Ever since the wave of visions has been on a roll that a revival is coming, there has been posts and news popping up here and there that would say that a revival is happening. Some would say “A REVIVAL HAS BROKEN OUT!” I mean, that is the normal language they use.
Then what I would do is to look and observe at the scenes of the Revival which has broken out from the pictures taken and uploaded online. And then I would read the post or write-ups to know the weight of what have been experienced.
What I have seen is remarkable.
I see that men want to work for God. There are evangelists and pastors even Christians reaching out and trying to convert people; and all this is normal.
A coming Revival does not mean that there would be no evangelistic outreach or conversion of souls.
But it pains me that what I see is not the Revival Men Like Leonard Ravenhill, Men like Duncan Campbell saw and yearned for. It is nothing close to a revival not to talk of an ‘outbreak of revival’.
I have seen men laughing and having merry times in these gatherings. Men and women having drinkable liquids in their hands and those whose phones are still very important to in these gatherings.
I have also seen them at the stream doing baptism and they’d say; “a revival has broken out!”.
Water Baptism is not a sign of Revival. What do we think? Are not almost all adults in the Churches baptized? But many in the church are without God even with the baptism of water, which is why we need revival in the first place.
If water baptism was the sign of Revival then let us get baptized again that revival may come quick.
I could baptize 100 persons in water but only one could be dead to sin while the others, dead in sin. That is because baptism of water does not kill our sins, only the Holy Spirit kills men and truly saves them. A revival which its symbol is baptism of water is not the revival America needs. We need breakout of the baptism of the Holy Ghost for a true start.
And I would also see men who are having fun and enjoying themselves. Even the men who baptize these fellows put on smile and would enjoy the show.
Tell me who enjoys giving birth? Revival is about conviction. Salvation is about giving birth to new souls on fire. They’d cry, children would cry, women would cry, Papas would cry. Would the ministers be with a smiling and happy face in such a scene of heart broken men? No way! What I see is an unserious and a nonspiritual revival and it is not what America needs.
Revival is a serious business, it is a spiritual affair. It does not put smile on men’s face until it has first broken them. Revival breaks hearts, it shreds souls, it devours sin, it reveals even what we think God overlooks. For who is worthy to stand on the Lord’s Day? Not even I will, because no one needs this revival more than I. I have many things to tell my God in a revival meeting with Him. I can’t afford not to experience Him more.
And I could find men taking pictures and selfies and some putting on short clothing, miniskirts and all sorts of seductive wears.
Brethren, Revival is not a party. It is not a public show to behold and be merry. It is a serious business with God the Spirit. He has given out so much grace, His watchmen have fasted, suffered, cried and prayed for years. The Holy Spirit takes it very serious; but because these gatherings of happy men is not a Revival, it is why there is nothing to show that God is among men.
It breaks my heart that these things are happening. It does disturbs me greatly because it looks like we are repeating the same things that brought us into captivity, which is- a nonspiritual walk with God. No! No! No! This is not the revival we yearn for.
A greater evil I see is the lack of tears, sorrow, pain and penitence. Lack of convictions of sin why there is no tears.
Sinners don’t stand in the Holy Ghost revival; whether it be sinners in the Church or sinners outside the Church. Oh! I tell you the truth brethren, this is not a Revival. It is not what America and the nations need.
If men are done crying for themselves would they not cry for the perishing nation of America? Would they not cry for their unsaved brethren? Would we not cry for we have divorced our spouses whom we pledged to love before God? Would we not cry when we see others crying and would say: “Oh! God is there hope for us?”.
Revival is the pure work of the Holy Spirit; It is the finest work of the Holy Ghost in the church.
Revival is creating a new heart in us. It is empowering us to pray with many passion and tears. It is bringing back the passion for missions and evangelism. It is bringing back our lost glory in Christ. It is producing a nation on fire for God. It is shattering souls and giving men an experience of God. It is forming men who can beat their chest and say: “I have found God”. It is coming to take dead men, wash them and give them life. It is pouring out grace and mercy upon us. It is coming to baptize man in Pentecostal fire. And most importantly, it is coming to forge righteous and holy men.
Brethren, we cannot be carried away by these false appearances in which men are singing outside the church, or at the river base and we call it a revival when eventual there is no proof of tears and the many workings of the Holy Spirit.
When there are no miracles happening, when there is no restoration and refreshing of anointing, when glory is not seen, when nothing is showing that a mighty being is dealing with us, when there is no strong consciousness of sin and indecency, we cannot call it a revival and it is not the kind America needs. It is not the kind I want to happen in Nigeria; it is not what the world needs.
American Churches, we must not lose sight of where we are and what God is trying to do. Which is a Revival that comes with the power of God and with all other signs, it is also marked with many tears and travail.
I am not forcing you to cry your hearts out in a Revival. If these things don’t come on their own, if tears don’t roll and that heart of stone melted by the power of grace, then there is no revival.
Finally, do we not know that the strength of a Revival is not tested in the Church? If revival does not cause the nation to obey God and sinners trooping into the church in tears, then we don’t have a revival not to talk of a ‘breakout’ that signifies an aggressive or strong move of the Holy Ghost and His fire.
America and the nations does not need a revival without tears. And we will not stop praying until the kind of revival we need is born or we die trying.