Thursday, April 13, 2006

Revival.

During our recess prayer today,
we had a mini discussion on Revival.
Revival is a word commonly seen and
used in Christiandom.
Yet many of us do not know
much about revival.
so. the 1 million dollar question..

What is Revival?

There are many definitions of revival,
some think that revival is a feeling,
or a tangible presence of God in the church.
These are but manifestations of what it really is.
Charles Finney said,
"Revival is renewed conviction of sin and repentance,
followed by an intense desire to live in obedience to God.
It is giving up one's will to God in deep humility."

When should we expect a revival?

1. When there is a spirit of prayer for revival.
2. When there is confession of sins to one another.

It is true that God works on His own timings,
that our prayers cannot buy a revival,
but God makes it clear that if we fulfill the conditions
of revival, He will bring it..

What are the conditions of revival?

1. Repentance from Sin (2 Chron 7:14)
2. The Holy Life (1 John 4:22)

These and some others are the requisites of revival.
When we start also to pray desperately for the lost,
revival is near!

Why prayer?

Prayer is a key to revival because it brings us to brokenness,
which just means we depend solely on God for His divine power.
To pray intensely is really the key.
Even Jesus prayed this kind of prayer on earth.
- Hebrews 5:7
This kind of prayers involved DEEP DESIRES,
that is why you see people crying and screaming,
as if groaning with a terrible stomach ache.
What really is happening is that we want so much
for souls to be saved that we groan in desperation.

I pray that God will teach us all to bear this kind of burdens.
One of the ways to cultivate this is to consider the plight,
the end, the guilt and the punishment of sinners,
your friends!

Remember that this is not an emotion, it can be,
but most times it is just a deep desire like
a deep desire to get the latest handphone,
but much deeper. =D

So, believe in revival, that it can happen!
It has happened before.
Not only to people in the past,
but in recent times.

Here is an excerpt from a dairy,
of someone, from Singapore.

"15/1/03 Wednesday
It has been a great time since I last wrote.
The revival movement has begun.
Last wed, 7 of us gathered to pray.
For the first time, brokenness was the thing
and going to serve God was also another.
We warred in the spirit and got a breakthrough,
praise God.
The next day we met to pray,
though some couldn't make it.
The anointing of God rested upon us to pray
individually for our friends.
We did. Powerful.

The weekend was filled with attacks from the enemy,
clearly seeking to quench the revival.
We got together on Monday and realised all of us got it!
We praise God that we were on the correct track
and thanked God by faith at the work that is to be done.

That day, 3 people agreed to the baptism of the Holy Spirit,
2 got challenged in their Christian walk
and 1 agreed to come to church.
Little did we realize that God was going to pour out more.
The next day, yesterday,
A (a person) had class fellowship.
The presence of our glorious Lord came down and touched the people.
All 7 left the fellowship with a touch from God.
The move had indeed begun."

In this account, God moved so much.
Can you imagine what would happen if God did this all around?
The same God who did this 3 years ago in a school in Singapore
can do it in St.Andrew's!
It can happen!
Just pray and trust God.
Let's believe in a revival because it is coming.

Will you be part of it? ^^


In His Majesty's Service,
Ecneralx.

SFCier ;

9th Feb'06