Revival
Shortly after going into full-time ministry, I attended Spurgeon’s Bible College to study for a diploma in theology. As a part of my course, I had to write a dissertation – quite a challenge for someone with dyslexia and an E grade for English O level! The subject I chose was the 1859 revival. It was fascinating to see how a prayer meeting, which began with just a handful of believers, led to an outpouring of gospel preaching and tens of thousands of new converts being added to the church. Of particular interest to me was the research I did on the lasting impact of revival on church attendance. The conclusion was that churches that were healthier before the revival retained and discipled more of the new believers than weaker churches. Maybe the discovery is obvious, but as a young pastor it helped me realise that the work I was doing now was important – we wanted to be prepared for sudden church growth should revival break out! Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:2, ‘I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season.’ It is a good reminder that we should be expectant and ready for an abundant harvest at all times!
Last week I joined Terry Virgo and a group of about 20 national church leaders from many different streams, denominations and networks to share news and to pray for our nation. Once again, we called on God to move in revival power. Terry has recently written an article for Premier Christianity magazine on the subject, which is well worth a read. I felt stirred to keep praying for revival and last night, at our King’s Church prayer meeting, we called out to God to move in power in this nation. There was a rise of faith and a real hunger in the room as we prayed that we would see people turning to God in numbers that we have never see before. Let’s keep on praying, and let’s be ready for a harvest to come!
This coming Sunday I am looking forward to preaching at King's as we celebrate nine people being baptised across the church. I always love hearing the testimonies of changed lives, and my title for this Sunday’s message is The Power of a Story. I look forward to seeing you there.
