Think on These Things

This week marks the 46th anniversary of the first sermon I ever preached after having accepted Christ as my personal Savior on May 6, 1962. It was in the Vance River Church of the Nazarene in a small village in south Trinidad. My text for the sermon was Ezekiel 37:1-14.

The emphasis was (v. 12) Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. (v. 13) And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. (v. 14) I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil, then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord.

I still yearn for God to affect this revival spirit in our church and denomination today. The word “revival” comes from the Latin word revivere which means “to live again.” Most Bible commentaries share the thought that the definition implies that something has died. This is not to imply that our church in the US and Canada is dead, but I am convicted that only a genuine revival could restore the luster in our ranks and a passion to reach lost communities and disciple new converts to become disciple-makers.

The early revivals of the 18th and 19th centuries attracted many black slaves because of the connection with their African heritage and forms of worship celebrations. These revival meetings increased because of the presence of black slaves. Furthermore, some enslaved and free blacks were given the opportunity to serve as exhorters or preachers to white and black audiences during these revivals, although there was also opposition to having blacks assume this type of leadership role. Is it possible that Blacks and other minority ethnic groups could become the remnant community to bring revival to the North American church?

Little is mentioned today about the important contribution that black congregations and communities made to the 1906 Azusa Street revival that served as the catalyst for the renewed evangelical and Pentecostal movement. The foci of these meetings were on conversion and the renewal of the spiritual lives of individuals and communities. Maybe we can invoke this emphasis by a return to these times of revival atmosphere. Is it possible that the Hispanic church could spread this holy fire to the North American church? Could we be humble to the extent that the fires of Kali, Columbia be allowed to infect us all? What a great day that would be!

The overarching message that the dead might live again is full of hope, not only for Israel, but for us.

However, we should allow revival to be holistic. We need to recognize that revival is evidenced by low-income students being provided educational opportunities that are usually only afforded to wealthy students, or when a formerly incarcerated young man or woman is given another chance to succeed in society through community support. We see revival when homeless individuals are given the opportunity to own homes. We see revival when felons and previously incarcerated people could be afforded the opportunity to start a new life in a redeemed society. We need revival that transforms communities and offer hope to the disenfranchised.

Our communities must hear the message that hope is not lost. Though in the valley of despair or death, God will not leave us for dead but will give us new life and restore our hope. God will put our lives back together again, as was the case with the bones. The Spirit of God will breathe in us and bring us up out of our graves. God says, “You shall live.”

Lord, may this revival start with me!