Brownfield Revival Ministries

News and Events

The Reviving Work of God

Considerations

Do your own experiment. Google the words revival of religion or some associated subject and, if you have the time and patients to filter though the 8,520,000 documents, you will find out that there is a very wide range of opinions on the subject of revival. You will be confronted with the paradigm of some who have no place in their model of sanctification for the reviving work of Christ. With others, the pendulum could swing from a Finney model of revival to an Edwardian model. Still others have a viewpoint on revival that encompasses their “third wave” rooted in charismatic theology. I have no doubt that even those reading this article now, if polled would have numerous, and in some cases very different views on this subject. No doubt that our views have been shaped by the influences on our lives, and by our study of the Word to date.

We all have a way of gravitating to the theological and philosophical and methodological positions of our mentors. This can be both a positive and a negative. Where they are truly biblical and balanced, we are blessed, but we can also find a negative element when we cling to an idea solely because we since that they are looking over our shoulder. Our convictions on revival but be solidly founded on the Scripture. My invitation to you will be, as best as you can, eliminate from yourself your preconceived notions on revival, and join me for an adventure, as we attempt to articulate a theological and biblical view of the subject. In short we want to look at a biblical paradigm of the reviving work of God. I believe we can do great disservice to the understanding of true revival, if we begin with the history of the church and work our way backward to the scriptures. My purpose is to begin with the scripture and then interpret historical revival movements in the light of God's holy Word.

Definitions

It will be best for us, in the beginning steps or our journey, to set the GPS so to speak, by determining what we are talking about. Our word Revival come through the Latin word Reverie – simply put the definition is "life again" or "life restored.” There is much misunderstanding of the biblical concept of revival at this point. People often get the concept that a revival is inviting an Evangelist in for a series of meetings and seeing a number of people saved, and this constitutes a great revival meeting. While I believe hearts are pure in this missed point, there is need for clarification. Revival is not for the lost! They do not need revival but simply vival or life. They cannot have restored what they never had in the beginning. Let me give you the landscape as I see it and we will go from there.

Revival

Revival is the intensive supernatural work of the Word and the Spirit in restoring to full vitality the people of God. Their passion for Christ, holy purity of life and character, propagation of the clear and powerful Gospel, are clearly seen by the world, and usually illicit a distinct responses…great fear and persecution. The great common denominator of revival is that there is an attitudinal and behavioral problem among the people of God. and He changes hearts and lives by the clear confrontation of his word and Spirit.

Reformation

Reformation has to do with the doctrine of the people of God, like the 16th-century religious movement in Europe that set out to reform some of the doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Many times in history a certain doctrine falls on hard times, and in God's reforming work, He corrects the thinking of his people through the preached word. As God’s preachers declare God’s Word, God's people have their minds conformed to the scriptures to think like the Savior and have the mind of Christ.

Great Awakening

When the people of God are revived and their minds conformed to truth, there is such a radical difference between them and the world around them, the distinction is easy to see. This has often in history evoked persecution. But there has been that overwhelming and extraordinary time when God has brought great fear upon those groping without Christ and swept many into his Kingdom in relatively very short amounts of time.

Summary

In short, each of these can be distinct events as well as interwoven realities. As I have noted in my study, these three events often work in sync with each other in a progression. Revival and reformation gripping the people of God, and the power of the gospel and the glory of Christ so powerfully displayed by their lives that the result is a great awakening. If you take time to study many movements in the history of the church, you will begin to see these three major events happening in tandem. This brief article is only intended as an introduction to hopefully wet your appetite for the coming discussions on revival.

Pressing toward the mark,

Keven Brownfiel

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