Definition of Revival and Fundamental Concepts
Revivals vary greatly in their scope, nature, and impact. From the reviving of a single heart to awakening entire nations. However, we want to define biblically what we believe true revival is, as there are many opinions and beliefs on the subject. Traditionally, much of the church has defined revival, awakening, or moves of God as many things (ex. increase of new converts, miracles, church growth, etc.) We believe that much of what the church has called revival would be more accurately described as the fruit of the body of Christ who has been revived.
While the word “revival” itself is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, the concept is vividly present. God speaks and manifests this concept throughout the Old and New Testaments, using words like “revive,” “awake,” “return,” “restore,” and “arise.” in scriptures such as Psalm 85, Psalm 80, and Isaiah 60.
Ephesians 5:14 exemplifies this beautifully: “That is why it was said, ‘Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’”
These truths are rooted throughout the Bible and primarily concern the relationship and obedience of God’s people with Him.
Revival: More Than an Event, It’s a Person
Revival is not merely an event or something to be attained. Above all, revival is a Person—Christ Himself. It is the revelation and manifestation of Christ by the Father through the Holy Spirit. The Father will not do or give anything apart from His Son. Christ is the only way to have anything, including revival. (John 14:6)
Historically, whenever the church has strayed—becoming apostate, forsaking its first love, becoming works-driven, sinful, religious, doctrinally errant, self-centered, prosperity-focused, and too aligned with the world—the Father responds by revealing Christ anew.
Consider the early church soon after the death and resurrection of Christ. As these issues began to surface, the Father inspired the apostle John to write the Book of John, re-revealing Christ to the church.
New Testament Revival, therefore, is the Father through the Holy Spirit revealing His Son and restoring us to the simplicity and centrality of Christ!
How God Releases Revival
We believe that we can never put God in a box, He can release revival when, where, and how He wants. But he does have patterns, always fulfills His word, and is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8). He has chosen to not do anything on the earth without a partnership with His people. That someone must stand in the gap, intercede, cry out, and obey Him.
We are not saying that we believe we can create revival or manipulate God. However, the Bible is very clear, if we repent, obey, and do what God requires. He will do what He promised in His Word! For example: in the Old Testament, only God could release the fire upon the altar, even thou it was His will and timing to do it. He would not send the fire until the priests and prophets put what He required on the altar. Once God released the fire, the priests were also responsible for tending that fire and not letting it go out.
Could it be that we are waiting on God for revival, but He is actually waiting on us to do our part?
Could it be that it was never His intention for revival to end, but ended because the church didn’t steward what He had released?
God’s Time Table
Not only did Mark discover that if we obey the Word we can experience revival, but in his studies, Mark saw that God is also following His sovereign calendar on earth.
Approximately Every 1,000 Years:
Since Eve and Adam sinned, every 1,000 years, God has used a transitional generation to transform the expression of His kingdom and people on earth. The first transitional generation was Noah’s, where God completely transformed the earth and His people.
2,000 Years:
There is a double portion upon this generation, bringing a greater change and understanding of what it is to be God’s people and His kingdom. This occurred with Abraham and the creation of the Hebrew people (approx. 1878 BC). David was another transitional generation.
After 2,000 years, Jesus’ generation arrived (a double portion). Now, 2,000 years later, it is us. The greatest generation in history!
500 Years: The Lord reforms His people. Moses was a reformer generation (also could be considered transitional).
The last reformation (Luther), was approximately 500 years ago, since then, God has released a major revival every 100 years.
100 Years: There were many revivals (awakenings) every hundred years, some in cities, regions, and also in entire nations. One of the last major revivals started in 1904 with Wales, influencing the Azusa Street revival and subsequent healing revivals.
We are in a kairos moment in time. We are the first and last generation in history where all four of these timelines converge (1000, 2000,500, and 100 years) simultaneously! All 4 of these are due to start any-day. This next revival will build until it eventually becomes the greatest move of God in history. There are over 150 chapters in the bible that mention the last generation before Jesus returns. What He will do too, in and through them, and what will be happening on the earth. You were born for such a time as this!
Purpose of Revival
The primary purpose of revival is to return to the first love, centrality, and simplicity of Christ. True Christianity acknowledges that apart from Christ, we can do nothing. The Father will not do, give, or release anything apart from His Son. When we make the Kingdom and Christianity about doctrine, principles, traditions, works, or events apart from Christ, it becomes religion, which Jesus opposes. This leads to a form of godliness produced by the flesh that denies the power, which is why Paul said, “I only preach Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Christ and the cross are the power of the gospel!
When we declare our need for revival, we acknowledge that we are asleep and dead, that we need to be awakened and arise, to live and manifest the Word of God and the Father’s original intention for His family and the Bride of Christ.
Revival is for Christians first. Once the body of Christ is revived, we move into transformational revival, mass conversions, and the Kingdom of God through His people touching and transforming every part of society.
Primary Stages of Revival
1. Heart Change: Revival begins with humility and brokenness, recognizing our true condition (Matthew 5:3, Rev 3:16) and desperate need for Him and His presence in our life, family, church, and city. Regardless of our knowledge, experiences, or ministry accomplishments, we acknowledge our barrenness, that there are many promises in the bible that we are not living or manifesting, and that there is more. This humility causes us to pray, seek His face, and repent. At some point, the Father increases the revelation of Christ, which causes deeper repentance and a greater changing of our hearts. We return to first love, our relationship with Him is first restored and then becomes greater than what we have known before. We become lovesick for Jesus. All we want is to be with Him! Our prayer, worship, and obedience change. This removes what was veiling us to truly see His Glory, which causes us to experience His presence and Glory in new and greater ways!
Jesus by the Holy Spirit will make the Father known to us in greater ways so that the love He has for Jesus is in us. (John 17:26)
We continue to increase in love, obedience, and beholding His glory and become more like Him. He increases the manifestation of the works of Christ through us. Our fruitfulness now glorifies the Father.
2. Transformation: As we encounter His glory, we are transformed into His image,
(2 Corinthians 3:18)living holy lives like never before, forsaking the world, losing our lives, and becoming worthy disciples who deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus daily.
3. Manifesting Christ’s Works: Now that we look more like Christ and are worthy disciples. By the Holy Spirit, we manifest the works of Christ. (John 14:12). We see a dramatic increase in salvations because we are giving a true testimony of Christ, the cross, and the gospel. The gospel is not only words but is now being confirmed with power and is the good news for the sinner, sick, oppressed, possessed, etc.
Our intimacy, love, obedience, holiness, prayer, humility, meekness, repentance, unity, etc. must continue to increase to sustain and attain the fullness of what God has for our lives, families, congregations, cities, and nations. When these begin to decrease or stop, revival will also decrease or end.
What Happens After Revival?
There are 4 Primary Stages:
Revival
Restoration / Reformation of the Church
Transformation of society
Habitation of God
In every major revival, the Lord has restored something that was lost or diminished from the early church. Sometimes, this also results in a reformation of the Church. This final move of God will restore all that was lost and has diminished, to the fullness of God’s original intention for His people in this age.
Revival Must Continue
These stages continue and increase each cycle as we say yes to the Lord. New believers are now going through the first cycle as we are going deeper the second time, We must continue to say yes to Jesus and allow the stages of revival to increase and go deeper each cycle. If not we risk ending prematurely God’s full intention. God desires to reform the church, transform society, and dwell with us individually, as families, congregations, communities, cities, and nations. As the Body of Christ experiences revival, loves Jesus deeply, and is reformed and transformed according to His will, society is transformed. This transformational revival touches the lost and changes the 7 mountains of society (education, government, etc.)
When the Bride continues to say yes to the Lord we become a dwelling place for Him. (Eph 2:22) His glory manifests to the extent that even creation is miraculously healed and transformed and His presence actually dwells and manifests with us individually, our homes, congregation, city, and even an entire nation. The ultimate fulfillment of this is when Jesus and then the Father come to the earth. However, in history, this has already had a partial fulfillment to different degrees. Before the end of this age, the last generation will experience this and all the promises of God more than any generation in history.
Note: These stages are not a formula and can overlap and sometimes many be manifested at the same time to different degrees. Also, many things are not written here as it is not an exhaustive definition of Revival. It is meant to only be a summary to release some understanding so that we will get a vision and hunger for what God wants to do in our life, family, church, and city.
No one person has the fullness of understanding of revival or anything in the Kingdom. We encourage you to go deeper into the word and to inquire of the Lord concerning these things. The body of Christ needs each of our parts, it takes all of us to have the mind of Christ.
The Book
The above is based on some of the content in a new book on revival that our director, Mark Baker, is writing. This book will be different from the majority of books on revival, offering practical steps on how to apply the Word to every area of life to prepare, have, and continue to live in revival. It emphasizes repentance, humility, intimacy, love, obedience to the word, the Holy Spirit, and the biblical truths, clearly demonstrating from the word, that if we do our part, God is faithful to do His part, and revive us!
(If there is anything in the above statements that you do not believe is biblical, or if you have questions, or comments, or we can serve you in some way, please let us know! We desire to always be teachable, to grow in the TRUTH and the knowledge of God, and to serve His people.)
A Bit Of Our History Concerning Revival
Our founder, Mark Baker, began experiencing revival in 1996. He had multiple life-changing encounters and became a pastor in a poor community in Houston, Texas. There was deep repentance, mass conversions, deliverances, and many miracles, signs, and wonders. Much of the community was transformed both spiritually and naturally. According to Mark, the manifested presence and revelation of Christ, and the love of the Father, were the greatest marks of that move of God. “We experienced a revelation of Christ and a love for Him, the Father, and each other… like I had never experienced before,” he recalls.
Mark grew up in the church, but after being in revival, he never wanted to return to the relationship with God or the Christianity he had known before. This led him on a journey to know the Father and Christ by experience and then make Them known (John 17:3). He desired that every person would experience this love of the Father and Christ, to be revived and live normal Christianity. This motivated him to understand everything about revival: why they begin, how they begin, their purpose, and why they end. After studying the Word, other materials, and history, and visiting places and people who experienced revival, Mark saw that certain biblical truths were obeyed before revival came. Even in a sovereign move of God, He finds a remnant to fulfill and obey these conditions in His Word.
Since then, Mark has seen Jesus manifested by the Holy Spirit in his life, ministry, and in the nations. He has witnessed the Glory of God in the streets, the dead raised, creative miracles, food multiplying, signs and wonders, tens of thousands of salvations, deliverances, miracles, and revivals breaking out in families, churches, and cities. However, according to him: “I know that what is coming is much greater than anything I or anyone has ever experienced!”
Due to the revelation, experience, and anointing the Lord has given concerning revival, the Lord Jesus has sent him and our ALMs family to different locations around the world where the Lord desires to release revival. We blow the trumpet, declaring what the Lord has said over them, and we help and serve those who have ears to hear and say yes, in obeying the biblical principles to prepare for and have revival. Every time they repent and continue to say yes to Jesus, revival comes!
The ministry has witnessed and lived the different stages of revival. However, the part of revival we love the most is to see hearts being awakened and lovesick like never before. We love when we see Jesus and the Father receive the love, obedience, worship, honor, and glory that they are worthy to receive!
Agape ♥️