“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locust to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land”
(2 Chronicles 7:13-14).
Revival is a time when Heaven comes closer to earth. It is when the Glory of God again becomes visible in the lives of men, women, families, churches and the community.
The greatest attraction of Heaven is not the streets of gold. It is not the tree of life. It is not the angels and the fellowship with others of the faith. It is the constant Presence and Glory of our Lord. Revival is when we taste something of this constant Presence of God on earth and in our everyday life.
Revival
The word revival has a variety of meanings for Christians today. For some it simply means a series of meetings. Some think of revival as a time when people place their faith in Christ and receive Him as Savior and Lord. Other people have used the term revival to describe a spiritual awakening during which large numbers of people are converted.
What is genuine revival?
The word, revive is made up of two parts:
re, meaning “again,” and vive, meaning, “to live.” Thus, revive means “to live again, to come or be brought back to life, health, or vitality.” Revival is a time when spiritual life and vitality are restored (in the heart and lives of Christian people and the Church). Revival is a return to spiritual health after a period of spiritual decline into sin and broken fellowship with God. Revival is for God’s people when they need to repent from their sins, be forgiven and restored to life, spiritual health and unbroken fellowship with God.
Personal ‘Revival’ occurs when an individual are restored to unbroken fellowship with God.
‘Revival’ in the Home occurs when family members are restored to unbroken fellowship with God, and the Lord Jesus is once again the Head of the home.
‘Revival’ in the local Church, community and nation is a sovereign act of God and occurs when God restores the spiritual health and vitality of His people, on a much bigger scale.
Revival results in:
A new awareness of the Glorious Presence and Holiness of God. Presently it seems as if we have lost our awareness of the Lord. This is clearly visible in the way we live, our conversations, the places we visit and the way we easily justify ourselves, instead of repenting from our unrighteousness. During the 1904 Revival in Wales, a reckless sinner entered into the chapel of Gorseinon during a service. When he opened the door, he was overwhelmed by such a tangible awareness of God’s Presence, that he yelled: ‘O, God is here!’ He was so convicted that he could not enter the chapel and neither could he leave.
A new and deep conviction of sin, our own sinfulness and unrighteousness as we see ourselves in the light of His Glory.
A heartfelt repentance from sin that would result in a turning away from sin, returning to God, and a changed life (home, church and community).
A new spiritual hunger to hear the Word of God (whether through preaching or reading) and to pray (spending time with the Lord). Unbroken fellowship with God brings us closer to His heart and His desire.
A new concern for the lost. This usually leads to outreaches and evangelism resulting in spiritual awakening amongst the spiritual dead and non-believers.
Spiritual awakening
Spiritual awakening occurs when large numbers of non-believing people (or a whole family or a large percentage of people in a church or area) experience new birth (in Christ) to spiritual life in a short period of time. Spiritual awakenings are not just times of mass decisions for Jesus Christ because decisions may not always reflect a new birth. In a spiritual awakening people’s lives are changed radically (due to a heartfelt conviction of sin and repentance). It can also result in a transformed and changed family, church, community or a city or a nation.
Here are some examples of the types of result seen or experienced during a spiritual awakening:
Bars and taverns close down for a lack of business.
Police and law-enforcement personnel face a drop in workload due to dramatic decreases in crime.
Businesses receive money and merchandise back from thieves, employees, and shoplifters who are seeking to return stolen goods.
Foul language is replaced by civil and wholesome talk.
Evil practices cease and are often outlawed.
Private and public acts of immorality decrease dramatically.
Marriages are restored, and family life is strengthened.
Do we see any signs of Revival and Spiritual Awakening in South Africa?
Today we’re facing a period of moral and spiritual decline that increases perhaps more rapidly and widespread than ever in our history. Many Churches struggle with liberalism, humanism, sin and worldliness in the lives of their members which has a direct impact and influence in and upon the Church.
This is clearly visible in the lives of Christians and the community ( prayerlessness, defeat and powerlessness, bearing no visible fruit, pointing the finger at one another, no appetite for the Word of God and the Church, spirit of worldliness, self-justification and a living a life of spiritual apathy and defeat). Church attendance is weak and membership is declining. Prayer meetings are poorly attended and non-existent in many churches. Very little, and in some cases no evangelism, outreaches or missionary activities exist. No true conversions take place and the only sign of life is the many programs that are presented.
We have several mega churches with large membership, and lots of activities and programs, but the average spiritual life of believers and churches seems powerless against the growing coldness and spiritual apathy, and there is no visible lasting change in either the home or the community.
There is currently no widespread revival or spiritual awakening in our churches. However, I believe that there is a growing concern and hunger about the need for revival in our nation. It is especially visible amongst some of the Afrikaans speaking people attending in large numbers stadium services. Almost everywhere I go, I find some churches, spiritual leaders and individual people cry out for revival, and a fresh encounter with God that will actually change lives, behaviors, ethics, cultural norms and society itself.
They say that what they are experiencing is so bad, so dry, and so empty that they yearn for a fresh touch from God. The majority of Churches in South Africa is tired of trying and struggling. We have tried so many programs, new methods and various courses, but without any lasting results.
More and more people speak about revival and, pray for revival than ever before. Lately, revival has become a topic included on all the agendas, and the prayer letters from various missionary and evangelistic organizations. People come together for prayer and thousands are crying out to God for a national revival and drastic change. According to Matthew Henry; when God intends great mercy for His people, the first thing He does is to set them praying.
I do believe that the growing need for revival, the growing movement of prayer, discussions on revival and the increasing number of people crying out to God is a clear sign of things to come.
We need a new movement of the Holy Spirit bringing about a revival of New Testament Christianity in the Church and it’ s related communities. Charles Spurgeon says it best: “Without the Spirit of God, we can do nothing. We are as ships without wind. We are useless.”
We need Personal Revival
We need Revival in the Home
We need Revival in the Church
We need Revival in the Community
We need Revival in the Country
We need Revival on the Continent and World
It is time for Revival. The time is right.
Are you ready?
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Francois Carr ( - )
Dr Francois Carr, BTH, MCC, D. Min, NDPB, is the Executive Director of Heart Cry in South Africa. He studied Personnel Management in Cape Town and followed a career as a Personnel Officer in the South African Defence Force for close to twelve years. During this time he became involved in a youth ministry that prayed and longed for revival in South Africa. He felt the Call of the Lord into a revival related ministry in November 1992 during a youth camp. During the time of prayer God impressed upon his heart that he needs to promote the message of revival through conferences about revival, revival resources and praying for revival. He became the National Coordinator of Revival South Africa promoting the message of revival whilst serving in a fulltime capacity as an officer in the Defence Force. He studied part time, obtaining his Bachelor in Theology, Masters in Christian Counselling and his Doctorate in Ministry.Since resigning from Revival SA, he kept himself busy with writing projects and numerous preaching engagements. It then became clear that after six months of praying and waiting upon the Lord, that the Lord was clearly leading him towards the birth of a new ministry, called Heart Cry. Heart Cry exist to glorify the Lord by helping people to experience and get to know the Lord personally and mentoring churches on the way to revival and sponsor Heart Cry in South Africa as well as co-sponsoring conferences in the USA, Europe and Africa.