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About Jesus - Steve (Stephen) Sweetman An
Open Door To Revival In
the 1970's I thought that Christian revival was a result of our prayers
and hard work of evangelizing the streets of our city, to which my friends
and I were dedicated. I have
subsequently learned that the dawning of a Christian revival does not
depend on us, but on Jesus. I
realize that as Christians we have our part to play in the
administration and implementation of God's will here on earth.
I also understand the debate over Mark 16:20 and its placement in
the gospel of Mark, but despite that, it states the New Testament
pattern that God's will is accomplished by a collaborative process
between us and Jesus. We
have our part to play and Jesus has His part to play.
Mark 16:20 reads: "Then the disciples
went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and
confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it." Part of Jesus' job in
implementing God's will is to create revival.
How, when, and where revival takes shape originates with Jesus,
not with us. Jesus opens the
revival door for us to walk through, as I believe Revelation 3:8 states.
"I
know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open
door that no
one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my
word and have not denied my name." Sometimes we lament over
not seeing revival, but despite Jesus saying that no one can close the
specific door of revival He referenced, history tells us that revivals
come and revivals go. They
come as a result of Jesus opening the door of revival and they go
because we shut the door. I
believe the Pentecostal revival of the late 1800's, for example, was a
result of Jesus opening its door that was subsequently closed because of
doctrinal and relational disputes among the revival's participants.
It's our ever-present tendency to shut what Jesus opens. William Carey (born 1761
- died 1834) suffered through forty one long, painful, and difficult years as a
missionary in I believe that
Revelation 3:8 tells us that in His own good time Jesus opens the door
to revival. Opening the door
is His responsibility. Walking
through that open door is our responsibility.
Until Jesus opens the revival door, it's our job, like William
Carey, to tirelessly work in the service of the Lord no matter the results.
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