Revival: “You Keep Using That Word..”

 

In The Princess Bride Inigo Montaya says, “you keep using that word, I don’t think it means what you think it means.” Since the Asbury ‘Revival’ there has been a bunch more like the one in Corpus Christi, Texas that happened recently. Each major turn out had become labeled “revival” but I beg to differ. When a real revival hit it took America as whole called The Great Awakenings and spread to the world via missionaries. Then the Jesus Revolution swept all of America and The World that it got a Time Magazine. Revivals are not brazers that happen in one location or across some Southern states at universities with seminaries, its bigger. 

Technically revival can be used on a smaller scale, for a group that is being revived in faith in Christ. But the term has not meant that as it has been used in Church History. A revival is a renewal and outreach that makes major number converts. It is movement that draws hearts back to Jesus ans brings new ones to him.  Alas Christian News like CBN (https://www2.cbn.com/news/us/another-revival-texas-am-corpus-christi-1500-hear-gospel-62-baptized) wants to tout these small tent revivals as important, everything these days it about who’s crowds are bigger, and so now to be newsworthy they say “its a revival!” Like the forecaster who says “storm of the century!” over and over to draw attention and get clicks.

The problem is this crying wolf or I guess Fire, when its only sparks will no doubt make a real revival hard to spot at first and build distrust  if something really is moving in The Holy Spirit in a major way. Kinds like predictions of Our Lord Jesus Christ’s Return, so many people, even Martin Luther, have been wrong that we grow numb to prognostications and when Christ really starts to Come On The Clouds many will probably will not be paying attention because of so many false predictions and the hype that mislead them before. Hence Christ and his apostles tell us to be ready for His Return always, for we know not the hour, “Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake (spiritually ready, alert, and prepared), keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” (Revelation 16:15, AMP Paraphrase). 

Revivals are real. I am not casting doubt of genuine ones like The Reformation, The First Great Awakening, Second Great Awakening, Azusa Street, and Jesus Revolution. However, the American Church and its News agencies is playing fast and loose with the term revival, slapping it on any major gather where people hear the gospel or people get saved over 100 souls in count. There are megachurches like Joel Osteen’s and Dr. David Jeremiah that exceed these revivals in numbers.. so until I see from coast to coast in the US, and numbers that surpass theirs I am inclined to think its only a tent revival, which are always smaller in scale and have had a bad reputation (see the Steve Martin Film Leap of Faith, its actually really good, Jesus outshined the charlatan, but it illustrates the problem with tent revivals, fake apostles using tents to fleece the sheep for funds). 

We need to rein in terminology and stop slapping it on everything before it loses all credibility like other words. Stop sensationalizing and let The Spirit really show if this is going to be a genuine revival or is just  a smaller thing. Amen.