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Revival
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Q: Will there be revival before the Lord comes for his Church? Would you please tell me in your own words what it would take to have revival? What needs to happen before the Church as a whole experiences revival?
A: I have no way of knowing if revival will come. I believe it is possible because of the revival of Judah under Josiah. God had already determined to send Judah into captivity because of the sins of Manasseh (2Kings 23:25-27). Yet, the revival of Josiah was so complete that God delayed His wrath during the reign of this man. I do not know how to define revival other than the well-known definition that it is a bringing of new life into the people of God by the Spirit of God. We can be ready for revival by prayer and surrender. However, I do not hold to the Finney interpretation that essentially gives man the ability to create revival by following a particular formula. God is the ultimate unknown in revival. Historically, revivals were the punctuated yet brief times of stirring that were surrounded by many years of faithful yet comparatively dull Christian life and service. With the campaigns of Finney and Moody, we began to think that revival was the answer to all things--though where we get this in scripture I know not. So, we began to force them no matter how unripe the fruit was. We have learned to create a feeling of excitement without the touch of God. We have cheapened the meaning of revival and of holiness. Today, we want revival without the faithful godliness of the remnant. That must come first. If we will be faithful and seek God's absolute will in our lives and in our churches, we will establish the atmosphere in which revival is possible. Perhaps then, some few godly souls will begin to seek the Lord and true revival will come. However, I fear that we are in danger of seeking the experience of revival for its own sake. The people in the Bible sought God more often than they sought revival (Psalm 42:1-2; 63:1-3; Jeremiah 9:23-24; Philippians 3:10). Our seeking for revival must be an outcome of our seeking for God and not the other way around. We must also hunger and thirst after righteousness. These are the true seeds of revival. These are just some random thoughts. Sorry that I do not have time for a more thorough analysis. God bless. Till He comes, Pastor David Reagan
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