Where Does Revival Happen?

Rev. J. Patrick Bowman P.O. Box 1386 The Dalles, OR 97058 [email protected] 541-980-8310 North American Rights © Rev. J. Patrick Bowman, 2009 Pages: 5 Word Count: 831 Where Does Revival Happen? By Rev. J. Patrick Bowman Where does revival happen? The fires of revival are ignited in the hearts of men and women who have cut kindling with prayer, struck the flint with faith, and have called on the wind of the Holy Spirit to fan the flames. Cutting kindling with prayer Cutting prayer of this kind exposes the indifference of our hearts. As we become aware of our heart condition we also become aware of what brought about our disease in the first place. Charles Finney, (1792-1875), a major force in the Second Great Awakening, used omissions and commissions to point out what conditions within us feed dis-ease and hinder revival. Finney lists a neglect of gratitude, regular reading of the scriptures, prayer, family and private duties, self-denial, and watching over fellow believers as the things we fail to do. I believe these neglects can be thought of as neglecting a diet low in fat to help control our cholesterol. This same omissions list points to a lack of love for God, a good spiritual attitude, lack of seriousness, and a lack of love and concern for humanity at large, as contributing to our condition, as well. In my mind, these can be thought of as a lack of nutrients the body needs to function properly. Finney then turns to the active sin in our lives in the commissions list. This includes worldly-mindedness, pride, envy, and a critical spirit, slander, lying, cheating, robbing God, and keeping others from useful service. Think of these as the junk food we eat that contributes to the high cholesterol that contributes to a hardening of the arteries that feed our hearts with life-giving blood. These omissions and commissions from the writings of Charles Finney come from a man who brought an estimated 250,000 souls to salvation through his preaching. Striking the flint with faith One of my favorite sayings is this: “The Kingdom of God is here and now, for those with eyes to see it, hearts to receive it, and hands to make it happen.” It’s not enough to see the Kingdom or receive the Kingdom. We must strike the flint of faith and step out to realize the Kingdom. God’s Word, in Hebrews 11, says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The substance of the Kingdom is the seeing and receiving. The evidence comes when we step out in faith to loose the Kingdom of God into every situation, every aspect of our lives and the lives of those around us. The evidence is something that can be measured. The evidence is the manifestation of the substance of those things. This can be thought of as hoping to light a room. You have the lamp and the electricity. This is the substance. But until you move and turn the lamp on, with

conviction of the truth that the lamp and electricity will provide light, no evidence of the substance is manifest. There is no verb form of faith in the English language, so we’ve been lulled into thinking that faith is a thing; a thing we can pick up and look at, examine, and send to committee to determine what we are to do with it. Faith is a verb, an action word. It’s God’s intent that we act upon it, with conviction and holy fervor, to establish the present age manifestations of the Kingdom. Calling on the wind of the Holy Spirit With kindling in place by prayer and the fire lit by faith, we now need the wind of the Holy Spirit to fuel our small fire until it becomes an all consuming fire before us. Acts chapter 2 tells the story of how the wind of the Spirit came one day to a group of disciples who had set themselves apart in prayer and in faith had set their fire to burning; a burning desire to experience the Promise of the Father, the power from on high. And when the time was right, there came the sound of a mighty, rushing wind, and tongues of fire rested on each of them, and they were all filled with the Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. The wind of the Spirit not only fed their fire but brought with it new fire that fed them. Revival doesn’t rely on man’s power or might, but on the Holy Spirit, the embodiment of God’s power and might. Are you ready for revival? Have you cut your kindling in prayer? Have you struck the flint with faith to ignite a tiny flame? Have you asked the wind of the Spirit to come and feed that tiny fire until it becomes a mighty blaze of God’s glory? Then expect God to use you as an instrument of His grace. Allow that fiery glow to be a beacon to those around you who need to experience God’s love and redemption through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen