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For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground, I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. Isa. 44:3
Some of us are thirsting for revival. What the Lord has done in the past, we yearn to see again. I´m encouraged when someone shares with me similar longings. But we should be cautious not to impose on others burdens which we are not prepared to bear ourselves.
A close friend of mine tells me about a pastor who did that many years ago. He would call for a night of revival prayer and all who came were greatly praised for being 'dedicated Christians’ and those who didn´t come were prayed for as if they had done something wrong. That didn´t lead to anything. The pastor´s "burden" didn´t catch fire, probably because he was not caught himself. And yet we should be exercised about revival and pray for it and press on praying for it, but not be legalistic about it.
"Salvation is of the Lord"
(Jon. 2:9), and so is revival. The front figure of the revival on the Outer Hebrides in 1949-52, the Scottish Gaelic speaking preacher Duncan Campbell (1898-1972), emphasized that he didn´t bring revival to the Hebrides. It was already there when he rather reluctantly came in 1949. God "came down" in His sovereignty, but used mightily two obscure old praying women, the blind Peggy (84), and her arthritic sister, Christine (82), too infirm to go to services. In their modest cottage it all started.
O, take courage! God is a prayer answering and promise keeping God. "Revive Thy work", the prophet prayed (Hab. 3:2). We should likewise pray for a new awareness of Christ shining on His people. Eph. 5:14. Old patterns and worn-out ceremonies won´t do. "The story of similar movements of the Spirit of God in the past is an encouragement to faith: What He has done before, He can do again!" (F.F. Bruce).
-jn-
Clovis, Ca.,Jan. 25, 2010
-jn-
Clovis, Ca.,Jan. 25, 2010
-jn-
Clovis, Ca.,Jan. 25, 2010
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