Why do I need Revival?

I wrote this on a beautiful Sunday morning, after spending an entire night with two dear men of God, talking, dreaming, chatting and praying “Revival”. I’m sure there will be many out there who would want to ask, “Why do we need a revival? As any other Christian would be, why can’t I stay content being a nice christian, going to a decent church, having a fine job, and a lovely family? Isn’t what I have, and am exposed to, through my church, other ministries around and, of course, the christian media on the television and the Internet enough for me? Why should I seek for a revival at all?”

Revival Kills Traditional Religion

God did not create us for a religion, any traditions and customs, that we can regularly keep, to follow him. God created us for a daily and personal relationship with him! Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with the one true God, the Father of all Creation! Every time we focus more on activities and programs, we just build another religion. Every time our hearts are focused on feeling good and not on feeling God, we are heading back to religion!

People don’t feel comfortable coming to church or a prayer meeting, because it is more of a rigid frame of rituals than the personification of the body of Christ! Jesus was (and still is) a very fun person to be with! But unfortunately, His body, the church at times is so lifeless, hostile and unbecoming of the soul and life of Christ! Only if we strip ourselves of  these shackles, shall we be able to draw lost and lonely people towards the lover of their soul.

The greatest thing that John the baptist, Lord Jesus and the Apostles had to fight in their days was the religious system and the orthodox understanding about God that prevailed. It took the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost to break the people free from their understanding of the conventional system. We need another revival of the Holy Spirit to kill the tradition and the religion that runs through the nerve of today’s church to create a deeper, more passionate relationship with Jesus.

It is not a revival if you had dreamt or planned for it to happen! History proves that none of the resurgences resembled an earlier one. Every move of God has been unique and different! So if I have to expect a similar move from God in my church today, it would be to root out tradition. I remember when we experienced revival in our fellowship back in Ambernath, all our previous notions were blown away! We had people getting saved within the first five minutes of the meeting. It was crazier than anything we had ever experienced in our lives! Quoting Adil Amin, “Tradition is coming to God today and expecting him to do the same thing that he did yesterday”

So, one of the greatest reasons we should pray and seek for revival is so we may shake loose and get rid of any institution except the leading of the Holy Spirit! Am I against systems and organizations? Absolutely not! But when they stop or hinder the move of God in our life, church and city, it needs to be burnt away in another fire of revival!

We would love to hear from you on Revival, Religion and Traditions… Please feel free to leave a comment.

Will be continued in “Why Revival Matter – Part 2”