What is True Christian Revival? Can it Happen in America Today?

What is a revival? What is a Christian revival? More importantly, can it happen in America today? Do we need a revival? How about an awakening?

Two posts ago, I quoted Jesus who said, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” Jesus came to save the WHOLE WORLD. Unfortunately, a lot of people who hear about Jesus and His message of salvation, either don’t hear it correctly, or just plain fail to believe it. The ones that do believe are the chosen.

Yesterday, we were reminded that we chosen are fighting a spiritual warfare battle and we have to put on the FULL ARMOR OF GOD everyday without fail. We must be prepared for anything that Satan throws at us.

With that in mind, I want to share with you a Bible study from the free, YouVersion Bible app on Revival by Paul Daugherty. Having come from a Catholic and Progressive background, I had heard the term “revival”, but really didn’t understand what it meant in the realm of true Christianity. It clarified a lot for me and I hope it will for you, too…

What is True Revival?

Revival is defined as an improvement in the condition of something or someone. It is to recover, to rally, to pick up, and to turn for the better. It’s an upturn and an upswing. It’s a reintroduction, a restoration, and a resurrection.

In order to revive something, it first has to have already existed. You can’t revive something if it was never there in the first place.

When we talk about revival, it’s not a subject for those who don’t know Christ. It’s for Christians — followers of Jesus. It is a reminder that there needs to be an awakening and refreshing in our spirit.

Revival should leave a legacy. Revival is meant to have lasting impact on a city, a community, a church, a nation, and the nations of the world.

One of my heroes, Oral Roberts said, “Revival is the revitalization of the church for a divine attack on society. Revival is marshaling of forces fatal to the kingdom of darkness. Revival is the enlisting, training, and empowering of the church as a prelude to evangelization. Revival is God’s military tactic that concentrates His resources for a vital blow at a crucial moment.”

Revival is God’s military tactic! This means that as we pioneer for revival, we must prepare for warfare. Revival in its true form is an attack on the forces of darkness. It’s a victorious way to drive out the enemy and take ground for the Kingdom of God.

We have seen revival in the past. Just by looking through the history books, we’ve had the Reformation, the Great Awakening, the Second Great Awakening, the Jesus movement, and many more. What makes those “Revivals” historical? What sets them apart from just a really good church service?

God began to speak to me that true revival raises the esteem of Jesus. If Jesus isn’t lifted up, it’s not revival. If a person, personality, location, or even a church takes the fame from God, it’s not true revival. True revival stirs up your love for God and your love for people. True revival happens more on the inside than it does on the outside.

Here’s the test: if inward change has not taken place, it’s not true revival.

How do you know inward change is happening? What are the signs? What is the fruit?

The fruit of revival is LOVE.

It’s not a revival if you still hate your family. It’s not a revival if you still have racism in your heart because revival breaks down prejudice. It breaks down bigotry. It destroys the divides.

Revival reinvigorates the life of a believer. Revival causes Christians to get excited about reading their Bible in the morning. Revival gets people excited to worship God. Revival draws people towards repentance. In order to usher in revival, we first must recognize our need for repentance, our need to adjust our thinking and align it with God’s thinking.

Revival’s not meant to be carried by one person. It’s meant to be spread and carried by a church and a congregation. Revival is meant for the whole church to carry inside their hearts.

I heard God say, “Paul, if you get revival inside of you, you can impart it inside of others.”

Some of you already have it in your hearts, but we must stoke the fire. We must stir up the flames and then we must spread the fire.

I remember one spring, I was with a group of friends, and we were sitting around a bonfire. Throughout the evening, the flames began to shrink. It looked like the fire was dying. As the flames began to turn to ashes and coals, I took my prong and began to poke it. Suddenly, the flame came back up again. I threw another log on top and the flames began to surge.

Some of us need to poke at the embers in our heart. We have let the flame of revival die down. We need to WAKE UP: our spirit, our faith, our passion, and our love. We need to get that fire burning in our hearts again.

We need the fire of revival; this is not just for us, but for others as well! It can’t start with the lost; it has to start among believers. It starts with repentance. Repentance opens the door for the Lord to move, and that is when revival overflows into the streets, neighborhoods, and cities. I believe our country is ripe for revival.
Paul Daugherty

Now, the Question is… Can it Happen in America Today?

Jesus told us…

“Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”
Matthew 12:25 NIV

He later said…

³⁰“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. ³¹And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. ³²Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

³³“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. ³⁴You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. ³⁵A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. ³⁶But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. ³⁷For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Matthew 12:30-37 NIV

So, you’re either with Jesus — a true follower of Jesus — a true Christian — or you’re not. It doesn’t matter if you’re Republican or Democrat, Conservative or Liberal, Black, Brown, White, Red, Yellow, or Purple. Jesus came to save you, too! Furthermore, Salvation is THROUGH JESUS ONLY! Not through a church or a priest or a ritual. Jesus didn’t suffer on the cross and die so that we could have religion! He wants a 1:1 relationship with YOU!

In reality, if you’re not following JESUS, you’re following Satan. You’re going in the wrong direction. Heaven or Hell?

The End Times

We are living in the Last Days. The Rapture could happen at any moment. That’s when Jesus will come back for His chosen, His church, His born-again, believers. If you’re not part of the wedding party, then you’ll be left behind.

At that point, you’ll either realize that we all were right and you missed the boat or you’ll go and follow the Antichrist. However, you will get a second chance. You can fall on your knees and repent and believe in JESUS. BUT, you’ll have to live through the Great Tribulation and that won’t be fun at all.

It’s not too late for America and the World!

The churches are dying. We need a revival! We need an awakening! We can’t let Satan’s forces shut us up or keep us from gathering.

Read Acts 2 again and again. That’s when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to the first disciples. They, then, were on fire for Jesus. We need to be on fire for Jesus just like the Acts 2 church.

Holy Spirit, stir the searching soul. Stoke the dying fires in the hearts of born-again believers. Ignite the hearts of halfway Christians to repent, and surrender their lives to Jesus, and Jesus ONLY! Revive your church in America and all over the world. I pray this in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

¹⁴And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.
Matthew 24:14 NLT

It’s Your Choice.

If you’re not sure if you’re saved or not, if you truly want to be born again and have the assurance of salvation, receive the Holy Spirit, and get a 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven and that you won’t be left behind at the Rapture, this is what you have to do…

Invite Jesus into Your Heart and Receive the Gift of Grace, Joy, Peace, and the Confident Hope of Eternal Life…

These are the Days of Elijah

Oh, Glorious Day!

Soli Deo Gloria — To God Alone Be the Glory!