Entering A Time Of
Revival
God
has promised in His Word of a great revival just prior to the end of
the Age. That is in Revelation 7.
In 1947, Smith Wigglesworth prophesied the
beginning of this:
...there
will be evidenced in the churches something that has not been
seen before: a coming together of those with an emphasis on the
Word and those with an emphasis on the Spirit.
When the Word and the Spirit
come together, there will be the biggest movement of the Holy
Spirit that the nation, and indeed, the world has ever seen. It
will mark the beginning of a revival that will eclipse
anything that has been witnessed within these shores, even the
Wesleyan and the Welsh revivals of former years. The outpouring
of God’s Spirit will flow over from the United Kingdom to the
mainland of Europe, and from there, will begin a missionary move
to the ends of the earth.
Notice that what God is about to do is purely the
beginning. It is not the end of the matter. The move of God’s
Spirit that is just about to engulf our nation, and then Europe and
other countries, is to turn hearts back to obedience to Him; to
restore their lives spiritually – for those who can receive.
But to those who are not in that place yet, what is
presented (the message) will be a warning to them of impending
punishment for refusing God’s words. For many, God’s process of
restoring them cannot be achieved except through physical death.
Laodicea – the predominant syndrome of our time – can only be saved
through such a severe trial (Rev 3:16).
Hence the reason that this huge multitude (Rev 7:9)
will emerge in righteousness out of the Great
Tribulation (7:14). They can’t bring themselves to pay the necessary
price of dying to self any other way.
However, those who are already willing to pay the
price can share in the outpouring of the Spirit that is to come
shortly after God raises the dead, as He has told us since the early
nineties. (Much more on this is explained in the separate article The Last Outpouring of the Spirit.)
We know that America and Britain both face a time of
unprecedented national crisis, which will result in two thirds of
the population dying. (Explained from Bible prophecy in Why
Britain Will Fall Soon.)
God has NOT said definitely when America or Britain
will be taken over. He has referred in dreams to its imminence: “two
years to the Chinese invasion” with regard to America. And “three
years for Britain”. So we know that TIME IS VERY SHORT! God wants to
convey the urgency of the situation. He’s trying to wake up a
somnolent Church!
It could be that the two years and three years
respectively for these nations are to be reckoned from the raising
of the long-dead in connection with MM’s work. That will trigger the
prophesied revival[1]
which we have been expecting for so long.
God speaks cryptically and shrewdly (Ps 78:2). He
reveals some secrets to the faithful (Ps 25:14), but some secrets
are His and His alone (Deut 29:29).
His purpose is the turning of your heart. So He
reveals enough for that purpose – IF your heart is malleable. For
those who are not, He leaves them in the dark, since evil is what
they choose.
Where Revival
Begins
Revival comes as an outpouring from
God. Have you ever been caught in a rainstorm? Then you know a
little about what is coming. It’s quite a shock.
We all like to have things neatly organised. We don’t
like things occurring at inconvenient times. We all like to be in
control of our situation or life. But with God, things aren’t like
that. He upsets your convenient little world. He shakes everything
that is not in line with His will and purpose (Hag 2:6,7).
He wants you dependent upon Him, not upon yourself.
He wants you to listen to Him, not merely to human mentors. If you
are to spiritually survive what is about to descend upon earth in
the ‘mother of all trials’ (Rev 3:10), you must learn to
trust in Him, to listen to Him, to be led by Him. If you are not
surrendered to Him, you won’t be able to benefit from His Spirit.
Revival begins here:
For thus says the High and
Lofty One, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy
[His holiness is what is most important].
“I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who
has a contrite and humble spirit, to REVIVE THE SPIRIT OF THE
HUMBLE, and to REVIVE THE HEART OF THE CONTRITE ONES” (Is
57:15).
Revival does not begin with flamboyant slaying in the
Spirit, or anything that is a manifestation of the Spirit’s work.
It’s what takes place invisibly in the human heart that is most
important to God and most vital to us.
In 1992 I ‘went’ to Derek Prince, an international
evangelist whose outreach covered many countries of the world by
radio broadcasts. I took to him the truth about the Sabbaths of God.
What God had me do began to fulfil (in part) the prophecy God had
spoken to Smith Wigglesworth in 1947. On several other occasions I
sent him further materials, but on that first occasion, what I sent
him was the first edition of Our Sabbath Rest. At that time
it did not have a glossy colour cover. It was merely plain white
card. We could only afford to produce 200 copies, and the
second-hand computer we used was only capable of very limited
layout, with two rather mediocre and lacklustre typefaces. So the
booklet looked rather drab.
But it was all we could afford. We had no money and
no assistance other than the widow’s mite. It was the best we could
do with what we had.
That’s what mattered to God. The outward packaging
was not important. It was what the package contained – spiritually –
that God valued more than anything physical.
Jesus had previously promised Derek Prince that he
would live to see the Great Revival of which Wigglesworth
prophesied. And he did. But you wouldn’t think so if you only assess
things with a physical appraisal. (This is explained more fully in
He Must Increase, But I Must Decrease.)
What Derek Prince needed to revive him, making his
theology more whole, was in Our Sabbath
Rest.
He died a few years later. On the other side, in
Jesus’ presence, he is now completely whole, and he sees how Jesus
fulfilled His words to him through the insignificant-looking booklet
we sent him.
What you need for revival may be different from what
Derek Prince needed.
Some need deliverance from demons. Through humbling,
sacrifice and confrontation, they can
receive that, and the Spirit can more fully find a home.
As physical people, we tend to be in a hurry to see
the physical effects of God’s reviving. But God is interested
in the internal preparation that makes us like Him in spirit. When that is attended to, everything else falls into
place. Humbling is the essence of His preparation. But are you in a
hurry to receive that? No.
Revival centres around the preparation of your heart
to total devotion to God. Revival phenomena which are seen and felt
in the physical are not the core of the matter. They are the
periphery. So, don’t be deceived by outward manifestations. Don’t
look to them. Look to the spiritual. This is why other revivals have
missed the mark of God’s holiness. They have degenerated into
demonic, fleshly indulgences. (These things are covered in the book
Testing The Spirits.)
Wigglesworth’s 1947 prophecy is being fulfilled as
God works sovereignly by His Spirit, drawing people out of churches,
and revealing to them more about His Sabbaths. But you don’t see
that. There is no fanfare.
It is a very individual work of the Spirit and goes
unnoticed by most.
When Revival Is
Noticed
Revival is noticed when there are large numbers whose
hearts are being turned back to God. In the Welsh Revival of 1904,
God’s Spirit touched many people in demonstrative ways. Some fell,
‘slain’ by the Spirit. Some began to weep as they were given a deep,
internal awareness of their uncleanness and sins. There were other
manifestations of the Spirit.
What was common between all was a yearning to be
holy, to be pure, clean, sinless. And to all those with that inner
desire, God granted cleansing for sin and an awareness of what had
taken place within. They were revived, filled with the Spirit of
God, and began to live new lives, with pure motives.
In our day, many people have hankered after similar
revival – to see the masses turn back to God. What many of these
people don’t see, however, is their own compromised motives in
wanting this turnaround.
False prophets like Rick Joyner have studied the
Welsh Revival, reported on it (in The World Aflame), with a
hope that they can capitalise by manipulating what engenders it.
They don’t see their own self motive.
Revival does not come to bolster your ministry, or to
make you more lifted up or famous. God revives, as we have
mentioned, to turn hearts away from pride and self motives. Yet,
pride and self motivation are at the heart of many who seek revival
again.
God is going to bring it HIS WAY, not their way. They
will see it, but not on their terms; only on His.
They think they love Him. And they do, but they love
themselves equally or more. That’s not good enough. God requires
that we love Him with ALL our heart. Those with such an undefiled
love also love His truth and will do whatever He asks.
Most revival-seekers won’t do all He asks.
They won’t accept the Sabbath and God’s holy days.
They will use excuses to deny and decry them.
I have written in 55.000,000 Will Turn Back To God
about the large number who will be saved by hearing the message God
sends forth during the Great Revival coming up. Some (the minority)
will respond this side of the Tribulation, but the majority will be
saved later, through it.
Loss must occur before gain.
Who Will Benefit
From Revival?
Truth has been restored. We have a barrowload of
publications verifying this fact. The fact that not all want it is
evidence of their inner evil motive. Revival can only be experienced
by those who are willing to swallow their pride, humble themselves
before God and man, die to self, and develop a hunger and thirst for
God’s righteousness above all else.
Restoration comes to test people:
...that the thoughts of many
hearts may be revealed (Luke 2:35).
Some aspects of restoration are quite nasty:
...this Child is destined for
the fall
[that comes first] and rising of many in Israel
[spiritual Israel is God’s Church], and
for a sign which will be spoken against (Luke 2:34).
I’m sure you want revival, but the price is death. If
you are hungry for what God wants, He can revive you, and He will
give you signs to confirm it to you. Those are the outward
manifestations.
When we meet together for fellowship, God
demonstrates His presence, most often in tongues and interpretation
of tongues or prophecy. Occasionally, someone may smell the
wonderful fragrance of the Spirit. Often people sense the love of
God touching them inside, uplifting them, giving them a special
‘touch’. These things confirm revival, but they are not what it’s
all about. They are merely some manifestations indicating that the
process of renewal has begun, and that God’s Spirit wants to MOVE
you.
I will give you a new heart
and put a new spirit in you... And I will put My Spirit in you
and move you... (Ezek 36:26, NIV).
You should be moved by the Spirit too. It depends on
your willingness to lay down your life.
People are turning back to God. God is turning their
hearts. The flow is little to begin with, but is gaining momentum
and volume all the time.
‘For I know the plans I have
for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will
call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your
heart. I will be found by you... and bring you back from
captivity’ (Jer 29:11-14, NIV).
The ones who benefit from revival are those who are
MOVED to obedience towards God. Those who rebel and resist obedience
to God’s commands don’t benefit.
Numbers Are Not
That Important
Christians who seek for revival – who want to see
large numbers of ‘the lost’ turn to God – are often ignorant of
God’s plan and how He is working it out. They don’t understand that
it is NOT God’s plan in this age to grant repentance to all. He is
NOT bringing whole nations to conversion. So, such a concept of
revival is a false concept.
I have heard of those who seek after another Welsh
Revival claim that God will bring a whole nation under His heel. Not
in this age, He won’t. He’ll do that after Jesus returns. That’s the
biblical scenario.
The majority who have been praying for revival in
this country for years – some for decades! – have been expecting
(and probably still do) a showy, ‘brash’, ‘loud’, highly
demonstrative, very visible display of power. The trouble with this
expectation is that it is too physical, and too tied in with the
desires of ‘the flesh’. It is attached to pride and ego. Some
erroneously think revival is going to come through established
Spirit-led churches or through large charismatic ministries, or
elevated evangelists.
God isn’t going to do it that way.
He is intent on restoring His truth – truth that the
Church for the most part doesn’t want – even by many who have been
praying so intently for revival! So, this revival will “pass
through...” as God said in 1994. Many of them will miss it. Only the
ones who want the purity of His truth will recognise it and benefit
from it.
God Wants You To
Take Part
In 2006, as we met on Pentecost Sunday 4th June and
on the Sabbath the day before, God spoke in various ways. There were
some interpretations of tongues messages and prophetic words that
encouraged the needy. Here is a summary:
Do not let insufficiencies or
perceived lacks hold you back. God will make up for our
insufficiencies, inabilities and deficiencies.
We are not merely called to do the possible. We are
assigned a commission to do the impossible. Jesus makes the
impossible possible (Jn 14:12).
Nothing will be impossible to you,
because God will make it possible. He will make up for your
deficiencies and inadequacies and make it possible for you to do
what He asks.
Some time previously, He had said:
What God requires of us is not too much to ask.
But, you know, many Christians actually think it IS
too much! Their hearts are still hard and stubborn.
Do you know what the difference is between a wicked
‘Christian’ and a righteous true Christian? The former thinks what
God asks of him is too much; the latter doesn’t. The former doesn’t
do His will; the latter does it.
God never fails His children. It is we who fail Him.
Those who do not fail Him will be used in the revival coming. Some
have already set the pace:
Kassahun wrote from Ethiopia: “We have rejoiced in
the Feast of Pentecost. A great blessing has been had through
studying the truths of the hour and making ourselves available to
God so that He can anoint us with His Spirit. God is faithful and He
touched us mightily individually. There were visitors. I used the
opportunity to share with them why we are celebrating Pentecost...
and The Festivals of God...”
The dead are not raised yet, but that is coming.
First everyone involved has to be ready. Are you ready? Some are
not. I don’t think any of us is really ready to the full extent we
should be.
Some hearts are still resisting His Spirit, and not
flowing with the Spirit as they should. Some are letting strongholds
remain instead of attacking them (I’m talking about in their own
personal lives). I’m not condemning anyone; I’m just urging us to
all get in line with the will of God, submit to His Spirit, and
allow yourself to be harnessed as He wants to harness you, as an
intercessor, or in whatever way you are called to serve Him and the
Body.
It’s always the case that the humble and zealous are
receptive, and so they benefit from the outpouring. The resistant,
proud, or lazy don’t benefit as much. So, when God pours out from
His Spirit as He did for us on Pentecost, not all benefit equally.
He wants all to benefit, but it’s individually up to each person’s
spiritual commitment and brokenness whether they can, or do, profit.
Revival is not primarily about numbers. That mistaken
notion floats around, deceiving the majority. Revival is about your
surrenderedness to God, first and foremost. It’s about your love for
Him; your dying to yourself. It’s about your doing His will, not
your own. It’s about you being abased so that He can be lifted up.
It’s about you dying, so that He can live.
When that takes place in you, He comes in to revive
you. It’s a process. When that process is given its fullest
latitude, that’s when manifestations of God’s presence are seen,
felt, smelt or heard. But it’s not about the physical. It’s about
the spiritual. We are not to look for the physical, but for the
spiritual.
It’s not about changing others. It’s about changing
oneself. Never mind about others, what about you?! What about you
doing the will of God, surrendering your ego, laying down your pride, mortifying
your self-will, and
softening your hard, resistant and impenitent heart?! First on
God’s agenda is not souls. It’s you. That’s where God’s agenda
for you starts. He can take care of all the others. He doesn’t need
your help for that. He will save all those whom He has destined for
salvation. What He needs most and foremost is your compliance in His
dealings with YOU.
Those who are pliant and compliant will benefit. The
Spirit is here. God is moving. Things are happening. It’s only a
matter of time, as His plan unfolds, before the dead are raised and
the dramatic nature and the full extent of this revival is seen. The
world will see it and millions will be reached. Jesus knows what
He’s doing. Everything’s in His hands. False revival has come first
to deceive many. True revival is now beginning.
To those who are not compliant, “it will pass through
and overflow.” It will go through and flow over them. They won’t
benefit, because they are not willing to be obedient to the demands
which restored truth places upon them. They want to carry on the
same way; not change and be reformed.
But for those who are humble and yielded to God, “it
will pass through and overflow” to others.
Lay down at His feet whatever you need to – whatever
prideful or egocentric desire is holding you back.
Repent therefore and be
converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of
refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19,
NKJV).
[I am a witness] to these
declarations, as well as the holy spirit, which God gives to those
yielding to Him (Acts 5:32, Concordant Literal NT).
So, yield to Him and you can see revival spread just
as Jesus promised in Mark 16:14-20 and John 14:12-14.
Dependency Upon
God
Since revival is birthed in the heart of God, it goes
without saying that we are completely dependent upon Him in
everything that transpires.
Unless the Lord builds the
house, they labour in vain who build it (Ps 127:1).
On 2nd August 2010, Steve Thompson had the following
strange dream. I should point out that Steve works as a TV repair
technician, as well as serving as a support by operating Midnight In
America. So, God employed imagery related to Steve’s work to portray
the message concerning the Work of God.
2nd August 2010. Steve T.
The Massive TV set!
I was out on a service call
with my boss to have a look at a TV that needed repair. When we
arrived we looked at the TV and could not believe our eyes. The
thing was huge! It was an older type of set, a CRT type (not the
current thin flat-screen models). It was encased in a steel box
approximately 8 feet tall, 12 feet wide, and 6-7 feet deep.
There were 2 large speakers,
each about 2 feet long. One was located in the bottom left of
the box encasement, and one in the bottom right. The screen took
up the remaining portion of the front.
The box was entirely sealed
with no apparent way to get in to access the components, and the
steel appeared to be a couple of inches thick. There were no
seams anywhere on the case and it appeared to be entirely cast
from a single mold.
The TV was completely dead; no
picture, no sound, and no lights on the front. After inspecting
this thing we informed the customer that there was no way we
could service it.
He insisted that we fix it. We
told him that the thing weighed over a ton, and we could not
possibly move it, and we could not get through the steel
encasement.
He became a bit irate, and
told us that it could be fixed and that we must fix it. We made
several attempts to get into it, but had no success. All the
while the customer was telling us we had to fix it.
Meaning:
It's about the fact that we can't fix people's spiritual
problems, nor our own, nor do God's Work by our own expertise,
cleverness, ability, etc.
God is the client who has
asked us to do a job for Him. It is an impossible job, humanly.
The thing was huge. = The task
before us is massive, of restoring the Truth and getting people
to see again.
We can't do that. Only God can
open their eyes and mend what is damaged within them that
prevents them 'working' properly, spiritually.
8 = faith, love, salvation,
superabundance, etc. that comes through the spiritual acceptance
of His truth. Notice John 8:32 (4 x 8).
12 = He is preparing people
for His government – the 144,000 and massive number saved in the
Tribulation.
6-7 = God is turning man
around from evil (6) to His perfection (7).
2 = certainty. 2 large
speakers. The world will most certainly hear the Message. This
is going to be a 'loud' witness – it will impact the whole
world.
Left and right. = It will
reach 'both' sectors of the Church and be heard to the ends of
the world.
Screen at the front. = People
are going to see things happen. They are going to see on their
TVs people whom God has raised from the dead, testifying about
Jesus.
Sealed. = The things and plans
of God are sealed. Only the chosen can open the seals through
God's ability.
After inspecting this thing we
informed the customer that there was no way we could service it.
= It's impossible to do without supernatural help.
Weighed over a ton. = It's a
heavy burden to bear; too heavy for us alone.
He became a bit irate, and
told us that it could be fixed and that we must fix it. = God's
approach. We must accept it and do what He asks or He will get
annoyed at us.
I believe it contains a
message we must remember for the hard times ahead, and not flag
or fail in the task He has set before us and promised to enable
us to achieve.
So, to all who are reading this: Get ready! Prepare!
He's trying to alert you to how big this thing is and of your (and
my!) need to totally depend upon Him. Please HELP, Lord!!!
Listen To God
Listening to God is an integral part of revival. God
can say so much to us if we are open to His Spirit. He can drop all
manner of thoughts into our minds to give us spiritual guidance. He
is our Parakletos, our Guide, our Comforter, our Helper, our
Companion, our Friend. So He speaks.
The problem with us humans is that we tend to
downplay what we receive, or to doubt that God has really spoken.
So, we don’t take up the lead, and the Spirit is unable to speak
more because we have not grasped His first words to us. If we would
only be more believing that we are in constant contact with Him
through the Spirit, expect to receive, and step out in faith
with what is in our minds or hearts, then the conversation can
continue. He will say more.
The ‘secret’ to hearing from God is simply, “If you
abide in Me...” (Jn 15:7), “if you believe...” So:
...have faith in
[literally, of]
God (Mark 11:22).
The faith of Jesus comes to you as you DO what He
says. He never fails those who are truly committed to Him. As you
walk the path set before you, He gives you tests along the way to
challenge your faith, and stretch it. And as you pass those tests He
increases your faith, because you are making a home for His Spirit
within you.
Therefore I say to you,
whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive
them, and you will have them (Mark 11:24).
One reason so many are not seeing Jesus’ words
fulfilled in their lives in power is because they have put their
trust in human (church) leaders. Those leaders are blocking their
view of Jesus. They hear their church leaders speak to them, but
they don’t hear Jesus so clearly. The structure of the visible
church has become an idol, preventing God working much.
God does not work much through humanly built
structures. This is His means:
Not by might, nor by power
[human
ability or effort alone], but by My
Spirit (Zech 4:6, NIV).
God guides each person – whom He can use –
individually. Is He guiding you? Are you yielding to Him?
Do You Really
Want It?
A lot has been written on revival and quite a bit of
it misses the mark. God’s intentions in reviving His people are
primarily spiritual in nature, yet there is much physical
emphasis that detracts from the Spirit.
When there is great fanfare over what God is doing
physically, pride is just around the corner. And the devil is
waiting for his opportunity. He always gets it!
Not everything that takes place in revival is what
people call ‘positive’. The basis of revival is death. Yes, death.
After Jesus had risen, the awareness of why He had died triggered
remorse that engendered revival. 5,000 men were converted (Acts 4:4)
– not to mention women – 3,000 baptized in one day! (Acts 2:41.)
When Stephen died, the believers were persecuted and
scattered far and wide (Acts 8:1). This took the Gospel into Europe.
(Some NT names have been traced in history to Marseilles in the
south of France.)
Miraculous signs and wonders accompanied the spread
of truth (Acts 4:29-31,33; 5:12-16, 19; 8:4-7;39).
Terrific opposition and persecution against true
Christians, and the death of some saints, had a curious effect.
Instead of diminishing the effectiveness of the Gospel, it increased
it!
Humanly, of course, it’s not what people want. But
death is a necessary precursor to revival. If not physical death,
spiritual death to self must occur.
A problem with contemporary ‘revivals’ has been a
lack of this commitment. When selfishness replaces a willingness to
die for your faith, you end up with a compromised mix of true Spirit
and demons. There is no substitute for the singlemindedness Jesus
said we must have (Matt 6:24).
Here are some of the things which accompany true
revival:
-
We magnify God (Luke 1:46).
-
Our spirit rejoices and
delights in God (1:47).
-
God lifts up the lowly (1:48).
-
He blesses the pure in heart
(1:48).
-
He does great things
(miracles) (1:49).
-
He magnifies His holiness
(1:49,75).
-
He shows mercy to those who
fear Him (1:50).
-
He ‘scatters’ the proud in
their thoughts (1:51).
-
He turns the tables on people;
those lifted up are put down, and those put down are lifted up
(1:52).
-
He sends the rich away empty,
but fills the hungry with spiritual food (1:53).
To give knowledge of salvation
to His people by the remission of their sins... (1:77). To give
light to those who sit in darkness... to guide our feet into the
way of peace (1:79).
Restoration begins with a challenge. Giving light to
those in darkness is welcomed by some, but not by all. Those who sit
in the seat of control resent it. You cannot have true revival
without friction and controversy. There is a price on the head of
restoring truth.
Yet every true revival has this as its basis. Truth
is presented. The trumpet call to repentance is blown. Either
revival or judgement follows. You must choose.
Malcolm B Heap, 2010
Further Reading:
Apostasy In
God’s Church! (£2) |
Testing The Spirits (£6) | Listening To God
(£2) | God Is Not Pleased With Tele-Evangelism
(£1) The Church Is Missing The Mark (£1) |
The Bible
Speaks, Vols 1-5 (£2 each)
|