Attitude can be defined as a settled way of thinking, disposition or feeling about something. It’s an outlook, a perspective, a frame of mind. World War II concentration camp survivor Victor Frankl pointed out from his traumatic experiences that “everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
“With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.” Romans 12:1-2 (J.B. Phillips)
There can be no revival until there is life in Christ, for we cannot return to somewhere we have never been. What God wants from us is our willingness to be radically transformed by the Holy Spirit. So, if we are really serious about wanting a better life, the life God has designed for each of us, then we must change the way we think, our attitudes, our worldview. We cannot accept the world’s values of sensuality, pride, control, autonomy, etc.
Revival brings a new attitude toward God, other believers, and the lost. It brings a new determination to be consistent in our walk and service to God. It brings a new enthusiasm about what our Heavenly Father has done and what He will do in the future! It brings a radical new enthusiasm about our faithfulness. We can no longer be just lukewarm! That makes Jesus sick (Revelation 3:16)!
Exceptional joy and renewed strength amongst God’s people are always by-products of Holy Spirit fullness and the fruit of revival (Acts 8:8, 13:52; 1 Thessalonians 1:6). God’s reviving touch always results in profound gratitude. When our eyes are opened wide to see God’s mercies, thanksgiving becomes a way of life. God’s presence is accessed through the gate of thanksgiving, which becomes second nature for us as Spirit-filled children of God. Divine encounters move God’s people from a defeat mentality to a faith stance. The newfound sense of God’s presence causes unspeakable joy. Heartfelt praise is exuberant. This is why revived people sing better!
Revival has both an element of God’s sovereignty and a factor of Christian receptivity to its outbreak. But make no mistake, God is the supreme commander in timing and strategy. God is also the rewarder of those who diligently seek him, so that attitude of our heart truly matters.
“There is no cheap grace in revival. It entails repudiation of self-satisfied complacency. Revival turns careless living into vital concern…exchanges self-indulgence for self-denial. Yet, revival is not a miraculous visitation falling on an unprepared people like a bolt out of the blue. It comes when God’s people earnestly want revival and are willing to pay the price.” (Richard Tow)
Yes, Revival is amazing and wonderful, but revival is also costly – it’s certainly not for lazy or half-hearted people. Those people who want “revival” for entertainment purposes are completely on the wrong track. Revival is a costly endeavour, but it is worth it beyond words! Revival shakes the status quo (both inside and outside the church). It is often disturbing before it is refreshing. For in revival, the intensity of God’s holiness is felt at a heightened level. Revival will be accompanied by the powerful conviction of sin. If not, it’s not true revival.
“In revival, The Spirit of God like a cleansing flame sweeps through the community. Divine conviction grips people everywhere: the strongholds of the devil tremble and many close their doors, while multitudes turn to Christ!”
“What is revival? It is God ‘stepping down from heaven’ and baring his holy arm. He comes and acts and speaks. There is a holy Presence and a word on fire. God is in the midst of His people. The Lord is shaking the world. That is revival! It is a time of visitation.” (Michael Brown)
The fear of the Lord is an essential part of true revival. It will be felt deeply and profoundly.
“This supernatural illumination of the Holy Spirit led many in [the Hebrides 1948-49] revival to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ before they came near to any meeting connected with the movement. I have no hesitation in saying that this awareness of God is the crying need of the Church today. ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,’ but this cannot be worked up by human effort, it must come down.” (Duncan Campbell)
Only the Holy Spirit can bring eternal life into the soul. He alone can transform a self-absorbed sinning creature into a child of God dedicated to the glory of God. The 21st-century church needs a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit like the early church experienced. Many seek clean entertainment at the church when we should seek empowerment for the spiritual battle between light and darkness.
Over 60 years ago A. W. Tozer observed, “That this world is a playground instead of a battlefield has now been accepted by the vast majority of fundamentalist Christians.” “We’re in a war—a spiritual war, a cultural war, a moral war—but we often lose sight of it, choosing to play, to simply get on with the business of our lives rather than the fight. Life in this world casts a spell on us, and we live and die just like the people of the world live and die. Our values as believers are barely distinguishable from theirs!”
Pray that the cultural stories which can sometimes enable people to live without God continue to be exposed, implode, and fall and that people (re)turn to the church – that the church grows – that we experience unprecedented, unending, revival, renewal, and awakening locally, nationally, and globally.