After Revival

Watching the Asbury Revival that is currently taking place and remembering my time at the one which took place in 1970 has caused more than just a few moments of reflection.  It has also sent me to the first few chapters of the book of Acts again to once again read of the Day of Pentecost and the life of the faithful in the days which followed that first great outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Thousand of people who happen to be present found that their lives were radically changed and because of their witness even more came to know the reality of a living resurrected Christ in their lives.   

Even though it is easy to define a beginning point for this act of spiritual intervention, it is not so easy to see exactly when it ended.  Of course, some would rightly say it has not ended, but has continued throughout the centuries sometimes in the center of things and sometimes on the fringe of the faithful spiritual community.  And though this is true, there was still that point where what was happening in Jerusalem drew to a conclusion and the moments of that holy experience rippling into the world around it seemed like a still mirror of water.  As we see the story unfolding, there are two things evident as the winds and fire began to subside.  One was people started gathering and paying attention to what could be learned about the faith.  They listened to the teaching of the Apostles and they did it with other believers.  They also remembered and celebrated the life of Christ through the breaking of bread and the drinking from the cup.  And finally, prayer became a more than just a ritual, but a power that moved the church forward. 

The second thing was the persecution of the new Jesus movement.  It started soon after Pentecost and surprisingly sent most everyone out into the world except the Apostles who lingered in Jerusalem.  It should not surprise those now who are a part of this great outpouring of the Holy Spirit when they are confronted with the power of the evil one in his effort to regain ground that has been lost.  As surely as the Spirit has been confronting people and calling them to faith, there will come a day when the intensity of the moment will pass and the old tempter will once again prowl like an angry lion as he seeks to reclaim those whom he lost.