Revival and USHGA
Emma and I recently spent a Sunday afternoon near the towers on top on Mingus Mountain. We sat with Tootsie Pops on a hang gliding launch site built by the United States Hang Gliding Association (USHGA) which towers at a staggering 7,800 feet. Some years back I parachuted at over 10,000 feet, but I do not quite have the courage to hang-glide. In hang-gliding, you can do everything just right; plan, prepare, study...but without an air flow of 15- 25 miles per hour across the wings, you will not fly. Similarly, we could do everything right in planning, preparation, and study for revival, and yet we will find ourselves completely at the mercy and disposal of the wind of the Holy Spirit across the wings of our congregation.
J. Edwin Orr, in an amazing address on the National Day of Prayer in 1976, spoke of a young Evan Roberts. Evan Roberts told his college that he must go home and preach repentance to his church in Wales, the college asked if this call was from God or the devil. He said “The Devil does not give a message like that”... they allowed him to go. He preached at the conclusion of the service to anyone who wanted to stay. Seventeen people stayed and heard his four points. 1. Confess known sin. 2. Put away doubtful habits. 3. Obey the Holy Spirit promptly. 4. Confess faith in Christ. Within three months 100,000 people were converted and added to the church in Wales. Five years afterwards a book debunking the revival was published citing as proof that of the 100,000 converts, only 80,000 remained after five years. This revival jumped the ocean and spread to the American shores. This was the last revival America has seen - 1905.
To the chagrin of Sarah, I have Emma committed to parachute with me when she turns 18 (maybe another sign of fatherly dysfunction), but as for hang gliding? No thank you. To do everything right and then rest helplessly for the wind across the wings is not my choice. But for revival? I’m in. I need revived. Will you too, commit yourself to: Confession of known sin, to put away doubtful habits, to obey the Holy Spirit promptly and to confess faith in Christ? Then we submissively wait. King David said in Psalm 27: 14 “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Only God can produce the 15-25 mile an hour lift. Let’s together commit to the preparation, planning and study, and then leave the results solely with God through the winds of the Holy Spirit.
