New Pentecosts

Whenever the church of God becomes stagnant, lethargic, dying---a new wind of Renewal and energy is sent---a new Pentecost, a new Awakening. 

2000 years ago, we would have said that the sending of the Spirit was a one-time event that changed the world.  Now, with 2000 years of history to review, we can realize that God has never stopped renewing His church, sending the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

In the 12th century, St. Francis of Assisi rekindled the fire, which burned for 40 years throughout all of Italy.

In the 1500's, when the Catholic church had lost its way, a tiny spark from Martin Luther lit the fire of the Protestant Reformation.

In the 18th century, America saw the Great Awakening at the same time as John and Charles Wesley were leading a re-awakening in Europe.

In 1900, the American Pentecostal movement began in Kansas and spread to Los Angeles.  In South Wales during the same years, there was a revival led by 26-year-old Evan Roberts.

In the early 1960's, the Jesus Movement arose among the young people, the Neo-Pentecostal Movement appeared in the mainline Protestant churches, and the Catholic Charismatic Movement began at Duquesne U. with about 7 students.

Within 10 years, 400,000 mainline Protestants and 300,000 Catholics were actively involved in the Charismatic Movement. 

In 1977, a worldwide Conference on the Renewal in Kansas City saw 50,000 Catholics, 6,200 Protestants from mainline churches, 17,000 non-denominational Christians, 2,000 Pentecostals, and 400 Messianic Jews come together for praise, worship, and teaching.

Every time the Spirit moves in a powerful way across many peoples, there is the same phenomenon:

• it begins outside of the established church, with common people, usually drawing suspicion if not hostility from the establishment;
• it is characterized by a return to the simple gospel and a devotion to Jesus Christ;
• there is always a great outpouring of love and joy, bringing people together from different parts of the world and different cultures;
• music always plays a large part, with much singing and creativity in new songs and hymns;
• it deeply affects the lives of those involved , energizing them to become engaged in changing the church and culture around them.

The prophet Ezekiel foretold the phenonmenon many centuries ago: 

A new spirit will I put within you....I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh (11:19).

Who would have guessed that God's plan was to continually pour out the Gift of the Holy Spirit in each new age, with each new generation as the church itself grows cold?