clear definition simply because of the many "flash in the pan type movements".Lars"To me a REVIVAL is a direct movement and work of the Holy Ghost by Himself, and thru men, in which Christ is lifted up in such a divine and supernatural manner that both saved and unsaved alike are convicted to subsequent repentance, and the walk and talk of that experience ... It's not a flash in the pan type movement, but one that gains momentum like the brush fires of California ... Revival to me is re-ignition of Pentecost, and is all about the sweeping of souls, in this case the remaining souls, into the Body of Jesus Christ."

i'm sorry brother Lars, i did that because i was answering sister Yodi, hit refresh, and saw you're post, so my PS was in quick response ... i should have adressed you as such, so please accept my apology ... '0) ... Amen?

Dear brother,I was not after an answer necessarily pointing back at me.I only wanted to get a fairly straigt line from the beginning - and I liked your short definition.Lars

Clearly it is the saints, not the sinners, that are primarily involved in revival. The quickening of the saints is the root, while the saving of the sinners is the fruit. Therefore, to see the primary effects of revival we must look at the church. Isaiah sounded a reveille call to the people of God in the familiar words, “Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city” (52:1). Revival marks the awakening of the church; indeed such a time is commonly termed “an awakening”. When asleep one is out of touch with the world of reality. The church asleep is out of touch with the world of spiritual reality, and needs to be awakened. “Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion.” Asleep, the church of Christ is impotent; awakened, she clothes herself with spiritual strength. The power that began to flow at Pentecost is inexhaustible, and is as much available now as then, but only an awakened church can claim her birthright and go forth “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).No one can deny that the people of God today are largely denuded of this power. It is a characteristic effect of revival that Zion puts on her strength. It is doubtful if the power is ever renewed in a widespread manner save in times of revival. Arthur Wallis In the Day of Thy PowerWe have not seen anything like this in the Scandinavian countries during the last 100 years.Local interventions have occurred, but without lasting impression.Lars

Brother Lars you posted;Quote;Clearly it is the saints, not the sinners, that are primarily involved in revival. The quickening of the saints is the root, while the saving of the sinners is the fruit. Amen to this statement, which i'm keeping and using! ...Ok sister Yodi, If we're all in agreement with the standard and definition of REVIVAL set forth by brother Lars post as our bearing for this discussion, then please share .... "What has just dawned on you about revival"?

J. Edwin Orr produced many books on Revivals.To get an overview of the twentieth century as to revivals, the following items are recommended:The flaming tongue, the impact of Twentieth Century RevivalsEvangelical Awakenings, a five book set, covering Eastern Asia, Southern Asia, Africa, Greater Oceania and Latin America.Lars

I went to the download section at this site and found 70 audio and video recordings of J. Edwin Orr's precious insights into this subject.Highly recommended.Lars

First off, I would have to agree to the simple definition of revival being the moving of the Holy Spirit.I was blind to the fact that there were even any recent revivals because, well, they happened a few decades before I was born, BUT, what dawned on me this weekend is the church I go to and a lot of the Christians I know here in Southern California were in one way or another touched by the Holy Spirit's moving through Billy Graham http://www.billygraham.org/Biographies_Index.asp and Chuck Smith.When Billy Graham came into San Diego the summer of 2003, do you know how many people said they were saved at one of his crusades? I had no idea God had touched so many lives through him. Many of the pastors and leaders in our church are the fruit of those crusades.And Chuck Smith... how could I forget the history of my church, Calvary Chapel http://www.calvarychapel.com/costamesa/ (see "About Us")?! Ever heard of the whole Jesus people movement http://www.one-way.org/jesusmovement/index.html? There's church revival for you!Now... I know that we come from many denominational backgrounds on here and maybe, well, these revivals don't count to you. But having grown up in Horizon, Maranatha, Calvary Chapel Escondido and even having attended Calvary Chapel Kyiv in the Ukraine this past summer, I now know how real these Spirit led, historical events were. And when Billy Graham came to San Diego the summer of 2003, I finally got to hear, in our very own stadium, the simplicty of the Gospel message and his heart for the lost, and got to be apart of the counseling training beforehand.So... I don't know, this encouraged me, realizing that, duh, I'm living in the midst of the fruits of revival! I'm sure... the same is not true for many of you. So I do hope you see your revivals. I hope many more churches will wake up and that the Holy Spirit will continue to move across this world. And in the meantime, may God open our eyes to His everpresent, faithful work! May revival start in our own heart and spread!P.S. Oops! Didn't see your post there Greg! True - agree with your definition too; the church being the church. Thanks for your input - didn't know about those revivals!

Sister Yodi you posted;Quote;When Billy Graham came into San Diego the summer of 2003, do you know how many people said they were saved at one of his crusades? I had no idea God had touched so many lives through him. Many of the pastors and leaders in our church are the fruit of those crusades.And Chuck Smith... how could I forget the history of my church, Calvary Chapel. Ever heard of the whole Jesus people movement. There's church revival for you!i've noted as of recent some other men of God taking a few pot shots at Billy Graham, but i for one have nothing negative to say about him ... Every time i've watched anything that had to do with Billy Graham i always sensed the presence of the Holy Ghost, and the love of Christ, and i praise God that in these times of fallen preachers, teachers, evangelist, etc., that Billy is still standing ... Yes there is evidence of lots of fruit via Billy Graham ... And i'm very well aware of Calvary Chapel, Chuck Smith, and there used to be a Hispanic brother from there that i used to listen to many moons ago on WZZD, christian radio ... Calvary Chapel broadcast were part of my formative years as a baby/young Christian, and let me throw this in while i'm going back down memory lane ... i remember way back, in about 1981, when i heard the Spirit say to me, "Whatever you do, don't stop listening to Charles Stanley", and i haven't ... He's another straight arrow in God's quiver that gives practical, everyday instructions of employing God, via His Word, into our lives ...You also wrote;Quote;So... I don't know, this encouraged me, realizing that, duh, I'm living in the midst of the fruits of revival! I'm sure... the same is not true for many of you. So I do hope you see your revivals. I hope many more churches will wake up and that the Holy Spirit will continue to move across this world. And in the meantime, may God open our eyes to His everpresent, faithful work! May revival start in our own heart and spread!The revival(s) you've mentioned are i'm sure the work of the Holy Spirit, but the one He's impressed on me can never be concidered "your revival", or "my revival", in any sense of seperateness ... When the revival comes that i hear and sense the Holy Ghost impressing on me, it will unmistakably be "OUR - REVIVAL" ... A fire ignited that will spread like gangbusters, with like consequences everywhere it ignites ... i'm talking a national/international engulphing of revival that will put the Welsh and Azusa street revivals to shame ... i've seen local church movements of so called revival that start up, intensify, and then sputter out like a small meteorite, but the type of revival i'm talking about is more like a massive meteor with enough mass to burn thru satan's atmosphere and hit the hearts and minds of men with devestating conviction of sin ... The small types of revival any of us moderns may have seen have been more like localized tornadoes that hit and skip and hop around causing some effects of devestation to sin, but the revival i'm talking about in comparrison to a quick localized tornado is more like the recent 80 mile wide slow moving hurricane Frances that'll dump on us His latter rain to flood stage ...In all the histories that i've read regarding great revivals they've all come out of collective prayer, amongst saints from many denominations, who all realized that they were in dire need of, as brother Lars so concisely pointed out, a real "awakening" from God Himself!i believe that "awakening" to be immenient, earth shattering, and when it hits two things will be very clear to us ...#1 - That we've had no idea of what "revival" truly is.#2 - But that we'll instantly know it's real revival when it hits us ...i can't wait!

I don't know how many of you read NO Compromise by Keith Green, but I still feel such a sense of "let down" that when Keith went to minister at oral Roberts Univ.(and He felt sure that the Lord wanted a revival to start there) that the work of the Holy Spirit was quenched by people "in charge" so as to keep some order. Here were all of these kids weeping and publically confessing their deepest sins and it would have continued- but man got in the way. I see that people get afraid that things won't be controlled. It is really too bad. My heart broke for that moment.I recommend "No Compromise" to anyone who hasn't read it yet. It's the fastest book my husband ever read! :-) In Him, Chanin

Okay, okay... I see what you're saying Greg. So then... I think Billy Graham would be an evangelist and Chuck Smith one of the leaders of revival, back in the 60's & 70's. I think the Jesus Movement was a revival and organized religion wouldn't open their doors to these kinds of people. So... at first, I do think this Calvary Chapel "revival" was... a revival. Yes, it's organized into a church now...[laughs] Okay, nevermind. I know nothing! [laughs] Just kidding. My elementary, simple, feminine mind! I don't have to be right! [laughs]I am becoming more and more open to this revival thing. Need to learn more about it, and most of all, it's something God needs to speak to my heart and the Holy Spirit needs to open my understanding to.I don't know if this falls in the category of revival in the big sense, but as far as in my heart, this weekend God spoke to me a lot about living by a higher standard and being a good example to the rest of the body of Christ (from Ezekiel 8:7-13). That's expected of any Christian, I'm sure, but it was especially pressed on my heart since I am a part of leadership here at the church. How each of us live our lives in public and in secret WILL affect the WHOLE body of Christ. It's not a position to take lightly. I remember a pastor telling me once, "compromise creates casualties". May my brother's and sister's blood not be found on my hands!

Hi Yodi,My husband & I were part of 'something' that happened in Colorado in the early '80's. In hindsight, it was revival on a small scale. Fred was saved in Denver through diverse people who were all focused on God and His saving power. Some were in Alcoholics Anon., some in organized churches, some just fervent Christians on their own. He and this band of fire-brands were instrumental in bringing dozens of souls into the Kingdom. They did baptisms in Sloan's Lake, church baptismals, wherever.Fred moved 5 hours west, and the Spirit began working there. I was saved, Fred & I got married, and we watched the Lord fill up a little country church with all these people who seemed to come out of the woodwork. Many had tried believing in God but were stuck. The older Christians were blown away to see what was happening. None of us, since that time, have seen anything close to what happened then.It did not last. Arguments over doctrine and interpretation killed it. The love disappeared and so did the Spirit. That church is closed now.I've tasted brief moments like it since, and each time I hope and pray that 'whatever it was' will happen again! When God is waking up all these people around you, and all these connections start coming together, people are getting shook up and asking questions like 'Do you know anything about God?' and you can say 'Yes! Let's look it up' and you have a captive audience as you open your Bible.Each time, something seemed to snuff it out. When men demand control, it dies. When worship leaders demand the spotlight and keep on with the 'music program', it dies. When people demand certain forms of prayer in certain set ways, it dies. When we don't obey the Spirit, but fear men's opinions, it dies.I believe the Spirit is searching for that open-ended meeting, that not-too-structured gathering of heavy-hearted, serious-minded BELIEVERS who have a desire to call on GOD until He answers them! A spirit of solemnity, humility, a constant additude of beseeching prayer and communion with the Lord Jesus.... until He answers. That is the kind of meeting I long to be part of. He has blessed such gatherings in the past.The more you learn of revival, sister Yodi, the more the Lord will break your heart to see this thing in your lifetime!! I must see it; my children must see it. Everyone I know must see it.Church programs, good as they may be, are not cutting it. Christian counselors, good as their advice and care can be, are not enough. Unless we see a move of GOD, see His Hand sweep down from Heaven and do what no man can do, our dusty conversion stories will not be enough for this up-and-coming generation.Many of us have given up. We've tried our best at 'doing' this Christian life and failed miserably. Our older children aren't getting it. Many of us are in a corner and glad to discover the prayer closet like never before. For it's there where the work of beseeching is done. I have not yet seen what I long to see. But I am determined to try everything the revivalists of old have recommended!! Regular prayer times. Fasting. Prayer meetings. Prayer conferences. Spreading the word about revivals of the past through word-of-mouth, books, tracts, print-outs, tapes, whatever!Yours in Revival,Mrs. Fred

Mrs. Fred posted;Quote;It did not last. Arguments over doctrine and interpretation killed it. The love disappeared and so did the Spirit. That church is closed now.Each time, something seemed to snuff it out. When men demand control, it dies. When worship leaders demand the spotlight and keep on with the 'music program', it dies. When people demand certain forms of prayer in certain set ways, it dies. When we don't obey the Spirit, but fear men's opinions, it dies.I believe the Spirit is searching for that open-ended meeting, that not-too-structured gathering of heavy-hearted, serious-minded BELIEVERS who have a desire to call on GOD until He answers them! A spirit of solemnity, humility, a constant additude of beseeching prayer and communion with the Lord Jesus.... until He answers. My comment to your post ... Precisely!God's comment to your post ... Joel, chapters 2 & 3