Tuesday 25 April 2017

The Spirit and revival

One of the marks of revival seems to be the Holy Spirit melting the hard hearts of Christian believers.

A friend of our daughter's told my wife and I last weekend that she has become aware of a quiet and humble renewal underway in a Steinbach, Manitoba church.  The renewal was born in prayer as the church leaders sought God's direction.

An acquaintance told her that she visited the church a while ago and was struck by the key role of personal confession.  Evidently,  she was surprised by the things in her own life that the Holy Spirit brought to her mind.  She left the church a changed woman and now her own church is changing, too.

I have not been to that Manitoba church, but it sounds as if something significant is happening there.

Certainly, there is ample evidence in the Bible and in Christian history that revival must begin with believers.  The Holy Spirit starts with us.

In 2 Chronicles 7, God appears to Solomon in a vision and tells him in verse 14:  "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land."

That suggests to me that healing - or transformation - of our society starts with God's people repenting of their sin, praying and seeking God with all their heart.

In Nehemiah 8, Ezra reads from the scriptures to the Israelites returning to Jerusalem from exile and they are struck to the heart, many weeping.  They had wandered spiritually from the Lord.  But Nehemiah calls on them to find their joy and strength in God.

The story of Pentecost tells how the Holy Spirit convicted the Jewish people listening to the apostle Peter as they realized they were responsible for the crucifixion of the Messiah (Acts 2).  Many found Christ's mercy that day and became his followers.

In another post, I mentioned that, a few years after the Second World War, several church leaders on the Scottish island of Lewis were praying and reading scriptures as they sought how to bring the island's youth back to church.

Then, one of the elders fell on his knees and cried out: "God, are my hands clean?  Is my heart pure?  It is not the young people of this island that need reviving.  It's me!"

That started a four-year-long revival that affected the whole island.

I realize my own heart is not pure.  And I admit that confession sounds scary.

But I also know that God is merciful.  And he knows that I am weak.

I am convinced that the Spirit is gentle - but powerful.

When the Spirit moves, great things happen.

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