(Conclusion of a two-part series)
I remember the day my parents brought a Princess telephone
into our home. Sure, we had a phone attached to the wall—but this
Princess phone was oval-shaped, had a longer cord, and sat on an
end table. We could actually pick it up and walk around the room with
it.
Thanks to advances in technology, Princess phones with long
cords have become a thing of the past.
Does anyone remember renting a video to watch a movie?
We inserted it into a big black box called a VHS unit. And if we didn’t
rewind the video after watching it, the rental store slapped a fine onto
our bill! Thankfully, videos—and rewinding anything—have become
things of the past.
Here’s one that will bring back a few memories to some of you:
When I was in grade school, I absolutely loved riding the merry-
go-round during recess. For those of you under 30, you’ll remember
that a merry-go-round was a large metal circle with metal bars that
sat on top of it. Kids would push it as fast as they could while it spun
on top of a hard asphalt playground. You can imagine the scraped
faces, knees, broken bones and numerous accidents that have now
caused my recess fun-time to become a thing of the past.
One more trip down memory lane . . . for those of you who grew
up going to church, you may remember the days of revival.
It was a series of meetings—usually beginning on Sunday
morning—that lasted an entire week. (Sometimes revivals were even
two weeks.)
Families would cancel their normal week-night activities and go
to church around 7 pm where usually guest singers would lead in
praise and worship music followed by a guest evangelist who would
preach God’s Word.
At the end of the evangelist’s message, there would usually be
an altar call . . . or an invitation to come forward and either make a
first-time spiritual commitment or deepen your spiritual commitment.
The service usually ended around 9 pm—sometimes later.
And once in a while, people would even stand and give a
testimony: They’d share publicly what God was doing in their lives,
how He had answered their prayers, and share a personal prayer
request.
Sadly—in many churches—revivals have become a thing of
the past.
I have such wonderful memories of God’s presence filling our
church sanctuary and His Spirit so wonderfully poured out among the
people. There were times God was so evident, the preacher didn’t
even have to preach . . . people would simply be touched by God’s
Spirit with such conviction, they’d just move forward to kneel and
pray.
I’m convinced that the churches today that truly experience
revival are the churches who make the effort to schedule it on a
calendar.
I’m not saying that true revival is something we can actually
schedule, but I AM saying that if we dare to put regular programming
aside for a few days and ask God to move in a mighty way, He does.
So churches that are willing to plan for revival, are usually the
churches who are praying, fasting and setting aside money to
experience revival. And God responds!
As a fulltime evangelist, I’m fully aware that revivals have
become a thing of the past in many circles. But I’m grateful for
pastors and church boards and deacons and leaders who still see the
need for revival.
I need revival.
And I pray that God will send a holiness revival across our
nation . . . and throughout our world.
Will you join me?
Let’s not let revival become a thing of the past.
Thoughts?
Please pray for me this weekend as I hold revival in Ada, Oklahoma.
If you’d like to schedule a revival in your church, please have your
pastor contact me: susieshell@comcast.net
Anyone remember this old hymn:
Revive Us Again
(Words by William McKay; Music by John Husband)
Revive us again; Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled with fire from above.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory!
Hallelujah! Amen!
Hallelujah! Thine the glory!
Revive us again.
