EXAMINATION OF A REVIVAL
It was my privilege in September of 1993 to
visit Brazil on a 3 week ministry trip. What I
saw and experienced there caused me to make the
statement that Brazil, in my opinion, was in the
beginning stages of a powerful move of the Holy
Spirit.
The power of God was present in the mainline
denominational churches to save, heal, and
deliver. The feeling or mood of the meetings was
so very different from anything I had ever
sensed before.
As I reported my impressions of the trip and
the country of Brazil many people responded with
the same thing, "Why?" This was the foremost
question on my mind as well. Why was such a
thing happening in one part of the world and
apparently not in other places? Why did we not
see such things in America, for instance?
Doesn't God like us anymore? Does God have
favorites?
When things are going along in our lives
according to the status quo we feel comfortable
and satisfied. But when we hear of God moving in
OTHER PLACES there are often 3 possible
responses: ANGER at God, CONTEMPT toward the
"other place", or JOY that the Kingdom of God is
advancing on the earth.
One thing I believe is that God is sovereign.
He chooses to move in certain ways at particular
times. And no man can ask Him, "Why are You
doing this?" Special times of grace have always
occurred throughout the history of the Church.
However, there is one other thing that I believe
is involved: We are co-laborers with God. There
is first the divine working of God and then
there is also the human response to that working
of God. We can respond correctly to His Spirit
or we can refuse to cooperate with Him.
As far as the question about Brazil goes, the
only thing I can offer for an explanation is to
note some of the features of this revival; to
observe some of the differences between the
church in Brazil and the church, generally
speaking, in America. Perhaps this would say
something to us for our benefit.
I need to mention that some of the statements
I am making are only general. Also, my purpose
is not to condemn. Rather, my purpose is to make
some observations and let the Holy Spirit speak
to us.
I) WORSHIP. When the Brazilian church
worships it really gets into it. I did not see
any priming of the pump or jump-starting of
half-hearted church members. The people who came
to the meetings came ready to praise God. Their
heart was in it. There was a sincerity and an
abandonment. The majority of the people threw
themselves into worship the best they knew how.
They seemed to be consumed with God and only
conscious of Him. I believe that God delights to
manifest Himself to a people who delight
themselves in their God.
If we are not consumed with God, it shows. We
just cannot hide it. If we, as a body of people,
really do not care a great deal about the things
of God anymore, it is obvious to everyone. It
cannot be hidden even from ourselves. Sometimes
we realize we are asleep spiritually but we just
do not seem to be able to awaken. If you have
ever been under the influence of a spirit of
slumber while trying to worship then you know
what I mean.
I realize there are many factors which can
account for a good or a poor worship service but
when we as a church cannot enter into that for
which we were created - to worship God with all
of our might - we are really done before we
start. The rest of what we are going to do will
fall flat.
II) CHILD-LIKENESS. Jesus said, "Truly I tell
you, whoever does not receive and accept and
welcome the kingdom of God as a little child
(does), positively shall not enter it at all"
(Mark 10:15 Amp).
To me the Brazilian Christians seemed
child-like in many ways. Some of them had some
very adult problems but generally they were like
children in worship, in acceptance, in love, and
in faith.
We in America have lost much of this. I feel
that we have been "corrupted from the simplicity
that is in Christ" (2 Cor 11:3). Christ is
SIMPLE, says the Holy Spirit! That is, He is not
so analytical and deep in the way that we many
times think. The river of God is perhaps not as
deep as it is wide (Ez 47). There is an expanse
or a vastness to the things of God that is
beyond comprehension.
I am by no means advocating a mindless
Christianity. I rejoice to learn of great
intellectual men and women who use their
abilities to proclaim Christ and His words. But
the fact is that the mind must bow its knee and
take its proper place, which is at the feet of
the Spirit. The Spirit does search the deep
things of God also. But what WE usually mean by
"the deeper things" is really the HIGHER things
- how high up in the tree we think we have
climbed; the tree of knowledge which is the
curse of us all.
But there is hope. Jesus not only said that
we must receive the Kingdom as a little child
but He said that it is possible to "BECOME as
little children ... Therefore whoever HUMBLES
himself as this little child is the greatest in
the Kingdom of heaven" (Matt 18:3,4). Humbling
ourselves by admitting that God is right and
righteous is a key to obtaining grace because
God gives grace to the humble. And the rest of
us find that God Himself resists us in our
pride. This is sometimes the cause of
HOPELESSNESS - when we unknowingly fight against
God Himself in our stubbornness. That is truly
hopeless! The choice of attitudes is up to us.
III) HUNGER. Jesus promised, "Blessed are those
who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for
they SHALL BE FILLED" (Mat 5:6).
Probably more than any other word "hungry"
best describes the Brazilian Christians right
now. The churches meet 6 or 7 days per week.
Some because this has been the Latin American
tradition but many now because they are HUNGRY
for God and His Word! God has stirred up this
hunger in them but they are also responding to
God's stirring in their hearts.
Many times we do not have a keen sense of
spiritual hunger because we are filled with
OTHER THINGS. Our lives are very complex in
America. We have allowed this complexity and so
have allowed ourselves to become corrupted from
the simplicity that is in Christ. Would we be
willing to strip ourselves of these extra
things? Simply put: No. And so "life" goes on
just like always. Always full but always empty.
Could we break this death cycle? With man it is
impossible but not with God! Would God grant us
a supernatural hunger and thirst if we asked Him
in sincerity? Would He change our desires if we
came to recognize that we have "spoiled our
supper" spiritually by feeding on worthless
things?
Well, does God love His people? Does He have
a plan for a future and a hope? Does God watch
over His own Word to perform it? CERTAINLY!
IV) BACK TO THE BASICS. "Then He (Jesus)
appointed twelve, that they might be with Him
and that He might send them out to preach, and
to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out
demons" (Mark 3:14-15).
Jesus did the same thing when He sent out the
seventy and again when He commissioned His
entire body after His resurrection. Quite
profound but pretty simple: Preach the Word and
call people to soundness and demonstrate the
power of the Kingdom of God.
The twelve disciples knew this. They imitated
Jesus. They demonstrated the will of God that
people be sound and whole in all of their being.
Most if not all the disciples of Jesus were
illiterate. All they knew was some basic Old
Testament that they had heard and Jesus. Poor,
foolish apostles.
In contrast to that, in our day almost any
Christian has been exposed to enough "teaching"
to instantly give you 177 reasons why God will
not or cannot move in our midst today. We do not
see much of the power of God today but we tend
to place the blame on God instead of humbling
ourselves and seeking God for His renewed power
among us. It seems that God is being called on
to repent. If someone needs to have a basic
change of attitude I don't think it is going to
be the Lord.
V) SENSE OF EXPECTANCY. In the Brazilian
meetings there is an atmosphere of anticipation.
What is God going to do tonight? Do we come into
our times of fellowship with other believers
firmly expecting to hear from God and to be
touched by Him? It seems that many times we
receive just what we came for: Not much.
"Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap"
(Gal 6:7). This is true in all areas of life,
natural and spiritual. If we sow an expectant
attitute we can reap a wonderful experience of
God's love and presence. A missionary to Mexico
told me about his home church in the United
States. He said that the pastor has been seeking
the Lord earnestly for a long time for the life
of God to be manifest in the meetings. As he has
been faithful to seek God with a proper heart he
said, "Every meeting gets better. I almost can't
believe the next one could be better but it
always is!"
VI) LOVE. The brothers I met in Brazil certainly
had love in their midst but there was something
more than that. There was BROTHERLY AFFECTION.
"Be kindly affectionate to one another with
brotherly love" (Rom 12:10). Now for most of us
Midwesterners this is crossing over the line too
far! It just is not part of our culture. But
what is our culture; what the world around us
says or is our citizenship in heaven?
"Greet one another with a holy kiss" (Rom
16:16). You've got to be kidding! One of the
characteristics of the last days is that men
will be "without natural (human) affection
(callous and inhuman)" (2 Tim 3:3 Amp.) This
explains abortion in part. Women have lost their
natural affection for their own children. Could
it be that we have been influenced by the world
more than we realize? It is only "natural" that
we would love those whom God has loved and
accepted. Oh, that we would let God put within
us a affection for each other that comes from
Him; a love that comes from His acceptance of
us.
I believe from the scriptures and from the
witness of the Spirit within me that any people
anywhere can experience a move of God's Spirit.
Even in America. Even today. However, it will
not come without a price. Jesus said to those
who can hear it, "I counsel you to buy from
Me... (Rev 3:18).
I believe that Brazil right now may be God's
object lesson to the rest of the world about
revival. I encourage all of us to examine our
hearts before God in the light of these six
observations. May God put you with others who
also desire to see one last powerful move of God
in our generation.
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