REVIVAL EVANGELISM

EXAMINATION OF A REVIVAL
By David Stewart

"I believe that Brazil right now may be God's object lesson to the rest of the world about revival. I encourage all of us to examine our hearts before God in the light of these six observations". David Stewart

It was my privilege in September of 1993 to visit Brazil on a 3 week ministry trip. What I saw and experienced there caused me to make the statement that Brazil, in my opinion, was in the beginning stages of a powerful move of the Holy Spirit.

The power of God was present in the mainline denominational churches to save, heal, and deliver. The feeling or mood of the meetings was so very different from anything I had ever sensed before.

As I reported my impressions of the trip and the country of Brazil many people responded with the same thing, "Why?" This was the foremost question on my mind as well. Why was such a thing happening in one part of the world and apparently not in other places? Why did we not see such things in America, for instance? Doesn't God like us anymore? Does God have favorites?

When things are going along in our lives according to the status quo we feel comfortable and satisfied. But when we hear of God moving in OTHER PLACES there are often 3 possible responses: ANGER at God, CONTEMPT toward the "other place", or JOY that the Kingdom of God is advancing on the earth.

One thing I believe is that God is sovereign. He chooses to move in certain ways at particular times. And no man can ask Him, "Why are You doing this?" Special times of grace have always occurred throughout the history of the Church. However, there is one other thing that I believe is involved: We are co-laborers with God. There is first the divine working of God and then there is also the human response to that working of God. We can respond correctly to His Spirit or we can refuse to cooperate with Him.

As far as the question about Brazil goes, the only thing I can offer for an explanation is to note some of the features of this revival; to observe some of the differences between the church in Brazil and the church, generally speaking, in America. Perhaps this would say something to us for our benefit.

I need to mention that some of the statements I am making are only general. Also, my purpose is not to condemn. Rather, my purpose is to make some observations and let the Holy Spirit speak to us.

I) WORSHIP. When the Brazilian church worships it really gets into it. I did not see any priming of the pump or jump-starting of half-hearted church members. The people who came to the meetings came ready to praise God. Their heart was in it. There was a sincerity and an abandonment. The majority of the people threw themselves into worship the best they knew how. They seemed to be consumed with God and only conscious of Him. I believe that God delights to manifest Himself to a people who delight themselves in their God.

If we are not consumed with God, it shows. We just cannot hide it. If we, as a body of people, really do not care a great deal about the things of God anymore, it is obvious to everyone. It cannot be hidden even from ourselves. Sometimes we realize we are asleep spiritually but we just do not seem to be able to awaken. If you have ever been under the influence of a spirit of slumber while trying to worship then you know what I mean.

I realize there are many factors which can account for a good or a poor worship service but when we as a church cannot enter into that for which we were created - to worship God with all of our might - we are really done before we start. The rest of what we are going to do will fall flat.

II) CHILD-LIKENESS. Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive and accept and welcome the kingdom of God as a little child (does), positively shall not enter it at all" (Mark 10:15 Amp).
To me the Brazilian Christians seemed child-like in many ways. Some of them had some very adult problems but generally they were like children in worship, in acceptance, in love, and in faith.

We in America have lost much of this. I feel that we have been "corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Cor 11:3). Christ is SIMPLE, says the Holy Spirit! That is, He is not so analytical and deep in the way that we many times think. The river of God is perhaps not as deep as it is wide (Ez 47). There is an expanse or a vastness to the things of God that is beyond comprehension.

I am by no means advocating a mindless Christianity. I rejoice to learn of great intellectual men and women who use their abilities to proclaim Christ and His words. But the fact is that the mind must bow its knee and take its proper place, which is at the feet of the Spirit. The Spirit does search the deep things of God also. But what WE usually mean by "the deeper things" is really the HIGHER things - how high up in the tree we think we have climbed; the tree of knowledge which is the curse of us all.

But there is hope. Jesus not only said that we must receive the Kingdom as a little child but He said that it is possible to "BECOME as little children ... Therefore whoever HUMBLES himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven" (Matt 18:3,4). Humbling ourselves by admitting that God is right and righteous is a key to obtaining grace because God gives grace to the humble. And the rest of us find that God Himself resists us in our pride. This is sometimes the cause of HOPELESSNESS - when we unknowingly fight against God Himself in our stubbornness. That is truly hopeless! The choice of attitudes is up to us.

III) HUNGER. Jesus promised, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they SHALL BE FILLED" (Mat 5:6).
Probably more than any other word "hungry" best describes the Brazilian Christians right now. The churches meet 6 or 7 days per week. Some because this has been the Latin American tradition but many now because they are HUNGRY for God and His Word! God has stirred up this hunger in them but they are also responding to God's stirring in their hearts.

Many times we do not have a keen sense of spiritual hunger because we are filled with OTHER THINGS. Our lives are very complex in America. We have allowed this complexity and so have allowed ourselves to become corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Would we be willing to strip ourselves of these extra things? Simply put: No. And so "life" goes on just like always. Always full but always empty. Could we break this death cycle? With man it is impossible but not with God! Would God grant us a supernatural hunger and thirst if we asked Him in sincerity? Would He change our desires if we came to recognize that we have "spoiled our supper" spiritually by feeding on worthless things?

Well, does God love His people? Does He have a plan for a future and a hope? Does God watch over His own Word to perform it? CERTAINLY!

IV) BACK TO THE BASICS. "Then He (Jesus) appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons" (Mark 3:14-15).
Jesus did the same thing when He sent out the seventy and again when He commissioned His entire body after His resurrection. Quite profound but pretty simple: Preach the Word and call people to soundness and demonstrate the power of the Kingdom of God.

The twelve disciples knew this. They imitated Jesus. They demonstrated the will of God that people be sound and whole in all of their being. Most if not all the disciples of Jesus were illiterate. All they knew was some basic Old Testament that they had heard and Jesus. Poor, foolish apostles.

In contrast to that, in our day almost any Christian has been exposed to enough "teaching" to instantly give you 177 reasons why God will not or cannot move in our midst today. We do not see much of the power of God today but we tend to place the blame on God instead of humbling ourselves and seeking God for His renewed power among us. It seems that God is being called on to repent. If someone needs to have a basic change of attitude I don't think it is going to be the Lord.

V) SENSE OF EXPECTANCY. In the Brazilian meetings there is an atmosphere of anticipation. What is God going to do tonight? Do we come into our times of fellowship with other believers firmly expecting to hear from God and to be touched by Him? It seems that many times we receive just what we came for: Not much.

"Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Gal 6:7). This is true in all areas of life, natural and spiritual. If we sow an expectant attitute we can reap a wonderful experience of God's love and presence. A missionary to Mexico told me about his home church in the United States. He said that the pastor has been seeking the Lord earnestly for a long time for the life of God to be manifest in the meetings. As he has been faithful to seek God with a proper heart he said, "Every meeting gets better. I almost can't believe the next one could be better but it always is!"

VI) LOVE. The brothers I met in Brazil certainly had love in their midst but there was something more than that. There was BROTHERLY AFFECTION. "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love" (Rom 12:10). Now for most of us Midwesterners this is crossing over the line too far! It just is not part of our culture. But what is our culture; what the world around us says or is our citizenship in heaven?

"Greet one another with a holy kiss" (Rom 16:16). You've got to be kidding! One of the characteristics of the last days is that men will be "without natural (human) affection (callous and inhuman)" (2 Tim 3:3 Amp.) This explains abortion in part. Women have lost their natural affection for their own children. Could it be that we have been influenced by the world more than we realize? It is only "natural" that we would love those whom God has loved and accepted. Oh, that we would let God put within us a affection for each other that comes from Him; a love that comes from His acceptance of us.

I believe from the scriptures and from the witness of the Spirit within me that any people anywhere can experience a move of God's Spirit. Even in America. Even today. However, it will not come without a price. Jesus said to those who can hear it, "I counsel you to buy from Me... (Rev 3:18).

I believe that Brazil right now may be God's object lesson to the rest of the world about revival. I encourage all of us to examine our hearts before God in the light of these six observations. May God put you with others who also desire to see one last powerful move of God in our generation.

www.DE_Stewart.tripod.com

Source: www.inthenameofjesus.org Reproduction is permitted as long as acknowledgement remains intact with the text.