article: your shining hour

YOUR SHINING HOUR

Recent years have seen a falling away from church - going and increasing signs of pluralism – "all roads lead to God." But, there is always a faithful remnant who have stood in the gap for a restoration of God's presence to be in the land again. (Ezekiel 22:30, Romans 11:5)

What difference will it make to have the presence of God tangibly with us?

Stories from the Bible and from history can help us here. And God responds to faith. God responds to sincere prayer.

See inside for more detail of the incidences and effects of revivals in the past to encourage you to pray that God would do it again in our day!

Some things are common to all revivals:

Much Prayer
A great need felt in the community
People standing in the gap, believing for a visitation of God
God's sovereign time

We need to get ready!

God is about to visit us again.

Hebrews 11:1

LIGHTNING FROM HEAVEN

In her book 'Heaven here I come', (1974), American bible teacher, Jean Darnall, shared her amazing vision, repeated 3 times, of twinkling pockets of light on the British Isles. (1961) God told her these lights were actually fires. (People meeting together, seeking His presence.)

She also saw lightning come from Heaven, which set these fires moving like lava as an unstoppable flow of God's power. The lightning was a sovereign act of God. These people moving with God would be part of a 'great end-time revival.' to Europe and beyond.

AZUSA STREET

"In 1906 an earthquake nearly leveled San Francisco. That same month, a Pentecostal revival shook Los Angeles and the rumblings from Azusa St are still being felt today."

Exuberant camp meetings throughout America in the 1800's shocked some religious leaders. They moved to bring order. Order brought control. Religion became rigid and stifling and a desire for a new move built up slowly over the years. When it came it was through people that society discounted as nobodies from nowhere with nothing.

William Seymour, a young, black, holiness preacher brought back the message of 'speaking in tongues' to a small mission in Los Angeles. A 'tumbledown shack' at 312 Azusa Street became a centre for Revival.

Seymour rode out the persecution and became the primary leader in the Azusa outpouring.

He urged people to 'lift up Jesus.'

'Don't go out of here talking in tongues; talk about Jesus', he said.

Thousands came to Christ. Others were changed to influence nations. Racial segregation was done away with.

Fire from Azusa spread around the world though reports given by Frank Bartleman.

Unity of the brethren, and the need to be filled with the Spirit of God, and the Holy Spirit being allowed to have His way were lessons learned from the outpouring.

The church of Jesus had advanced again.

HEZEKIAH'S REVIVAL

The story of Hezekiah, king of Judah, is found in 2 Chronicles c29-32.

A repeated phrase is that he 'did what was right in the sight of the Lord. (2 Chron 29:2, 31:20)

He cleansed the House of God from idolatry and uncleanness. (c29 v5,16)

He renewed Israel to her covenant with God, and restored worship and praise acceptable to God (v25-30).

Also, he restored the Passover to Judah and included all Israel too. (c30 v5-27) (The Lord's table helps bring unity)

Revival followed, and order. Idols were broken up; teaching was organised; people gave freely. He had prepared his heart and was zealous. (C31) It was doing the right thing and the good thing that inspired the people under him.

Revival needs godly leadership who follow through with what God wants.

The Ulster Revival of 1859

In 1855, a small prayer meeting in Connor, Northern Ireland, developed as four young men were strongly bound together in the spirit of prayer. News of the 1858 Third Great Awakening in America encouraged them to cry, like Jacob, "We will not let Thee go unless Thou bless us." (Gen 32:26) The answer was not delayed. Prayer meetings multiplied all around them.

In 1859, the heavenly fire was leaping up and spreading in all directions. There was a wonderful work among the children, and in Colerine school children cried out bitterly in prayer. Neighbours and passers-by were affected, and crossing the threshold, came under the same conviction power.

Every room was filled with men, women and children seeking God. That school proved to be for many the house of God and the very gate of heaven. (Genesis 28:17)

Through them the revival reached the capital, and Belfast became like a city of God.

Don't despise small beginnings. Keep on persisting in prayer. Listen to the children and the young, these ardent soldiers for Christ might advise us today.