Revival is...

[John of Japan]

A poster since banned opined that American Christianity is declining, and I agreed, saying that America needs revival. In this thread I'd like to see single words, short phrases, quotes, and Bible verses telling what you think revival is, how it comes, etc.

 

[John of Japan]

"Revival" comes from "re-vive," meaning to live again.

 

[Scarlett O.]

Revival will not happen without repentance.

 

[Dr. Bob]

O LORD, I have heard the report of You, and Your work, O LORD, I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known. In Your wrath remember mercy.
(Hab 3:2)

 

[John of Japan]

"Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?" (Psalm 85:6)

"In this context is the prayer that asks God to 'revive us again,' which employs the usual Hegrrew term chayah for quickening and restoration. It means to 'bring us back to the spiritual state that should be normal for Your people.'" (Rick Flanders, Back to Normal: Understanding Revival, p. 8).

 

[JesusFan]

"Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?" (Psalm 85:6)

"In this context is the prayer that asks God to 'revive us again,' which employs the usual Hegrrew term chayah for quickening and restoration. It means to 'bring us back to the spiritual state that should be normal for Your people.'" (Rick Flanders, Back to Normal: Understanding Revival, p. 8).

Historically, seems to be providential times when the Holy Spirit Himself has chosen to intercede and intervene by moving upon persons to motivate them to cry out to the father for revival and more of the Kingdom coming into their midst, Started and brought by God to us, not us starting it first before God.

 

[JesusFan]

"Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?" (Psalm 85:6)

"In this context is the prayer that asks God to 'revive us again,' which employs the usual Hegrrew term chayah for quickening and restoration. It means to 'bring us back to the spiritual state that should be normal for Your people.'" (Rick Flanders, Back to Normal: Understanding Revival, p. 8).

reviv;la seems to be times when the Lord calls and draws out His own people to renew Jesus as their first love and to become more concerned with placing Him primary in their lives again

 

[KenH]

Revival is when a person is regenerated by the Holy Spirit under the hearing of the gospel of Christ, and is then given the gift of faith toward the finished work of Christ Jesus, and is given the gift of repentance of dead works toward God.

Ezekiel 16:6 And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.

 

[John of Japan]

Revival is when a person is regenerated by the Holy Spirit under the hearing of the gospel of Christ, and is then given the gift of faith toward the finished work of Christ Jesus, and is given the gift of repentance of dead works toward God.

Ezekiel 16:6 And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.

So are you equating revival ("to live again") only with salvation?

 

[KenH]

So are you equating revival ("to live again") only with salvation?

Yes. The Bible is all about Christ and His finished work as the Surety of God's elect, those God chose before the world began and gave to His Son to be their Surety, and to bring them to live with Him in the new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwells righteousness.

 

[John of Japan]

Yes. The Bible is all about Christ and His finished work as the Surety of God's elect, those God chose before the world began and gave to His Son to be their Surety, and to bring them to live with Him in the new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwells righteousness.

Well, I certainly agree with this, but I'm not sure how it applies to revival, which always in the literature is equated with believers getting back to full obedience to Christ. "At this season we, as a Church, have had our hearts set upon a revival of religion in our midst. Many of us will be greatly and grievously disappointed if such a revival shall not take place. We have felt moved to cry for it; I think I must say we have been almost unanimously thus moved" (Charles Spurgeon, Revival, Mt. Zion Publications, p. 3).

 

[KenH]

Well, I certainly agree with this, but I'm not sure how it applies to revival

I guess we just understand the term "revival" differently.

 

[John of Japan]

I guess we just understand the term "revival" differently.

Disagreement is a Baptist distinctive. I will agree with this much: when revival truly occurs, sinners are reached for Christ.

 

[KenH]

sinners are reached for Christ.

Or to put it Biblically, Christ, through the gospel and regeneration by the Holy Spirit, reaches sinners.

 

[John of Japan]

"Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way" (Psalm 119:37, NKJV).

 

[Martin Marprelate]

Revival is when the Holy Spirit revives a church or some of the people in a church and sets them praying and yearning for God's glory (cf. 1 Sam. 7:2). This will normally lead to the people in the area being convicted of sin and coming to the church. The revival often spreads to other churches and towns as folk come to see what's going on.

 

[John of Japan]

"Truly our fathers have told us the wondrous things which God did in the days of Wesley and of Whitefield. The churches were all asleep. Irreligion was the rule of the day. The very streets seemed to run with iniquity, and the gutters were filled full with the iniquity of sin. Up rose Whitefield and Wesley, men whose hearts the Lord had touched, and they dared to preach the gospel of the grace of God" (Spurgeon, op cit, 25-26).

 

[JesusFan]

"Truly our fathers have told us the wondrous things which God did in the days of Wesley and of Whitefield. The churches were all asleep. Irreligion was the rule of the day. The very streets seemed to run with iniquity, and the gutters were filled full with the iniquity of sin. Up rose Whitefield and Wesley, men whose hearts the Lord had touched, and they dared to preach the gospel of the grace of God" (Spurgeon, op cit, 25-26).

All real revivals in history seemed to be iniated by the Holy Spirit Himself, indue season, as God chose in His timing to send forth the Holy Spirit to now bring about His moving amomg [eo[les, using His chosen agents of change

 

[KenH]

"Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way" (Psalm 119:37, NKJV).

Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity,.... As the things of this world, the riches, honours, and pleasures of it, which are all vanity and vexation of spirit; and yet these catch the eye, and allure the heart: and all false doctrines, glided over with the specious pretence of truth; and all false worship and superstition, set off with pomp and pageantry, with which the eyes of the body or the eyes of the mind are taken, and by which the heart is ensnared; and therefore it is desirable to have the eyes turned away from such objects unto better;

and quicken thou me in thy way; so as to walk and even run in the path of truth, in the way of true religion and godliness; and, instead of looking upon vanity, press towards the mark for the prize; keep Christ in view, while running the race; and look to things unseen, and not things that are seen; and set the affections on things above, and serve the Lord fervently; all which is done when God quickens the hearts of his people, and the graces of his Spirit in them.

- John Gill's Bible commentary on Psalm 119:37

 

[KenH]

"Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way" (Psalm 119:37, NKJV).

How very beautiful is this portion of the psalm, considered as descriptive of the work of the Holy Ghost. It is his blessed province, and from his great love to the persons of Christ's people, he delights in it, to teach, and to lead to Christ, and to give us a spirit of wisdom and understanding in the knowledge of him. And he not only thus teacheth the way, but makes us, by inclining our hearts, to go in the way, and in the path of his commandments. And it is most blessed indeed to wait, and to observe the tendencies of his visits and his grace towards us. His it is to quicken also the soul, and to renew us again after many relapses, and the wanderings and coldness of our minds. Oh! blessed and almighty Teacher! of thy grace and goodness, do thou work all these tokens of thy favor in me, and bless me in Christ; for it is thou that worketh in us, both to will and to do of thy good pleasure, Philippians 2:13; John 14:26.

- Robert Hawker's commentary on Psalm 119:33-40