How do you define “revival”? To some, revival means longer,
louder, emotionally packed services complete with signs and wonders. To others, revival is a semiannual, Sunday through Wednesday, camp-meeting style service that includes a guest speaker. Still others see it as an evangelistic campaign in which salvations and rededications are the only things that matter. While the intellectuals and religious pundits sort it out, I wonder what revival means to God.

To me, the answer is simple: Revival is God’s people wholeheartedly returning to Him. Revival occurs when God’s chosen ones can no longer be distracted from their commitment to Him, don’t need to be entertained to remain interested in
Him and find deep satisfaction in a world that is centered on Jesus alone. Camp meetings and evangelistic campaigns have
their place, but unless the focus becomes all about Jesus and not about us, we have not seen revival.

A typical service in most churches is
more like looking in a mirror at your
own face than seeking the face of Jesus.
We are hypnotized by the “gospel of self.”
Each week, humanistic sermons continue
to make God look more like us. Sunday
morning is more similar to “group
therapy” with Sigmund Freud than to
the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today’s modern believer wants to be
a consumer rather than to be consumed.
Nevertheless, only a consuming revival fire
can save us now. We need God’s fire to
burn up our self-centered ways, our love
for money and entertainment, and our
need-of-nothing attitudes. Where are the
preachers who can diagnose our symptoms
and tell us why we are sick? Where are the
prophets who are not afraid to announce
that God has left the building?

I believe that Jesus, right now, has both
hands outstretched to us. In one hand is
revival, and in the other is correction. If
we ignore the hand of revival, there is
only one hand left—the hand of correction.
Correction can bring revival too, but
who in their right mind would choose
that method?

So, if correction comes, who will we
blame? Will we blame Hollywood, adult
entertainment, abortionists and the gay
community? Probably. We always do. However,
from God’s perspective, it’s inaccurate
for His people to blame others when the
fault lies with them: Both John the Baptist
and Jesus began their public ministries by
calling for God’s people to repent.

Jesus was well aware of the Roman
lifestyle, the Roman baths and the Roman
pornographic statues in Israel. Yet, He did
not preach one sermon to those sinful,
vulgar Romans.

Rattling our sabers at the world will
do no good. Our carnality may be cleaner
than theirs is, but we are still carnal, and it’s
still the spirit of the world influencing us.
Neither the blessings nor the curses of
God can ever be activated because of the
world or some alternative lifestyle community.
The future is in the hands of those
who have a covenant with God. Will we
repent? Will we be revived to live a committed,
set-apart lifestyle?

What about Israel? What about revival
in Israel? Paul said the church is to make
Israel jealous and lead that nation to
salvation. What do we Christians have
that could make anyone jealous of us?
Our divorce rate? Our suicide rate? Our
depression rate? What about our megachurches,
bus ministries, or outreaches
to the poor? Can we impress the Jewish
community with our various abilities to
raise money or build buildings?

I know one thing that could make
Israel jealous: the glory of God! Yes, the
same glory that stood among the ancient
Israelites as a pillar of fi re by night and a
cloud by day. The same glory that parted
the Red Sea, fed them in the wilderness,
brought down the walls of Jericho, fell on
Mount Carmel, silenced the storms, raised
the dead and shook the place where they
were praying. Yes, I believe that would
do it. We need a revival of the glory and
presence of God on the earth today. Who
is the King of glory? It’s Jesus, the Lord,
strong and mighty!

True revival is God’s “stimulus
package” to the world. If you can hear,
then act: Respond by joining me in the
fight for revival. Or perhaps I should say
the fight for America’s survival.