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I have
heard of the English Evangelical Revival when at the preaching of Whitfield,
miners wept, their tears making white lines on their coal-black faces.
I have
heard of the revival in Wales, when the Spirit of God fell powerfully on
meetings, and people forgave their neighbours and enemies.
I have
heard of the revival Lonnie Frisbee brought to the Vineyard, with thousands of
youth spirit-filled in a day, baptizing their mates in hot-tubs and swimming
pools.
I have
heard of the laughing revival in Toronto
I have
heard it reached Oxford, and students walking down High Street or having tea
with friends in student rooms suddenly fell silent and stooped under the heavy
weight of God.
I have
heard that there have been more revivals in England than in any nation on
earth!!
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§ §
Me? I
have never seen a revival. Never seen the spirit fall en masse as at Pentecost.
But I
would like to.
All the
prophetic people are talking of a revival coming to the UK. Most
persuasively, I heard Heidi Baker say last week, “Revival is coming to the UK.
Of course, it is. Everyone knows that.
§ § §
Ah, my eyes want to see the glory
of the coming of the Lord.
§ § §
Gypsy
Smith, the British 20th century evangelist, preached to audiences of
hundreds of thousands.
A
delegation came to ask him how they could experience mass revival as he had.
And this
was his reply, “Go home. Lock yourself in
your room. Kneel down in the middle of the floor, and with a piece of chalk
draw a circle around yourself. There, on your knees, pray fervently and
brokenly that God would start a revival within that chalk circle.”
§
§ §
And that
is how revival will come to the UK.
When
there are thousands of chalk circles drawn through this land. When thousands of
people pray within them to be filled to overflowing with the spirit of God, the prayer which
is always answered, (Luke 11:13).
When the
Spirit descends on thousands of people with power, and blows through this land like
a mighty wind, sweeping through it like an overflowing river.
I hear
the winds, Lord, gaining power, blowing ever faster. I hear the first sounds of
a heavy rain.
May my
eyes see this glory of a great revival, oh Lord. And let it begin in me.
I had been asking for years for ladies to just pray for revival. Last month, women started trickling in to the sanctuary on Monday evening. What a sweet hour of prayer. Simple little prayers of repentance lifted up.
ReplyDeleteCan I just say...I so CANNOT wait for revival. I've seen it...overseas. It's messy and it doesn't fit into peoples boxes and it's colourful and beautiful and...it's God moving as He wishes. Oh my. I can't wait!
ReplyDeleteOne of our friends' church believes that God literally moves his way around the earth and He's in China right now. Apparently it'll be a while before He makes His way 'round to y'all. :). Sorry about that...revival in the UK will have to wait until He goes through America again. LOL
ReplyDeleteSeriously, though, I'm way too Frozen Chosen for the wildness of a revival but I get jazzed when I se others being touched by its awesom power! God comes to me in the very still times and in the quiet sharing I have with Him. I have been to those very overwhelming spirit events and I find the intense emotion puts me on complete sensory overload and it just isn't my cup'o'tea.
But I had a lady once tell me it was because there was evil in my soul that made me want to run and hide. I needed to scream to exorcise it out. I just firmly told her no, the music was too loud and the emotion just too intense. Give me the quiet contemplation of a Taize service any day.
Yet, isn't it absolutely wonderful that God comes to us wherever we are, whoever we are and whenever we are? He comes in the wild shouting and speaking in tongues...in the gospel preached and the people glorifying with "Amen brother/sister"...in the stillness of the contemplative chant...through the steps taken in the labyrinth...in the dark of the night as we pray before our eyes close one day and as we praise Him when our eyes open for the new day. Wherever we are...there He is.
Thank you, as l pray into finishing a sermon tomorrow that begins a focussed look at the Holy Spirit, this encouages me to preach some of the more challenging stuff. We are hoping for more freedom amongst the people to meet with God.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post..and pass the chalk please :)
ReplyDeleteWow, thanks Mollie. That sounds lovely.
ReplyDeleteLucky you, Ursh, how exciting--I guess if I ever do, I will need to stop spectating, and abandon myself to the Spirit.
Hi LA, yes, I too experience God best in quiet, solitary prayer. Yet sometimes, when i read or hear people like Heidi Baker or John Arnott, I feel my spiritual life is paler, flatter and more anemic than it need be. I want more. I am sure the Spirit can be experienced in solitude, yet, historically, right from Pentecost, the phenomenon of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit has always happened in community.
Blessings on your sermon RACH, and may you and your people meet him. And P.S., I hope you find a way to blogging again at some point
Hazel, here's some virtual chalk, and Lord, please remind me to use it!!
ReplyDeleteL.A. I believe God moves in all ways. Quiet weeping may be the Spirit's move where you are. I feel this revival is going to be different than any we have seen and it is going to start in the driest church- those dry bones are going to get flesh and fresh breath blown into them, only from the Holy Spirit. So don't think we know how God is going to move, just be open to His moving. God bless and look to the Heavens.
ReplyDeleteOh may revival fires sweep through the whole world. I recently started a faith filled women's prayer group in my home in Canada. I will share with them the focus of your blog. We've been praying for family needs within our group, but I feel strongly we should enlarge our tent, as it were, and pray for world situations.
ReplyDeleteOh thank you, Mary, and welcome to my blog!!
ReplyDelete