You Will Know It Is Revival When . . . .

You Will Know It Is Revival When .  .  .  .

You see personal repentance that develops over time into changed lives that are centered on Jesus.

Because my personal experience and academic background are both connected to the history of "revivals," I am quick to notice and observe any report of an authentic, sovereign move of God's Spirit.  There are lots of people asking me about that lately.

I say "authentic" to make clear up front that there are "inauthentic" experiences of religious fervor that are a different thing altogether.  Things like a week of special meetings in a rural church.  Mark Twain tells such a story in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but I suspect we all have stories of our own.  I am not talking about those come-and-go experiences of emotion.

I am convinced though, that an "inauthentic" experience can remind us that there really can be something that is "authentic."

So with that in mind, let me share a key reflection, born of years of academic study and pastoring real people that is my answer to the question, "So do you think that there is a revival starting to happen?"

You will know it is revival when .  .  .  .  You see personal repentance that develops over time into changed lives that are centered on Jesus.

Currently, as I look around, I see lots of gatherings that are emotionally inspiring - at least to the participants - and flavored with "God-language" of some sort.  Depending on your personal tastes and the nature of the emotions, those can be fine enough, but please don't think of them as an authentic "move-of-God" revival on the order of the Jesus Revolution, Azusa Street, the Welsh Revival, the First Great Awakening, the Moravian Movement or any of the numerous "surprising works of God" that have happened through history across the globe.

Those always begin through prayerful repentance: people recognizing God's holiness and seeing their own brokenness, then turning to the Jesus who was God-in-the-flesh-that-died-and-was raised in order to receive God's own answer to their sin problem.  

Revival is not angry people wanting others to repent.  Or unrepentant people wanting inspiration with the "next new thing."  Or the result of good marketing that draws a crowd of "likes."

It begins with personal repentance.  Then one observes that there are so many people taking steps of personal repentance and turning to Jesus that something is going on that is bigger than human plans and efforts.

I am thankful to see bubblings here and there that look like this.  I'm praying and preaching for more.

CLICK HERE for the most helpful series of eyewitness accounts from the last 3 years that give me hope regarding these first bubblings of authentic revival.  It is a YouTube playlist with five full broadcasts - one hour or more - followed by a number of much briefer clips - usually about 30 seconds - taken from them.

If you would like to learn more and build your own understanding of "authentic revival," let me encourage you to read the posts and links in two of my own earlier blogs:

CLICK HERE for Times of Refreshing: Thoughts on Authentic Revival & the Current "Asbury Awakening" - 2/14/23

CLICK HERE for A Model of Continuous Renewal by Dr Richard Lovelace - Dr Lovelace was my doctoral mentor at Gordon-Conwell Seminary. - 2/14/23