WHAT IS REVIVAL

Romans 8:11

Morning Meditation 9/10/2012

"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." The word “quicken” is the nearest thing in the New Testament to the word for revival in the Old Testament.

The word revival is not found in the New Testament. Paul never told a church, “What you need is revival.” Jesus never told one of the seven churches of Asia, “What you need is revival.”

I have several books on revival. I have one huge book called HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF ACCOUNTS OF REVIVAL by John Gillies. I have two or three books on the Welsh Revival which took place 1904-1905. I do not read these books critically. I always get holy heartburn when I read them.

We have missionaries out of our local church in Wales trying to restore churches that were established during the Welsh revival. The missionaries are making progress but the work is slow and very difficult.

Now you think with me a minute. A revival of the proportions of the Welsh revival that doesn't last but a couple of years, and the churches that were established during that revival are as dead a last years bird nest, there is something radically wrong.

I'm not a judge. It may sound like that but it is not true. There are churches all over Wales that do not have pastors and haven't for years. There is a mission movement from America that is sending missionaries to rebuild these churches.

I have said all of that to say this. I believe we are looking for the wrong thing if that's what we are looking for. There are so-called revivals in the U.S. and Canada that goes from people being slain in the spirit, which is not taught in the Bible, there are movements called revival where people get down and bark like dogs, and there are laughing revivals so-called. There is not one of these advocated in Scripture. Now if I make you mad, don't write me. I know these things are not taught in Scripture so it would be less than useless for us to carry on a conversation about it. If you want to laugh hysterically and bark like a dog and call it revival, help yourself. But don't tell me it's Scriptural and furthermore the Holy Spirit does not do unscriptural things.

What we call revival is on a personal level. You can pray for a church revival, a community wide revival, a nation wide revival, and you may pray your entire life-time and never see one. But you can pray about a Spirit filled walk which is what revival is, and you can have one before sundown. Not only can you have it, you can maintain that revival throughout your entire Christian life. There will be joy, there will be sadness, there will be times your revival will cause you to help the poor, support missions, read your Bible daily, and pray without ceasing, and it will put you in a local church pew every time the church meets. Maintaining revival is sometimes down-to-earth hard work and personal discipline. You will be a joy-filled Christian, and I don't mean laughing hysterically all the time.

The best book I have found on personal revival is CALVARY ROAD by Roy Hession. I had him in my church and home for a meeting. He lived what we call revival. I never met a man that walked the Calvary Road any more than Bro. Roy.

I don't mean to be offensive with this meditation on revival and I know it cuts across the theology of many. However, what people are praying for and never seeing can cause them to give up in bitterness. Where seeking for personal revival will be a daily refreshing, and it will create an atmosphere for Spiritual growth. The church that seeks it on this level will be doctrinal sound and will be on the scene preaching the gospel for years to come.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White