Some of my dear brothers and sisters are growing concerned about the subject of REVIVAL. This is to be commended for the hearts of many believers worldwide share in this longing. It is an evidence of the moving of the Holy Spirit.

There is also a false movement that claims that such a revival has already started. As evidence of this they cite happenings in various places where people are brought under the control of spirits that master them, make them to fall down, and to act in unseemly ways. They lose control of their tongues & utter things when they do not know what they are saying. This is claimed to be the ‘gift of tongues’ but it is certainly not the ‘gift of tongues’ spoken about in the Bible. This is something to beware of, it is counterfeit, it is error.

Prayer is a wonderful thing, but if there is to be genuine revival, more than prayer is needed. In Isaiah 58, God has to rebuke His earthly people, because they were not only praying but fasting. They thought that this would surely bring to them the blessing of God; but it failed to do so. In that chapter God draws attention to their religious exercises. He even quotes their complaining that He did not see, or take knowledge of what they were doing. They considered that God was unfair in withholding His blessing.

But in what follows in the chapter up to verse six, He tells them faithfully why their religious exercises brought no blessing. Their practical lives were a denial of what they professed in their religious exercises. They were living lives of hypocrisy. The same will be true for us. God will never move in sovereign almighty power to convict the lost of their sin, while ever His people live double lives that grieve His great heart, and bring shame to His name.

God then shows the sure path to the experiencing of His blessing in the rest of the chapter. This was more than they were willing to do. They could not rightly claim the promise, unless they were willing to fulfill the requirements of God. The same is true for us. Revival must begin with me. I must honestly search my heart before God, and allow Him to show me from His word the things that are wrong in my life. I must then seek His grace and help to confess those things to Him, and to put them right, to ‘judge myself’, and put those things away forever. If I am willing to do this fearlessly and honestly, it will surely result in a spiritual revival in my life. It will bring me closer to God, the Holy Spirit that indwells me will be no longer grieved, and then I will have power with God and with men.

God says through His messenger, (Malachi), "Return unto me, and I will return unto you". (Chapter 3:7). God has not changed, (verse 6), it is we who have departed from Him. Truly we have brought upon us the curse of barrenness. The scorn of the wicked, and the heathen. There are many Hindus, Sikhs, or even Muslims, whose lives would put ours to shame. What a shame, what a tragedy!

We long for God to visit us in blessing, for the power of His presence to be manifested to and though us. But if He does visit us, the result will be very searching. In the previous verses we are told what to expect if he does visit us in revival. He may come as a heavenly Dhobie. He may have to deal with us severely, as the Dhobie does with the cloth. He will not tolerate the ingrained dirt and grime of sinful lives. The defilement must be first loosened, then removed, cleansed away. Are we willing for this?

He may sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. He may have to allow us to experience the heat of trial. He may have to pass us through experiences that we do not like. Are we ready for this?

The Refiner first places the precious metal in a crucible, or fining pot. He then turns up the heat. As the metal heats it grows soft, and finally melts, as it melts, hidden impurities rise to the surface of the molten mass. This is gently skimmed away by the Refiner. The more heat the more dross rises to the surface, and is skimmed away. It is said that when the Refiner can see His face in the molten metal, then His work is done!

My dear brothers and sisters, the end result is worth all the heat and trouble. When God can see the features of His dear Son, expressed in our lives, then He is satisfied. But also when we are thus able to shine for Christ, then those in the world will take notice. The Greeks expressed the desire of men generally, "Sir, we would see Jesus", John, 12:21. This is what the world is looking for, but are we willing to pay the price? Are we really honestly willing to get right with God, whatever the cost to us?

This then will lead to our bringing the "Whole tithe into the storehouse". The whole tithe is not just ten per cent of what I earn, that justly belongs to God anyhow. The "whole tithe", (correct translation), is myself, my whole self. God will not accept that which is lame, blind and sick, defiled, (the leftovers of our lives), such as He draws attention to in the first chapter. But if we would offer ourselves, all that we have and are, then it must be a "Living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable to God. (Rom. 12:1-2). It is not at all unreasonable that God should ask us to give back to Him that which is really His. His because He made us, His because He has redeemed us! Thus according to that passage, as we do this, lay ourselves, our bodies, upon the altar of sacrifice, then refuse to allow the world to pressure us into doing things their way; we will experience a change of mental attitude. Our minds will be renewed, and we will prove what is "That good, and perfect and acceptable will of God".

We will experience a personal revival, and God may then use us to spread this blessing to others. This is how revival comes! Let us fast and pray, but let us first get right with God. Then let us see what God will do!