True Revival And its Apostolic Ingredients by Martin Wells Knapp

A brilliant article on True Revival in our continuing series on Revival... Martin Wells Knapp, anointed by the Spirit and aflame with his own zeal, overcame severe personal disadvantages and the stubborn opposition of others to do a great work for God. Dying at an early age, he left behind dynamic institutions perpetuating his message of holiness unto the Lord.

True Revival And its Apostolic Ingredients

The difference between true revivals and the mechanical efforts of Christless clubs to secure members is seen from the following facts: True revivals are conditional revivals. They are cloudbursts of salvation, caused by the Holy Ghost, yet the precipitation is conditioned upon human compliance with certain spiritual laws. Plural as well as individual Pentecosts are promised, and must be proclaimed.

Given one hundred and twenty persons as dead to sin and the world, as absorbed in Christ, as loyal to His instructions, as united, prayerful, obedient, earnest and expectant, as was the first Pentecostal Church.

It is impossible to have Pentecostal revivals without Pentecostal material. A fire can not be built with sea-soaked wood. World-soaked preachers and churches must be kiln-dried before they are fit for revival kindling wood. A box on a street corner is a better site for a Pentecostal revival than a fine cathedral full of spiritual mummies.

Prayer, fasting, the baptism of the Holy Ghost upon the church, Holy Ghost preaching, testimony and personal work are all conditions of Pentecostal revivals.

Sham revivals are those in which these conditions are either aped or ignored, and result in a fizzle instead of a Pentecostal deluge. A refusal to meet Pentecostal conditions on part of preacher or people, or both, has caused the criminal abortion of many a revival... Continue reading