When Revival Comes… In An Unexpected Way

When Revival Comes to the Jews

When revival came to the Jews, it came in an unexpected way. The Messiah, Jesus, came, but not in the way the Jews expected. Jesus came not as King of the Earth, but as a servant to humanity.

So, most of the Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah. They prayed for the Messiah to come and free them from their oppressors, just as the prophets said would happen.

But it didn’t happen in the way the Jews expected. Jesus came and freed them from the oppressor, satan, first. Later, He will return and free them from human oppressors.

Since this isn’t what the Jews are praying for, they continue to seek the Messiah’s coming, ignoring the actual happening.

Revival came… in an unexpected way.

The Last Revival in America

The established denominations did not accept the last revival. This was due to revival sweeping through our country in two groups of people that were unacceptable to the established denominations.

The revival didn’t answer their prayer in the way they expected.

During the 60s and early 70s turmoil and upheaval dominated our country. The unpopular Vietnam War was raging in Southeast Asia. Racial tensions are at a historic high. Tens of thousands of the country’s teenagers were becoming hippies and staging sit-ins.

College campuses were roiling with unrest. Men were burning draft cards, women burning bras, and, too often, cities were burning. Gas prices soared and people often waited for two hours in line to get five gallons of gas. Inflation was at an all-time high.

During the violence and turmoil, churches prayed for revival.

When Revival Comes to the West Coast

On the west coast, the hippies started turning to Jesus. By the thousands, long-haired, weirdly dressed young people got turned on to Jesus. Barefoot, often dirty, and with different mannerisms, the hippies were unacceptable to most churches.

Oh yes, these same churches were crying out to God for revival. But when it came in an unexpected way, these same churches rejected revival. It didn’t come in the way they expected.

They didn’t want these hippies in their church.

Therefore, revival passed them by. They missed the Jesus Movement.

When Revival Comes to the East Coast

Revival came to the east coast while the Jesus Movement was happening on the west coast. The Charismatic renewal started in an unexpected way.

At Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, two professors committed themselves to a deeper experience with the Holy Spirit. During their search, friends gave them two books:

The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson and They Speak In Other tongues by John Sherrill

(Find the Cross and the Switchblade here) and (find They Speak In Other Tongues here)

After reading these two books, the professors realized what they were seeking is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. At a weekend retreat in Gibsonia, Pa, twenty-five Catholics experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit and spoke in other tongues.

This experience spread rapidly throughout the Catholic Church. The Charismatic Renewal had begun.

The Pentecostals

At the same time the Charismatic Renewal began, the Pentecostals were praying for revival. They would cry out to God for His power and holy fire to fall. When it fell on the Catholics, they rejected it as a “strange fire”.

They didn’t believe it could happen to Catholics just as the Jews didn’t believe the Messiah could come from Nazareth.

Why? These Pentecostal churches had preached for decades the pope was the antichrist and Catholicism would be the one-world religion.

No, this couldn’t be of God they reasoned. 

What Were the Pentecostals Looking For?

Why did the Pentecostals reject the Charismatic Renewal? What were they looking for?

The Pentecostals were expecting revival to happen in a way similar to what had happened at Azuza Street in Los Angeles back in 1906. When it happened among what they considered their spiritual enemy, they couldn’t accept it.

Most of the denominational churches didn’t accept these “Charismatics”. They were given the left foot of fellowship and found themselves no longer welcome in the same churches they has grown up in. This led to the forming of nondenominational churches so prevalent today.

What About Today?

Coast-to-coast American churches are crying out in unison for revival. As they look around at the current state of our nation, they believe only a revival, or the return of Jesus can fix it.

Churches and Bible studies gather to pray and believe God for revival.

When revival comes, will we recognize it? What if revival comes, and once more it isn’t what we expected? Will we accept it?

The definition of revival:

1: an act or instance of reviving: the state of being revived: such as
    a: renewed attention to or interest in something
   b: a new presentation or publication of something old
   c(1): a period of renewed religious interest
     (2): an often highly emotional evangelistic meeting or series of meetings
(According to Merriam-Webster)

But revival is so much more than a mere series of evangelistic meetings. Churches have what they call revival meetings all the time. They bring in an evangelist and have meetings for two to how many days they decide.

This isn’t the revival I am speaking about.

What is revival?

True revival marks a generation of believers for the rest of their life. It changes them permanently. Every revival I have studied created a radical change in those involved.
There are former hippies converted during the Jesus Revolution who are now senior pastors of nondenominational churches. From the Charismatic Renewal came some of the most effective and influential ministries of today.

True revival brings those involved into a deeper relationship with God, resulting in increased passion and a more holy lifestyle.

How Does Revival Happen?

The keys to revival are prayer and repentance. Revival always starts with believers. To be “revived” something must be “vived” first. “Vive” simply means live. To be “vived” is to be alive. To be “revived” means to be made alive again.

Believers have been made alive in Christ. Revivals happen because believers are seeking God in prayer and repentance. The Bible even tells us this.

And my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14 CSB)

This is how revival begins. It is His people who bear His name; the word “bear” is twofold. As a Christian, we are named after God (see Ephesians 3:15). But Christians also bear the name in the sense they carry His name to use with power. Therefore, we know this verse applies to Christians.

The 4 Step Process to Revival

1. Humble ourselves. We need to acknowledge God’s way is the best way. We take our way out of the equation. It is acknowledging only God can accomplish what we need.
2. Pray. Not simple little “bless me” prayers. Heartfelt, earnest, fervent prayer. Deep prayer that is backed by humility and faith.
3. Seek His face. Not His hands that provide for us, but His face. To have God look upon you and you look upon God as the only source for your need, which in this case is revival.
4. Repent. Turn away from our wicked ways. Put all known sin from our life. Use 1 John 1:9 and repent of everything that is not God-pleasing.

God’s Part

Only after we have done our four steps will God do His part. This is not a “one and done” process. It is something that needs to happen daily. We need to maintain all four steps every day. Do all four steps with diligence and persistence.

The Challenge

I challenge you to begin praying for revival. If possible, gather a few others that will commit to seeking revival.  It is time for a revival. It is time for this generation to be swept into the Kingdom of God.omes