Send A Great Revival

"I. Definition of Revival/Spiritual Awakening (borrowed from the handout, Theology of Revival, from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)
A. Various Definitions

"God's quickening visitation of his people, touching their hearts and deepening his work of grace in their lives." J. I. Packer

"extraordinary season of religious interest." Robert Baird

"the sovereign act of God, in which He restores His own backsliding people to repentance, faith and obedience." Stephen Olford

"times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19) J. Edwin Orr

"the awakening or quickening of God's people to their true nature and purpose." Robert Coleman

"the return of the Church from her backslidings, and the conversion of sinners." Charles Finney

"an extraordinary movement of the Holy Spirit producing extraordinary results." Richard Owen Roberts

"a community saturated with God" Duncan Campbell

"the work of the Holy Spirit in restoring the people of God to a more vital spiritual life, witness, and work by prayer and the Word after repentance in crisis for their spiritual decline." Earle Cairns"

Our Revival services start this coming Monday, on August 31st and run through Friday, September 4th. (click here or on picture for flyer in .pdf form) This means for the next 6 days I will have to select songs for each service. Including Sunday, that is 7 different services which, if I stick with my usual number of songs per service (6), will total 42 songs! I'll guarantee there will be more than that too. I've been praying and thinking about revival songs for the past 2 or 3 weeks. Of course I have some nailed down as definites, but only a handful. You better believe we'll be singing my all-time favorite Revival song, "Send A Great Revival."  I know that God will deliver for me but I still worry that I will have everything prepared.

I will have to go straight to church after work every day of the revival because I don't get off until 6:00 and services start at 7:00. The office I work at is on the other side of town and there is very heavy traffic the entire drive. So, this means I will need to wear dress clothes to work every day or take them along and change. I don't mind doing all of this, it just compounds to an already stressful time.

Sometimes I wish it was like it was when I was a kid. All I had to worry about was how long I could play until mom came and got me and made me take a bath to get ready to go to church. I remember back when I was around 13-years old, going to revival at House Mountain Baptist church. The church was always packed and you would be lucky to find a seat. Lots of singing, preaching, shouting, it was wonderful. I always enjoyed revival services because, well, I actually got revived! Nowadays I fear that I have to focus on the music and worship leading that I don't experience revival the same. It sure would be nice to just slip into a pew, sit back, and absorb it all in. Maybe next year I'll try to get a guest Music Minister to come out and fill my duties for the revival. If you would like to hear a good sermon about revival, go listen to this one by Pastor Greg Locke, "The Revival We Need."

I hope you remember our church in your prayers, especially during our revival time. If you have a free night or two this coming week, why not come out and join us? You might even get revived! For more information or directions to the church, just visit our website at http://www.hbcknox.org/