The Dynamics of Revival
Preparing to Receive the Love and Power of God
by
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INTRODUCTION Judeo-Christian belief is in a Creator God who looked at His creation and declared that it was good, who created humans in His own image to express His nature, character, and Spirit. He is a personal God with thoughts, desires, emotions and will. He seeks a love relationship with those He has created. He knows us by name, counts every hair on our head, and calls us to be a part of His family. He has a plan and purpose for each one of us that is for good and not for evil. His nature, character and the essence of His being is love. He is good and not evil. He is not a mix of good and evil. He is only good. As such, Christianity is not a religion. It is a relationship with the one God who reveals himself as Father, Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. When Christianity ceases to be a relationship, it becomes a religion like all others wherein adherents try to earn God’s favor by good works, performing rites and rituals, or magical prayers and practices. _____________________ Christianity then is the anti-religion—that which brings necessary freedom from both the performance of religion and the religion of performing. It is only when rooted in a love relationship of faith and trust in God that rites, rituals and symbols have any lasting meaning, significance or power. Ultimately, Christianity is not about religion. It’s about Jesus. Ours is a love relationship with a Heavenly Father, who as an expression of that love sent his Son Jesus Christ to take the punishment we deserve. Then further, He sent love itself in the form of the Holy Spirit, not just to act upon, but to indwell us. It is in revival, the outpourings of God’s love and power, that the call to, and the evidence of this love relationship is the strongest. It is hoped that both Christian and non-Christian readers will be drawn to seek a closer relationship with God; to more fully understand and receive the gift of salvation He offers through Jesus, and to be open to embracing the transformational gifts and fruits of His Holy Spirit. The desire is for hearts, minds, and spirits to be receptive to ever increasing experiences of God’s loving holy presence, not just for personal blessing, but for the furtherance of His Kingdom. _________________________________________ Ours is a God of love and power. Ours is a God who is love and who is power. God’s love is power. God’s power is love. _________________________________________ God pours out His love so that people will be drawn to Him and receive His power—power to be forgiven, saved, healed, transformed, and resurrected. God pours out His power so that people will be drawn to Him and receive His love; the love of a good, holy and perfect Heavenly Father that will last forever and from which we will never be separated. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38 RSV). These same dynamics are the underlying principles inherent in all revivals—God’s love expressed as power and God’s power expressed as love. Why? So that His love and power can be shared with others for the advancement of His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. When both these dynamics are present there can be visible physical, emotional and spiritual manifestations that are both expressions of His divine presence and reactions to it—responses to the inner workings of God in body, soul and spirit. I ask God from the wealth of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner selves, and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, so that you, together with all God's people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love. Yes, may you come to know his love—although it can never be fully known—and so be completely filled with the very nature of God (Ephesians 3:16-19 GNT).
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About the Book
A look at the dynamics of North American revivals over the past 50 years highlighting the Father’s Blessing in Toronto and several of its off shoots. Discover how millions around the world are drawn to experiences of the transforming love and power of God. □ Outpourings – Revivals, Renewals, Awakenings □ The Purpose of Manifestations □ The Impartation and Transference of the Holy Spirit □ Criticisms of Outpourings & Assessing Revivals □ Revival Impacts on Social Issues, Cultures and Nations □ Revivals and the Kingdom of God □ The Growth of Christianity □ Personal and Corporate Preparation for Revival Learn how Christians are refreshed, renewed, healed and restored; how unbelievers are drawn into a personal relationship with God as His love and power are poured out in appointed seasons of personal and corporate revival.
About the Author
Originally from Canada, currently residing in Florida, Donald J. Blair is an ordained minister with decades of experience in pastoral ministry, home church fellowships, Christian Counselling, teaching, and working with adults with disabilities. In 1994, he attended a small church revival in Ontario, Canada which later grew to become known as the Toronto/Father’s Blessing, one of the most signifi cant revivals in history due to its ongoing global impact. Returning to his home church fellowship, when he raised his hands in prayer, unexpectedly the power and love of God fell on all present as it had in that small church he had just visited. This experience transformed his life and ministry. “The Dynamics of Revival” then, is a Scripturally based, historically researched, and personally experienced testimony of the sovereign work of God through revival to bring individuals into a deeper, more passionate relationship with Jesus Christ, and for the advancement of His Kingdom.