Is Revival Impossible?

Once a man who wondered how God could possibly bring revival to such a dry and thirsty land asked a great evangelical preacher how revival was possible. The preacher asked him, "Do you know how to pray?" The man responded, "Of course,". The preacher said, "That's great. Now do you have a spot in which you can pray?" "Yeah, I can think of one," said the man with a little impatience. Seeing the impatience in the man's eyes the preacher said, "Then I want you to go to that spot to pray, but take a piece of chalk with you. After you kneel down to pray draw a circle around yourself and ask the Lord to bring revival to everything and everyone in that circle."

If you are honest with yourself you know that you have asked this same question. You desire revival and renewal and reformation yet you see Mount Everest in front of you and you have no idea how to climb. Reformation and Revival in the American church is a growing mountain of despair and yet by the grace of God it is not by human effort that revival comes. We all need to go to a place to pray, draw a circle and ask God to bring revival to the person in that circle. Let God work on flattening the mountains of despair.

I am convinced that Satan is using despair and self loathing Christians to hold back revival and reformation for God's church in America. This doesn't mean that God will not have victory where he moves. The Church in America has thrived since America began over 200 years ago. Now Satan is on the move and seems to be gaining ground? Why? Because Christians see Mount Everest and they believe they have come to climb with a pair of tennis shoes rather than mountain climbing gear. And yet we are not even the climbers. However, Satan has opposed any kind of revival and reformation by persecuting the church, perverting the doctrines of the church, and preventing revival.

I do not believe that the American church has experienced persecution. However, I do believe that as a whole true church doctrines have been perverted and that Satan has prevented revival on the basis of false doctrine. There can be no revival where there is no reformation. To be sure, revival is birthed from reformation. How can we be renewed when we are not reformed? How can we experience grace when we have no understanding of grace?

When God's people have rejected and forgotten His Word they are not able to identify true revival. Instead we accept false revival (e.g. signs and wonders movements) as true revival as one extreme or on the other side of the coin we do not desire revival at all and are content to continue with our programs and ingrown toenail churches.

Will we allow Satan to prevent revival by perverting the doctrines of the church? This is the time for us to go to our places of prayer with a piece of chalk. This is the time for us to go to the Lord in prayer and ask that he might revive our hearts and bring reformation to our homes. Until this happens, revival is impossible. God does not bring about revival in passive waiting. So what are we waiting for?