19 October 2023
Some of you already know that I am very cynical about revivals, as the word is typically used by American evangelicals. I would dearly love to see a move of the Holy Spirit, but I am deeply disturbed by the notion that it will always end up being called "a revival" with all the baggage that comes with that term. A lot of "revivals" are mislabeled.
I'll admit it's partly a matter of my personality. I'm very big on being consistent across the ages. My calling is to examine things that mark substantive growth in faith and community that transfers across generations. Naturally, I promote a stability in aiming for a high standard. So, when I hear church folks chattering about "revival" it grates on my nerves at some deep level. I would never lift a finger to hinder it, but I also won't give much support.
That's not how God works in my life. Revivals seldom change the underlying flaws that make people call for them. It smacks too much of simple human boredom and adrenaline addiction. People who are bored are boring and shallow, at least temporarily so, if not as a major factor in their lives. I always too much to do. If I need a break from routine, I go for a retreat with lots of quiet introspection and prayer.
Thus, some of what I might say may not work for you. Reader beware.
Spiritual warfare is mostly information warfare. We are seeking to point out the work of the Enemy of the gospel message. Fun_and_Prophet summed it like this:
You know by now that I would point to chatter about revivals as a problem. The first problem I detect is based on who is making the noise in the first place. For example: There is no accounting for musical tastes. Good people of God are all over the map, and some are quite eclectic about it. I love the worship music that was produced by Integrity/Hosanna Music. It started in the early 1980s and was too much like TV dreck. Then it got better and I bought some of it up through the late 1900s. Then the style shifted substantially and I lost interest. I still have a selection of albums from that period as MP3s on my computer. I listen to that stuff often; it builds me up.
The whole series was live recordings, produced very professionally, using charismatic worship leaders. I can remember one album in particular with a section of chatter that I prefer to skip. The worship leader mentions "worldwide revival" as the object for which he then leads in prayer. I like the guy's musical talents, and his compositions touch me. I regard him as a genuine believer, though somewhat misguided.
Do you understand how his faith and talent have been used as a cash cow? The people who run Integrity/Hosanna are not all good people of faith. The whole Contemporary Christian Music industry is a cesspool of greed and manipulation. Some artists are fake as can be, and a few have been caught at it. Some are simply humans who got too much fame and money too soon for their personal growth at that time. There were decent people whose careers are trashed, and some others who should have been. You cannot package the Holy Spirit and sell the products of His power.
Having worked in a large number of churches over the years of my ministry, I can tell you that it's hard to avoid the same crap in church work. Talent and professional ability always outweigh genuine calling. Personnel committees in churches work from resumes. What kind of resume would Jesus have had?
Recently you may have read something about called the "Asbury Revival" (I have no complaints with the way Wikipedia covers it). Lots of electrons have been splattered on computer screens about this. While it's obvious that this thing has been partially hijacked by those who worship Mammon and Fame, the movement itself seems genuine. It lacked any of the signatures of evil with which I am familiar. Call it the real deal, but I don't like the popular label "revival" for what happened.
I spent a bit of time a few days ago (when I wrote this) praying about the whole subject of spiritual warfare. It had been something on my heart for several days recently. In this case, there was a lot of prayer time before I discerned the issue, but then I prayed again to make sure I was on course. Now I'm telling you what I believe about it. My target audience is the Radix Fidem community; everyone else is free to look in on this conversation, but it's for our community.
Regarding prayer: I'm one of those people who has a constant voice of chatter inside my head. It's never quiet (except when I'm singing). The majority of the time, I am talking to the Lord, and echoing what I believe I hear from Him. Sometimes I'll tell stories to myself, making it up as I go. I'll edit the scenes and replay them if something doesn't come off well the first time. But I'm always aware that the Holy Spirit is listening in on this stream of consciousness.
But the best times are when I can get far enough away from others to pray out loud. I love a quiet rural hilltop with the wind blowing, or a remote bank/shore somewhere with water making noise. Those conditions allow me to push aside the fleshly self and give more focus to my heart, the real me.
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