Many times throughout the year I preach revival and evangelistic meetings in churches around the country. But once or twice a year we have a revival meeting at our own church. And one time we have always done so is upon us again, the full week before Thanksgiving, which this year is Nov. 12-17.
In that particular meeting, we always have veteran evangelist Don Sessions with us, and it always ends up being a great spark for our church.
In recent days I have noticed many "Facebook theologians" mocking the concept of revival meetings. Their fallacious arguments can be summarized as follows: "Revival is not a meeting; it is a spiritual occurrence. Therefore having 'revival meetings' is a useless endeavor."
Some years ago I finally took up a hobby. Being a certified workaholic, I had resisted that idea for years. But when I found power lifting, I was immediately hooked, and I have spent six years or so actively pursuing it.
For those who have ever taken up that hobby, a truth quickly and rudely presents itself. There is no such thing as "maintaining" in the absence of going to the gym. If a person stops lifting for a while, then goes back and starts again, he will find that he has lost ground that can only be regained with a lot of consistent effort.
Mind you, like most things, I had to find this out the hard way...
There is something uniquely humiliating about being in the weight room, alone, pinned under a barbell loaded down with weight. One knows that there are people in the other room that he could call out (weakly) for, but the prospect of being rescued by a little blue-haired lady is simply more than an alpha male can bear.
I suppose it is good that I violate a few rules of weightlifting now and then, such as not putting clips on the bar. On the day of my near demise, as my life was passing before me and I was contemplating all of the people that, if I had rabies, I would love to have one more opportunity to bite, it dawned on me that if I would shift the bar to one side, the plates might slide off.
They did. With an Armageddon-like explosion. And then, since the other side of the bar was now the heavy one, the bar quickly tilted that way causing a second sonic boom. And by this time several of the little blue-haired ladies were coming to see what was happening, not just one of them.
Sometimes one gets red in the face in the gym because of lifting very heavy things. Sometimes one gets red in the face in the gym because he is looking for a place to hide.
The weight I got stuck under was one I had done hundreds of time before, with ease. But I had been out of the gym for four months due to my overly busy schedule, and this was my first day back. I had surprisingly lost nearly 70 pounds off of my max bench press.
It took about six months of work to get back to where I was, and I have since gone 50 pounds or so higher than my previous max. I had fallen from where I was and had to actively pursue regaining the ground I had lost.
In Revelation 2, God addressed the local church at Ephesus. He pointed out that despite their many fine points they had "left their first love." Then in Verse 5 he told them to "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works."
There is perhaps no better definition of revival to be found anywhere. Think back to where you used to be, turn back to it, and do those first works, those basic things that you used to do when you were right with God.
Like physical strength, spiritual strength is easily lost, and with no effort. Neither an individual nor a church has to try to get spiritually weak. It is simply the natural effect of not actively and diligently working to stay spiritually strong.
And just like physical strength is best increased in a gym, where all of the best equipment and trainers are, spiritual strength is best increased in a church where God's people gather under God's training for that purpose.
Pentecost did not happen when everyone was at home doing their own thing; it happened when the entire church was in one accord, in one place.
It isn't time for fewer churches to be having revival meetings. It is time for every church to be doing so.
Bo Wagner is pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church of Mooresboro, N.C., a widely traveled evangelist and the author of several books available on Amazon and at www.wordofhismouth.com. Email him at 2knowhim@cbc-web.org.