Holy Spirit
Confession Repentance and Revival
JONATHAN GOFORTH – Revivalist in China! by David Smithers
“You must go forward on your knees,” was the advice
Hudson Taylor gave to a young Canadian missionary named
Jonathan Goforth. Mr. Goforth faithfully and fervently followed this
advice throughout all has missionary endeavors in China. Yet,
after thirteen years of faithful praying and preaching, and what
most would consider a very successful ministry, Goforth became
restless and dissatisfied. It was at this time an unknown party
from England began sending pamphlets on the Welsh revival of
1904. Goforth was deeply stirred as he read these accounts. “A
new thought, a new conception seemed to come to him of God
the Holy Spirit…” He then gave himself to much more prayer
and Bible study. Goforth now found himself being driven by a
fresh vision, a vision for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Soon he began to meet daily with other missionaries to pray for
revival. These men vowed to God and to one another that they
would pray until revival came to China. In 1908 Jonathan Goforth’s
prayers and dreams began to be realized. Goforth began going to
different missionary stations and simply led his fellow missionaries
in prayer. Then suddenly earnest prayer gave way to the open
confession of sin.
It was when the Christians came clean, confessed and forsook
their secret sin, that the Holy Spirit rushed in like a mighty wind.
Truly it was this open and honest confession of sin that was the
most striking feature of the revival. Everywhere Mr. Goforth went
revival would spread, and almost always in the same way. First
prayer was encourage among the Christians, which then
spontaneously led to heart- breaking confessions of sin. And
then like a flood, the lost were brought into the kingdom by the
thousands. “Men were searched as with fire.” One after another
broken-hearted believers emptied themselves through the
uncovering of all secret sin. Mr. Goforth clearly identified
unconfessed sin among Christians as a major hindrance to
God-sent revival.
Walter Phillips describes for us one of Mr. Goforth’s revival
meetings: “At once, on entering the church one was conscious
of something unusual. The place was crowded to the door and
tense, reverent attention sat on every face. The people knelt for
prayer, silent at first, but soon one here and another there began
to pray aloud. The voices grew and gathered volume and blended
into a great wave of united supplication that swelled until it was
almost a roar. Now I understood why the floor was so wet – the
very air was electric and strange thrills coarsed up and down
ones body.”
When Mr. Goforth preached, “The cross burned like a living fire in
the heart of every address.” It was the person of Jesus Christ who
was exalted throughout the entire revival as a King and Savior
who must be reckoned with. In the midst of this great revival
Jonathan Goforth clearly saw that all of his previous sweating
and striving had reaped only frustration. He came to the firm
conviction that revival is only born through humility, faith, prayer
and the power of the Holy Ghost. Goforth writes, “If revival is
being withheld from us it is because some idol remains still
enthroned; because we still insist in placing our reliance in
human schemes; because we still refuse to face the unchange-
able truth that ‘It is not by might, but by My Spirit.'”
What Does The Future Hold?
A NEW WORLD is COMING
by David Wilkerson
The Bible says that in the last days scoffers will appear, mocking the message that Jesus Christ is going to return to set up a new kingdom. Mockers are saying, “Where is Jesus? I don’t see any evidence that He is coming. Everything continues as it has from the beginning!”
If you were to try to convince these scoffers that Jesus is coming to purge the earth with fire and set up a kingdom of eternal right-eousness, they would call you insane. Many ridicule the very idea of a second coming of Christ. Yet, without batting an eye, these same mockers turn around and claim that a “new world order” is coming!
Such scoffers have bought into a lie from hell. Satan always manufactures a counterfeit just before the real thing comes. You see, he knows King Jesus is about to return and that His new world is at the door. The devil wants to keep his own children deceived by promoting a fantasy world, with every false hope. So now he has concocted a new, demonic doctrine of a coming New Age to keep people from accepting the reality of the coming Christ!
This most recent New Age counterfeit first appeared as the Age of Aquarius. The eleventh constellation was to move into a final, New Age kingdom, which would be known as the “new world order.”
New Agers say this new world order is just about to dawn. They predict a catastrophic calamity will occur and a new world order will arise out of the chaos, ushering in a society of love, under-standing and world peace. All diseases will be cured. Wars will cease. Poverty will be no more. And the only Christ that will exist will be a Christ-consciousness-a worldwide mindset of brother-hood. Self-love will be king, and pleasure will be the focus of all.
I have bad news for all such New Age scoffers. I am sorry but you have been hoodwinked by the devil. There is no such thing as the fantasy world he is pushing on humankind in these last days.
Oh, there is a new world coming, all right, but it isn’t a “new world order” or a New Age. Rather, every kingdom of this world is soon to become our Lord’s and all His enemies will become His footstool. Christ is coming back to establish His holy kingdom, and scoffers will not have any part in it: “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).
© 2013 World Challenge – a registered trademark of David Wilkerson
The Last Outpouring
by David Wilkerson
I know some will not receive what I am about to say, yet many will. I do not believe we have yet seen the glory and fullness of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as prophesied by Joel. What we have seen are just a few sprinkles! Yes, we have had a worldwide charismatic renewal and love has brought many together. It has been an experience shared worldwide, yet it is just a foretaste.
God will permit nothing to hinder what he plans to do. The enemy is in for a surprise. Just as it appears the church will be inundated by a satanic flood, the Spirit will raise up a standard. Understand what that standard is, and you will understand what God is about to do. The standard is a holy people, pure, undefiled, delivered from the corruption that is in the world. That standard is a new breed of sanctified Christians, who will shine forth as lights in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation. It will not be just a renewal of love and praise, but a restoration of holiness unto the Lord!
There will still be shouting and praise, but it will be the shout of victory over sin and compromise, fulfilling the purpose of the last outpouring: “That all who call on his name shall be delivered…” (Joel 2:32). Delivered from what? From sin! From the spirit of the world!
We will not have had the fullness of the Spirit´s outpouring until baptized people separate themselves completely from the world. We must emphasize separation and purity of heart. The purpose of the Spirit´s coming is to sanctify and prepare a people for the Lord´s return, a people without spot or wrinkle.
When the fullness of the Spirit´s outpouring comes upon all flesh, conviction for sin will be everywhere. “He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). That is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit!
Tragically, too many speak with tongues, but then live like the devil. Sin was never uprooted and all they received was an experience of ecstasy. God blessed them just enough to call them into a deeper life of holiness and submission, but they stopped and went about saying, “I´ve got the Holy Ghost.”
Oh, there is so much more! I thank God for the privilege of praying in an unknown tongue; it is my way of releasing all the pent-up praises to God in a communication beyond my understanding. But you can speak with the tongues of men and even angels, and without charity, you have received nothing. But I say it goes even deeper. You are not truly baptized with the Holy Spirit until every hidden part of your soul has been exposed-and every sin confessed and forsaken.
(c) 2010, World Challenge, Inc. – www.worldchallenge.org
by David and Patricia Knowles
- What is Revival and what is NOT Revival
- How did the revivalists pray?
- Exciting accounts of events in past Revivals to thrill and inspire us today.