Comments on: Thinking About Revival

By: Annette Nestor

Annette Nestor — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 13:32:02 +0000

I didn’t know there were two Welsh revivals and for some reason I didn’t notice the years on your book list. I don’t notice the numbers, just the words … and I have done as you suggested.

Annette Nestor

By: Bill Muehlenberg

Bill Muehlenberg — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 12:38:34 +0000

Thanks Annette

Different in the sense that they cover two different Welsh revivals. But hey, just get them both!

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

By: Annette Nestor

Annette Nestor — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 12:21:02 +0000

Thanks, and are those two much different in content from each other?

Annette Nestor

By: Bill Muehlenberg

Bill Muehlenberg — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 08:54:14 +0000

Thanks Annette

They are all pretty good. Perhaps the Evans’ volumes are a good place to begin.

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

By: Annette Nestor

Annette Nestor — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 06:48:21 +0000

An inspiring article Bill and which book on the Welsh revival would you consider the most inspiring?

Annette Nestor

By: Scott Buchanan

Scott Buchanan — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:26:13 +0000

Thanks Bill for a wonderful article. You’ve stirred me to pray for this. Nothing more needs to be said, so I’ll leave it there!
Scott Buchanan

By: lawrie

lawrie — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:35:56 +0000

Bill, another good article. To Stephen Jacobs: if Bill is wrong about God then no matter, but if you are wrong about God (ie he does exist) then it will be dire for you.
Lawrie McNamara

By: Servaas Hofmeyr

Servaas Hofmeyr — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:54:21 +0000

Stephen Jacobs, keep an eye open for what is happening in South Africa, and will be happening more and more often. As the one quote states: it’s history and it will be repeated – across the world, where the church is willing to pray ofcourse. We are truly digging into our roots here at the moment, repenting of whatever God shows us – and we’ve got one wicked past! What has happened here and what is happening through the church at the moment are too much to speak of in this space but I trust you will be able to buy the books and read the reports as well. Just to confirm, we are seeing glimpses of what Bill wrote about above already: sport stadiums are being filled across the country to host evangelical events and trust me all the papers are writing and debating about it. After our recent Currie Cup rugby finals (I would compare this to Grand Final day in Aus) both captains of the winning age group teams (u/19&u/21) as well as the captains of both the winning and losing Premier Division teams thanked and praised God in their post-match speeches – just as an indication of where we are at. There is a general revival among our sport stars, same even among those in the music and entertainment industry and then obviously among the general public. Schools are experiencing it and recently there was a surprising response in the papers wherein the SA public called on the government to let religious practices remain in schools. I believe that these are only glimpses of a coming revival though, there are still loads of praying and repenting which need to happen. I understand that we are not the only country experiencing it and will pray for Aus and the nations of the world and encourage all people to do so for their various countries.
Servaas Hofmeyr, South Africa

By: Bill Muehlenberg

Bill Muehlenberg — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:44:45 +0000

Thanks Des

You raise some good points. Those who have been in the thick of revival have had to exercise discernment as to what is really of God and what is not. Thus Charles Finney for example could write books such as True and False Repentance, and Jonathan Edwards could write about True and False Conversion, and so on. As you say, in our desire to see revival break out, we can be tempted to embrace that which is of the flesh, and not the Spirit.

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

By: Des Morris

Des Morris — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:30:17 +0000

Thanks Bill for writing on this subject.
There is a need to make a clear distinction between revival (a sovereign supernatural move of God) and revivalism (a man whipped up frenzy). When we grow impatient for God to bring about the desired revival we can be tempted to work something out ourselves. People organise revival meetings and try so hard to get the spirit moving that they end up looking more like the prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel. I went to Argentine a few years back with the expectation of seeing a revival in progress. I was in the country seven weeks. A lot of people came out for prayer at the end of the church meetings and all ended up on their backs on the floor. I don’t know if they were spiritually transformed when they got up but I saw no change in the culture of the country. Corruption was rife, crime at epidemic proportions and no adherence to the rule of law. The country was in moral chaos. Whatever was going on in the churches was not being translated to the culture of the nation.
Let us fervently and expectantly pray for revival but let us wait for the real thing.
Des Morris