When revival comes…
While there seems to be a groundswell around conspiracies and distractions, there is also criticism around genuine movements of God.
Critics…always there, aren’t they?
The ones who know much, but speak little until something strikes a nerve regarding the status quo.
The way things have always been.
When that nerve is struck the critics come out.
They come out in force, they come out in voice, they come out in an appearance of power and threat, and education, and superiority, and judgement. The attention is taken off of them and often put onto God. And they rarely like that.
They come out to make you feel small, or weak, or insecure. Because their goal is not that God might receive glory, but that the same might remain the same.
Because change scares the critic…doesn’t it?
Change means you no longer control the outcomes. You cannot through authority, judgement, legalism or statutory fiat, pick the winners and losers anymore.
Be careful lest you become the critic of something God is doing.
Especially in realms of religion and devotion to God. Your criticisms grow louder. But then upswells of the worship and praise and preaching come, exalting a God who cannot be contained no matter what you come up with to criticize. The din becomes a roar, the roar of the Lion of Judah.
Most likely…most definitely, mistakes will be made. People will step into the flesh whilst seeking the Spirit. But is this a reason to avoid seeking the Holy Spirit through worship, praise, prayer, or discipleship?
Hardly not.
Gordon Fee, the late professor emeritus @ Regent University who as an Assemblies of God minister taught at Wheaton College, Vanguard University and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary once told the magazine Christianity Today, “If you had asked Paul to define what a Christian is, he would not have said, ‘A Christian is a person who believes X and Y doctrines about Christ,’ but ‘A Christian is a person who walks in the Spirit, who knows Christ.”
Some say they would rather be a fool on fire for God, than be a scholar on ice….But Gordon Fee believed you could be a scholar on fire and in love with God working in you through Holy Spirit.
As he literally stood on his desk in front of his students at Seminary he often proclaimed, “someday you will come across a headline saying “Gordon Fee Is Dead.” (Gordon passed on October 25th 2022). He would then say, “Do not believe it! He is singing with his Lord and his king.”
Then, instead of handing out the syllabus like a normal professor, he led the class in Charles Wesley’s hymn, “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing.”…from the top of his desk. Gordon lived revival till his dying breath.
The critics will come and argue against the Spirit and for the doctrines or possibly for control and in doing so, just might miss the point of the doctrines all together, which is to draw us closer to the work of God in our hearts AND our intellects.
Other critics will come. The irreligious. They simply come to jeer and mock, not understanding what they are seeing. But some will come and despite their best efforts not to, they will become converted to Christ.
Billy Graham had critics.
Dwight Moody had critics.
We have to learn the terms “Generous love” and “Generous space.” What do these things mean?
John Wesley was of a different theological belief regarding some things as George Whitefield. John disagreed with George, and vice versa. This led to division among the Methodist revival of the 1700’s known as the Great Awakening. They met together along with John’s brother Charles, but the rift could not be mended. The difficulties are well documented in Christianhistoryinstitute.org in the article “Wesley vs Whitfield.”
A woman asked John Wesley after Whitfield had died….
“Dear Mr. Wesley, do you expect to see dear Mr. Whitefield in heaven?’
Because they had disagreed theologically as to the security of a person’s salvation.
“A lengthy pause followed, after which John Wesley replied with great seriousness, ‘No, madam.’
“His inquirer at once exclaimed, ‘Ah, I was afraid you would say so.’
“ Do not misunderstand me, madam; George Whitefield was so bright a star in the firmament of God’s glory, and will stand so near the throne, that one like me, who am less than the least, will never catch a glimpse of him.'”
That is what we mean by “generous space”, or “generous love.” When we love, instead of criticize what God is doing in people’s lives and defer, instead remaining humble and nonjudgmental when someone leans into God in a potentially messy way that may or may not make sense to us.
This is true piousness; allowing people to lean into God without our critical eye or authoritarian critique.
Are they reading their Bible? Are they seeking God and not attention? Are they better believers? Are people being converted to Christ? Then give them generous space.
I probably could end it here…But I won’t.
When God is moving at a college, a church, a revival meeting, or the Holy Spirit is at work among churches as an groundswell reaction to carnal cultural sinful realities all around us….Give generous space, and generous love to those who are pressing into God.
They will make mistakes, but they will mature. Let’s hope they don’t mature so much they stop seeking after the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
There were awakenings in the 1,700’s and there were critics.
There were tent revivals in the 1950’s and there were naysayers
There were charismatic movements in the 1970’s and there were judgements.
There were crusades in the 1980’s and protesters stood outside.
Again there were revivals in the 1990’s and condemnation could be heard not far off.
There were whole books written against church growth movements and yet millions got saved in the early 2,000’s
Mistakes were made in all these movements. But many many many were saved and filled with God’s Spirit.
So when revival comes, give it generous space….
My friend Ty Woznek @twoznek.com in his blog entitled “Let God be God” states regarding the modern attempts at reaching people for Christ in 2023. “One thing that is really right with “He get’s us Campaign.” One thing that is right with “The Chosen.” One thing that is right with the Asbury University Revival. They are launched by people who love Jesus and want more people to know Jesus.”
And isn’t that the whole point of revival anyway?
Sincerely,
A recovering critic.