Revival...Do You Know What This Means?

I awakened this morning after a series of crazy, vivid dreams. My mind was thinking about numerous things, but I couldn't help thinking about revival. I kept saying the word to myself, "Revival, revival." What does that really mean? You see in our "Charismatic circles" as some like to call it, of course I would prefer "Circle of Friends," however, this word "revival" is thrown out a lot.

We are definintely going after this more than ever in our city. You hear us praying for it during our times of prayer and every service we have at our church. I wouldn't say it's the reason I moved to South Florida, but since living here, the Lord has revealed to me that there truly will be a revival in this place though it appears to be a dry and barren land sometimes. "We see dry bones, but He sees an army." (Ezekiel.)

I saw something on the internet the other day that a friend of mine wrote about a city she didn't want to live in. She said, "I hate ______, I woud love to watch it burn." Wow, I thought. That was such an intensely, riveting comment about the place she lived. How much death was she speaking over that place with just her words? I then began thinking about all that was happening when the revival came to Lakeland, Florida one year ago.

I was remembering all of the amazing things God was doing in that place and in many people during that time. I was also thinking of the time Todd Bentley said "There is going to be a revival in ______", the same city my friend had just said she would love to watch burn! God wants to visit many places in a powerful way and we don't believe!

As I began thinking about the Lakeland Revival, I remembered how my roommates and I used to race home just to be able to watch the revival with eachother on the webstream with our little laptop computer. We would sit there for hours, singing, worshipping God, praying for one another, listening to the teachings, receiving from the Holy Spirit, feeling some pretty amazing things, and laughing.

We even drove a few times to Lakeland, sometimes during the middle of the week, knowing that we had to work the next morning. Crazy, amazing, God stories, and even my roommate and I got healed of some things at the time! It was awesome! All we wanted was God and our hearts were awake!

I realize that this particular revival in Lakeland, Florida ended on a discouraging note with the fall of Todd Bentley and much confusion taking place afterwards. Yet, I couldn't help but think of all of the amazing things that took place. Todd was calling out city after city to receive more of the Holy Spirit and we would begin crying out for those places with him! That was a time when the Lord was really speaking to my heart about how powerful my words are regarding what I say about people and places.

We wanted God to come during the revival and I still believe He will and He is even now. We began speaking life over the dead places in our nation, which is why that statement of wanting to watch a city burn is so detrimental! We need to speak life over places, not death because God will give them to us for His glory if we ask. "Ask and I will give the nations to you." This is what He tells us to ask of Him! This is His desire more than our own!

However, allow me to continue discussing the meaning of revival because it seems as though we got a taste of it. I looked it up in the Webster's Dictionary and here is what appears to be the definition: "The coming again into activity and prominence." Definitions also used in different languages of the world are "Awakening, renewal, rejuvenation, recovery of strength." One of the Middle Eastern languages actually said, "Shaking up." I love that definition!

Therefore, we know that a true revival is shaking things and waking things up! We, in Ft. Lauderdale and, particularly, The Harbour Church are seeking the Lord for a sustained revival which means a continual movement of renewal, rejuventation, recovery of strength, shaking up, and waking up, most importantly, in our own hearts! We are believing God for a revival that is not built around one man at the pulpit who has gifts and seems anointed.

We are not after a revival where if one man falls, it cannot continue to move forward. No, we are seeking God for a true sustained revival that will last until the day of Jesus' return. This is intense if you think about it! Yet, this what Jesus is doing in our day and in our time. I do believe we are living in the last days.

As we who are followers of Christ know, the enemy is raising up an army right now to come against the Lord. Yet, the Lord is raising up a mighty army as well who will be stronger and will defeat the enemy because it says "Greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world." "He who is in the world," is referring to Satan of course, the one who is reigning on the earth but only for a short time. The enemy knows his time is short.

Therefore, all this to say, we throw the word around "revival," yet the implications of what this means are huge! When the true revival comes, we will know the time is near. I also believe that as times get incredibly more difficult as they already are, this will be the Church's finest hour to shine, rise up, and have a renewal of strength. In the midst of persecution and trial, there will be great victory. Yes Lord, send revival to our land!