Stay Calm And Carry On.

About twenty or so years ago, I experienced a revival. This occurred at a small church in New York City.

At the time, the pastor had done nothing different from what she usually did on Sundays. In fact, our church was so predictable that you could set your watch based on what was going on: a hymn, a chorus, a prayer, another hymn interspersed with testimonies, announcements, offering, sermon, altar call, closing hymn, benediction, go home. We weren't involved in any sort of initiative concerning revival.

But for some reason, at that particular point in time, God decided to show up in the midst of our routine. And He kept showing up powerfully every Sunday over a period of four months. For sixteen consecutive weeks the altar call was packed. People were conscious of their need for repentance and sanctification. There was confession and contrition. Lives were changed, and over the following years we saw that the change was real. Several of the men and women who experienced that revival eventually moved into ministry positions: some were volunteers, and others became full-time pastors.

Because we knew we were not the originators of this experience, we didn't try to bottle it and sell it. No one ever called our denomination's headquarters to tell them what was “going on”. No one wrote any articles about us. We didn't make any recordings. But we did make resolves, personally, to draw nearer to God.

Throughout that revival period, the routine remained intact. But it was new! The prayers were prayed with passion. The Spirit of God opened our eyes and ears, giving the old songs new life. The Word of God leapt off the pages, piercing our hearts as He revealed the Scriptures to us. Yes, it was our Emmaus Road: Jesus, ever present, was suddenly recognized. We were in awe.

And then, it subsided. Altar calls went back to the usual handful of seekers. The routine lost the spark of enlightenment we had briefly experienced. But, we had been changed. And because we had changed, our homes changed! Our community changed! Our church changed! The seeds planted in those few months bore spiritual fruit that has remained over the decades.

Are you longing for change? Be encouraged. At His appointed time, our Lord will appear and revive our souls... and we will never be the same again.