Thoughts on Revival

Consider this:

We should call a dog a dog and a cat a cat. Numbers do not make revival and neither does the appearance of some dynamic cell group be called the mark of revival. No Sir, even in 2000, we were in the revival ministry but we never claimed revival was happening. We were never satisfied enough and there was always more to be gleaned. Revival is marked by one distinguishing characteristic- the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Its not preaching, not good music, neither great numbers nor charismatic leadership... No, none of them. Revival preachers in our time have never seen revival, we preach as if we know it but truth be told, when it comes, all of us will be silenced.

In revival, there is a stench of death. Sinners put to death the old man and are born again. In revival, as in the mighty book of Acts, God, pours Himself out without courtesy and sets ablaze the desperate beggars at the altar who thirst for His glory. In revival God makes sons out of sinners and our music stops, our impoverished preaching ceases. Only God can be heard, only Jesus can be the focus of our hearts. This is the revival i read about in Acts, intense, pure, saturated with glory and fiercely precious. In revival, the weak, lonely, destitute, outcast are wrapped in genuine love. In revival, nations are changed, not by arms, but by prayer, courage and love. Up till now, all our ideas of revival are second hand, where is the dissatisfied man who dares to ask to see the Father's glory, who will wage nothing less than his whole being until power and true love blazes across the dying land? The banner of the cross has been laid low, who will reach forth to lift it high?

ACS is not about a building, not even about its people, its about its God. Its about the God who created the institution and sent His created beings into the school, so that they will glorify Him by adorning themselves in purity and love. Yet they are walking through its gates, they are not hearing, the christians are not speaking and the blind wander off into the wider world assured they have understood christianity. Rubbish! if they had but a tenth of the christianity in Acts, but a trickle of its potency and Spirit filled love, the people would be radicaly transformed.

The truth will set men free. We need people who will enter the prayer room and emerge with treasures from the court room of God Himself. People who will pay the price and pray till His kingdom comes. As in really come. I feel wretched as i write, i know i am not up to writing this with a solid conscience yet. Lord give us the nations.... You are a generous God. Give us the nations so that You will be glorified.

I haven't written like this for some time, haven't felt this way about the world for some time. I guess christianity at its core is uncompromising in its demands that mankind repents and confront their poverty with the Love and Glory of God. I am not radical, infact, i find myself mild. I am just christian. Just a simple member of the church, who wants the book of Acts to be real in this lifetime. This is what He has desired of my heart to feel while thinking alone.