Examination of a Revival

Greetings everyone

I wanted to start this post as a further discovery from another post.

firstly, i ask that for the sake of peace and growth together that no names of revivals be brought into the post and stick to the intent of the post. if we respect each other. it is my intent to look at methods that can help us all to make choices about future spiritual movements that may occur as we are getting closer to the end times. we can bring ideas without challenging each other but rather exploring our own understandings and experiences together.

the way that i am looking at this is breaking down all the elements of a revival and exploring what the best way each element would like like in relation to the word of God.

Elements

1.Spiritual Condition of community before Revival
What was the reason for revival

2.Prayer before revival meeting
Did people pray, how and what for

3.Revival Location
type of place

4.Atmosphere of meeting
Kinds of music, sad , happy, dull, excitement

5.Overall intent of congregation
What are they looking for,

6.Speakers Disposition
Intent towards self, congregation, God and ministry

7.Sermon Topic
What was the focus of the sermon

8.Types of Physical Manifestations
Body movements, reactions

9.Types of Spiritual manifestations
Sounds, unseen forces

10.Speakers reaction to manifestations
Discernment: spiritual interactions and congregation response.

11.Fruit after the revival
What’s the impact

12.Testimonies
Testimonies of People in meeting, after meeting and way down the track

13.Community reactions (external views) criticism and praise

out of these elements i would like to say that the word manifestation is a very broad word and it would be good to kind of talk about wether all manifestation are from God, or some are and some are not.

These are things that have been on my mind for awhile and i would like others imput on any or all of the Elements listed with out fear of being jumped on. I hope this is ok by everyone. cheeers :)

Could you expound it a bit more Karl ? I don't really understand it just yet.

I'm going to have a go at this Karl. Not sure if I'm going in the right direction though.

1. Sermon Subject :
I think it would be the Gospel and Love of Jesus Christ for mankind.

2. The Speaker :
He would be a humble person showing others how amazing the Christ is. Teaching them to look unto Him

3. Environment where it is conducted :
Anywhere that people would humble themselves to follow the Lord. A forest, an island, a heart that will sell themselves for Him.

4. The focus of the congregation :
The Lord, and his Holy Spirit. not to man but to the one who loves them perfectly.

5. Types of manifestations :
Hearts repaired, bodies healed, visions and singing, a willingness to lay down our lives.

6. Community Reactions :
A desire to know more about Christ, to want to partake of what is happening

7. Fruit after the revival :
Families restored, forgiving of one another to continue, strangers adopted into families and made to feel loved.

8. Testimonies :
Of the transforming power of God and his Holy Spirit, the world turned from darkness once again, of healings, and restorations back to God.

hi David

yeah thats what i am looking for, what each saint sees how a rivival would look biblically for them and even expanding on each elements together. this is a great start. i have had my own elements by which i examine revivals i see other saints with different variations of this and i don't believe anyone is wrong to a point that just need to be expanded on and put into context of where they are comming from.

for example the word love has so many different meanings to different saints so if we can examine it in context and expand on it. the word love can become more visible collectively.

5. hearts being repaired, what would this look like. i look at this and see tears from some people, joy in others as burdens are released as well.

im going to edit my post as i can see another element that is present.

I see now. :)

1. Sermon subject. Repentance, grace, holiness, wrath to come.

2. Speaker. Someone who speaks clearly, drenched in love, full of the
Spirit, cares not one whit if anyone even remembers his name.

3. Environment conducted. One where prayer has so preceded it that hearts are made soft, souls made to know their own despair before they walk onto the property.

4. Focus of congregation. To know Christ fully, intent on hearing from
God rather than being heard.

5. Types of manifestations. Prayers of faith and repentance, men crying out to God for mercy, people confessing their sins and mature believers on the ready to embrace and shepherd.

6. Community reactions (external views).

Anger and then brokenness.

7. Fruit after the revival. Changed lives and believers taking responsibility for new believers and surrendering their own time and entertainments for the sake of growing the church of Christ into perfection (maturity). Shared resources from the haves to true widows and orphans. Prisoners and sick and poor being visited and gospel love and truth being given to them

8. Manifestations. See 5. I personally would love to see healings, miracles, words of knowledge and wisdom and prophecies that break men's pride.

9. Testimonies. Scores of people saying I now am found. Scores more saying "yes, and now you are going to find way more because we are making you ours as He made you His."

10. Atmosphere of meeting. Expectant, but sober; a realization that eternity is in the room.

That make sense??

hi David

your points 3,6,7,8 is what i see as well
points 1,2, 4, 10, i would like to expand on

1. conviction of sin through love as well

2. carries authority, humble, love for the Lord that you can clearly see a relationship between the speaker and God. definatley points to Christ and his teachings. I think also that they are focused on the lord and not then selves.

4. to get right with God, to know God, to bring burdens to God. i think this can be largely varied on the basis that people look for God for their own individual needs in their life at the time.

10. i feel the atmosphere is important being God created and can see dangers of it being man created. this point incorporates music, intention of meeting.

i have found it interesting trying to expand on ideas in an open forum compared to in the comfort of my own reasoning but this has set me on a search for solid ground when examing revivals. :)

Hi Dolfan

thats makes alot of sense thankyou it is deffinatly expanding the elements.

I realised today that each element may get substancially bigger but thats fine as it will only give more points to ponder on or chew the cudd over.

Hi Karl, nice little topic this.

You brought up something I put in number 5: Types Of Manifestations.
I said hearts being repaired ...
One example could be the same manifestation as a rose opening up. People who were once hardened and rebellious are made soft and pliable. Joy in their hearts also. People who once wouldn't talk to them can see they have become very approachable.

There are nice comments from Tim also. I especially liked what you said in number 7 Tim ...

" 7. Fruit after the revival. Changed lives and believers taking responsibility for new believers and surrendering their own time and entertainments for the sake of growing the church of Christ into perfection (maturity). Shared resources from the haves to true widows and orphans. Prisoners and sick and poor being visited and gospel love and truth being given to them

Number 10 : Atmosphere Of The Meeting

For me that could be an awareness in the air of God visibly looking down from heaven into the meeting, and a divinely experience of awe that He is conducting the meeting. A fear of him also is there.

Hi David and everyone

point 5. is a tricky one and it is where i see alot of disagreements with saints in the past without actually breaking it down and exploring it. thats why i set the boundries in the beggining of the post. I think this is because people have expereinced different things, read different things and interpret this differently in the bible. for me i have seen, read and interpreted many aspects of revival but there are those grounds that are not solidly explained (the grey Ground)

you have added some good points thankyou

what i seek now is different to what i was looking for when i was younger as i think that my needs have changed and my relationship with God has changed but yet at each stage of my walk in christ each need was as important as the other.

I had a personal revival about twelve years ago through repentance. My needs are also different and desires have changed as well now.

My favourite revival is a Scottish one. I'm not sure if that's because it is so well documented. And Duncan Campbells sermons and the testimony stories in his sermons bring that revival to life many years after the event.
Plus Scotland being such a mysterious land of changing light in the landscapes of the Highlands make it a great place.

Hi David

i wont comment on the Hebridean revivel on this post but i will enjoy looking it up. :)

i will use the 10 elements :)

Hi All

I have updated the elements list as i found a few more as i was looking at different revivals last night. I would like to share that as i looked at each revival last night and broke them down using the elements listed, i was absolutley blessed as it gave me a deeper insight into what God was doing. some of the elements could not be explained as their wasnt enough information but durring this process i felt the holy spirit pointing my direction to different aspects which is still working through my mind. i Have been very blessed through this post. :)

i will also add that some of the revivals didn't have enough information to check the elements against which doesn't mean they where not from God i am just ment that i was able to comfirm for myself the revival.

Hi All

here is what i am comming up with for my understanding so far when it comes to examining a revival also taking into account points already raised :)

1.spiritual Condition of community before Revival
A community oppressed of Satan, illness, violence, lack of hope, addictions

2.\tPrayer before revival meeting
Saints that are diligent in prayer that seeks Gods intervention for the community

3.Revival Location
Anywhere (but I would like to see it in high schools)

4.Atmosphere of meeting
Feel the presence of the lord but not man made or hyped up

5.Overall intent of congregation
To get right with God and closer to him

6.Speakers Disposition
Humble, yet speaks on the word with authority doesn’t draw any attention to self

7.Sermon Topic
Law, grace, mercy, love, pointing to the truth of God

8.Types of Physical Manifestations
Weeping, demonic movements, Godly movements,

9.Types of Spiritual manifestations
Rushing wind, speaking in tongues but interpreted and understood by others, gifts working amongst the congregation

10.Speakers reaction to manifestations
Able to discern the demonic realm trying to move in on the meeting, able to discern the holy spirits movements amongst the people.

11.Fruit after the revival
Strong spiritual growth in the community, gifts expanding, oppression lifted, addictions dropped dramatically.

12.Testimonies
Stronger relationship with God, changes in family, friends and community, growth in faith

13.Community reactions (external views) criticism and praise
Warfare from the unbelievers, people trying to cash in on the experience for own gain, professional responses after revival positive

Hi Karl,

13. Community Reactions :
I wouldn't like to think of people trying to cash in after a revival. I would like the kind of revival where people would still be convicted of wrong doings even after it began to wane. I suppose there are different kinds of revivals some would say, but for me if God had truly come I would like to think people would respect his work.

I'm not familiar with many revivals. I've only read about two of the major ones, and I have my mind fixed on what happened in them ... such amazing times.

God Bless

Hi David

I totally agree and personally i wouldn't like to see this but it has happened after a few revivals. I think this happenes because of the spiritual battles against the gosepel. it seems that the enemy tries to somehow violate the work God has done and this is when discernment and prayer need to be consistent. for me if i see warefare around saints it tells me somethings going on spiritually.

i know that i have read about this to be true in about 5 revivals which is recorded and witnessed.

brother we can examine this together firstly, here are some things i found looking up the different revivals

a. church leaders where angry because they lost half of their congregation

b. some people wanted the people to look at them that God had them in special favor as well.

c. some strange occult practices began trying to immulate the spirit manifestations that happened in the revival.

d. some used the word revival to capatilise on people looking for a touch from God. the intent was only to build up their own church thus brining more money in.

e. christian leaders who where not present and opose any spiritual manifestations, critized meetings and every aspect of the revival calling it demonic.

i would like to also search scripture to test these things against the word of God. this will take me some time but if anyone has any scriptures that will help examine this area it would be apreciated.

i am persoanlly not comming from a fixed position in this post because i believe in looking for deeper understandings of what a revival should look like biblically. there are many preachers that speak on the subject but this hasn't brought me to a solid understanding. every question raised in this post is valid as they need and awnser. cheers karl

What would you like to find out concerning these revival facts Karl ?

Some have suggested that not all moves of God would be called a revival.

Sometimes the peoples land isn't healed .... If my people will turn from their wicked ways and pray then will i hear from heaven and will heal their land.

I don't want to sway you from your objective to discover somethiIng so hope the things I'm saying aren't steering you away from your goal.

hi Dave

thanks for your reply, what i am seeing and looking at through all the revials is understanding the differences. How i originally thought of rivials has changed more and more as my biblical knowledge increased. i personally am seeking a deeper foundation of biblical knowledge in reference to the different elements. i find the most common element is the testimonies and these vary in degree of information that can be verified. I feel that it is my responsibility to my own spiritual growth to properly test all things that are called godly.

i am currently looking at acts and breaking down the events in this and i am finding a deeper understanding in this.

for example on the day of pentecost they spoke in tongues differntly to what i see in alot of churches i have visited and the reactions of the people outside of this was interesting as well.

sorry i havent posted this stuff yet as i am in some heavy family stuff at the moment and am preparing for a court case on tuesday. cheers karl

Hi Karl, thanks for sharing about what is happening in your life at the moment. I hope everything goes well for you dduring this time.

I understand where you are coming from now regarding the different elements of a revival.

Hi Everyone

I am unable to continue input in this post due to where God is leading me at the moment. thankyou for the the input so far snd i truely apologise for not following this topic through publically.

I need to say that my family and i where in heavy prayer due to a court situation which we couldn't avoid. our father opened his ears to my cry. not only did he sway the hearts towards our case he made it so that we got more then what was proposed. after the matter was settled. The spiritual growth, knowledge and the bonding between my father in heaven and i have increased greatly and i am so joyed to have come out of a 7 month trial. praise be to God for his rightiousness and glory. Karl