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From the editor

About the cover

A special thanks for those who support Revival magazine through prayer and financial gifts.Your donations allow us to send the magazine out free of charge to those with a heart forrevival. May your investment reap eternal dividends by the power of God. Thank you againfor laying up treasure in heaven.

For the Cause,Preach the Word Ministries, Inc.All donations are tax deductible.

A Special Thanks

You�re looking at a scene from revival history! The Llanyeil

Church in Bala, North Wales has been the scene of repeated

visitations from on high, including the 1904-05 revival inWales.

This particular picture was taken sometime between 1890 and

1900 and was first published in 1905 by the Detroit Photo-

graphic Company.

3 ......... The Revival-Its Source and Power6 ......... A Call to Prayer9 .........Will It Do Any Good to Pray?12 ....... Third-Grid Theology

5 ......... Books on the Welsh Revival 1904-058 ......... Rent Heavens Conference 200513 .......NETSeminars 200514 ....... PTWM Evangelists15 ....... Friends of Revival Church DirectoryBack .... Books from PTWM

Published by Preach The Word MinistriesP. O. Box 242Menomonee Falls, WI 530521-800-656-7896 (PTWM)www.ptwm.orginfo@ptwm.org

The first Christian magazine ever published inAmerica before we even became a nation wasa revival magazine. Thomas Prince of Bostonedited this magazine entitled Christian History.It both provided accurate accounts of revivalsduring the first Great Awakening and was usedof God to fan the flames of revival. As peopleread of what God had done elsewhere, it

moved many to cry out to God to also bless them.

Revival magazine is for those with a heart for revival. We plan toinclude accounts of past and present revivals as well as preachingon revival. It is our prayer that God will use it to once again igniteand fan flames of revival.

Index

This first issue of Revival is a call to prayer. Seasons of refreshing donot just �happen.� When spiritual conditions are low, God sends awake-up call to His people. Somewhere, someone responds to thatcall and begins to cry out to God for deliverance. History recordsintercessors quietly seeking God�s face prior to great revivals. Forexample, a century ago, after fervent intercession God came downto Wales in a mighty awakening. May the 100-year anniversary ofthe 1904-1905 Welsh Revival stir us to once again seek God�s face.

For the Cause,

Evangelist John R. Van GelderenPresident, PTWM

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It was my holy privilege to come into the center of this wonderfulwork and movement. Arriving in the morning in the village, everything seemed quiet, and we wended our way to the place where a

group of chapels stood. Oh, these chapels through Wales! Thank Godfor them!

Everything was so quiet and orderly that we had to ask where the meet-ing was. A lad, pointing to a chapel, said �In there.� Not a single personoutside. We made our way through the open door and just managed toget inside, and found the chapel crowded from floor to ceiling with agreat mass of people.

The Three Characteristics of the Meeting

It was a meeting characterized by a perpetual series of interruptionsand disorderliness. It was a meeting characterized by a great continuityand an absolute order. You say, �How do you reconcile these things?� Ido not reconcile them. They are both there. If you put a man into themidst of one of these meetings who knows nothing of thelanguage of the Spirit and nothing of the life of the Spirit,one of two things will happen to him. He will either passout saying, �These men are drunk,� or he himself will beswept up by the fire into the Kingdom of God. If you puta man down who knows the language of the Spirit, he willbe struck by this most peculiar thing. I have never seenanything like it in my life; while a man praying is dis-turbed by the breaking out of song, there is no sense ofdisorder, and the prayer merges into song, and back intotestimony, and back again into song for hour after hour,without guidance. These are the three occupations � sing-ing, prayer, testimony.

In the afternoon we were at another chapel, and anothermeeting, equally full, and this time Evan Roberts waspresent. He came into the meeting when it had beengoing on for an hour and a half. He spoke, but his ad-dress - if it could be called an address - was punctuated perpetually bysong and prayer and testimony. Evan Roberts works on that plan, neverhindering anyone. I venture to say that if that address Evan Robertsgave in broken fragments had been reported, the whole of it could havebeen read in six or seven minutes. As the meeting went on, a man rosein the gallery and said, �So and So,� naming some man, �has decidedfor Christ,� and then in a moment the song began. They did not singSongs of Praises, they sang Diolch Iddo, and the weirdness and beautyof it swept over the audience. It was a song of praise because that manwas born again. There were no inquiry rooms, no penitent forms, thatsome worker announces, or an inquirer openly confesses Christ, the

name was registered, and the song broke out, andthey went back to testimony in prayer.

In the evening I stood for three solid hours wedged sothat I could not lift my hands at all. What impressedme most was the congregation. I stood wedged, andI looked along the packed gallery of the chapel on myright, and there were three women, and the rest weremen. If you could but for once have seen the men,evidently colliers, with the blue seam that told of theirwork on their faces, clean and beautiful. Beautiful,

did I say? Many of them were lit with Heaven�s own light, radiant withthe light that never was on sea and land. They were great, rough, mag-nificent, poetic men by nature, but the nature had slumbered long.Today it was awakened, and I looked on many a face and I knew thatmen did not see me, did not see Evan Roberts, but they saw the face ofGod and eternity. I left that evening, after having been in the meetingthree hours, at 10:30, and it swept on, packed as it was, until an earlyhour, next morning with song and prayer and testimony and conversionand confession of sin by leading church members publicly, and in theputting of it away. And all the while no human leader, no one indicatingthe next thing to do, no one checking the spontaneous movement.

The Man Himself

Evan Roberts is hardly more than a boy, simple and natural, no orator;with nothing of the masterfulness that characterized suchmen asWesleyand Whitfield and Dwight Lyman Moody: no leader of men. One ofthe most brilliant writers in one of our papers said of Evan Roberts, in a

tone of sorrow, that he lacked the qualities of leadership,and the writer said if but some prophet did now arise hecould sweep everything before him. God has not chosenthat a prophet shall arise. It is quite true. Evan Roberts isno orator, no leader. What is he? I mean now, with re-gard to this great movement. He is the mouthpiece ofthe fact that there is no human guidance as to man ororganization. The burden of what he says to the people isthis: �It is not man; do not wait for me; depend on God;obey the Spirit.� But whenever moved to do so, he speaksunder the guidance of the Spirit. His work is not that ofappealing to men so much as that of creating an atmo-sphere by calling men to follow the guidance of the Spiritin whatever the Spirit shall say to them.

God has set his hand upon the lad, beautiful in simplicity,ordained in his devotion, lacking all the qualities that wehave looked for in teachers and prophets and leaders.

He has put him in the forefront of this movement that the world maysee that He does choose the things that are not to bring to naught thethings that are, the weak things of the world to confound the things thatare mighty, a man who lacks all the essential qualities which we saymake for greatness, in order that through him in simplicity and powerHe may move to victory.

Peculiarities of the Movement

There is no preaching, no order, no hymn books, no choirs, no organs,no collections and finally, no advertising . I am not saying these things

I looked onmany a faceand I knewthat men didnot see me,did not seeEvan Roberts,but they sawthe face ofGod andeternity.

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are wrong. I simply want you to see what God is doing. There were theorgans, but silent; the ministers don�t preach. Instead they rejoice andprophesy with the rest of the people. Suddenly it seems like everybodyis preaching. No order, and yet it moves from day to day, week toweek, county to county, with matchless precision, with the order of anattacking force. Mr. Stead was asked if he thought the revival wouldspread to London, and he said, �It depends upon whether you cansing.� He was not so wide of the mark. When these Welshmen sing,they sing the words like men who believe them. They abandon them-selves to their singing. We sing as though we think it would not berespectable to be heard by the man next to us. No choir, did I say? Itwas all choir. And hymns! I stood and listened in wonder and amaze-ment as the congregation on that night sang hymn after hymn, longhymns, sung through without hymn books.

The Sunday school is having its harvest now. The family altar is havingits harvest now. The teaching of hymns and the Bible among thoseWelshhills and valleys is having its harvest now. There�s no advertising. Thewhole thing advertises itself. You tell me the press is advertising it. Thepress did not begin advertising until the thing caught fire and spread.One of those remarkable things is the attitude of the Welsh press. Icome across instance after instance of men converted by reading thestory of the revival in TheWestern Mail and The SouthWales Daily News.

The Origin of the Movement

In the name of God let us all cease trying to find it. At least let us ceasetrying to trace it to any one man or convention. You cannot trace it, andyet I will try to trace it tonight. Whence has it come? All over Wales (I

am giving you roughly the result of thequestioning of 50 or more persons atrandom in the week) a praying remnanthave been agonizing before God aboutthe state of their beloved land, and it isthrough that the answer of fire hascome. You tell me that the revival origi-nates with Roberts. I tell you that Rob-erts is a product of the revival. You tellme that it began in an Endeavor meet-ing where a dear girl bore testimony. Itell you that it was part of the result of arevival breaking out everywhere. If youand I could stand above Wales, lookingat it, you would see the fire breaking

out here and there, and yonder, and somewhere else, without any col-lusion or pre-arrangement. It is a divine visitation in which God - let mesay this reverently - in which God is saying to us, �See what I can dowithout the things you are depending on;� �See what I can do in an-swer to a praying people;� �See what I can do through the simplest whoare ready to fall in line and depend wholly and absolutely upon Me.�

A Church Revival

What is the character of this revival? It is a church revival. I do notmean by that merely a revival among church members. It is that, but itis held in church buildings. I have been saying for a long time that therevival which is to be permanent in the life of a nation must be associ-

ated with the life of the churches. What I am looking for is that thereshall come a revival breaking out in all our regular church life. Themeetings are held in the chapels, all up and down the valleys. Revivalbegan among church members, andwhen it touches the outside man itmakes him into a church member atonce. I am tremendously suspicious ofany mission or revival movement thattreats with contempt the Church ofChrist and affects to despise thechurches. Within the last five weeks20,000 have joined the churches. Ithink more than that have been con-verted, but the churches in Wales haveenrolled during the last five weeks20,000 new members. It is a move-ment in the Church and of the Church,a movement in which the true functionsand forces of the Church are being exercised and filled.

Striking Cases of Personal Influence

What effect is this work producing among men? First of all, it is turningChristians everywhere into evangelists. There is nothing more remark-able about it than that, I think. People you never expected to see doingthis kind of thing are becoming definite personal workers. A friend ofmine went to one of the meetings, and he walked to the meeting withan old friend of his, a deacon of the Congregational Church, a manwhose piety no one doubted, a man who for long years had worked inthe life of the church in some of its departments, but a man who neverwould think of speaking to men about their souls, although he wouldnot have objected to someone else doing it. As my friend walked downwith the deacon, the deacon said to him: �I have eighteen young menin an athletic class of which I am president. I hope some of them will bein the meeting tonight.� There was a new manifestation. This man hadhad that athletic class for years and he has never hoped that any one ofthem would be in any meeting to be saved. Within fifteen minutes heleft his seat by my friend and was seen talking to young man down infront of him. Presently, this deacon rose and said, �Thank God for Soand So,� giving his name, �he has given his heart to Christ right here.�In a moment or two he left him, and talked with another young man.Before that meeting closed that deacon, who never before thought ofspeaking to men about their souls, had led every one of those eighteenyoung men to Jesus Christ.

My own friend, with whom I stayed, who has always been reticent ofspeaking to men, told me how, sitting in his office, there surged uponhim the great conviction that he ought to go and speak to another manwith whom he had done business for long years. My friend suddenlyput down his pen and left his office and went on break, and there hesaw the very man. And going up to him, passing the time of day to him,the man said to him, �What do you think of this revival?�

And my friend looked him squarely in the eye and said, �How is it withyour own soul?�

�See what Ican do

through thesimplest whoare ready tofall in line anddepend whollyand absolutelyupon Me.�

The revivalwhich is to bepermanent inthe life of anation mustbe associatedwith the lifeof thechurches.

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The man looked back at him and said, �Last night at twelve, for someunknown reason, I had to get out of bed and give myself to Jesus Christ,and I was hungering for some one to come and talk to me.� Here is aman turned into an evangelist by supernatural means. If this is emo-tional, then God send us more of it. Here is a cool, calculating businessship owner that I have known all my life, leaving his office to go onbreak and ask a man about his soul.

Down in one of the mines a collier was walking along, and he came, tohis great surprise, to where one of the principle officials in the mine wasstanding. The official said, �Jim I have been waiting two hours here foryou.�

�Have you sir?� said Jim, �What do you want?�

�I want to be saved, Jim,� the man said. �Let us get right down here.�And there in the mine, the colliery official, instructed by the collier,passed into the Kingdom of God. When he got up he said, �Tell all themen, tell everybody you meet, that I am converted.�

The movement is characterized by the most remarkable confessions ofsin - confessions that must be costly. I heard some of them, men risingwho have been members of the Church and officers of the Church,confessing hidden sin in their heart, impurities committed and con-doned, and seeking prayer for putting it away. The whole movement ismarvelously characterized by a confession of Jesus Christ, testimony toHis power, to His goodness, to His beneficence, and testimony mergingforevermore into outbursts of singing.

This whole thing is of God; it is a visitation in which He is making manconscious of Himself without any human agency. The revival is far morewidespread than the fire zone. In this sense you may understand thatthe fire zone is where the meetings are actually held and where you feelthe flame that burns. But even when you come out of it, and go intorailway trains, or into a shop, a bank, anywhere, men everywhere aretalking to God. Whether they obey or not is another matter. There arethousands not yielded to the constraint of God, but God has givenWalesin these days a new conviction and consciousness of Himself that is theprofound thing, the underlying truth.

Other Classics on Revival

BY MY SPIRIT by Jonathan GoforthPrice: $5.00 (138 pages)OPENED WINDOWS: THE CHURCH AND REVIVALby James A. StewartPrice: $9.00 (189 pages)

INSPIRING READING ON THEWELSH REVIVAL

I SAW THE WELSH REVIVAL by DavidMatthewsDavid Matthews was converted in theWelsh Revival. His eyewitness accountboth before and after his conversion isheartwarming. His firsthand account isa definite addition to the literature onthis revival.Price: $9.00 (134 pages)

RENT HEAVENS by R. B. JonesThe author is an authority on thissupernatural awakening in Wales as hewas mightily used in the revival. Thisbook presents the �origins� of the 1904revival, and thus it instructs on seekingfor revival once again.Price: $4.00 (96 pages)

GLORY FILLED THE LAND by RichardOwen RobertsThis book compiles two stirring eyewit-ness accounts of the Welsh Revival by H.Elvet Lewis and G. Campbell Morgan.Also included is an insightful perspectiveby I. V. Nepresh on the life of EvanRoberts following the revival.Price: $18.00 (204 pages, hardback)

INVASION OF WALES BY THE SPIRITby James A. StewartThis account of the 1904 WelshRevival is sure to deeply stir the hearthungry for revival, and to illustrate thetruth that the Holy Spirit is the leaderin revival.Price: $4.00 (87 pages)

THE AWAKENING IN WALES by JessePenn LewisUnveiling a record of the facts concern-ing the remarkable outpouring of God�sSpirit in Wales, this book shows thecentral place given to the cross of Christin that divine visitation.Price: $7.00 (112 pages)

Each one of these books contains a powerful message that will stir your heart and increase your visionfor revival. Call 1-800-656-7896 (PTWM) to place an order, or order online at www.ptwm.org.

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Every true revival knows someone or ones who somewhere, cry out toGod for deliverance. This is the case whether the revival is local orwide-sweeping. For example, the three Great Awakenings were all pre-ceded by fervent intercession. Regarding the First Great Awakening,which peaked in 1740-1742, Arnold Dallimore, in his biography ofGeorge Whitefield, makes an insightful observation.

Legislation was enacted which distressed the Puritan conscience,and in 1662, on one of the darkest days in all British history,nearly two thousand ministers �all those who would not submitto the Act of Uniformity- were ejected from their livings. Hun-dreds of these men suffered throughout the rest of their lives,and a number died in prison. Yet these terrible conditions be-came the occasion of a great volume of prayer; forbidden topreach under threat of severe penalties �as John Bunyan�s Bedfordimprisonment bore witness- they yet could pray, and only eter-nity will reveal the relationship between this burden of supplica-tion and the revival that followed.

Prior to the many waves of revival in New England, which spread toother parts of the United States during the Second Great Awakening,there was a call to prayer. In 1795, the �Circular Letter� issued by 23New England preachers was circulated, calling for a nationwide �Con-cert of Prayer� for revival.2 The connection to the mighty awakeningwhich followed must not be overlooked.

The Third Great Awakening began with the establishment of noondayprayer meetings by Jeremiah Lamphier on September 23, 1857 in NewYork City.3 Although not labeled a �great awakening� by historians, theyear 1905 marked another nation-wide season of refreshing from thepresence of the Lord. Much of this is chronicled by the revival historianJ. Edwin Orr in his book entitled The Flaming Tongue. The decline andstagnation of churches by the turn of the century, the many calls toprayer, and the wave of blessing that followed all greatly stir the heartwith the wonderful works of God.

Whether wide-sweeping or local, revival does not �just happen.� To thevast majority, it may seem like it does, but the intercessors are not sur-prised. When revival praying is combined with revival preaching, Godsends His revival presence.

The Great Awakenings came at times when spiritual conditions weredeplorable. The situation each time looked humanly impossible, but it

is in those times when God delights to hear someonecry to Him for deliverance. In fact, in Jeremiah 33:3,knowing the human impossibility which Jeremiah wasfacing, it is God Himself who issues the call to prayer:�Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew theegreat and mighty things, which thou knowest not.�

Since God Himself invites His people to pray for greatand mighty things, we must heed God�s call to prayer.Yet, what does it mean to seriously heed God�s owncall to prayer? Three features from the text provide theanswer.

Divine Invitation

Since the call to prayer comes as a divine invitation, we must heedGod�s call to prayer. Jeremiah 33:2 emphasizes �Thus saith the Lord themaker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is Hisname; Call unto Me.� God is the one speaking. He is not just making asuggestion. The call to prayer is an imperative Call unto Me. Those witha heart for God and revival must and will heed this call.

First, notice the invitation comes in a time of human desperation. Ac-cording to verse one, Jeremiah was �yet shut up in the court of theprison.� Chapter 32 provides the story. While Jeremiah was in prison,God informed him that his relative would come to offer him the pur-chase of a piece of property in his hometown. God told him to do it.The difficulty, however, was that at that moment Babylon�s army hadbesieged Jerusalem. Nevertheless, when the relative came Jeremiahbought the land.

Then, Jeremiah prays beginning in 32:17, �Ah Lord God! Behold, Thouhast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and stretchedout arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee.� Jeremiah starts welland, from verses 18-22, glories in the goodness and power of God. Yet,in verse 23, he admits the disobedience of God�s people and their de-served judgment. Then, heswitches focus to the presentsituation in verses 24-25, �Be-hold the mounts [siegemounds], they are come untothe city to take it, and the cityis given into the hand of theChaldeans, that fight againstit, because of the sword, andof the famine, and of the pes-tilence: and what Thou hasspoken is come to pass; and,behold, Thou seest it. And Thou has said to me, O Lord God, buy theethe field for money, and take witnesses.� Seeing the impossibility beforehim, he exclaims, �for [yet] the city is given into the hand of theChaldeans.� It was in this impossible situation that God then issued toJeremiah the call to prayer.

Let us take encouragement from this. Just as the call to prayer came toJeremiah in a time of human desperation, so we too can take hope

It is in those times ofhuman impossibilityand desperation whenGod delights to hearsomeone cry to Himfor deliverance.

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when our situation is desperate. This, of course, could apply to manyaspects of our lives, but it certainly applies to the desperate need forrevival.

Second, notice the invitation comes from the God of unlimited power.God immediately responds in 32:17 to Jeremiah�s perplexity, �Behold,I am the Lord, The God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for Me?�God exclaims in essence, �Don�t focus on the human impossibility; fo-cus on the God of the impossible!�

The Moravian settlement in Herrnhut, Germany on Count Zinzindorf�sestate began with hopes of near utopia because it was an entirely Chris-tian community. However, in early 1727 the settle-ment nearly disrupted over personal tensions anddoctrinal friction. Zinzindorf�s own Bible class ofchildren grieved him, because not one membershowed any sign of spiritual life. The outlook indeedseemed bleak. Consequently, a few earnest soulsbegan to cry out for deliverance. The prayer meet-ings mounted in intensity for several months untilGod poured out His Spirit in August of 1727. Therevival that followed fueled the greatest missionarymovement, then known, in church history since theearly church.4God did the impossible!We, too, mustask God to do it again.

Human Responsibility

Since the call to prayer demands human responsibility, we must heedGod�s call to prayer Call unto Me. God initiates, but man must respond.

First, the response is a cry for deliverance. Call is often translated else-where �cry.� The connotation is a cry for help.

Second, the response is a cry to the Deliverer. Call unto Me reveals towhom we are to cry out. In Jeremiah�s case, God had already promisedto bring His people back to the land (32:14, 36-43). Jeremiah had mo-mentarily lost sight of God�s promises. But God is the God of deliver-ance. God urges Jeremiah to focus on Him.We, too, must focus on Godand His promises. Are we willing to humble ourselves and lift up ourvoices and cry out to the Deliverer for the needed divine intervention?

In the Third Great Awakening (1857-1858), after hearing the reports ofwhat was occurring in America, C.H. Spurgeon challenged His peopleto cry out to God to also revive them.5 The intercession went up andGod�s deliverance came down. 1859 marked a glorious year forSpurgeon�s people (and much of Great Britain).

Divine Promise

Since the call to prayer comes with a divine promise, we must heedGod�s call to prayer. The promise contains two emphases.

First, God gives the surety of His answer. And I will answer thee imme-diately follows Call unto Me. God always responds to those who re-spond to Him! God always initiates, but man must respond. Conse-quently, God always responds to those who have responded to Him.What a wonderful God!

Second, God gives the details of His answer. God promises and shewthee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.What a promise!Mighty is a word used elsewhere to describe heavily fortified cities. Theidea is that which is otherwise inaccessible. So, God promises things,great things, mighty things otherwise inaccessible, things which thouknowest not. Those things are unknown to us apart from God�s grantingthem, but we can ask for them. James A. Stewart, an evangelist of thepast greatly used of God in revival often prayed, �Oh God, show methese concealed things�things not as yet revealed to me�the spiritualblessings I have not as yet experienced.�6 May we cry out for the same.

For Jeremiah, God went on to promise God�s people health and healing(33:6), returning and rebuilding (33:7), cleansing andpardon (33:8), singing and praising (33:11); and ulti-mately, the promised Messiah: �The Lord our righ-teousness� (33:14-16). Spiritually, all these promisescome true in times of revival focusing on the pres-ence of Christ our righteousness!

Glory Filled the Land is a trilogy on the Welsh Revivalof 1904-1905 compiled by the revival historian Ri-chard Owen Roberts. One of the three is the shortbut stirring account by G. Campbell Morgan, whichis included in this issue of Revivalmagazine. Anotheraccount is by H. Elvet Lewis who was a participant in

the revival. Speaking of the first service he attended during the revivalhe said, �Something was won and possessed in that service which itwould be worth crossing a continent any day to get possession of.�7

What a glorious testimony to the reviving presence of God!

Are not God�s people in need of another visitation from on high? Let usall heed God�s call to prayer. Perhaps, a good start would be gathering afew like-minded souls and setting aside the first Monday evening ofeachmonth (or another weekday as best suited) to pray for revival amongGod�s people throughout the world. Perhaps some will desire to meetweekly. Some may be led to meet daily. The key is to get the mind ofthe Lord for your situation and then to follow His leading. May we allheed God�s call to prayer!

ENDNOTES1 Arnold Dallimore, George Whitefield Vol. I. (Edinburgh: The Banner ofTruth Trust, 2001), pp. 19-20.2 David Beale, Prayer and Revival in Scripture and History, Syllabus.(Greenville, SC: BJU, 2002), p. 150.3 Ibid., p. 180.4 John Greenfield, When the Spirit Came. (Minneapolis: Bethany Fel-lowship, 1967).5C.H. Spurgeon,Power for You. (New Kensington, Penn:Whitaker House,reprint 1996), pp. 10-11.6 James A. Stewart, He Was a Stutterer. (Asheville, NC: Revival Litera-ture, n.d.), pp. 8.7 H. Elvet Lewis,With Christ Among the Miners in Glory Filled the Landby Richard Owen Roberts. (Wheaton: International Awakening Press,1989), p. 72.

�Oh God, show methese concealed

things�things not asyet revealed to me�the spiritual blessingsI have not as yetexperienced.�

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Jim Van GelderenEvangelist,

Minutemen Ministries

Revival: The RealAnswer for YoungFundamentalists

Host Pastor

Wayne Van GelderenPastor, Falls Baptist Church

Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin

II Chronicles 7:14Is It for Today?

David O�GormanPastor, Lifegate BibleBaptist ChurchDublin, Ireland

Seeking Godthrough Fasting

Mike RedickMissionary Evangelist,Southeast Asia

Holiness andRevival

The Holiness Conferences are born out of a heart forrevival. As the Lord leads, each conference addresses aparticular revival emphasis. The conferences provide in-

struction as well as a time for those with a heart for revival toseek the favorable presence of the Lord.

This Holiness Conference commemorates the 100th anniversaryof the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival. A century ago God rent theheavens, manifested His presence, and revived His people.Multiplied thousands received Christ all over Wales. God�s gloryfilled the land. The 100th anniversary of this visitation from onhigh is a fresh reminder: Revival is God�s plan for the age ofPentecost!

The prophet�s heart cry �O that Thou wouldst rend the heavens,that Thou wouldst come down� is a heart cry for the revivingpresence of God. This is a prayer for corporate revival. This is aprayer God delights to hear.Since God prefers to send re-vival over sending judgment,let us join together to ask Godto once again rend the heav-ens and manifest His glory!

For the Cause,

Conference HostJohn R. Van

GelderenEvangelist, Preach the

Word Ministries

Life Again! Termsand Concepts of

Revival

Rick FlandersPastor, JuniataBaptist ChurchVassar, Michigan

The Significanceof the WelshRevival

Gary HirthPastor, Ann Arbor

Baptist ChurchAnn Arbor, Michigan

Revival in theEpistles?

Charles KittrellPastor, CrossroadsBaptist TempleIndianapolis, Indiana

Zeal for Souls:The RevivalOutflow

Mark GillmoreAsst. Pastor,

Falls Baptist ChurchMenomonee Falls,

Wisconsin

Preparing theWay of the Lord

CONFERENCE DETAILS -- ONLINE AT WWW.PTWM.ORGl Begins Monday evening, February 28, at 7:00 p.m.l Continues all day Tuesday through Thursdayl Concludes with Thursday evening service, March 3l Pre-registration discount before February 1, 2005l Conference workbook and Thursday banquet supper

included in registration feel Transportation available to and from Milwaukee and

O�Hare airportsl Call 262-251-7051 to register or ask for a conference

brochure; or go online at www.ptwm.org.

TO REGISTER CALL 262-251-7051 OR GO TO WWW.PTWM.ORG

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The following article is taken from Rick Flanders recently published book

entitled Back to Normal and published by Preach The Word Ministries.

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your chil-dren: howmuch more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spiritto them that ask him? (Luke 11:13)

The whole point of emphasizing the need for revival is to encourageGod�s people to ask Him for it! Revival is something God does. There isno dispute over that. The question of whether He does it as a sovereignact or as a promised response does not involve whether God does it ornot. God must �revive us again� (Psalm 85) if we are to be re-vived. Since we must seek the Lord for revival, prayer isindispensable to it. Yet the faith of many is failing inregard to the effectiveness of prayer for revival.Some sadly say that they have been praying formonths or for years for revival with no re-sults. And it is for this reason that manyconclude that it does no good to pray forrevival!

Yet praying for revival is largely whatFundamentalists are not doing to ad-dress the problems of worldlinessand carnality in their churches. Therevival prayer meeting is largely �athing of the past� among Funda-mentalists!What our forefathers didto seek the blessing of God, com-pared with what little we do today,reveals why we see little of Hisblessing today. Some talk aboutpraying for revival, but few watchand pray, fast and pray, or unite withothers in seasons of prayer for revival.Those who do pray often offer hin-dered prayers. Some pray in ignoranceof God�s truth about revival�s require-ments. Others try to pray in faith withoutworks. Those who would expect the minis-try of the Holy Ghost must also obey Godaccording to Acts 5:32. �We are his witnesses ofthese things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whomGod hath given to them that obey him.�

However, the Bible gives us great encouragement that the Lord willindeed revive His people in answer to earnest prayer!

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recom-pense of reward (Hebrews 10:35).

Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us tocease. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thineanger to all generations?Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy peoplemay rejoice in thee? (Psalm 85:4�6)

The Promise of the Spirit

Luke 11 contains a promise spoken by the Lord Jesus that is one of themost hotly debated verses in the New Testament. Luke 11:13 concludesand summarizes a record of one of Christ�s lessons on prayer.

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your chil-dren: howmuch more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spiritto them that ask him?

Several things about the Greek grammar of this verse clarify its mean-ing, but a study of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in Luke and Acts is also

necessary in understanding what Jesus was promising.

The narratives of the books of Luke and Acts (written, ofcourse, by the same penman) often teach us about

the ministry of the Spirit and help us define im-portant terms. The first chapter of Luke says ofJohn the Baptist,

He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, evenfrom his mother�s womb. And many ofthe children of Israel shall he turn to theLord their God. And he shall go beforehim in the spirit and power of Elias, toturn the hearts of the fathers to the chil-dren, and the disobedient to the wis-dom of the just; to make ready apeople prepared for the Lord (vv. 15b�17).

Here we learn something of what itmeans to be �filled� with God�s Spirit.

In the third chapter, John the Baptistspeaks of Jesus when he says, �He shallbaptize you with the Holy Ghost� (v.16b). Here we meet the term �bap-tize you with the Holy Ghost.�

In verse 22 of Luke 3, �the Holy Ghostdescended� upon Jesus at His baptism, and

after this occurrence, �Jesus being full of theHoly Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led

by the Spirit into the wilderness� (Luke 4:1).

After His wilderness temptation, �Jesus returned in thepower of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of

him through all the region round about� (Luke 4:14�15).

In Nazareth, He opened the Scripture at a synagogue and �found theplace where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because hehath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor� (Luke 4:17b�18a).

Then He said, �This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears� (Luke4:21).

The response of the people is recorded as follows: �And all bare himwitness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of hismouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph�s son?� (Luke 4:22).

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The power of the Holy Spirit upon Him was evident to all the people.Up through the fourth chapter of Luke we have learned several termsinvolved in the New Testament teaching about the Holy Spirit: filledwith the Spirit (1:15; 4:1), baptized with the Spirit (3:16), the Spiritcoming or being upon someone (3:22; 4:18), being led by the Spirit(4:1), and coming in the power of the Spirit (4:14). Indications are thatseveral of these terms refer to the same experience. Also, it is clear thatone filled with the Holy Spirit has the power to preach the gospel effec-tively and to turn men to God.

In the following chapters, the reader becomes familiar with �the powerof the Lord� in the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus through the fillingof the Spirit: �and the power of the Lord was present� (5:17b).

In Acts 10:38, this power is described this way: �God anointed Jesus ofNazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doinggood, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was withhim.�

Then in Luke 11, Jesus talks to His disciples about having the samepower in their own lives and about how prayer is thekey. The whole subject of Luke 11:1�13 is prayer (noteverse 1).

In His teaching, the Lord gives again the �model prayer�as an example of how to pray daily (vv. 2�4). Then Hetells the Parable of the Persistent Friend (vv. 5�8) andshows us that continuance in praying for certain thingsis important to getting them (the point also of Luke 18:1�8). This teaching continues through the promise of verse13.

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good giftsunto your children: howmuchmore shall your heav-enly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

The Essence of the Spirit

The controversial part of this verse is God�s promise to�give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him.� What didJesus mean by this? Some of the meaning of this prom-ise is in the Greek grammar.

In the original, �the Holy Spirit� in Luke 11:13 lacks thearticle. In English we can have the definite (�the� ) orthe indefinite (�a�) article before a noun, or no article atall. In Greek (the original language of the New Testa-ment) there is simply the article or no article. The use ofthe article in Greek is entirely different from the use ofthe article in English. It is not easy to know exactly howto render Greek into English when there is some articlepeculiarity. Usually the translator will use the English indefinite articlewhen the article is absent in Greek and the definite article in Englishwhen the Greek article is used. However, the meaning is not really thatsimple.

Dana and Mantey�s Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testamentsays, �Sometimes with a noun which the context proves to be definitethe article is not used. This places stress upon the qualitative aspect of

the noun rather than its mere identity. An object of thought may beconceived at from two points of view: as to identity or quality. Toconvey the first point of view the Greek uses the article; for thesecond the anarthrous construction [without the article] is used.�1

In other words, when there is no article, the sentence is emphasizingthe quality of the noun rather than its identity. It is not so much aboutwhat the thing is or which thing it is as it is about the essence or thequality of the thing! Therefore Luke 11:13 means that the Father willgive the essence of the Holy Spirit to those who ask. In the context ofthe book of Luke, this would mean the ministry and power of the Spiritthat the disciples had seen in the Lord�s life.

Making It Simple

Ephesians 1:12�14 and 4:30 teach us that every believer in Jesus Christhas been sealed with the Holy Spirit �unto the day of redemption.� Ev-ery Christian then has the Holy Spirit living within him (see also John14:15�17; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 6:19). However, Ephesians 5:18commands people who are already sealed with the Spirit to be filled

with the Spirit! Although the presence of the Holy Spiritcame automatically when we trusted Christ for our sal-vation (whether we knew it or not), the full ministry ofthe Spirit in our lives does not happen automatically.Galatians 3 makes it clear that our spiritual growth, aswell as our salvation, comes from the Holy Spirit, andthat it comes by faith (not by flesh-energized works) justas salvation does.

This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spiritby the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are yenow made perfect by the flesh? (vv. 2�3).

Faith in Christ accesses the power of the Spirit for trueChristian living and service.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet notI, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I nowlive in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,who loved me, and gave himself for me (Galatians2:20).

Yet Christians often struggle with the meaning of livingand serving by faith and with the submission to Christthat such a life requires. This is why Christ made it simplefor us. He said that God would grant us the ministry ofHis Spirit in its fullness if we would earnestly ask Him todo it!

The teaching about the Spirit in the book of Acts showsus that often prayer leads to the Spirit�s power. Find a ten-day prayermeeting before the coming of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in Acts1 and 2. Find another prayer meeting before a new filling of the churchin Acts 4. Find another prayer meeting before the renewed multiplica-tion of the church in Acts 6. Find Saul of Tarsus praying before he isfilled with the Spirit in Acts 9. These examples of prayer before powerreflect the role of prayer in the filling of the Lord Jesus back in Luke 3.

Although thepresence of theHoly Spirit cameautomaticallywhen we trustedChrist for our

salvation, the fullministry of theSpirit in our livesdoes not happenautomatically.Yet Christ madeit simple for us.He said that Godwould grant usthe ministry ofHis Spirit in itsfullness if wewould earnestlyask Him to do it!

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Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesusalso being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and theHoly Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, anda voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; inthee I am well pleased (vv. 21�22).

Notice that Luke says Jesus was �praying� as He was being baptized andfilled with the Spirit.

Our promise in Luke 11:13 encourages us to pray for the full ministry ofthe Spirit in our lives! God has simplified the requirements of faith andsubmission by telling us to pray for the quality or essence of the HolyGhost. As we pray, we learn to submit and believe, and thus meet therequirements.

Keep Asking

The tense of the Greek word for �ask� in this verse is also very importantto understanding the promise. It is a present participle, which indicatescontinuous action. In other words, God promises the ministry of theSpirit to those who are continually asking for it. The present tense in theverbs of verses 9 and 10 speak of continuous asking, seeking, and knock-ing. The idea is �be asking� or �keep on asking� and you will surelyreceive. This is certainly the lesson of the parable in verses 5 through 8.It was �importunity� (shameless persistence) that got a friend what hewanted from his friend. Persistent, earnest, continuing , and insistentprayer, based on the promise of God, is what will obtain good thingsfrom the heavenly Father.

Jesus further encourages us to keep on praying for the power of theSpirit by saying, �How much more shall your heavenly Father give theHoly Spirit to them that ask him?�

The Father is more than willing to give a believer the fullness of HisSpirit if that believer will continually and humbly beseech Him for it!�How much more� is God willing to do this for us than we are to givegood gifts to our own children! Throughout the book of Acts this prom-ise is demonstrated to be true. God gave the baptism of the Spirit (Acts1:4�5), which apparently was the same as having �the Holy Ghost comeupon you� (Acts 1:8) and being �filled with the Holy Ghost� (Acts 2:4),in response to ten days of united, continual, heart-searching prayer (Acts1:14�2:4).

Peter said that this was the fulfillment of God�s promise to �pour out�His Spirit (Acts 2:15�18) and that it could be called to �receive the gift ofthe Holy Ghost� (Acts 2:38�39). His words referred directly to the promiseof Luke 11:13. The Father has promised to give the fullness of the Spiritto them that continually ask Him for it. It is a gift to be received!

In Acts 8, the apostles Peter and John came to the new converts ofSamaria and �prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost�(v. 15). This is another reference to the promise of Luke 11:13, andagain the article is absent before the words Holy Ghost in Greek. Theywere not praying for the sealing of the Spirit, which had already hap-pened, but rather for the essence or power of the Spirit!

It should thrill us all that God has promised to put us into the state oftrue revival in answer to our beseeching prayer! The term �filled withthe Spirit,� as well as the other terms related to it in Luke/Acts, is a

description of the Christian at the normal level of spiritual life and power.Being lifted up to the normal is by definition the experience of revival!

This is why praying for revival makes good sense. In fact, it is only rightthat Christian men and women seek the Lord in prayer when their livesand their churches are sunk intocarnality, disobedience, and world-liness! But we do not pray withouthope, for Jesus promised that theFather will give revival to those whowill be asking Him for it! In this dayof discouragement, unbelief, andrampant sin in many Fundamental-ist churches, let there be a renewalof prayer for revival. Let preachersset aside days of fasting or nights ofwatching in prayer for revival. Letindividual Christians of every call-ing make revival and matters in-volved in it prominent subjects ofpetition in their private devotions! Let churchwide prayer meetings becalled to seek God for revival, and let the people assemble regularlyuntil revival comes! Let churches of like faith come together for revivalprayer meetings! Let us believe God and seek Him for what we need!

During the Second Great Awakening in America, an evangelist relatedthis encouraging story about prayer for revival: �In a certain town therehad been no revival for many years; the church was nearly run out, theyouth were all unconverted, and desolation reigned unbroken. Therelived in a retired part of the town, an aged man, a blacksmith by trade,and of so stammering a tongue, that it was painful to hear him speak.On one Friday, as he was at work in his shop, alone, his mind becamegreatly exercised about the state of the church, and of the impenitent.His agony became so great, that he was induced to lay by his work, lockthe shop door, and spend the afternoon in prayer.

�He prevailed, and on the Sabbath called on the minister, and desiredhim to appoint a conference meeting. After some hesitation, the minis-ter consented, observing, however, that he feared but few would at-tend. He appointed it the same evening, at a large private house. Whenevening came, more assembled than could be accommodated in thehouse. All was silent for a time, until one sinner broke out in tears, andsaid, if any one could pray, he begged him to pray for him. Anotherfollowed, and another, and still another, until it was found that personsfrom every quarter of the town were under deep conviction. And whatwas remarkable was that they all dated their conviction at the hourwhen the old man was praying in his shop. A powerful revival followed.Thus this old stammering man prevailed, and, as a prince, had powerwith God.�2

Certainly, my friends, prayer is the way!

ENDNOTES1H. E. Dana and Julius Road Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the GreekNew Testament (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1927), p. 149.2Charles G. Finney, Lectures on Revivals of Religion (New York:Fleming H. Revell Company, 1868), p. 65.

In this day ofdiscouragement,unbelief, and ram-pant sin in manyFundamentalistchurches, let therebe a renewal ofprayer for revival.

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For centuries theological thinkers have debated over the seeming con-tradiction between God�s sovereignty and human responsibility. Often,those in the debate feel misrepresented. Sometimes this is true, yetsometimes there is substantive disagreement that needs to be admitted.Undoubtedly, some of the debate rises no higher than �words to noprofit.� Yet, unfounded ideas can impact; therefore, obvious errors needto be confronted.

Occasionally, I hear or read the comment, �You are either an Arminianor a Calvinist, and any attempt for a central position is actually a coverfor Arminianism.� Obviously, thoroughgoing Calvinists propound thisidea. While it is true that there are two poles, whichconstitute the tension, it is not true that there areonly two grids of theology formed around each pole.

A third grid of theology exists. When I was in college,I was introduced to the idea that the correct positionis to recognize this issue as a �mystery.� A mysteryoccurs when the Bible explicitly teaches truths whichseem to contradict. The Trinity and the two naturesof Christ are examples. Just like we take the hypo-static union of Christ to be a mystery, because theBible teaches Christ was very God and very man atthe same time; likewise, God�s sovereignty andman�sresponsibility must be taken as a mystery. A third gridon these issues is not a position that synthesizes thetwo truths (e.g. on the two natures of Christ makingChrist half God and half man), but a position, whichaccepts both truths because each one is explicitlytaught in the Scriptures. Jim Van Gelderen calls this�paradox theology.� Steve Hankins labels it�paradoxology.� These excellent labels preserve themystery.

Anyone with a heart for God would claim that their position is �bibli-cal.� Also, each of the positions begins with explicit biblical statements.While it is legitimate to draw conclusions from the explicit statements,the danger lies in logically systematizing conclusions that eventuallycontradict explicit statements on the other side of the issue. When ex-

plicit statements seemingly contradict other explicit statements, God isgiving us a mystery that is beyond our finite understanding. This wemust accept by faith. However, when implicit conclusions are extrapo-lated to the degree that they start contradicting explicit statements onthe other side of the issue, then man is in error.

Analogies are not perfect but often helpful. I like to think of this issue interms of the globe of planet earth. Let�s call the southern hemisphereArminianism and the northern hemisphere Calvinism. The equator isthe dividing line between the two hemispheres. Now let�s note severalobservations:

1. Both extreme poles are in a frozen condition! Is itnot true that full-blown Arminianism and hyper-Cal-vinism lead people into a cold spiritual condition?Signs of coldness include first a �struggle theology�seen in the Arminian sphere through flesh-depen-dence in order to get saved and/or stay saved, and inthe Calvinistic sphere through flesh-dependence inorder to �persevere� in salvation. Another sign ofcoldness is a lack of evangelism (personally and cor-porately) as seen in the liberal extremes ofArminianism and in the hyper extremes of Calvin-ism. A third sign of coldness is a lack of effective evan-gelism (although there is evangelism) as seen in flesh-dependent soulwinning producing �easy-believism�(acknowledgement-only) decisions on the Arminianside. And on the Calvinistic side a lack of effectiveevangelism as seen in �duty-soulwinning� which maybe from a sincere heart but which diminishes ex-pectant faith.

2. Each hemisphere has varying latitudes from theequator to the pole. Is it not true that there are vary-

ing degrees of Arminianism and varying degrees or �points� of Calvin-ism? Some positions are closer to the equator and others are closer tothe pole. Therefore, an �extreme� position is not based on one�s viewof others� positions in relation to his own, but rather one�s position inrelation to the �north� or �south� pole.

Third-Grid Theology By John R. Van Gelderen

A mystery occurs whenthe Bible explicitlyteaches truths whichseem to contradict.

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3. The equator is not in either hemisphere. Is this not �the third grid�?

There is a third position that does not side with one or the other pole of

thought.

4. The equator is the warmest region. Is it not true that the farther oneis from the extreme positions the warmer the vital Christianity?

5. The region around the equator is also warm. Is it not true that there

are those in one hemisphere or the other but close enough to the equa-

tor to have warm fellowship and to have very little clash? It is when theclimate begins to significantly change that a clash is inevitable.

6. One�s position on the globe affects one�s perspective. Is it not true

that thorough-going Arminians would see the equator (�the third-grid�)

as Calvinistic? And is it not true that thorough-going Calvinists wouldsee the equator as Arminian? No one may be perfectly on the equator,

but we all ought to seek to be in the equatorial region.

God is sovereign. This is explicitly clear. Man is responsible. This is also

explicitly clear. Faith, regarding both truths, is the link between the two,which is not a synthesis but an acceptance of both truths. This is �the

third grid.�

The danger, which keeps one from the

equator of truth, is in a misconception offaith. Simply put, thoroughgoing

Arminians have the misconception of a

�misfocused faith.� The focus of faith is

on man�s faith. Man is believed to have

unfettered choice so that man can with-

out divine initiation (convincement)choose to trust Christ. But the Bible ex-

plicitly says, �There is none that seeketh

after God� (Romans 3:11). Without Holy

Spirit conviction, man will never seek God on his own. Also, the wrong

focus of faith is revealed in man having to live right in order to staysaved; otherwise, he could lose his salvation. All of this focuses on man.

However, the key to faith is not man�s faith, but rather the object of his

faith. Christ is the object of faith and the Word is the warrant of faith.

God-dependence (faith) is dependence on God based on His words.

God�s promise provides the security, not man�s performance.

Thoroughgoing Calvinists have themisconception of an �inevitable faith.�

In order not to violate �all of grace,� faith is conceived of as something

that God bestows to a person. All benefactors obviously believe. This

occurs through God granting regeneration to a person. To the thorough-going Calvinistic mind, man has a �free will� but can only exercise that

will according to his nature. Therefore, regeneration (a new nature) is

necessary in order to believe on Christ. Life must be imparted to free

the will in order to believe. When this occurs it is believed to be irresist-

ible. It would be impossible to be regenerated and not believe. This is�inevitable faith.�

This is logical, but is it really what the Bible plainly teaches? Is not the

emphasis of Scripture that one believes in order to have life (John 3:15-

16; 5:24; 6:47) and not that one has life in order to believe? John 12:36

says, �Believe in the light, that [in order that] ye may be the children of

light.� Taken at face value, one believes in order to become one of thesons of light and not the other way around. Taken at face value, believ-

ing precedes regeneration. Only by man�s conclusions can one �get

around� such plain statements of Scripture, which are many. Also, if the

first choice of faith for salvation is irresistible, and if faith is made to be

irresistible, then is it really a responsible faith, or is it now a fatalisticfaith?

The Third Grid claim�s a �responsible faith.� Clearly, God is sovereign;

and in His sovereignty, He has made man truly responsible. God is pow-

erful enough to maintain His sovereignty through the responsible will ofman without violating man�s real will or diminishing His sovereignty.

This is a mystery. This is a paradoxology. This is a great and supreme

God! This does not violate �all of grace� which demands no human

merit because faith is not a work. Romans 4:5 explicitly says, �But to

him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly,his faith is counted for righteousness.� Faith is not a work. God says so

in His Word. Also faith is not man-centered. How can God-depen-

dence be man-centered? To demand the impartation of life in order to

believe is to nearly make faith a work that demands animation. How-

ever, faith is simply recognizing one�s impotency and casting oneself onthe person and power of God to impart life.

While it is true that faith is a necessary gift (Ephesians 2:8-9), the gift of

faith is not to be thought of as an outside, foreign element entered into

one�s being. Hebrews 11:1 says �Now faith is the substance [reality] of

things hoped for, the evidence [conviction/convincement] of things notseen.� Evidence is the noun of the verb �reprove� in John 16:8 when

Christ speaks of the Holy Spirit reproving the world of sin, righteous-

ness, and judgment. Therefore, faith is not a foreign element entered

into one�s being, but the gift of faith comes when one is convinced of

the worthiness of the object offaith. Romans 10:17 says, �Faith

comes by hearing, and hearing by

the Word of God.� Combining

John 16:8 and Romans 10:17, we

learn that faith comes when theSpirit convinces one of the Word.

Christ is the living Word (John 1).

Hebrews 12:2 therefore says,

�Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.� The Spirit of

Christ authors faith for salvation by convincing one of sin, righteous-ness, and judgment based on theWord. The Spirit finishes faith through

bringing to pass the promise of theWord that is being depended upon�

giving everlasting life. However, between the divine initiation and the

divine enablement is man�s responsibility�our faith. Faith is the simple

choice to depend on the reality of the words of God (before you see itor feel it). Faith does not save, rather it links one to Jesus, and Jesus

saves!

The danger,which keepsone from theequator oftruth, is in amisconceptionof faith.

Between the divineinitiation and thedivine enablementis man�s responsi-bility�our faith.

14

Divine initiation (convincement) is necessary because there is none thatseeketh after God, but faith is not inevitable because it is our faith. Justas when one chooses to entrust himself to a certaindoctor because someone else convinced him of theworthiness of that doctor (the gift of faith), so man canonly trust Christ when convinced by the Spirit throughthe Word of the worthiness of the Savior. This is the giftof faith, but man is wicked enough to reject that gift asis seen in Acts 7:51, �Ye do always resist the Holy Spirit.�

The Third Grid accepts, for example, what Jesus said inJohn 6:44, �No man can come to Me, except the Fa-ther which hath sent Me draw him.� Divine initiationthrough convincement of the Word by the Spirit is necessary, but notethat this does not say that everyone the Father draws, comes. For Jesusalso said in John 12:32, �And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will drawall men unto Me.� The word for draw is the same in both contexts. Yetobviously all men do not come to Christ. Not everyone drawn, comes;but everyone who comes has been drawn. And God does draw all men.This fits with the statement: �Who will have all men to be saved� (ITimothy 2:4) and �not willing that any should perish� (II Peter 3:9). It isGod�s sovereign will that everyone be saved. This is explicit, but mancan miss out on God�s will. Faith brings man into union with God�s will.

Unbelief causes one to miss out on God�s sovereign will. God draws,but man is responsible to come.

One must be drawn in order to come to Christ. Thiscounters the misfocused faith of Arminianism. But noteveryone who has been drawn comes. This countersthe inevitable faith of thorough-going Calvinism. How-ever, everyone who comes to Christ has been drawn.This articulates the responsible faith of the Third Grid.The Third Grid takes each passage at face value with-out the need for linguistic diplomacy to fit one�s hemi-spheric (unbalanced) grid.

At the bottom of the controversy is one�s view of faith. Misfocused faithfocuses on man and leaves out the necessity of divine initiation as well asthe keeping power of divine enablement. Inevitable faith diminishesman�sresponsibility in a noble effort to glorify a sovereign God, but which leavesman in a fatalistic situation. Responsible faith acknowledges man�s de-pravity and need for �all of grace� but keeps man with a real will and fullresponsibility. When man responsibly responds to God, God responds tohim. Responsible faith then brings the greatest glory to God because it isnot self-contrived or inevitable. Rather, it is a prodigal responding to theSavior who came to seek and to save that which was lost.

Responsible faiththen brings thegreatest glory toGod because it isnot self-contrivedor inevitable.

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Friends of Revival Church Directory

The following churches have given generously to make this issue of Revival magazine possible.

For information on how your church can be included in this directory, please call 1-800-656-7896 (PTWM).

Pastor Jim BarkerBible Baptist Church779 Elmont Rd.Elmont, NY 11003516-285-1808

Pastor Steven SmallwoodHarvest Baptist Church1020 S. Madison Ave.Monroe, GA 30655770-267-4650

Pastor Mike SproulTri-City Baptist Church2150 E. Southern Ave.Tempe, AZ 85282480-838-5430

Pastor Don WilliamsBelievers Baptist Church508 School St.Winona Lake, IN 46590574-269-2375

Pastor Daryl Kopp26 Weston Ct.Weston Park, Lucan, County DublinIreland

Pastor Greg HowellWestview Baptist Church2705 Fernwood Dr.North Charleston, SC 29406

15

Attend an Upcoming NETSeminar!June 6-10, 2005 and September 19-23, 2005Instructors: John R. Van Gelderen andMark GillmoreHost: Falls Baptist Church inMenomonee Falls,WI

The NETSeminar is a 5-dayintensive training seminarthat God by His Spirit hasused repeatedly to trans-form lives and reignitechurches with the fire of per-sonal evangelism. The goal

is that each participant would . . .� Grow in faith that the fields are indeed white untoharvest and that the gospel still works today;

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Evangelists with Preach the Word Ministries

Jim Van GelderenJim has been in evan-gelistic work since1985. He is founderand director of Minute-menMinistries, a youthevangelism teamminis-try. He conducts meet-ings in local churches,Christian schools, andyouth gatherings. Healso serves as Vice-president of Baptist

College of Ministry. He and his wife Rhonda have three daugh-ters, Stephanie, Janna Faith, and Annalease.

Billy IngramBilly and his wife Christy havenow begun full-time evangelis-tic ministry, having served in lo-cal churches for five years. Billypreaches local church meetings,leadsMinutemen youth evange-lism teams, and trainssoulwinners with the Netcastersevangelism course. Christy alsoserves as the business managerof Preach the Word Ministries.

Mark GillmoreMark is assistantpastor at Falls Bap-tist Church, havingbeen a part of thechurch staff fortwelve years. Heleads in personalevangelism and ev-ery-member minis-try development.He teachesNetcasters evange-lism training and isavailable for local church meetings, as the Lord directs.He and his wife Joanna have seven children, Mark, Jr.,Jonathan, Stephen, JoyAnna, Anna Faith, Daniel, andTerrilaina.

John R. VanGelderenAfter five years as an as-sistant pastor, John en-tered full-time localchurch evangelism in1992. The same yearhe established Preachthe Word Ministries asan organizational tool topromote themessage of

holiness and revival and equip local churches for evangelism.He travels both nationally and internationally. He and his wifeMary Lynn have been blessed with a son, John, Jr.

Contact information: John Van Gelderen at 734-604-2625 or jrmlvan@aol.com; Jim Van Gelderen at 414-397-6990 or jimvangeld@juno.com; BillyIngram at 414-397-1427 or billyingram@integrity.com; Mark Gillmore at 262-251-7051, ext. 18, or mark.gillmore@fallsbaptist.org. For itinerariesand further information, see the PTWM website at www.ptwm.org.

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SPECIAL SALE ON TWO STIRRING BOOKS ON REVIVAL!

REVIVAL MagazineP. O. Box 242Menomonee Falls, WI 53052A publication of Preach the Word Ministries

Address Service Requested

NON-PROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE

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�This book meets a supreme need in our fundamental churches today.For those who are hungry and thirsty, the truths in this book can and will

produce personal victory and corporate revival.� -Dr. Ed Nelson

The winds of revival still blow today! The Spirit of Revival is as present and powerful as He has ever been!

God desires every believer and every preacher to understand and experience the reality of revival as described

in God�s Word. Revival is more than possible�it is promised! This new book, The Wind of the Spirit (265

pages in length), builds a thorough, biblical foundation for a vision and expectation of revival, both in lives

individually and in churches corporately. Evangelist John R. Van Gelderen blends warm-hearted exhortation

and down-to-earth application with well-researched historical illustration to provide a clear and compelling

roadmap to revival.

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If your heart burns with a passion for revival,Back to Normal will fan that flame.

Defining revival might seem a daunting task; there is much misunderstanding out there. However, Dr.

Rick Flanders sets the definition in front of us simply and clearly in the first few pages. He answers the

questions of a seeking heart and gives substantial evidence to the questioning mind. Is revival an act of

God apart from the desires and obedience of His children? Will prayer for revival work? The answers are

in the pages you are about to turn. Is revival an �. . . unusual work of God, �extraordinary� and beyond

what can be considered �normal��? You are not far from the answer. �Our unbiblical conception of

revival points to our great need for it,� Dr. Flanders says. This book gives a Bible definition of revival and

shows us the way to it. -Dr. Bill Rice III

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Back to Normal (67 pages)

By Dr. Rick Flanders

Part 1: Potential Revival�The Inheritance of the Spirit

Part 2: Personal Revival�The Filling of the Spirit

Part 3: Public Revival�The Outpouring of the Spirit