Question: What do you think about the Brownsville revival and the Toronto revival?

Paul

Answer: Dear Paul,

We believe that true Christian revival is virtually always accompanied by, and in many cases preceded by reformation and repentance. True revival will involve the heart and the head. We do not believe that "revival" is one and the same as feeling and experience. Therefore, one test of revival is time. For example, what is the result of the "revival" at/in Toronto – of the same genre as that in Pensacola (the "Brownsville" revival)? Without being overly critical, did the circus just pack up and move south? Many reporters and commentators view such "happenings" as just that.

Another issue – what has happened in the lives of those who become the object of and engrossed by such subjective manifestations and experiences? What are the long term implications for the gospel of Jesus Christ? If this is authentic Christianity, then doesn’t it seem that Christians are shooting their message in the foot? Would such things be at God’s direction?

As a result of the rather bizarre events that happen at the "happenings" to which you refer (humans barking like dogs, laughing out of control, claiming that God miraculously replaced fillings in teeth with gold, etc.) is the world at large – unbelievers and unchurched – more likely or less likely to believe and listen to the message of Jesus Christ or are they more likely to be skeptical? As a result of such activity, is the way of truth brought into disrepute (2 Peter 2:2)?

While the truth of God’s will is not primarily evaluated by human response and evaluation, the Bible does not give us many illustrations where Christianity became a laughing stock (pun intended) of those who are in desperate need of the gospel. Christians will be persecuted – but because of the gospel – not because of antics that they might attach to the way they choose to convey the gospel.

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht