Editor’s
journey
Beyond
buzzwords
SPRINGFIELD, MO. — How many
times have we heard it said, “We need revival”? But, for many,
“revival” has been reduced to an ambiguous buzzword. The phrase
is tossed around as if everyone knows what it means. I’m not sure we
do.
For some, revival is synonymous
with a religious rave party — a rambunctious church service. For others,
it’s about renewed intimacy with God, reinvigorated spiritual authority
and a recommitment to witnessing.
In Acts 2 and 3 we find revival
in action — perhaps a portrait of what revival should be. After receiving
the Holy Spirit, Christ’s followers demonstrated the Spirit’s
power in their lives in the following ways:
1. Boldness and evangelism (Acts
2:14-41, NIV). Peter preached in public, warning, “Save yourselves from
this corrupt generation.” As a result, 3,000 turned to Jesus.
2. Unity and charity (Acts 2:42-47).
Believers dined and prayed together. They sold their possessions and gave
to those in need.
3. Faith and miracles (Acts 3:1-10).
Peter and John encountered a beggar outside the temple. Peter said, “In
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Instantly, the man was
healed.
If we truly want these characteristics
to be evident in our lives, we must follow the same path taken by believers
2,000 years ago: “They all joined together constantly in prayer”
(Acts 1:14). They prayed with a sense of desperation, received the baptism
in the Holy Spirit and then exited the Upper Room to touch their world.
May we, too, move beyond buzzwords
to action. Then, and only then, will the word “revival” mean something.
If you want to receive
the baptism in the Holy Spirit, please read “Receiving
the baptism in the Holy Spirit.”
Hal Donaldson
E-mail your comments to pe@ag.org.
