I'm talking about a new spiritual attitude. We need people who can become that "new wineskin" into which He can pour out His Spirit in a fresh revival. It's time that the Body of Christ stopped being intimidated by Satan and started being the intimidators in order to anticipate the next great revival.
Understanding God's Timing
If we truly want revival in the land, then God's people who have discernment must never be intimidated or fearful of the schemes of the devil. We must be like men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel [God's people] should do… (1 Chron. 12:32). Ecclesiastes 8:5 says: "…the wise heart will know [discern] the proper time and procedure."
I believe that God is about to send a great wave of revival across the earth. The devil would like to confuse and intimidate us. Instead, we must understand the time and rise to God's new direction.
In Isaiah 43:18-19 the Lord says: "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?"
Evidently, God can be doing a new thing and His people not see it. We need to understand the signs of the times. It is time "to get through what we are going through" and to "be what we want to see."
I believe the time is coming, and now is, that God is sending the fresh oil of the new wave of His Spirit. This is the season of a new generation of pure, Holy Spirit-led, committed, faith-filled, anointed believers who will rise up and take hold of their destiny.
These are men and women of God, who will believe Him and settle for nothing less than their destiny in Him. It is a time for a people who are fully informed of God's purpose and therefore will not be destroyed by a lack of knowledge (Hos. 4:6).
Hebrews 13:7 says, "Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith." The very next verse, Hebrews 13:8, says: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
The point is simple. We are to look back at the exploits of past leaders in order to encourage our faith that those things can happen again because Jesus never changes. What He did then, He will do now.
In "considering the outcome" of the way of life of those past leaders, we can learn what to do to align ourselves with the God of "yesterday and today and forever." That is the positive side. On the negative side, if we do not learn from the lives of past leaders, we will find ourselves repeating their mistakes and possibly aborting the next move of God.
The Church has received a legacy from the past that includes an enormous impetus from the heroes of faith who have preceded us. I want to examine some of the major figures of revival in this century in order to build a foundation of faith for a present revival.
Obviously, it is not possible to examine in depth the lives of every spiritual leader of the previous one hundred years. However, I have chosen a few prominent ones who are classic examples of those common factors I have mentioned.
Revival at the Turn of the Century
Just prior to the turn of the twentieth century, something occurred that is not well known in today's generation of the Church. However, it was as unique and fascinating as any in the annals of church history.
The life and ministry of John Alexander Dowie (1847-1907) is a cornerstone of the healing heritage of revival. Dowie's life is one of the greatest object lessons in all history.
His early years of ministry were in Australia, where his family had migrated when he was thirteen. His ministry was marked by two common partners: success and persecution. Dowie was a man of great education, eloquence, and enigma, a Scottish Presbyterian who became a member of, and a pastor in, the Congregational Church in Australia. Later he left that denomination and formed an independent ministry.
Dowie was a prolific writer and published a periodical, "Leaves of Healing," which carried reports of the healings of celebrities such as Sadie Cody, the niece of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody; Amanda Hicks, the cousin of the late President Abraham Lincoln; Dr. Lillian Yeomans, among the first who wrote in defense of divine healing for today; F. A. Graves, well-known songwriter; and many others.
Dowie's was the first major ministry to bring a widespread consciousness of healing to America, and his was the forerunner of many others to come.
A Woman who Broke New Ground
In the same era as Dowie came the remarkable ministry of Maria Woodworth-Etter. This amazing woman overcame multiple obstacles to launch one of the most supernatural ministries of the modern era.
Mrs. Woodworth-Etter was called to preach as a young girl of thirteen in Ohio. The fact that her church did not permit women preachers, coupled with a disastrous marriage to P. H. Woodworth and the rearing of six children, made her ministry even more remarkable.
The results of her ministry are absolutely amazing. After one of her meetings, revival swept over that country and for twenty miles round men and women were "struck down" or had "wonderful visions." Many who were involved "went into the ministry, or became evangelists."
On one occasion, an eyewitness in one of her meetings said that she saw Mrs. Woodworth-Etter fall into a trance while preaching and stand in one position for three days. The power of God was so strong during the trance that non-stop miracles took place until the time of her arousal. When she awakened, she completed her sentence right where she left off.
With no local church backing, she organized and preached huge campaigns in the days before women could vote. The charismatic gifts in her meetings attracted enormous support. It is reported that one camp meeting in Alexandria, Indiana, drew an estimated 25,000 people.
This intrepid spiritual pioneer set the stage for the Pentecostal-Charismatic Revivals. The New York Times carried articles of her amazing campaigns in which many professional people such as lawyers and doctors were converted.
Is there any limit to what God will do for those who can believe Him again?
The Outpouring in Wales
With less than a score of intercessors when the move of God broke forth in 1904, Wales saw more than a hundred thousand people converted in less than six months. The renewal in Wales lasted only about a year in its immediate form. However, its influence is still with us.
The leader of this revival was a humble young Welshman named Evan Roberts (1878-1947), a man of intense and fervent prayer. A miner-blacksmith whose genuine search after God led him to become "a lay preacher," Roberts essentially led the revival.
The Welsh Revival primarily was one of prayer, praise, joy, and victory - and the rediscovery of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the people. Roberts carried with him a sense of God's presence, so this revival also was a rediscovery of old truths presented in new ways for a new generation.
The Spirit of God literally swept over the land. The churches were so crowded that multitudes were unable to get in the doors. Meetings lasted from 10 a.m. until midnight with three services held daily.
Perhaps the most outstanding miracle, however, was that this revival was not just in Wales. Through the writings of Frank Bartleman, an observer and chronicler of the birth of the Pentecostal Movement of Azusa Street, Los Angeles, we can see that there was a definite and corresponding effect from the Welsh Revival on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in America.
The legacy of the turn of the twentieth century was preparing for the mightiest outpouring of the Holy Spirit that the modern era has ever seen. But we will leave that information for another article!
Again, my reason for teaching on this topic is to help be a catalyst to propel God's people into the next move of the Spirit. It is my heart also to point out the key scriptural foundations that were at the heart of past revivals and to explain and emphasize how they offer a practical approach in our day to again ignite revival fires.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Ron McIntosh has dedicated his life to helping people find the life they were born to live. His unique brand of insight and practical application inspires people to unlock the door to their potential and maximum productivity.
A noted speaker, writer, teacher and life coach, Ron travels the world sharing God’s principles of leadership, productivity, revival and grace through services, seminars and conferences. His books and resources have helped countless thousands find their dreams and maximize their potential. 
