Way To Revival-Part 3
Posted By on Monday, July 18, 2016
The Way To Revival
Revival is the keynote of the book of Joel. Pentecostal revival through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the essence of that keynote. The trumpet call of Joel arouses the people to the need of revival. His message shows them the way. What, then, is the way?
First, reflection:
“Has this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?” (Joel 1:2). This book with its message of Pentecostal revival is addressed to the older generation because of their experience and greater observation over a longer period of time. This older generation had seen what the younger generation had not seen.
God’s people suffered a national calamity without parallel in the memory of even the oldest inhabitants. The drought was so severe that the daily sacrifices had come to an end for lack of grain, wine and oil. Now the old are asked to reflect on the present state of affairs in contrast to the past so as to impress the younger generation with this unprecedented situation in preparation for the application of remedial measures.
A wholesome reflection on the glories of the past, during times of spiritual declension, plays a valuable role in heart searching’s for cause and cure. Those who look back in objective reflection toward greater heights once possessed in God, than presently experienced, do not necessarily want to go back to “the good old days” for a mere repetition of previous experiences. Seeing the contrast between then and now, they simply want to use this unfavorable comparison as an incentive to press forward to higher heights and as a fulcrum to remedial action.
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