I have enjoyed many times camping with family and friends. Mostly I enjoy sitting around the campfire with friends, enjoying the warmth of the crackling flames and the uplifting fellowship. Fire is a symbol of spiritual energy and of the influence of God’s Spirit in our lives. Campfires must be tended, or the fire dies out. One campout with Christian friends in the cold of November left a little snowfall by morning. My friend Scott stayed up all night long putting wood on the fire because the activity and fire kept him warmer than sleeping in his sleeping bag. I appreciated the blazing fire when I got up in the morning. Paul’s admonition, “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19, ESV), implies that Christians are responsible for keeping the influence of the Holy Spirit burning in God’s people (See also Romans 12:11).
Can you tell when the fire of the Holy Spirit is ablaze and when it is dying out? The figure of fire helps us understand how the promise and power of the Holy Spirit fills us with the zeal of the Lord. Christian zeal is sparked by undying love and reverence for the Lord. The Apostle Paul spoke about the powerful energy of the Lord working through him (Colossians 1:29). He knew Timothy needed to fan the flames of conviction in order to fulfill his calling (2 Timothy 1:6-7). Each of us can do this. We see Christians and churches grow cold when there is no effort to fuel and stoke the fire in order to keep zeal alive. To their peril churches may permit the growth of attitudes, conduct and traditions that quench the Holy Spirit.
Dave, a Christian brother, asked me if I thought we would ever have a revival. Earlier that day that very thought came to my mind, and I briefly petitioned the Lord: “Please do not let me leave this earth without seeing revival first.” Our thoughts on revival had been prompted by a discussion a week earlier on developing an effort to revive the congregation. I have often prayed for that very thing. I have read much on Biblical and historical revivals. I have executed several efforts through the years. I do believe those revival efforts were valuable times for learning and affirming faithfulness. The kindled fires warmed us with the hope of potential. Yet unattended fires flicker, and the church smolders with hot coals craving fuel and fanning. Here are my present thoughts of how to make the most of this potential as I seek the Lord to revive us again.
First, Jesus promised that through the Holy Spirit he would manifest himself to those disciples who love him and keep his commandments (John 14). The implications of this should be studied from the Gospel of John, especially chapters 13-17, until our eyes are opened, our hearts burn within, and we fill our congregations with praise at the sight of Jesus manifested in his church. When I prayed for revival, I had expectations; as everyone has expectations. (See Luke 2, 7, and 24, showing the experience of Christ’s manifestations in contrast to believer’s expectations). At one luncheon with a group of ministers, the conversation turned to the evidence of spiritual commitment and zeal. Most equated these with emotional enthusiasm and long worship services. That is an expectation. In spite of enthusiastic signs of spiritual life, churches today still struggle against a swamp of moral mediocrity and a fog of shallow understanding of the most holy faith. Jesus will not manifest himself through mediocrity and shallowness. Therefore, let us earnestly desire, pray for, and actively seek the manifestation of Jesus in us, among us and through us.
Second, manifestations of the Lord’s presence, such as evangelistic boldness and zeal for good works, were generated again and again by the meetings of the early church (For example see Acts 2, 4, 11, 12, and 13). Thus, I do not think my fellow workers were wrong about the importance of the time that we spend in fellowship and worship together. Great things and revivals for the church often begin in meetings, whether small or large. What is an effective Christian worship or meeting between Christians? The Apostle Paul emphasized the purposes of fellowship, mutual edification and glorifying God (Acts 20, 1 Corinthians 11-14, Ephesians 4).
Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 5:11-21 provides a challenge that would certainly bring restoration, revival and renewal. The challenge is to wake up and enjoy the daylight of Christ shining on us. The challenge is to learn to walk in the will of God so we can change and change our world. The challenge is to get in the habit of being filled with the Spirit, rather than indulging in the world’s wasteful habit of getting drunk with wine. The challenge is to promote mutual thankfulness to God in the name of Jesus, and to submit to one another in order to honor our Lord. Pride, lack of humility and self-will prevent revival in favor of the status quo. Teaching one another through heartfelt songs is a potential, powerful means of renewal in the Holy Spirit. The expressions of worship and edification that were taught and practiced by the apostolic church get us in the habit of being filled with the Spirit. Meetings function to reinforce our understanding of God’s will, our living hope of drawing near to God’s presence, and the actual spurring of one another to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10). Therefore, let us hold meetings that produce sparks in every Christian, that ignites the warm coals, rebuilds the fire and keeps it crackling.
Finally, the Lord poured out and continues to fill us with the Holy Spirit to accomplish his work on this earth (Luke 24, John 14-17, and Acts 1). If the church is sluggish in the Lord’s work, then the church needs to seek revival from the Holy Spirit. About forty years after the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, the Hebrew letter was written to Jewish Christians who had become sluggish and unsteady in their faith. Some even turned away from Christ after sharing in the Holy Spirit and the powers of the coming age (Hebrews 6). Those who remained but were sluggish were strongly warned of the peril of falling away. A Christian’s spiritual state is like well-watered farm land that is blessed by God if it fulfills its purpose of producing spiritual crops or fruit that blesses others. In contrast, the land is worthless and near to being cursed if it rather produces thorns and thistles. Did they have to remain in a fallow, overgrown state? Could they not be plowed, seeded, tended and watered? Yes! These Christians could wake up from their sluggishness, bolster their confidence in Christ, embrace their calling to holiness and become fruitful again. (See Hebrews 11-12 and Hosea 10:12).
Jesus observed in his day that the field was full of souls that were ready for harvest. Then he told his disciples they could bring in the harvest because others before them had done the labor of sowing. (John 4:31-38). Labor is the hard work that must be done from beginning to end with trust in the power and blessing of the Lord. The seed we plant, the word of God, has God’s power to produce fruit; and we must fervently believe this. Jesus taught: “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:26-29, ESV). The harvest has come – that’s the joy of revival. Therefore, let us persevere in doing our Lord’s work, sowing to the Spirit rather than the flesh; so that we may see Christ manifested from the plowing to the harvest celebration. (See Galatians 6:7-9).
