The Fruit of Revival
By G. Craig Lauterbach, February 2006
Why is revival necessary? I remember reading how a lady once asked Billy Sunday: "Why do you keep having revivals when it doesn't last?" He responded by asking her, "Why do you keep taking baths?" You see the devil is continually working to disrupt God's order. At creation he did this when Adam and Eve yielded to the temptation to eat the forbidden fruit. Following their fall, God made a statement in the form of a question that reveals the rippling effect of sin. Genesis 3:13 reads "And the Lord God said to woman, 'What is this you have done?'" God understood what had just happened, but they didn't. Because of this, it was necessary for God to intervene on their behalf. That's what revival is. It's God's supernatural intervention. The Bible teaches that sin brings death. So when revival hits, it restores life to that which is dead. It also reestablishes God's order, which in turn enables us to maintain and walk in His life. The impact of this is limitless. It changes the individual, affects their family, spreads into the community, and even has the potential to influence an entire nation.
With this in mind, I'd like to take a moment to write about the fruit of revival. In Acts 12:1-19, we read, "Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, 'Arise quickly!' And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, 'Gird yourself and tie on your sandals'; and so he did. And he said to him, 'Put on your garment and follow me.' So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. And when Peter had come to himself, he said, 'Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.' So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. But they said to her, "You are beside yourself!" Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, 'It is his angel.' Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, 'Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.' And he departed and went to another place. Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death.
“And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.” – NKJV
The Power
There's no doubt about it, revival brings down the power of Almighty God. Jesus said in Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (NKJV) In this verse, Jesus was commissioning the church. He was telling them they would do everything He did and even more. He was commanding them to go and restore life where there is death. Look at the ministry of Jesus. Luke 7:22 says, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them." (NKJV) Each of these miracles Jesus mentions exemplify the fruit of revival. Taking people from disability to wholeness, from sickness to health, from death to life, and from bondage to freedom is what Jesus did and it's what He has called us to do as well. We are agents of revival, endowed with the same authority and power He exercised during His earthly walk. When a Christian understands and embraces this reality, there is no limitation. History records countless examples of those who moved in revival's power.
In the 1700's, there was a preacher by the name of Jonathon Edwards. He was not known as a polished speaker. In fact, he would read his sermons word for word. Most famous is his message "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." This is not the ideal way to preach, but when revival has gripped your heart, the power of God will transform the dull and ordinary into the extraordinary. Many have credited him for ushering in the Great Awakening.
Another individual during the 1700's who experienced God's power in ministry was John Wesley; this man of God founded the Methodist Church. Scholars bring out that during his services people would run to the altar to repent of their sins. Others would begin to shake and then fall under the anointing of God's Holy Spirit. When these same people would get back up off the floor, their lives were eternally changed. Wesley called this phenomenon the "Second Work Of Grace." Thousands were saved and empowered by God to carry the gospel to a lost and hurting world.
In the 1800's, a man by the name of John G. Lake went to Africa as a missionary. He was known for unusual healing miracles, especially with those suffering from the lung disease, tuberculosis. One incident in particular sticks out to me. While praying for the sick, a medical doctor approached Lake to offer a word of caution. The physician was afraid he would contract the same disease the African people were dying with. Upon hearing this, John G. Lake responded with a challenge of faith. He encouraged the doctor to, "Take some saliva from the mouth of a sick patient and then smear my hand with it." After doing so, Lake instructed him to remove the salvia from his hand and examine it under a microscope. He said, "When you look at the infected saliva, you will find it's now free from all disease." Sure enough, when the doctor viewed the slides, it was free from all infection. Why? It's the power of God that accompanies revival.
Another preacher who experienced the power of revival was Smith Wigglesworth. In the early 1900's at the age of 48, his life and ministry changed overnight. From that point forward, Jesus' ministry and power flowed through Smith, healing, delivering, and saving countless souls around the world. His life practically became a continuation of the Acts of the Apostles, with at least a dozen people raised from the dead, and all manner of sickness healed. Again, this is the power of God that accompanies revival.
In the 1950's Polio was crippling many people in our nation. During that time, a young boy by the name of Ron was stricken with this insidious disease. So severe was his condition, that his mother was able to bend his legs like rubber. One day somebody told her about a healing evangelist by the name of Oral Roberts. Out of desperation, she decided to go in hopes that her son would be healed. When the altar call was given, she took Ron forward for prayer. The moment Oral Roberts laid his hands on this little boy, it was as if 10,000 volts of electricity surged into his body. Instantly, the mother noticed a change in the boy's countenance. When she examined his legs, they were straight. When she began to move them, there was stability and strength. Following the crusade, she took her son to the doctor for an examination. Much to the doctor's surprise, there were no symptoms of Polio, nor any aftereffects of the disease. He was completely and totally healed. In 1980, this young boy, now a man, was best man at my wedding. Here again is another example of God's power. However, there is a price to pay if you want the power.
The Prison
Revival brings opposition. In our text, Peter was thrown in prison for honoring God. People were being saved, delivered, healed, and empowered to do the work of the ministry. The power of God was flowing through his life and then without warning, he was arrested. Why? Because satan wanted to steal Peter's faith. Faith is the doorway God's power flows through. If there is no faith, then there is no door. If there is no door, then God's power has no access. If God's power has no access, then people remain in bondage. The devil doesn't want people saved, set free, healed, restored, or financially blessed. So he'll send opposition in hopes that it will rob their faith.
Christians have no problem when it comes to receiving and releasing God's miracle working ability. They all want that, but the moment the winds of adversity hit, they'll begin to wine and cry out in agony. "God, why are you doing this to me? God, why have you forsaken me?" or "God if this is how you reward people for serving you, then I quit!" Listen to me! The kingdom of darkness will ALWAYS oppose those who are seeking to advance the Kingdom of God. Remember, it's spiritual warfare. Warfare means you're in a battle. Battle means you're in the midst of a fight. When is the last time you watched a football game without any physical contact taking place? It doesn't happen. In fact, the players hit hard in order to win the game. If this principle holds true in our natural world, then how much more in the spiritual world? Ephesians 6:12 says, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." There is a battle taking place and we can't allow the opposition the enemy brings against us to dissuade us from fighting the good fight of faith. That's where prayer comes in.
The Prayer
Revival always brings a renewed emphasis on prayer. Look at what the church did when they heard about Peter's imprisonment. Acts 12:5 says, "Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church." (NKJV) These New Testament Christians knew who their resource was. Politicians weren't going to get Peter out of prison. A public demonstration wasn't going to get Peter out of prison. God was their only answer, so they prayed!
In the 1970's, a great revival erupted in the islands of Indonesia. There were many demonstrations of the Spirit's power during this outpouring, but the greatest testimony is the fervor for prayer these people displayed. One story in particular took place in a small village with a population of two to three thousand people. Within this community, only 20 to 30 of the people were Christians. One Sunday evening during a regular church service, God changed their direction and what began as a worship service, turned into a prayer meeting. As they were praying they began to ask God to send His fire. They wept and cried out for Holy Ghost fire. Here's what's miraculous. While they were praying, the people in the village began to notice that the church hut was burning. That's right, I said burning. When the villagers saw this, they called for the local fire fighters. When the firemen arrived, they were astounded when they realized the fire was not consuming the church. Just like Moses before the burning bush, this grass church was on fire, but it wasn't burning down. At this point they began to hear the people praying and weeping inside. This handful of believers was crying out for the souls of the villagers. When the people saw the holy fire and heard the prayers, the entire village repented. I mean the entire village. Every single person in that community gave their hearts to the Lord. That's revival!
This is the kind of prayer that initiated Peter's release. Scripture says the church offered up "constant prayer." In other words, they kept praying until they got the answer. It wasn't a token prayer. It was desperate prayer. Peter's life depended on it and this is the kind of prayer revival gives birth to. How many of you want a prayer life like this? Then my word to you is, pray for REVIVAL! It is God's will to pour out His Spirit on ALL flesh and blood. Set aside time to get close to the Lord in prayer. James 4:8 reads, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (NKJV) As we get closer to Him, we also get closer to His fire. What happens when something gets to close to a hot burning fire? It also ignites on fire.
Let me encourage you to seek Him, believe Him, and obey Him. Set aside a daily time for prayer. Embrace the mindset that says, "I won't stop until I get a breakthrough." If you will do this, you will experience what Peter and the Church of Acts experienced, prayer that opens prison doors. This is the fruit of revival.
