We want to see God move in our church, our community, our country. We think that—should revival happen in our church—we would jump into the stream of what God was doing and embrace God’s outpouring.
But if history is any indication, our odds of embracing the next revival are marginal.
I’ve been reading about revivals, and every account includes vehement opposition from church leaders. So I asked AI if there were any revivals in modern history that were not opposed by church leaders. Its answer:
Our enemy likes to sow tares among the wheat. Will I stand in the field of wheat despite the tares, or will I be among those calling to set fire to the field?
But if history is any indication, our odds of embracing the next revival are marginal.
I’ve been reading about revivals, and every account includes vehement opposition from church leaders. So I asked AI if there were any revivals in modern history that were not opposed by church leaders. Its answer:
It makes me wonder. Will I oppose the next revival? Will it offend my sensibilities or my theology?No significant revival in modern church history has been universally accepted or free from opposition by church leaders. Historical analysis and contemporary reports consistently show that all notable revivals—such as the Welsh Revival, the Azusa Street Revival, the Charismatic movement, the Brownsville Revival, the Toronto Blessing, and even recent college awakenings—have faced varying degrees of skepticism, criticism, or outright resistance from either local pastors, denominational authorities, or respected theologians.
Our enemy likes to sow tares among the wheat. Will I stand in the field of wheat despite the tares, or will I be among those calling to set fire to the field?
