How to Seek Revival

 Rather surprised to find myself so avidly pursuing the possibility of revival, even with some optimism for a change.   Even if the Rapture is right around the corner and the Tribulation when the Wrath of God will fall on those remaining.  Surely this is the best thing we should be doing, to bring as many as possible into the Kingdom so they won't have to endure all that. 

The pessimism I've had about revival over the years has been due to the false revivals that have come through the Charismatic Movement, and the unwelcome idea that the same thing would happen if we started having real revivals.  Most revivals get some of the strange phenomena anyway but they don't usually take over the whole revival.  Real revival is a serious deepening of the love of God and the life of God in us, of conviction of sin that leads to repentance, of the practice of holiness, and its power is for that sort of purpose, not little supernatural tricks.   But with charismatics still believing they had real revivials that sort of fleshly and demonic interference would try to piggyback on the real thing,   Toronto, Brownsville, Lakeland, all bogus revivals.  For some reason it's not bothering me as much now, maybe we can pray it down.

But the pessimism is also due to the simple fact that when strong Christians like Leonard Ravenhill and Kay Arthur have fervently sought revival it hasn't come.  That is very discouraging.   I've thought it may be because of systemic sins in the churches that are unrecognized, so this time I'm aware of how seriously we need to ask God to show us such a possibility and seek reprentance for it.   The uncritical acceptance of the Charismatic Movement is one such possible systemic sin, also the uncritical acceptance of the Roman Catholic Church as just another Christian denomination.  And the rejection of Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 11 about the need for women to cover our heads in church.  

Forewarned about all that and reforming along those lines we should be able to seek a genuine revival.   That's what I'm personally praying for anyway.

Googling for some inspiration on the subject I found a blog by a pastor in Missouri -- How to Get the Unction (Power) of the Spirit, by Geoffrey R. Kirkland at Vassal of the King blog: *- http://vassaloftheking.com/home/180007755/180007755/Images/How%20to%20get%20the%20unction%20of%20the%20Spirit.pdf 

He writes about the necessity of Holy Spirit power for preaching the gospel.  He's talking to pastors about preaching, not about revival, but the principle applies to the purpose of revival too.  

I like many of his expressions, such as "mighty weakness" as what the preacher needs, a complete dependence on God for the supernatural result of his peaching.  It's not natural ability but this dependence that is necessary for the unction that establishes  the gospel in the souls of hearers for their salvation.  Good pastors know this anyway, but what I like most about this essay is his call to fervency and even desperation, a strong increase in the normal patterns.

To answer the question how one gets this unction he gives four ways.  The first is Earnest Prayer which he describes in another inspiring phrase:  "earnest, fervent, relentless, believing, and desperate prayers."   Living holy lives is another prerequisite for the unction. 

This is also what we need for revival.   Pastors must be above reproach but if I had to have a consistently holy life in order to seek revival I'd have to give up.  Repentance is the key for me and for most of us sinners if we want God to respond to us.  It's essential.  God won't give us revival if we are holding on to unrepented sins, and we should ask Him to reveal our sins to us since we may be unaware of them.

With repentance as our foundation, and it needs to keep being renewed, then what we need is that "earnest, fervent, relentless, believing and desperate prayer" that God would rend the heavens and come down to us in great power so that our Christian lives would be strengthened and purified, and the gospel preached in power, and a huge number of souls saved.  The more we pray the better, and the more of us who are praying the better.  

And fasting also helps.  Somehow fasting opens up the spirit to hear from God and receive spiritual strength.   It doesn't have to be a complete fast, just avoiding foods we particularly like while eating the simplest most unadorned fare is very effective.

Posting this much for now but may be back to continue it.

What We Need is a Great Plea Party Movement if God is to Heal Our Land

 So tempting to make like an ostrich and tune it all out.   The big problem is the feeling of helplessness.  No matter how bad it gets, it just goes on getting worse, there are so few in politics who even speak against it let alone have a plan to do something about it.   They seem intimidated.  They've copped out.

A Christian knows, or should know, the only real answer is a supernatural return to God, but we're about as far from that as we are from a political solution.  We need revival, or reformation first and then revival, but where is the will for that?  In isolated doctrinally sound churches led by a few bold pastors the right motives are there, the true gospel is preached, but clearly that's not enough to turn back the tide of evil we are seeing.   Well, really it doesn't have to take great numbers, as the story of Gideon is there to inform us, but surely it does take the right mindset and the right motives and a deep commitment to the purposes of God.  

If preaching the gospel is our weapon but we aren't having an impact what then?   If you tell people the gospel and nothing happens, they roll their eyes and change the subject, what then?   Since our citizenship is not of this world why spend any time concerned about the world anyway?   Is that our job?  Why don't we just sit still and let it roll over us, be content with a few converts here and there, and growing under good preaching?  We're called to persecution aren't we?  The ostrich reaction gets more appealing the more hopeless the situation looks.  But the consequences of doing nothing are pretty dire, for us, for family and friends, for the nation, even for the world.

We need to know from God what we aren't doing and what we need to do, if there is anything at all we can do.  What do we need to repent of?  If the church appears to be doctrinally sound and the gospel is preached, still isn't something missing, and what is it?   If we don't know then God needs to show us.  We can preach against worldly attempts to deal with what is a supernatural and spiritual problem, but if preaching the gospel isn't accomplishing much, and the culture is continuing to grow as this gigantic dunghill, we need God to tell us how to get the supernatural power which alone affects the human spirit and changes the world.   Maybe the doctrinally sound churches are too content with the status quo to look for more from God.

So again I come back to the need for reformation and revival, a supernatural work of God by which God Himself comes to us in unusual power, sends us falling on our faces in trembling fear as His holiness becomes palpable, with a heavy sense of our own sins and failures, and an acute awareness of His sovereign right to rule in the affairs of humanity.  When He comes and breaks us like that then He also comes and draws unbelievers into His Kingdom as the gospel is preached with power.  And that is the only hope for the culture.  

Seems to me the first thing we need is a deep yearning for such a visitation from God and a deep faith that it is possible.  If we're complacent and satisfied with our level of spirituality and doctrinal correctness we just won't be seeking more from God.  But it's more we need.  A great outpouring of Himself by which we would know how inadequate we are, that's where we need Him to start to revive us.   We can preach the gospel quite correctly but with such little Holy Spirit power it can't change people.  We need that Holy Spirit power and that's why we need revival.   In other words even if we preach the truth and preach it well we can be missing the spiritual power that drives it home to other souls.

There must be sins that impede us that we need to repent of, and there is certainly too little seeking of God.  How do we get that power we need?  By humbling ourselves and praying and seeking His face and turning from our wicked ways, as the most famous biblical formula for revival tells us.  Then He will answer from Heaven and heal our land.  Revivals have come from churches, or even just a group of individuals, getting together for frequent and protracted periods of prayer.   With a yearning for revival and faith that it is possible and a sense of our own inadequacy for the things of God, and the humility to know we may not be fully meeting his requirements of us, God may give it.