Acts 10:44 ¶ While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.
I remember praying for revival for years; the only problem, what would it look like when it came. Christians all seem to have their own version of what ‘real revival’ looks like stored away in their brain. I was no different. I imagined tears of repentance, huge altar calls, whole cities being changed; I never imagined in ten thousand years what I saw suddenly happen in our church in 1994. People being stuck to the floor under the mighty presence of the Lord, contagious laughter that seemed to have no end, trances, visions and dreams. People were getting converted but I never imagined such power and such joy. Preconceived ideas can really keep us from receiving the real thing. Arthur Wallis touched on this in his revival classic IN THE DAY OF THY POWER. Here is an excerpt from his book and a quote from David Brainerd’s journal.
“True revivals have ever been marked by powerful and often widespread outpourings of the Spirit. Many, many times the preaching had to cease because the hearers were prostrate or because the voice of the preacher was drowned by cries for mercy. Who will deny that these were outpourings of the Spirit? Who could find a more appropriate description of such scenes than the words of Luke: “The Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word” (Acts 10:44)? David Brainerd recorded the beginning of the wonderful movement among the American Indians in 1745 thus:
The power of God seemed to descend upon the assembly “like a mighty rushing wind,” and with an astonishing energy bore down all before it. I stood amazed at the influence, which seized the audience almost universally; and could compare it to nothing more aptly, than the irresistable force of a mighty torrent. . . . Almost all persons of all ages were bowed down with concern together, and scarcely one was able to withstand the shock of this surprising operation.”
Brainerd saw the same manifestations in the Native Americans that lived in the wilderness that had been taking place in the churches of New England. God had come down and revival was in the air. They were falling under the power out in the woods. No preconceived ideas of revival, the Wind of God just began to blow and their lives were being effected. Maybe the wind will begin to blow again in our generation. If it does, don’t allow your version of what revival should look like block you from stepping in for yourself.
