My reading of "In the Day of Thy Power" by Arthur Wallis continues to stir me to seek the Lord for revival. So I could not resist the temptation to share another very provocative portion of this book with you. This comes from "Distinctive Features", Chapter 5 of "In the Day..."
If we asked some who have truly believed, "Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed?" (Acts 19:2) they would have to confess, "We don't know about the Holy Spirit", or "We thought that He was the same as Christ". How seldom is that gracious unseen Presence truly recognized, relied upon, or given His rightful place in the church which He established. How often is He grieved and hindered because the people of God prefer human organizations and the methods of the world, to that which costs more than money to secure - His own gracious presence and power. But revival ever brings a fresh emphasis upon the person and work of the Holy Spirit. It is a time when believers thirst and are filled, and when the Spirit Himself reasserts His rights, and is given the reins in the worship and service of the church.
So revival has its repercussions even in the realm of the Triume God. It is a time when the rights of humanity give way to the rights of Deity. "God is not only the source of revival - 'Wilt Thou not revive us again?' - but He is also the end of revival - 'that Thy people may rejoice in Thee' (Ps. 85:6 A.V.). Revival comes from God and leads to God, that He may be 'all in all', and that man may learn that of himself he is nothing" (Philip Hughes). Here is the transcendent effect of all revival, and the fulfilment of its highest purpose: "The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low: and THE LORD ALONE SHALL BE EXALTED IN THAT DAY" (Isa. 2:17) If we have a jealous desire for the glory of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, should we not all be thirsting for revival?
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