Revival Keys
Evan Roberts, while reflecting on the problems of The Welsh Revival of 1904, once wrote, "The mistake was to become occupied with the effects of the revival and not to watch and pray in protecting the cause of the revival." The lasting success of the next move of God may very well depend upon our willingness to receive Mr. Roberts WARNING! There are many today who are foolishly pursuing the effects of revival at the expense of neglecting the conditions of revival. No harvest is ever any greater than the seeds and soil in which it was planted. To neglect the seeds of revival is to ultimately plague the fruit of revival. A rich source of instruction on this subject is found in the obscure writings of Frank Bartleman. Mr. Bartleman was an active participant in the famous Azusa Street Revival of 1906. While I can not endorse all of Mr. Bartleman's doctrines and opinions, it would be foolish to ignore his genuine spiritual insight.
Unlike many other Church historians, Bartleman paid careful attention to each step the Holy Spirit took in preparing God's people for revival. In fact he wrote more about the Church's preparation for revival than he did about the actual revival. Being a man gifted and active in intercession, he was aware of a revival coming to Los Angeles long before many others. As Bartleman watched and prayed, he was able to accurately trace the Spirit's preliminary movements among the churches in Los Angeles. It is these kinds of observations that make Frank Bartleman's writings so rich and prophetic for our needy generation. Undeniably, revival is a miraculous work of God, BUT true revival never comes apart from the preparation and the participation of a remnant of God's people. Oh, how the Church needs to rediscover the unchanging principles of revival. It is time for a new wave of young pioneers to rise up and cooperate with the Holy Spirit's revival process. It is time for us to break up our fallow ground and once again nurture the fruitful seeds of revival. Let's now go back with Mr. Bartleman through his own personal records and writings, as he identifies these precious seeds.