What will it take for Revival to come?

As I spent time reading the events in the life of a gracious man named Oswald Chambers, I pondered these very words before the Lord …. “What will it take for Revival to come” and the response back was startling to me:If you seek for revival, it will require 2 things from you. The first is prayer, for the fervent prayer of a Righteous man avails much, the scripture says. The second is before the first, and that is, a heart willing for the Righteousness of God. We need to be seeking the heart and mind of the lord, to search for Him, until He reveals Himself to us, to learn of Him---then—walk with Him as He walks. Live life as He lives, and love the truth as He did, above all else! You and I need to become decisive in our mind that we WILL speak the truth from God's WORD—WITHOUT—any reservations!!! I will speak on this area at another time. First we become the truth, I mean we abide in Him, obedience, through Faith is our life, and out of this flows the Rivers of Living Waters-that is Christ in us!Now with that established in our hearts we are living epistles, lively stones for the Lord, now our prayers are unhindered, the God of Heaven awaits, for the sweet aroma of His Saints, His chosen ones to bring before Him, His desires! The prayers of a Righteous man avails much! Who is willing among men? Among women?? Before you answer that question, consider the cost of the one who will choose to go this path. It will cost you your time, a serious change in schedule through the week, and times alone, crying out in repentance over your sin, over your family, and over your church and community! Are you still willing to heed the call? In all honesty most of us would be foolish to say..Yes. The reality is, we like the way things are for us, and we are comfortable! We will even put up with compromise, just so we can be comfortable! In the eyes of Jesus, He seeks for those willing to lay their lives down for Him, to be whole-hearted for him! To be cleansed, prepared and sent, to fulfill His many tasks. Anyone else hearing something like this lately? What is the Spirit of God saying to His Church?

So, there's no one to STAND for truth? Jesus is coming back for His church, who's Love for Him is pure. Where are we, my friends?? I am not a history buff, but I do know how to research, and when you look into the Revivals in Europe and the U.S. a smal group of hungry souls began to pour out their hearts before God, sometimes months turn into years. Then we see thousnds turn to Jesus! Towns are turned upside down and cleansed, families made whole, marriages healed. We as the Church of Jesus Christ need to be purified, our hearts need to separate from this world, and come back to what God's will is for us, and live Holy lives in a dark and lost world. Most times I think I'm alone in this endeavor, first to live the truth, before God first, then be His light. No one seems to really want true Spiritual Revival in this land. :cry:

Dear Joshua99,That is a very good question, but one I am afraid not many have really sought the Lord for an answer. Ravi Zaharias [Prof.] seriously looked at the problem in the USA, on a radio four part series entitiled: Spirit of the Age. He did paint rather a bleek picture of a think he called, 'privatization' ~ he spoke of how so many Christians are being told that their faith must remain at home, as it is not relevant in the world, or even welcome. I am not an American, but sometimes think that I might well have become one, and nearly did when we considered moving to Texas area. I have a number of brothers and sisters in Jesus who live in the California area. I always imagined that you guys have really got a revival going on, until what you guys had been experiencing hit our towns. It is that Purpose Driven Life thing, it seperates believers and breaks up churches.Our church on the hill got so bad, our poor minister was asked to leave. Only because he spoke out against the whole PDL/CGM.I guess, firstly repentance from being so secularist and materialistic might help, however my personal quite times gave me only one point.The people of God, need to listen to God. So much of what we do is show, entertainment, and superficial. We really need to shhhhhhhhht down and listen until it hurts, and then when we have done that to listen still more.The verse that echoes in my mind is: 'Be still and know that I am God'In Jesus,Aeryck.

I think it will take people becoming hungry enough. People having faith. Right now, the USA has no faith. We have riches and food. When you are rich and you know where you will be tomorrow, then you don't need to trust God or have faith. If you don't know if today is your last day on the earth, if Chinese soldiers will beat down your door and execute you, or if the communists will find out where you are hiding.... then you tend to have a lot more faith in God. And then you tend to have more revival. Why? Because those people are hungry....It's been said that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of revival" or something like that. When we get serious enough about it, then we might have it. And the only way most of us will become serious about it is if great persecution comes our way. Not a fun thing to think of.... but it'll come.

What's wrong with "a purpose driven life"? I have the book, but have not yet read it... I have heard great reviews of it though....

Zapthycat,So as not to move this into the lengthly debate of Rick Warren, I suggest you get a copy of Decieved on Purpose by Warren Smith. Or if you want to read a very heavy article on what is really going on behind the scenes, I suggest a read of 'Pied Pipers on Purpose' Self-help books seems to be a big one, for those who will not be true Bereans. [Acts 17:11] Reverently in Christ,Aeryck.8-)

The end-result does not justify the means. Just in a few moments here, after looking at some of the info about Rick Warren, and not fully aware of all the details. I have to agree. Just by the mere popularity of this book! It seems to have "a form of Godlinees but denys the Power thereof namely OUR GOD. Why would I say this, you ask? Jesus said wide is the road that leads to destruction, and Many are on it, who claim they are believers--of what? Jesus said also narrow is the path and (hard or difficult it is,due to the cost)there are FEW that find it!! Holiness will cost you to lay your life down and die to self, these Self-help books don't insist on this. The Gospel message today is watered down, not telling the new converts or as we witness, WHAT IT WILL COST YOU! I was apart of the new age movement back before it was called new age! What I learned from the teaching, their methology--end result>you are a god! Its your thinking that is messed up, you need reprogramming. Aeyck if you have more insight about rick warren and others please email me. I just want to be informed.

I believe zapthycat summed it up perfectly....we are not hungry enough!! We don't see the need, we are satisfied...have need of nothing. This is how we can spend countless hours debating theology and have no compassion for our brother in need!!!! No heart of God only knowlege of Him.Only a few have the heart and mind of Christ, the rest are dying!!! Wake up beloved church, He's coming back for His bride and we are not ready!!

Tinluke hit the nail on the head. If you read about the church of Laodicea in Rev. 3, we americans fit the description perfectly.....

Just in a few moments here, after looking at some of the info about Rick Warren, and not fully aware of all the details. I have to agree. Just by the mere popularity of this book!Sometimes I wonder if we apologists are the reason revival tarries...at least to our eyes. This is just an observation, but I don't see the same textual scrutiny that we apply to our own Christians being applied to the southern hemisphere. Furthermore, there is a mistrust of Christian popularity and success in the US, while we celebrate Christian popularity and success in other countries.I'm not defending or excusing anything...I just wonder if the reason the southern hemisphere is experiencing record growth is that each clan gives a pass to the other clans. Can revival happen unless it be...(gulp) ecunmenical? Admittedly, I too am cycnical of just about everything that comes down the road these days. I've come to see that we few saints here are the only ones who love the Lord and believe correct doctrine!:-D Well some of us at least...;-) Seriously, could it be that revival can't move beyond the uterus, because our western didactic tradition requires us to x-ray, dissect and identify every flaw in the baby? The fact is, revival may be alive and well, but underground like a mole--- beneath our sensitive noses. Maybe it has to because once it pops it's head up, every apologist with a 10X scope will range find it and shoot to kill. I'm not saying that we should not contend for sound doctrine...but to pass summary judgement denouncing all things Rick Warren is beyond our commission I believe. Question, challenge, and test...but also encourage and believe that those who are with us...are indeed with us. MCedit; My comments here are not regarding this thread alone...more towards the common theme I see of denouncing one another.

No one seems to really want true Spiritual Revival in this land. Don't get 'Elijah' on us Bro. :-)There are many, though they may not be vocal (which probably isn't a bad thing) that are seeking to lay hold of God for His outpouring. Maybe He is waiting for us to come to the place where we are of one accord, one heart, one mind. Maybe He is waiting for us to stop bickering and start bewailing the fact that there is no overwhelming presence of our God before us and the lost."Yet I have Me left seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him."Maybe He is waiting to see if those 'seven thousand' will come out of hiding and come before His throne of grace together to seek Him for Himself alone and not revival, not anything other than Him.

Maybe He is waiting to see if those 'seven thousand' will come out of hiding and come before His throne of grace together to seek Him for Himself alone and not revival, not anything other than Him. Thank you for sharing, that was my point. To stir up and see who would rise up. I know there are more true believers, then it appears. When are we going to seek the lord more coporately than privately is the question I'm asking?? To love Him ONLY for HIM. Let Christ be head and rule His body. We are oviously making quite the mess of things.

THat we may know Him, the only True God, and Jesus Christ whom He sent, has to be our Prayer and Plea.It would behoove all of us, who are born again believers, filled with the Holy Spirit, to pray daily for Spiritual decernment.God is faithful.We may get deceived, but His Spirit will show us the deception, if we truly want only what He wants.I have found this to be true in my own life, recently.I was deceived by this man at our Church, but God showed me, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that this man was a false prophet.I have asked God to please not let me be deceived, and He is honoring my Prayer.I have learned from the Christians on this Forum, and I thank God for it.God Bless you all.Nellie :-)

I like what DeVern Fromke has to say about revival..."...and we read of the darkest hour in Israel's history during the period of the Judges. They cried out to the Lord, and with each new judge that He raised up there was a bit of revival, but I believe that this would teach us that mere reviving is not the real answer. God must awaken His people to be alive to His larger purpose, not merely awakenings and revivings for themselves."In Christ,Ron

At this stage the only thing that can bring about revival is the outpouring of God's wrath in judgement. God has sent many many messengers to try and get us to repent and return to Him but we have not. there are those among us who are indeed active in the Spirit and are at work for Him but the vast majority are still dead in the Spirit or inactive in the Spirit. If we go back in history the trend is that we only seek God earnestly in times of adversity, very few people seek God or are tied to Him in times of prosperity, God becomes and afterthought. We have far too many idols, other loves and desires and things to do than concern ourselves with God. but when disatser strikes...we ring His phone off the hook. We fill ourselves with whatever the world has to offer so we aren't hungry for God, so the only way now for us to become hungry for Him is for Him to take away whatever it is we are stuffing ourselves with. That may be material wealth, lusts, pride etc. With all that junk out of the way we'll be hungry alright.It is encouraging that there are some out there already hungry for Him and letting it show.

Welcome"son of thunder" I love your insights, you can jump in my trench as we fight anytime. Good to have some real faith fighters here, I'm encouraged since I'm still new here. Blessings.

Welcome"son of thunder" I love your insights, you can jump in my trench as we fight anytime. Good to have some real faith fighters here, I'm encouraged since I'm still new here. Blessings.indeed as the Lord permits

As a church (the bride of Christ) we should be doing more than finding out what our purpose is! How stupid does "foreign" Warren think the church in America is? Maybe if Christians would start exercising their faith, they would get hungry. And even if they are hungry, they are feeding themselves with the wrong diet! (PDL instead of the Word) I'm not bagging on Warren's book but I have seen more harm than good come out of it. He should have followed it up with a book that puts his plan into action. Like... "now that you have purpose (even though we have had it this whole time), this is what you do with it"... I believe all it did was make Christians feel good about being Christians. I didn't notice any references about suffering or persecution... This is a great website with many great resources! I never would have found it without Keith Green... but I am glad I did!

I need a personal revivial before I reivive others in all the major revivials that Ihave read it has affected all the homes. I think they ended up having self devotions it is a clear and pure concius and to obey god!! and to get myself to read my bible!!