Real Revival
by Sandy Simpson, 2/15/18
Acts 3:19
Therefore repent and return, so that
your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the
presence of the Lord;
There has been so much hype
of “revival” in our modern day that it is easy to forget the true biblical
criteria and definition of revival.
Revival cannot be brought about by signs and wonders or laying on of hands to transfer apostolic or prophetic anointings. In fact
there is no such thing in the Bible.
The Biblical criterion for
revival has, as a precondition, repentance.
The word “refreshing” is also defined as “revive”.
403anaqucxiv anapsuxis
an-aps’-ook-sis from 404; TDNT-9:664,1342; n f
AV-refreshing
1; 1
(1) a cooling, refreshing
404
anaqucw anapsucho an-aps-oo’-kho from 303 and 5594;
TDNT-9:663,1342; v
AV-refresh
1; 1
(1) to cool again, to cool off,
recover from the effects of heat
(1a) to refresh (one’s
spirit)
(2) to recover breath, take the
air, cool off, revive, refresh one’s self
You cannot get revival by
putting the cart before the horse. I
remember quite well Third Wavers claims that in a revival meeting people then
feel free to repent (of course the true Gospel is usually not presented). But repentance from sin can only come as a
result of the Gospel being preached and a response to Holy Spirit conviction.
John 16:8 And He (the Holy Spirit),
when He comes, will convict the
world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
Mark 1:15
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at
hand; repent and believe in
the gospel.”
I am not going to be
dogmatic and state that there is only one way revival can come. But it is clear that it can only come when
there is true repentance from sin. I
have seen a few real revivals that conform to Biblical standards in my time
which is why I was not fooled by all the counterfeit revivals out there. I realize what I am about to relate to you
may seem somewhat subjective in nature, but it will seem that way only to
people who were not there when these things happened. I was there along with many others and can
testify that what I saw was a true revival from the Lord. Why? Because it followed the Biblical pattern.
The first revival I saw
was in high school. We were having our
normal assembly at the Christian school I attended in the Philippines called
Faith Academy and the guest speakers were the Palermo Brothers. They were a couple older guys who had some
fancy Gretsch electric guitars (which, being a
guitarist myself, I was impressed with) and were playing old hymns and
spiritual songs. All of a sudden a
student stood up and asked to speak.
With tears he admitted that he had sinned against another student and
was offering forgiveness. The next thing
you know that other student stood up and admitted a grudge against the first
student. They walked over and hugged one
another. The guest speakers clearly did
not know what to do. This act spurred
another and another until the meeting came to a halt. People were forgiving one another and forming
small prayer groups. A long time later
we were adjourned by the principal but that was not the end of it. Many gave their lives to the Lord who had
previously not done so. Prayer groups
spontaneously cropped up everywhere. The
next few days school classes were canceled as the students and faculty felt a
great need to pray for the salvation of people in Manila, and I was among the
groups that went out to witness downtown.
This revival lasted for at least two weeks.
My second experience with
true revival happened in college in very much the same way as the one at my
high school. The difference was that
college was not accustomed to seeing that kind of move of the Spirit and some
of the faculty were standoffish. But many students who were there formed
groups and started Bible studies and prayer groups as well as witnessing. This lasted for weeks.
I have seen this same
thing happen a few other times. It is
somewhat rare these days but it is good to know the Lord is still working,
bringing times of refreshing to those who repent. I have also seen many counterfeit revivals
predicated on everything but true repentance of sin. These are often marketed on TV and brought
into churches with a promise of signs and wonders that end up being a show of
“slain in the spirit” which is decidedly NOT from the Holy Spirit, but an
occult technique brought in from shamanism and eastern mysticism. Revival
leaders, such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, warned against
physical manifestations when they become the epicenter of a movement and were
detached from true repentance and the fruit of the Spirit.
The wonderful thing is
that the Lord changes people from the
inside out, not the outside in.
Those who purport to throw the Holy Spirit around churches, blow the
Spirit onto people to knock them down, or try to press the Holy Spirit into a
person’s forehead are in denial of some basic facts about God and precepts of
the Bible. We don’t control God. He is sovereign. He moves as He wills. He brings revival to those who are repentant.
His promise it to move
where two or three are gathered together and there is repentance and
forgiveness present. This is not a
formula. It simply highlights God’s
character and what He wants to see in us.
James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord,
and He will exalt you.
1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty
hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just
as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
If we would be like Christ
we should elevate concern for others above self-concern. When that happens, times of refreshing come
and the Lord, who urges us to further service, to evangelization, and love
towards our neighbors.
There are many other
verses that talk about what God does for those who humble themselves before
Him. Here is one of them.
Isaiah 57:15 For
thus says the high
and exalted One Who lives forever, whose
name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy
place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Revival starts with a
contrite heart. It starts with the
individual who repents.
Here are some things you
can do to have personal revival. I borrow from Jim Eliff's
"Five Resolves for Personal Revival". Personal revival begins when
the believer faces his sin honestly.
1. REPENT OF EVERY KNOWN SIN.
"As many as I love, I rebuke and
chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent" (Rev 3:19).
2. FORSAKE ALL QUESTIONABLE HABITS AND
ACTIVITIES.
"For whatever is not from faith is
sin" (Rom 14:23b).
3. MAKE RIGHT ANY WRONGS BETWEEN
YOURSELF AND OTHERS.
"Therefore if you bring your gift
to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First become
reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (Matt
5:23-24).
4: COMMUNE WITH GOD THROUGH PRAYER AND
THE WORD.
"Revive me, O Lord, according to
Your Word" (Ps 119:107b). "Pray without ceasing" (1Thess 5:17).
5. TRUST GOD TO USE YOU AS HIS
INSTRUMENT IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS
"Brethren, if anyone amongst you
wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who
turns a sinner from the error of his way, will save a soul from death and cover
a multitude of sins" (Jas. 5:19-20).
As demonstrated above,
personal revival is often the catalyst for church wide and sometimes even
community wide change. It starts as a
result of one person admitting their sins, practicing forgiveness, and
earnestly seeking revival according to the Word of God (Ps. 119:107b).