What is revival?

After the wars, the well-known evangelist Frank Mangs once said, “Revival is an atmosphere.” That definition is quite accurate, even though revival can be described in many different ways. As an atmosphere, it is often something you can sense. There are spiritual gatherings where you can feel the atmosphere of revival the moment you walk in. And sometimes the opposite is true: when you enter a meeting hall, you immediately know that something essential is missing.

Where does this atmosphere come from? Only God can fully answer that question. Still, there are some things that I believe are important in the formation of this atmosphere.

1. We love Jesus. We do not speak only about a higher power or about a God we cannot know or understand, but about Jesus who suffered on the cross, rose from the dead, lives today, and works among us. Jesus must be at the center of our songs, prayers, and speeches. It is also important that we love Jesus in such a way that we live according to His will. Then the message about Jesus is not just empty phrases, but living faith that beats in our own hearts.
   

2. We love one another. The love between Christians strongly affects the atmosphere of a gathering and is clearly noticeable. When we truly respect, bless, and love one another from the heart—regardless of our denominational backgrounds—this love is recognized in heaven, and in that loving unity the Holy Spirit is present. On the other hand, if true love is missing, everything becomes mere pretense. That too creates an atmosphere, but it is not the atmosphere of revival.
   

3. We love sinners. No one is looked down on with contempt or judgment. We understand that we are all made of the same material. Any one of us could be bound by sin just as much as someone in the audience, if God had not set us free and saved us. We are not above others, but on the same level with them.

These things must not remain just beautiful principles that we agree with “in spirit.” We must live them out as concretely as possible. We proclaim the risen Jesus with full confidence, worship Him, and rejoice in the victory He has won.

We show mutual love through our words and actions so that everyone can see that we are one in Christ. We work together.

We love people who are bound by sin. We care about how they are doing and want to help them in their struggles. We care for them, listen to them, and encourage them to turn to Jesus, surrender to Him, and trust Him.

All of this can happen with special power where Christians work together, blessing one another, supporting one another, and building unity. That is why I have always believed in Christian unity and cooperation. In that practical unity, the atmosphere of revival is born—an atmosphere that draws people in. In the 1980s, this filled churches week after week when the “Friday for Christ” campaign began, and I still believe in that kind of work today.

We are living in very critical times. Revival is in the air, and people are searching for God. At the same time, the world is moving toward unrest, great distress, and even chaos. That is why I believe that now, more than ever, it is time to gather our strength and step forward in a spirit of love. Where there is much love, there is much of God. We need Him now if we are to fulfill the task given to the Church in these difficult times.

For this reason, I have launched Finmission, so that the atmosphere of revival described by Frank Mangs could once again arise, and the fire of God could spread in Finland and beyond.

See finmission.fi