When We Say Revival

Throughout history, God has at times and in places poured out a flood of His Spirit that has radically changed the spiritual situation. The common problems in churches and believers' lives were solved as Christians repented of sin, surrendered themselves to God, and began allowing Jesus to live through them. As the power of God fell on the church, the community was soon impacted as hundreds of pagans came to faith in Christ. One of the best accounts of such an out-pouring is available at www.revival-library.org/pensketches/revivals/hebrides.html Duncan Campbell tells of God's amazing work in islands off the coast of Scotland in the late 1940's. The move of God in the church and in the community is what we are seeking today.

People often point out that there is no formula that will cause an event like this, and that is true. Many hours of discussion have been invested in trying to discover the "why" or "when" of revival. There seem to be some conditions or activities that are usually present. Lots of prayer, sincere repentance, intense seeking of God, preaching of the Word . . . these are close to universal. But God's sovereingty seems to ultimately decide if and when He chooses to move. We have to leave that with Him. But for our part, we can seek Him, preach the Word in power and the hope that it will trigger repentance and faith, set aside time to hear from Him, and do all possible to promote concern and interest.

I was saved as a child and called to preach at fifteen. A year later God put a passionate concern for revival in my heart, and I went to Denver Baptist Bible College in 1969 to prepare for ministry. Kathee and I soon met and were married in the summer of 1972. We have invested in many different ministries since then. Church planting, pastoring, staff work in every imaginable area, and itinerate ministry promoting revival. We now serve at Ward Road Baptist Church in Arvada, CO. I guess at 60 the term "Senior" Pastor is appropriate. Kathee leads Women's Ministry and our Music. Revival is still the underlying motivation for all I do. We have a Conference On Revival the last Sunday through Wednesday of September each year. This year's Conference was the eighth! God is steadily moving and preparing, and we are constantly trusting Him for the huge out-pouring we seek. Our strong hope is that 2011 will be the year!

Kathee and I are available to lead revival meetings three weeks each year. We love to come along side pastors who are seeking God's reviving touch in their church. Here is a list of topics we have emphasized with fruitfulness. Any other subject you want is just fine as well.

Discipleship – learn the pivotal importance of discipleship and receive the equipping to reproduce yourself in a new believer.

Faith – starting with the basics of how to please God as you walk in awareness of and obedience to His will, this study also considers handling several tough problems often encountered in the life of faith.

Family Issues – from dating to grand-parenting, a comprehensive consideration of what God says about Spirit filled family life.

Personal Evangelism – motivation, empowering, and equipping to effectively share your faith one-on-one.

Praise and Worship – God’s power is awesomely released in the praises of His people. Learn praise and worship as a personal and corporate life-style.

Prayer – let God build a team of intercessors in your Church that can be the vehicle to deliver His power.

Prophecy – an over-view/study of the entire Book of Revelation along with significant sections of Matthew’s Gospel.

Purpose Driven Living – discover God’s purpose statements for every area of life and learn to live with eternal goals.

Relationships – learn to give the three gifts that will make any relationship better and learn how to release God’s grace into all your relationships.

Spiritual Gifts – identifying and using your motivational gift in ministry to produce effects in the Church.

Spiritual Warfare – exactly what should the individual believer and the Church do to experience victory over Satan?

Stewardship – the care and investment of all our resources in the Kingdom of God . . . exciting stuff!

Walking In The Spirit – Galatians 5:16 promises a life of victory over the lusts of the flesh. Ephesians 5 describes family life under the Spirit’s control. Jesus spoke of worshipping God in Spirit and in truth. Jude exhorts us to pray in the Spirit. Learn the reality of being filled with and walking in the Spirit.