Shoulder to Shoulder #588

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Standing Shoulder To Shoulder Together As We Fight the Good Fight of Faith A personal letter of encouragement to You, written solely to "lift up hands that hang down".
TO SUBSCRIBE send a blank message to [email protected] . TO UNSUBSCRIBE send a blank message to [email protected] . IN EACH CASE click "Return" when you receive confirmation request. FOR BACK COPIES go to http://associate.com/groups/shoulders . Get "LUMglobal", a praise report and prayer request letter of the Tolliver's stateside and international ministry, TO SUBSCRIBE send a blank message to [email protected]. Yes, it's the same old address. IN EACH CASE click "Return" when you receive confirmation request. FOR BACK COPIES or more information go to http://associate.com/groups/hope4kyiv.

"Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done" is more than a part of Christ's instruction teaching us how to pray. It is God's singular agenda to which He is still committed. It should likewise be ours. T. Allen Robburts +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #588 ---- 3/16/09 Title: "Biblical Revival -- Part Three (Defining Revival)

NOTICE MY NEW PERSONAL E-MAIL ADDRESS. [email protected]

My Dear Fellow Pilgrim Partner: Greetings again from our home in southwestern Missouri. Following twelve days of travel to and from Arizona, we returned home late Friday night. It was probably the most restful and relaxing trip we've taken in ten years . . . or longer. We were actually to spend most days with virtually no time deadlines or schedule other than deciding days when we would travel to or from a particular city. Following two days in Prescott, we spent a day traveling around Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon, spending the night in Camp Verde. From there we took a leisurely drive to Tucson, stopping in Phoenix for lunch at a little Bosnian restaurant with our long time friend, Candy Warner Maddox. Then it was on to Tucson where we remained until last Thursday when we returned to Phoenix for a Friday flight home. The only disappointment during the trip was the death of Jo Ann's oldest sister, Anita, who died unexpectedly the day before we got to Tucson. We celebrated her coronation last Wednesday.

THIS 'N THAT" + My missionary friend, Paul Shotsberger sent the following excellent link to a Newsweek article on the socio-politico climate in Ukraine. I urge you to read it and then to begin praying earnestly about Ukraine's future, and for the Church in Ukraine to seize the day in proclaiming the Gospel. Go to http://www.newsweek.com/id/189257. + We flew via a relatively unknown airline, Allegiant Air, to Phoenix and back recently at unbelievably low prices. By the time we paid for "extras" such as one check in bag, seat assignments, and priority boarding, we spent about $150 each for round trip tickets. The airline began in Las Vegas as a means of getting people to the casino's. Today they fly to and from six major destinations (Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles) and connect with about forty regional airports. Depending on the time of year, you can get tickets for as little as $26 each way. We liked it enough that when we decide to make some trips to other places in the States, we will try to connect through one of these six major locations, allowing us to fly to most major areas of the country. Check it out at www.allegiantair.com. + Please be in prayer for one of my granddaughters, Sarah, as she travels this week into the bush country of Mozambique

on an evangelistic mission trip with her Fort Worth church. On Thursday or Friday of this week, they will go deep into the bush to minister to unreached people groups, some of whom have never seen people other than their own tribes and may or may not be receptive to them. Because it is too far to go in and back out in one day, they will camp there overnight in a very primitive setting. Thanks for praying. She also is in need of more funds to cover her expenses of the trip, something else for you to pray about.

A QUICK REVIEW AND EXPLANATION: To be totally honest with you, I am currently in the process of re-evaluation the concept of "revival" as we understand it in the western church. Thanks to some books recommended by a couple of long-time friends, and thanks to some of my own impressions that have been changing for the past three years, I'm more convinced than ever that our traditional understanding of revival may well have become misguided and significantly off the mark. For the past five letters, I've addressed "The Necessity and Urgency of Revival", and "The Evidences That We Need Revival". In those letters, I discussed the necessity and urgency of revival because . . . 1. Our own bankrupt condition demands the need for revival. 2. The Great Commission cannot logistically or mathematically be fulfilled without revival in the Church. 3. The conditions and snares of the world will swallow us up if we are not revived periodically. 4. We cannot survive what is ahead for us without revival. A carnally minded church or person will cave in to what we are going to face. 5. Experiencing revival will hasten the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then I addressed the Evidences that we need Revival as being . . . 1. Theological verification 1) Rev 3:15-21 2) Psalm 85:1-7 3) Hab 3:2 4) Hosea 6:103 5) Isa 57:15 6) John 15:5c 2. Historical evidences 1) Institutionalization of the Church 2) Intellectualization of the Bible 3) Credalization of biblical doctrines 4) Humanization of God 5) Deification of man 6) Minimization of sin 7) Culturalization of our approaches 8) Rationalization of the supernatural 9) Compartmentalization of God's activity 10) Minimization of holiness and obedience 3. Societal conditions Toynbee: 1) Political unrest and upheaval 2) A rising economy 3) Rebellious Youth 4) Breakdown of home life 5) Loosening of moral standards 6) High regard of and desire for sports Gibbon: 1) The breakdown of the family and the rapid increase of divorce. 2) The spiraling rise of taxes and extravagant spending. 3) The mounting craze for pleasure and the brutalization of sports. 4) The expanding production of armaments to fight ever-increasing threats of enemy attacks, while the real enemy was internal decay. 5) The decay of religion into a multitude of confusing forms, leaving the people without a uniform guide of morality and worship. 6) The increase of pornography, sexual promiscuity, and drug use. Gandhi:

1) To gain wealth without work, 2) To enjoy pleasure without conscience, 3) To have knowledge (gain an education) without character, 4) To have commerce without morality, 5) To practice science without humanity, 6) To worship without making sacrifice, 7) To have politics without principle. 4. The use of Artificial Measurements of Success in the Church 5. Lifestyle among contemporary Christians Within that context, we now try to answer the question, . . .

WHAT IS "REVIVAL"? Today I hope to present you a variety of definitions by some of the world's great preachers and writers, and then see if we can nail something down that will help us truly understand what "revival", as we use the term, really is. In my first letter on the subject, I wrote, . . . "The Hebrew word for revival is 'Khaw-yaw', usually translated 'quicken' in the King James Version of the Bible, and meaning 'to cause to live, to make alive again, to keep alive, to give life, to preserve life, to recover life, to restore life, and to make whole.' It seems that it can be used to describe five fundamental conditions . . . . to restore life to something gone dead, to increase life where it has become weak, to preserve life where death tries to invade, to give life where there was never life before, and to bring healing and wholeness where life has waned." This is certainly a description that is usually quite different from what most of us think of when we consider the subject. Most of us think of a time slot, a location, a preacher, and lots of decisions for Christ. Some even dilute it so much that it is nothing more than a feeling of renewed vigor and excitement, short-lived thought it may be, about spiritual things, . . . or maybe just about church. It may come as a surprise to some that the word "revive" does not even appear anywhere in the New Testament, and "revival" as a noun or an event appears nowhere in scripture. None of the New Testament writers refer to it; it is never portrayed in the Book of Acts or any of the epistles; it's not identified as a feature in Revelation; and, most interesting of all, Jesus never talked about it one single time. So, that should be a tip off that our normal understanding of the subject is in itself fundamentally skewed. And, that is a bothersome thing . . . primarily because it requires us to do some serious evaluation of our assumptions about the matter. Is it, therefore, possible that "revival", at least as we understand it, is only an Old Testament teaching, necessary before the Advent of Christ and the subsequent indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, to sustain those who followed God by faith prior to His incarnation in the person of Jesus Christ? Or, is it a periodic event or movement of God necessary in order to bring the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ back to vibrant life and to obedience to His commands to proclaim the Gospel in deed as well as in word? I don't have a definitive answer yet, but I do know this much . . . if followers of Christ were truly allowing the life of Jesus to be fully expressed through them, all human needs would be met, millions would be swept into the Kingdom, and social and political "crutches" would be unnecessary in taking care of the practical needs of society such as homelessness, hunger, and the like. Living perpetually in the presence and under the rule of Jesus Christ makes "revival" unnecessary. The historical record is clear . . . when the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is being and doing all for which it was called out, society never remained the same. It was only when the Church weakened and waned in its identity and duty that such things returned. What, then, is "revival"? + Joseph Kemp: ---- "Revival . . . (is) the reanimating of that which is already living but in a state of declension." + Stephen Olford: ---- "Revival is that strange and sovereign work of God in which He visits His own people, restoring, reanimating, and releasing them into the fullness of His blessing."

+ Stephen Olford: ---- "the sovereign act of God, in which He restores His own backsliding people to repentance, faith and obedience." + J. I. Packer: ---- "God's quickening visitation of his people, touching their hearts and deepening his work of grace in their lives." + J. Edwin Orr: ---- ". . . times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19) + G. K. Morgan: ---- "It is God manifesting Himself through human life, His redeeming power bursting forth in fruits of righteousness and holiness . . ." + Dr. Robert E. Coleman: ---- ". . . the awakening or quickening of God's people to their true nature and purpose." + Charles H. Spurgeon: ---- "To be revived is a blessing which can only be enjoyed by those who have some degree of life. Those who have no spiritual life are not, and cannot be, in the strictest sense of the term, the subjects of a revival. Many blessings may come to the unconverted in consequence of a revival among Christians, but the revival itself has to do only with those who already possess spiritual life. There must be vitality in some degree before there can be a quickening of vitality, or, in other words, a revival." (Sword and Trowel, Dec, 1866) + Charles H. Spurgeon: ---- "For a church to be constantly needing revival is the indication of much sin, for if it were sound before the Lord it would remain in the condition into which a revival would uplift its members. A church should be a camp of soldiers, not an hospital of invalids. But there is exceedingly much difference between what ought be and what is, and consequently many of God's people are in so sad a state that the very fittest prayer for them is for revival." (Sword and Trowel, Dec, 1866) + Arthur Wallis: ---- "It is God revealing Himself to man in awful holiness and in irresistible power. It is such a manifest working of God that human personalities are overshadowed, and human programs abandoned. It is man entering into the background because God has taken the field." + Charles G. Finney: ---- ". . . the return of the Church from her backslidings, and the conversion of sinners." + Charles G. Finney: ---- ". . . nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God." + Roy Hession: ---- "Revival is just the life of the Lord Jesus poured into human hearts. Jesus is always victorious. . . . Whatever may be our experience of failure and barrenness, He is never defeated. His power is boundless; and we, on our part, have only to get in right relationship with Him, and we shall see His power being demonstrated in our hearts and lives and service, and His victorious life will fill us and overflow through us to others." + Earle Cairns: ---- "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." + Richard Owen Roberts: ---- "an extraordinary movement of the Holy Spirit producing extraordinary results."

COMMON CHARACTERISTICS: While there are some variations in these definitions, there are also some common characteristics. + First, the center of attention is God, and not man. Far too much attention is given to man's presence and activity in most churches today, and not nearly enough in God's. Perhaps that's because God isn't very active in most churches, and in order to save face, man feels he must enter the spotlight. + Second, followers of Christ are dramatically changed when God enters the picture. This should not be surprising. Virtually every major character of the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments, come out of their encounter with a sovereign God radically impacted. Noah, Abram, Jacob, Nehemiah, Job, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Simon Peter, Saul, . . . Even Cain and Balaam were forever affected when they encountered God. + Third, God demonstrated His power in unmistakable ways that change the spiritual and moral climate where it happens.

+ Next, the revival of God's people has territorial or even national moral and spiritual impact. + Finally, it is clear that it is the power of God and not the genius of man that both brings revival and is clearly manifested in visible ways. In His book, Reviving Revivals, Harold A. Fisher lists nine common characteristics of Old Testament Revivals: 1. They occurred in a day of deep moral darkness and national depression. 2. They began in the heart of one consecrated servant of God who became the energizing power behind it, the agent used of God to quicken and lead the nation back to faith in and obedience to Him. 3. Each revival rested on the Word of God, and most were the result of preaching/proclaiming God's law with power. 4. All resulted in a return to the worship of the true Jehovah. 5. Each witnessed the destruction of idols where they existed. 6. In each case, there was a recorded separation from sin. 7. In every revival, they returned to offering blood sacrifices. 8. Almost all show a restoration of great joy and gladness. 9. Each revival was followed by a period of great national prosperity.

DEFINED IN A WORD: All definitions considered, then, is it possible to define revival in a single word? I believe the answer is "Yes". Revival is simply . . . GOD! Revival is nothing more and nothing less than God Himself at work. Working on, working in, and working through people like you and me, God alone takes center stage and becomes the focus of attention. It is simply the Lord Jesus Christ expressing His Lordship over all, as Sovereign King in His kingdom. With or without our permission or our participation, He reigns and governs over His kingdom, and His agenda takes priority over all others. God first helped me understand this fundamental reality of revival back in 1984 when I was preaching in a regional conference on revival in Portageville, MO. During the following eight months, I preached that same message in ten different cities in five states in the Midwest and the Northwest. Even as I think about it today, my heart pulsates with the simple truths God showed me, namely, . . . 1. Revival is God manifesting His Presence to His People by Revealing His Glory, Demonstrating His Power, and Building His Kingdom. 2. Revival is God quickening His Word to His People by Renewing their hunger for, causing a Refreshed ingesting of, and resulting in the Remerged anointed preaching of His Word. Such a divine spotlighting of His Word, as Richard Lovelace records in his book, Dynamics of Spiritual Life, causes people to have . . . 1) a greater awareness of God's holiness, 2) a more graphic awareness of the depths of sin, 3) a renewed understanding of the message of Justification (identification, righteousness, and acceptance), 4) a clearer awareness of the message of Sanctification (deliverance, holiness, and freedom from bondage), 5) a clearer awareness of the work of the Holy Spirit through His ministry, fruit, and gifts, 6) a more distinct message of spiritual warfare and guaranteed victory, and 7) a bold message of evangelism, clearly explaining hell, heaven, salvation, and so forth. 3. Revival is God meeting the needs of His People on the same plane and in the same way that Jesus Himself declared when He announced His public ministry in Luke 4:18-19 . . . 1) . . . the Gospel to the poor, 2) . . . release to the captives, 3) . . . sight to the blind, 4) . . . freedom for the oppressed, 5) . . . declaring the favorable year of the Lord (Year of "Jubilee"). It was this thorough work of Christ that fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 61, and was the foundation upon which Paul could later declare, "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:19). 4. Revival is God molding His nature in His Children following their introduction into His family as new creatures (II Cor 5:17). That new nature with which we live following the cross (Gal 2:20), is tested and refined in an ongoing process (Rom

7:19, 21-24), virtually guaranteed (Rom 8:5-8) as we constantly allow His Holy Spirit to change us and renew our thinking (Rom 12:1-2). 5. Revival is God motivating His People to Obedience as they come to understand the revolutionary dynamic of true life in Christ. As they demonstrate the real test of genuine love, ". . . keep My commandments" (John 15:8-10, 14; Jn 14:15), genuine followers of Christ will increase in love-driven obedience. Infants obey out of fear of a slapped hand. Adolescents obey for a reward placed in the hand. Mature believers obey simply for the love-motivated desire to bring glory and pleasure to their Savior. 6. Revival is God magnifying his Name in the World as He intervenes in the lives of believers, changes the mind set and behavior of the Church, and invades society in life-changing ways that can neither be discounted nor denied. It is still true that when the church walks obediently in holiness before the Lord, people take notice, and God's name is magnified in the world (Matt 5:16; I Cor 10:31: Col 3:17,23). 7. Revival is God managing life's affairs, whether personal or global, to draw People to Christ. Whether it's a quiet personal revelation, or a national calamity . . . the sounds of thunder, or the still small voice . . . God attends to all affairs for the expressed purpose of drawing people to Himself through the Lord Jesus Christ.

FINALLY: In every one of these defining elements of revival, it is God. It is His nature . . . it is His presence . . . it is His power . . . it is His agenda . . . it is His sovereignty. Where did we ever get the idea that revival is about us? It may be For us, but it is never About us. It is always about Him. It is about His Kingdom. His objective is always bigger than just us. Somewhere along the way, perhaps we've forgotten that "It is God Who is at work in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure" (Phil 2:13). If your heart cries out for a fresh wind of revival from God, and I hope it does, be sure it cries out for the right reason. If you want revival so you can feel better, have more endurance or effectiveness, or have some needs met, . . . forget it. It's not about you, and never will be. While He may choose to touch us and involve us in His Plan, He will never allow you and me to become the focal point. We're too small for His agenda. He's got bigger ideas . . . and bigger plans. Our agendas usually rotate around our own little cottages . . . our little groups . . . our little domains . . . while He's concentrating on His kingdom. He'll never stoop to concentrate on anything less . . . Remember! . . . Revival is NOT about Revival! It's about Him, His agenda, and His Kingdom. But, He does invite us to join Him. What a great idea! In His Bond, By His Grace, and For His Kingdom, Bob Tolliver -- Romans 1:11 Copyright March, 2009 Life Unlimited Ministries [email protected] If this letter has blessed you, feel free to forward it, with proper credits, to any and all you wish. Please do NOT hit reply to this letter. This is an automated unmanned system. If you want to write Bob, send directly to [email protected]. Replying to "Shoulder To Shoulder" mailer gets you nowhere.

REMEMBER ---- "God's Work done God's Way never lack's for God's supply." (George Meuller) It's our desire to provide you links to helpful resources. However, the contents of these sites do not necessarily represent the views we personally hold. These are sites we have found helpful in the past for various topics, and want you to know about them. Use at your own discretion. Websites Crucial For Today:
Consider these special websites that are particularly important in light of world conditions.

Resources and News from balanced and Family Friendly Perspectives:
www.onenewsnow.com -- an excellent news website giving you more thorough news reporting. www.cnsnews.com for daily world news without a liberal, godless bias. http://www.leadershipletters.com/ -- an outstanding resource for anyone wanting to become or help raise up a great leader. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page -- excellent on-line encyclopedia on almost every topic, usually unbiased. http://prayercentral.net/baghdad/today -- to pray for troops in Iraq. www.wallbuilders.org -- Tools for understanding and responding to America's moral decay.

Resources on Middle East, Israel, Bible Prophecy:
http://www.aish.com/search/article_search_results.asp?article_author=Rabbi+Ken+Spiro&title_text=&date_amount=&date_option=year -- one of the most COMPREHENSIVE HISTORIES of Israel I've ever seen, written from a Jewish Perspective. A Profound resource for those interested. www.bible411.com/nationofmiracles/index.htm -- excellent website on Israel http://favorminded.com/pray/3300israel.html -- excellent website on Israel www.sidroth.org -- excellent website on Israel, especially evidences of God's supernatural intervention www.hallindsey.org -- current events as relating to Bible prophecy www.christiantrumpetsounding.com -- excellent source of articles on Israel and Bible prophecy and other topics www.levitt.com -- strategic newsletter, reports, resources, particularly on Bible Prophecy www.jewishsoftware.com excellent Jewish sources on Hebrew language, Jewish history, beliefs, practices. http://www.4922trust.org/ -- an excellent site on Christian relationship to Israel. http://www.ajhs.org/ American Jewish historical society. www.israeltoday.co.il Israel today news and resources. www.jpost.com Jerusalem Post newspaper. www.jewishvoice.com Jonathan Burness ministry with excellent info and resources www.jerusalemconnection.org good Jewish culture/beliefs source www.favorminded.com good source for those supporting Israel www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org exceptional sour of information on Israel, ancient and modern www.aish.com comprehensive site on Jewish history including famed "Crash Course In Jewish History" www.israelimages.com hundreds of excellent photos, old and new, of Israel and her people. www.jerusalemshots.com/en another great source of pictures. www.technorati.com/tag/antisemitism a sobering source of anti-Semitic photos. www.yadvashem.org martyrs and heroes of the Holocaust www.favorminded.org excellent historic and contemporary information on Israel

Helpful General Resources
http://www.impactapologetics.com/default.asp?cookiecheck=yes& -- Great source for information on Christian apologetics. www.sermonindex.net for access to over 3900 downloadable audio sermons. Exceptional site. www.bible.christianity.com an excellent general source for quality Bible study tools and other things. Links to other great sites. www.illustramedia.com a great site for video on creation and evolution. www.livinit.org a super source for Christian extreme sports witness to youth www.creationscience.net an excellent source for dealing with evolution and creation www.crosstv.com a great site for video on creation, evolution, and apologetics www.onechurchsource.com a good site with links for many resources. www.biblemaster.com for great Bible resources and downloads. Exceptional site. www.e-sword.net ---- one of the best free download Bible study sites I've ever seen! http://www.discipleshipdirect.com/ for new and fresh evangelism & discipleship materials. www.multilanguage.com -- a great source for resources for language ministries. http://www.answersingenesis.org/ ---- one of the best Creation websites I've ever seen. http://frangipane.org ---- for excellent brief words of encouragement from one of America's premier evangelical writers/thinkers. www.worldprayerteam.org ---- A world-wide network for praying together. www.watchword.org ---- excellent resources on revival, prayer, missions. www.waymakers.org ---- resources on prayer, evangelism, etc. www.missionvisionnetwork.org ---- resources on prayer & missions www.global-prayer-digest.org ---- resources on world-wide prayer http://www.nppn.org ---- "National Pastors' Prayer Network" newsletter. ~ email: [email protected]. Register your PPG: http://www.nppn.org/ppg/ . www.LifeAction.org ---- "Life Action Outreach".

Valuable Resources on Islam:
www.muslimjourneytohope.org filled with testimonies and resources. http://bibleprobe.com/islamapostates.htm ---- fantastic website on ISLAM (amazing testimonies and excellent resources) www.johnankerburg.org ---- excellent resources of facts, testimonies, and tools http://cbw.strang.com/c.cgi?ProdID=8847&Source=CNSITE www.elam.com ---- source of testimonies and resources www.ethnicharvest.org ---- resources www.answeringislam.de/main/farsi ---- resources www.persianchristianity.com ---www.farsibible.org ---- Bibles

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