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Preparing for Revival

By Charles T. Crabtree

Are you one of a growing number of young ministers asking questions about revival and expressing frustration in knowing what to do when confronted with unusual moves of God? You are not alone. All of us have had to work through unique spiritual challenges and human responses to divine visitations. The devil would like nothing better than to put you on a guilt trip for things beyond your control. In addition, people will pressure you to fit their mold and try to force you to do what only God can do.

Since God is not the author of confusion and you are God's minister, there are divine answers to spiritual challenges. You have the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and the elders of the church to help guide you. If you have an open heart and a teachable spirit, you will find yourself on good ground. Those who become spiritually proud and arrogant will find themselves in trouble.

Confusion about revival begins with definition and perception. Many perceive revival through the lens of limited personal experience and testimonies, which are wonderful in themselves but cannot define revival and spiritual renewal in totality.

A parallel lies between the definitions and applications of revival and Pentecost. For instance, people try to define a Pentecostal service by saying, "Now that was a real Pentecostal service," referring to a service with no preaching or to an unusual move and unique demonstration of the Spirit.

If we are not careful, we measure a Pentecostal service by what is happening to people rather than how the Holy Spirit works in people. God's greatest work is usually done internally, not publicly. Ministers need to believe God is at work even when there is little evidence by people's response. A Pentecostal service is effective when Jesus is revealed, when people worship in spirit and in truth, and when the promises of God are actualized through faith in the Word of God.

Just as people have limited perception of Pentecostal services, they have the same limitations when trying to define revival. How many times have you heard: "We are experiencing a sovereign move of God"? Such a statement defines a certain type of revival. The danger is in limiting God to one or two paradigms of revival when there are many.

I define revival by talking about the whole scope of spiritual life and ministry. Revival brings back spiritual consciousness, life, and vigorous health--to flourish again after decline. Revival recovers the biblical standard of truth, doctrine, and lifestyle. It is a fresh awareness of the presence of God, a confession of sin leading to a restoration of holy living, a new initiative in fulfilling the Great Commission, a new hunger for the Word of God, and a new faith for the supernatural.

The subject of revival is the subject of spiritual life. Most discussion on revival centers around supernatural incidents--effects but not causes, events but not context. This kind of approach can lead to the error of seeking demonstrations or evidences of revival as ends in themselves when they should be motivators to a deeper hunger for Jesus and a new passion to fulfill the purposes of God. I trust you want a true Pentecostal revival in your life and church.

My advice to you must be taken in the context of revival and is based on my study of the Word, lifelong involvement in Pentecost, and study of the subject.

BEGIN WITH YOURSELF

Whenever people complain to me about apathy and lukewarmness in their church, I point out that they are the Church, and revival begins with them.

Allow God to do in your life what you believe needs to happen for revival to come to your church. Is there hidden sin? Repent. Is there a lack of prayer? Pray. Is there a lack of discipline in spiritual things such as Bible study and meditation? Get into the Word. Ask God to restore your life and ministry to a true Pentecostal standard. If you desire a fresh anointing in your life, it will not be long before you will begin to experience a fresh anointing upon your church.

As you prepare your life for revival, focus on God and divine possibilities. Faith comes by the Word of God. Study the promises of God. He is the source of revival. If you meet His conditions, He has promised to answer and show you great and mighty things. Build your faith through contact and fellowship with people of faith. I am convinced a lot of ministries founder and die because ministers choose to listen to carnal people, unbelievers in the supernatural, and people with a critical spirit.

Build your faith by reading books on great revivals and testimonies of divine visitations. If possible, go to places where God is moving, not to copy what God is doing but to be encouraged to experience God's blessings. It disturbs me when some criticize people for traveling across the country to attend a revival. I hear no criticism about folks going across country to visit friends or relatives, to vacation, or to attend a sports event. A person does not need to attend a revival meeting to have a revival, but I cannot think of a better place to visit than a place where there is a genuine outpouring of the Spirit and where people are enjoying a special presence of God.

RECRUIT INTERCESSORS

When you experience a fresh touch of God and gain faith to believe for a divine visitation to your church, then reach out to others to stand with you for revival.

One of the most valuable lessons I ever learned in pastoring was to work with those who were willing and to sweetly ignore those who were not. Revival begins with one. It is rare for revival to break out suddenly upon a whole church. When it does, it has been preceded by a few believers fasting, praying, and crying out to God. Part of revival is spiritual hunger. You will make people hungry for God by showing them the joy of the Lord in your own life and interceding with others for God to create a hunger for spiritual life and power.

Set aside specific times for prayer and fasting. No one will believe you are serious about revival if you put times of prayer and intercession on the calendar and fail to be there. It is up to you to lead your people in the priority of revival.

During corporate prayer for revival, provide structured and nonstructured opportunities for intercession. Ask God for direction in leading the people in prayer. There is nothing like God's birthing a burden and allowing the Holy Spirit to pray it through to victory.

Many people are frustrated when they are asked to pray for Holy Spirit revival without specific direction. Have people join in intercession for conviction of sin, a spirit of prayer, baptisms in the Holy Spirit, and freedom in worship.

Focused and fervent united prayer is important in building the launching pad for revival.

BE FAITHFUL TO THE TRUTH IN YOUR FAITH

When God begins to answer your prayers, it is tempting for some to help God along by exaggerating events and results in order to impress or build faith.

I will always remember the account of a pastor who gave such a sensational report of how many people were saved in a revival that his district superintendent pressed him for more details. Finally, the pastor realized he was cornered and began to cry. He said, "If I lied, I lied for the glory of God." How sad when people think they have to lie about the work of God in order to advance His work.

We build faith in the hearts of God's people when we report the miraculous, but it is counterproductive to exaggerate results. People become disillusioned when they discover what has been reported as true is really false. God knows the truth, and we displease Him when we try to create or sustain revival by impressing people.

DON'T FORGET WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT

When my father began a new church many years ago, the Lord would not allow him to preach on the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of tongues for 6 months. He chaffed under the restriction. But when God said, "It is time," and my father preached on Pentecost, God instantaneously filled three of the leading men in the community. In revival, there is a right message and a right time. Many pastors have discerned the right message but have not sought God on the right timing for their church.

Wise leaders gain the confidence of key leadership. Some churches have been thrown into turmoil because their pastors went to a revival or a seminar, received a powerful transformation, and then assumed their churches were ready for dramatic change. Every church needs revival, but God must first revive people and then changes are made through a process of edification, not legislation. People are not against revival, but they are against changes they do not understand.

Make sure the people who share your leadership understand the burden God has placed on your heart. Provide wise leadership, and use discernment when moving your congregation to a new level of spirituality.

DON'T BE AFRAID OF QUENCHING THE FLESH

Never fear revival. Never settle for anything less than a state of true Pentecostal revival. The joy of revival far outweighs all the problems that arise from the move of the Spirit. Learn to move in spiritual authority without arrogance. You have been ordained by God. You have been assigned a leadership role. That role does not make you better or worse than anyone else. It simply means you are authorized and appointed by God to give the church guidance, perfect the saints to do the work of the ministry, and edify the body of Christ. Operate in faith.

Many churches have suffered because some pastors have quenched the Spirit and not allowed the manifestations and gifts of the Spirit in public services. Strong spiritual leaders in the pulpit must discern the difference between manifestations of the flesh and manifestations of the Spirit and then have the wisdom and fortitude to know how and when to quench the flesh and give liberty to the work of the Spirit.

It has been my joy to minister within the framework of Pentecost. I would rather deal with the problem of excesses a thousand times more than with the problems of spiritual apathy and death.

Charles T. Crabtree is the Assemblies of God assistant general superintendent, Springfield, Missouri.