Three definitions of revival – by people that were in revival

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Duncan Campbell (Revival in the Hebrides)
He wrote, “When I speak about revival, I do not mean a time of religious entertainment, with crowds gathering to hear and enjoy an evening of bright gospel singing; I do not mean a well-organised evangelistic crusade with ever-so-many converts. Revival is rather a going of God among the people, an awareness of His presence, His holiness, His fear, and an awareness of the need to walk softly before God, lest I grieve Him.” He says that revival is the process of Jesus being restored to the centre of our lives: “Revival is neither more nor less than the impact of the personality of Jesus Christ upon a church or a community. The whole area becomes God-conscious.”

Roy Hession (East African Revival)
Revival without Christ as its very essence is not revival. Roy Hession, in his book, The Calvary Road, defines revival as such: “We want to be very simple in this matter of revival. Revival is just the life of the Lord Jesus poured into human hearts. Jesus is always victorious. In heaven, they are praising Him all the time for His victory. Whatever may be our experience of failure and barrenness, He is never defeated. His power is boundless. We, on our part, only have to get into a right relationship with Him, and we shall see His power being demonstrated in our hearts and lives and service, and His victorious life will fill us and overflow through us to others. And that is revival in its essence.”

Rev. Owen Murphy (Revival in Wales)
In his book, When God Stepped Down from Heaven (which describes the Welsh Revival of 1904) he says, “This is revival: When men in the streets are afraid to open their mouths, and utter godless words lest the judgment of God should fall; when sinners, overawed by the presence of God, tremble in the street and cry for mercy; when, without special meetings and sensational advertising, the Holy Ghost sweeps across cities and towns in supernatural power and holds men in the grip of terrifying conviction; when every shop becomes a pulpit; every heart an altar; every home a sanctuary and people walk softly before God—this is revival.”

About the author

Bennie Mostert
By Bennie Mostert

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