Oh No! Here we go again!

There is a lot of buzz going on now about an event happening in Lakeland Florida, being promoted as "revival."

I have a huge amount of respect for Todd Bentley, the preacher/ evangelist at the centre of what is happening. I also want to acknowledge what is happening there as a move of God. I believe there are great healings and miracles taking place.

However, it is too soon to call this revival.

A revival in the historic sense is a move of God which results in significant proportions of the population in a town, region or nation to turn to Jesus in such a way that the whole community is affected.

For example in Wales in the early 20th Century the police found themselves with nothing to do because crime stopped. Pubs closed. Newspaper reporters travelled from London to see what was happening because a nation was being impacted by the gospel.

In Wesley's time in the 18th century, England was transformed by one man's preaching. Again lives were changed in big numbers. This was happening at the time of the French Revolution and other violent political upheavals across Europe. Britain was spared because the whole of society was radically improved because of the revival.

In the Hebrides Revival people would spontaneously burst into tears of repentance in the middle of the night then make their way to church, often walking many miles, to confess their sins. Uganda is a nation that in our time is experiencing rapid positive change because of the gospel. In China it is estimated that up to a third of the population is now christian despite the at times violent opposition of authorities. The "Transformations" series documents several nations and cities that have been literally transformed by the hand of God.

A few meetings in a stadium in Lakeland Florida does not constitute revival.

Sadly, people are already flocking there, even from Narrabri, to get "it" and bring "it" back. If by "it" you mean the excitement of meetings where the presence of God is real, that's fine- although I'm not sure you can bring that back except as a manifestation of your own faith and excitement. If you mean by "it" the presence of the Holy Spirit, then "it" is already here and doesn't need to be brought back.

Next Sunday, many churches, including my own, will be celebrating Pentecost, the original outpouring of the Holy Spirit on "all flesh"-- everyone, everywhere. Ordinary people, gifted evangelists and preachers, prophets, priests, kings, housewives, computer programmers, mechanics, trolley boys and checkout chicks, teachers- well you get the idea. In Jerusalem, Judea, Lakeland, Toronto, NARRABRI-- to the ends of the earth.

At our Leaders' Cell last night we talked about this "revival" thing and Greg mentioned that Jesus might be anti-revival. I really think He is, at least in the sense of the big meeting, everybody get excited for a few weeks kind of revival. In John's account of the feeding of the 5000 we see Jesus almost deliberately trying to offend people to get them to leave. Why? Because they wanted to make Him king- they wanted a "revival" if you like. If you read Acts, you find that apart from Pentecost, there is very little activity which we might associate with revival- yet the church is exploding.

Please don't think I'm being cynical or even sceptical. I really believe that God is doing something wonderful in Florida.

I just don't think it can yet be called revival.

I also think that the desperation for the "signs and wonders"- the bright and flashy- really points to an unhealthy preoccupation in our culture, and in particular in christian culture.

I've been around the block a few times and I've seen the hype associated with phenomena like Pennsacola and Toronto. I've heard people say many times "This is it!" I've seen pastors in my own town try to hype up a touch of the Holy Spirit into full-blown revival.

I long for the genuine thing.

One day we really will see a thousand people in our church.

One day we really will see this town saved in a genuine revival.

One day Australia will truly be the South Land of the Holy Spirit"

And in the meantime I keep walking with Jesus, trying to faithfully serve Him, preach the gospel and see the Holy Spirit changing one life at a time.