Five Conditions of Genuine Revival
In the current number of The Missionary Review of the World the editor-in-chief, Arthur T. Pierson, emphasizes the following five conditions as being the conspicuous features of every recent revival in which something of the pentecostal power has been experienced:— 1. A marked return to simple evangelical preaching of the fundamental truths—sin, penalty, repentance, justification by faith. 2. Great emphasis upon believing, importunate, and united prayer. 3. Peculiar honor to the Holy Spirit as the indispensable bestower of all saving and sanctifying power. 4. Personal dealing with awakened and inquiring souls. 5. Reliance not upon preachers, but upon God alone. Who can say that this does not indicate a very clear grasp of the foundation principles for a genuine revival? And are we not fully convinced of the great need of just this sort of an experience in our work? It is only through pentecostal power that this message can reach the world in this generation. “We have a solemn, weighty message to bear to the world, and God designs that his chosen disciples shall have a deep experience, and be endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit.” “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”; “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find.”