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According to the divine revelation, revival is a law in the spiritual life of Christians by which we can grow gradually in the Lord. Having this realization will help us to experience God as life. In this chapter we will consider how to apply the law of revival continually.
Although many saints attend the various meetings of the church, the saints are not living. They sit in the meetings with long faces and do not open their mouths to pray or to say Amen when others pray. Spiritually speaking, they look as if they have not had enough food, water, or sleep. If they are always down spiritually, this indicates that there is a problem.
The reason many saints go for a long time without eating, drinking, or sleeping spiritually is that they do not adequately know the law of revival. Hence, they do not apply this law continually. Our living is not disciplined, because we neither understand nor live according to this law. A person who is disciplined is healthy, because he has regular times for eating and sleeping. We need to maintain a disciplined living in our spiritual life.
Every human being knows that our physical life operates according to a law and that man must live according to this law. According to the law of our physical life, we must sleep eight hours, eat three times a day in the morning, afternoon, and evening, and drink an adequate amount of water. We may also need two or three snacks daily. These items are indispensable. When we live according to this law for a long period of time, these items are developed into our habit and become a discipline. For example, we sleep not only because we are worn out and cannot stay awake any longer. Most people must go to bed at a certain time, whether or not they are sleepy. This is a disciplined living. This discipline is established gradually according to the needs of our physical life.
Similarly, after we wake up in the morning, we must eat a meal whether or not we are hungry. Our eating a meal in the morning is not based on our feeling; it is according to discipline. Those who are disciplined not only eat at fixed times but also eat a fixed amount. They do not eat more when they feel like eating or eat less when they do not feel like it. Whether or not they feel like it, they eat the same amount of food. This is a disciplined living. In the afternoon they will eat another meal, and in the evening they will eat again. Then around ten o’clock they will go to bed and sleep until the morning. In the morning they rise and eat another meal. We are not forced to do these activities, nor are these activities based on our feelings. These activities are based on a law. If we live a disciplined life according to this law, we will have normal growth and be strong.
The result of eating, drinking, and sleeping is a revival. Even if we are very tired at night, we will be restored and refreshed in the morning after we get up, wash, and eat breakfast. Being restored is a revival. Then after four hours of expending our energy, the revival ends, and we feel tired and fatigued by noon. Therefore, we eat lunch and take a nap in order to be restored again. This is another revival. We then go through another process, and the revival ends in the evening. Hence, we feel tired and need to eat another meal. After eating, we are restored and refreshed again, and we are full of energy when we go to the meeting. This is another revival. After a few hours of activity we are tired; hence, we go to sleep at night. When we rise up in the morning, we have another revival.
According to the above example, adequate sleep, eating, and drinking issue in a revival. A revival involves a beginning, a course, and an ending. After the ending of a revival we sleep, eat, and drink once more and are revived yet again. As this cycle continues, we are continually revived.
It is rather easy for us to experience a daily revival in the physical realm. Feeling tired is a sign that tells us we should sleep, feeling hungry is a sign that tells us we should eat, and feeling thirsty is a sign that tells us we should drink. When we have adequate sleep, food, and water, we experience a revival. After a while we will feel tired, hungry, and thirsty again, meaning that it is time for us to sleep, eat, and drink in order to begin another revival. The revivals in the physical realm are not once for all. They involve a beginning that is followed by a course and then an ending. After the ending we need another revival. The ability of our physical life to exist, grow, and become strong is dependent on the cycle of revivals. This is a law of the physical life.
The physical life is often a clear picture of our spiritual life. If we know the law of our physical life and are disciplined to live according to this law, we will be healthy. However, we must admit that we do not adequately understand the law of our spiritual life. For this reason our spiritual life is not disciplined. Even though we may not strictly live a disciplined life physically, we still have energy in the morning, afternoon, and evening. In other words, we continue to have revivals throughout the day. With regard to our spiritual life, however, we often feel down when we meet and serve, because we do not adequately know the law of revival. This is a serious problem.
I once asked a brother concerning his spiritual condition. He replied, “My condition is poor. For three weeks my spirit has not been able to rise up.” His condition was the result of his wife being sick. I also asked a sister concerning her condition, and she replied, “I do not know what to do. Every month our income cannot cover our expenses.” Quite a few brothers and sisters are in the same situation. Figuratively speaking, I do not often see a saint who has had enough sleep, food, and water, that is, one who is invigorated and revived. Rather, the saints are often downcast, dry, stale, deadened, suffering, and pressed down. These conditions are the issue of not having adequate sleep, food, and water. Some saints have been in this condition for several years; they always feel pressed down and weak. Their conscience bothers them if they do not come to the meeting, but they cannot touch anything in the meeting. Their conscience bothers them if they do not serve, but they are overburdened. It is not reasonable for a Christian to be pressed down for years. This situation is not right, but many saints are in this situation because they do not know the law of revival and, hence, do not live a disciplined spiritual life.
If someone says that he is tired and does not have strength because he has not slept well for three years, we would be shocked and ask him why he has not slept well. Likewise, if a person cries because he is hungry and thirsty, we would ask him why he does not eat or drink. Hunger and thirst are signs, telling us to eat and drink. If we refuse to eat and drink, our tears are useless. Christ is dwelling in us, and He is our eternal food and the fountain of living water. We do not eat or drink Him, because we do not know the law of revival, and we do not live a disciplined life. We do not know that we should eat Him when we are hungry, drink Him when we are thirsty, and rest in Him when we are tired. We know the law of our physical life and live according to it; hence, we sleep when we are tired, eat when we are hungry, and drink when we are thirsty. However, we are weary, hungry, dry, low, old, dead, and miserable because we do not know the law of our spiritual life. It is unnecessary for us to be in this condition.
Most Christians have an improper understanding concerning the law of revival. They think that a person needs to be revived only after he has committed a sin or has backslidden. Our spiritual life grows through repeated revivals. Eating, drinking, and sleeping cause our physical life to grow. Similarly, our spiritual life grows by eating, drinking, and sleeping, that is, by our being revived. In the physical realm being thirsty is a sign for us to drink, being hungry is a sign for us to eat, and being tired is a sign for us to sleep. Because we understand the law of our physical life, we drink when we are thirsty, eat when we are hungry, and sleep when we are tired. As a result, we are revived. However, we do not understand the law of our spiritual life. Hence, we do not drink when we are thirsty, we do not eat when we are hungry, nor do we sleep when we are tired. Instead, we lament and sigh.
This does not mean that the saints never have adequate food, water, or sleep. Sometimes they get enough food, water, and sleep, but this is not a regular occurrence. For example, a brother who has been thirsty for several months will occasionally take a drink and be so happy that he will praise and testify in the meeting. However, we are not revived regularly, nor do we have the assurance of being revived, because we do not know the law of revival, and we do not live a disciplined life according to this law.
If we know the law of revival, we will contact the Lord as soon as we feel oppressed. When we contact Him, our inner being will rise up and be revived. When we feel old, we simply need to contact the Lord again. As soon as we touch Him, we will be refreshed and experience a revival. If we would touch the Lord when we feel hungry, tired, weary, dry, old, or dead, we would always have a revival. We would have big revivals and small revivals. We would also have several revivals in one day. Furthermore, as a result of such frequent revivals, we would grow quickly; we would advance according to the law of life.
In the physical realm there are four seasons in a year, which form a cycle. Every spring is a big beginning, a big revival. There are three hundred sixty-five days in a year, and every day is a small cycle. Hence, every morning is a small beginning, a small revival. Furthermore, the three meals that we eat within the twenty-four hours of one day are also small revivals. Besides these revivals, sleeping and resting are also small revivals. By means of these continuous cycles of big and small revivals, our physical life can exist, grow, and become strong.
This principle also applies to our spiritual life. There are also big revivals and small revivals in our spiritual life. For example, when we were saved, we were raised out of death and received God’s life. This was a big revival. When we forsook our past and gave ourselves to the Lord, we had another big revival. Through such big revivals we are filled with joy and feel as though we are soaring in heaven. When we lose this feeling after a period of time, it is time for a revival that will deliver us from living according to our feelings to living by faith and that will enable us to enter deeper into the Lord. Such a revival is a big revival. Hence, a Christian has at least three big revivals: salvation, consecration, and deliverance from living according to his feelings into living by faith.
Besides the big revivals we also have many small revivals in our daily life. For example, if a sister receives a telegram that her mother is gravely ill, the sister will be down. But if she knows the law of revival, she will realize that such a feeling is a sign, urging her to contact Christ, look at Him, experience Him, and gain Him. As soon as she experiences Christ in this way, she will be uplifted. This is a small revival. Here is another example. A brother may feel hurt because a colleague at work said something sarcastic and mocked him. This feeling is a sign, telling him to contact Christ, cast this burden on Him, and enjoy Him in this matter. If the brother will experience Christ in this way, he will immediately have a small revival. We can be revived at least three times a day: in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening.
In addition to the situations in our outward environment, we also have situations that involve our heart. A sister may always have sweet fellowship with the Lord, but one morning the fellowship is blocked, and the sweet taste disappears. As a result, she will feel very sad. This feeling is a sign, telling her to seek a revival. This feeling should also cause her to see a weakness, which will lead her to know a virtue of Christ. Our weaknesses expose what we lack of His virtues. Hence, we can enjoy Christ according to our weaknesses. This is a revival. We can experience such revivals many times in a day.
In 2 Corinthians 12:10 the apostle Paul says, “I am well pleased in weaknesses...; for when I am weak, then I am powerful.” Paul knew how to live by the power of Christ when he was weak and how to touch the joy of Christ when he suffered. He also was able to apply the law of revival; hence, he was always being revived. We need to know and apply this law so that we too can regularly experience being revived. This is the way to be saved from being weighed down by our problems.
A brother might stop attending the meetings because the burden of his children’s problems, his wife’s poor health, and his financial situation is too heavy for him to bear. On the one hand, we sympathize with his situation. On the other hand, we cannot justify his action, because the Christ who dwelt in Paul also dwells in him. Paul says, “When I am weak, then I am powerful”; therefore, this brother should be able to say the same thing. If this brother knows the law of the spiritual life, he also will be able to say that he is powerful when he is weak. The Lord has permitted his environment to serve as a sign that he needs another revival. He does not need to plead for a revival. Instead, he needs to see that the Lord who indwells him is resurrection and is full of power; the Lord is able to break through death. This brother needs to see, believe, and accept this fact. Then he will even be able to say to Satan, “If you create more sufferings and stir up more problems, I will be able to enjoy more of Christ. When I am weighed down, then I am released; when I am weak, then I am strong; when I am in misery, then I am full of joy.” This brother will be revived when he sees Christ. Even if the means of his livelihood are not stable, the environment will not frustrate him from being in the meetings. On the contrary, when he comes to the meetings, he will be full of vitality, released in spirit, and his whole being will be buoyant and elated. He will be able to testify, even if in tears, of how the Lord visits him and is with him in his difficult situation. We may say that this is the testimony of a person who has met and enjoyed the Lord, but this is actually the testimony of a person who has experienced another revival.
If we know the law of revival, being revived will be a simple matter. We do not need to be weighed down or oppressed until, being unable to bear it any longer, we pray desperately and touch the Lord accidentally before we can rise up. We need only to know this law and know that the Lord is dwelling in us with all His riches. Whenever we feel deadened, weighed down, or oppressed, or when we suffer the attack of our environment, we should draw on the Lord’s great power, and we will be revived immediately. As long as we know the law of revival, it will not be difficult to eat when we are hungry or to drink when we are thirsty.
In the New Testament age Christ is everything to us. If we are down, He is in ascension; if we are deadened, He is resurrection; if we are weak, He is strong; and if we are in darkness, He is light. Every weakness that we possess enables us to see a particular virtue of Christ. He can meet the need in every weakness. Hence, as Christians, we have no reason to be continually miserable. We should rejoice when we are miserable. Neither do we have any reason to stay weak for a long time; we should be strong when we are weak. Figuratively speaking, there is no reason for us to hunger continually. If there were a famine that issued in a shortage of food, we would have reason to be hungry. But we have an abundance of food; the resurrected Christ dwells in us to supply our every need. Therefore, we should no longer be hungry. We have no reason to sigh or lament, because we can eat when we are hungry.
We have no reason to be deadened in the meetings, because when we are deadened, then we are enlivened. Paul said that when he was weak, then he was powerful. Being weak includes feeling miserable, oppressed, weighed down, or deadened, being closed and in darkness, and every other negative condition. Similarly, being powerful includes being joyful, bright, uplifted, released, living, open, and every other positive condition. Hence, the principle of “when I am weak, then I am powerful” can be applied to all our situations.
In the past we explained how to live by faith, how to enjoy the riches of Christ, how to eat, drink, and enjoy God, and how to fellowship with the Lord and live in this fellowship, but we neglected the law of revival. The Lord is presently leading us to see that the proper spiritual living involves the law of revival, the cycle of revival. The more we are revived, the more we will be fresh, living, strong, open, and mature.
Sometimes we sense a need for revival even though our spiritual life is advancing smoothly. We may sense that we have become old. This is a sign that we need to be renewed and revived. For example, a brother may sense a lack in the messages that he gives. This sense is a sign that he needs a new beginning in relation to giving messages. A sister who was supplied when she read the Bible may lose the sense of satisfaction. This sense of dissatisfaction is also a sign, requiring that she be revived in relation to reading the Bible.
Besides the conditions within us, the Lord has arranged for the discipline of the Holy Spirit to create different situations in our environment to force us to sense the need for a revival. We might be disheartened by the news we receive, or we may be troubled by a word of misunderstanding or by problems in our family, among the saints, or in the work. These are all signs that we need a new revival. We may quote the Lord’s words in Matthew 11:28: “Come to Me all who toil and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” However, this verse may be merely doctrine to us, because we have no experience of it. But when the Holy Spirit works in our environment, there may be heavy burdens pressing upon us. These burdens indicate that we need to enjoy and experience Christ again. These burdens also reveal that Christ is our rest. By receiving such a Christ and enjoying His rest by faith, we will be revived again.
In the past we said that when there is a new situation in our environment, we should immediately hand the problem over to the Lord. But we need to see that it is not merely a matter of handing our problem over to the Lord; rather, it is a matter of experiencing the law of revival in our spiritual life. Some people tend to remain in whatever problem they encounter instead of being revived by contacting and experiencing the Lord. Remaining in our problems means that we do not know the law of revival. We know the law of revival in the physical realm, and we spontaneously live by this law: we are revived by eating when we are hungry and drinking when we are thirsty. However, in the spiritual realm we do not eat when we are hungry, nor do we drink when we are thirsty. Instead of contacting the Lord when problems arise, we sigh, lament our situation, and suffer a great loss.
May God enable us to see the law of revival and to apply this law so that we would be delivered from the self into Christ. The more we experience the cycle of revival, the more our element will decrease, and the element of Christ will increase. This is the way for us to grow and be strong. Furthermore, in spite of our environment, we will be living and fresh, that is, revived.
We should also learn to be open. After being revived and living, we should not be closed. Rather, we should remain open so that there would be a flow between us and the other saints. We should let living water flow out from us into others and receive the living water that flows out from others. The more we flow out, the more we will have the inflow. As a result, we will be enlivened, and others also will be enlivened.
The brothers and sisters have listened to many messages, but they still are not living. Hence, we do not need more messages. We need to enliven the saints, but we must first be enlivened before we can enliven others. When everyone is enlivened, we will be able to advance. We must not hold on to routines, meeting and serving according to old ways and old forms. We have to “overturn” the saints until they are enlivened. There is no regulation for us to follow; we simply need to enliven the saints one by one. The saints simply need to come together in order to enliven one another. Those taking the lead must be the first to be living; then they can enliven the other saints. This is crucial. Our being enlivened depends on our knowing the law of revival and regularly applying this law. Then we can be revived moment by moment, and our condition will always be fresh and living.
