What Is the Biblical Definition of ‘Revival?’ Well-Known Pastor Steve Gaines Explains

[Pelican Press 0]

What Is the Biblical Definition of ‘Revival?’ Well-Known Pastor Steve Gaines Explains

As impressive moves of ****** unfold across America — from the 

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 to the 

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 — many are wondering if the country could be on the cusp of revival.

Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue ******** ******* in Memphis, Tennessee, and the former president of the Southern ******** Convention, is the author of the forthcoming book, “

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,” in which he unpacks a biblical understanding of the word “revival” and what Christians ought to do to create an atmosphere for spiritual restoration.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Quick Start” Podcast

The most succinct definition of “revival” Gaines has come across, he said during a recent appearance on CBN’s “****** vs. Culture,” comes straight from the Old Testament: “When the glory of **** fills the house of ****.”

“The word ‘vive’ has to do with life; ‘re’ means to repeat or to have fresh life,” the pastor said. “So it means ‘to have new life’. That’s what it is. And revival is not for people who don’t know *******. I like to say it this way: You can’t revive something that’s never been ‘vived.’ So if they’ve never been given life in ****** *******, they can’t be revived. That’s for Christians. So revival is specifically for the people of ****.”

Gaines turned then toward a passage of Scripture he believes is often “totally misrepresented.”

In Revelation 3:20, the Apostle John wrote, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (NIV).

The verse, the pastor explained, isn’t addressing individual salvation, as it’s often used. Rather, the passage is referring to ****** attempting to regain access to — or to revive — His collective *******.

“He’s not knocking on the door of somebody’s heart,” Gaines said. “He’s knocking on the door of the ******* of Laodicea, and He’s trying to get back into His *******! That’s an amazing picture: that ****** — a lot of the time — we lock Him out of His own *******. We’ve got our programs, we’ve got our stuff, we’ve got our denominations, we’ve got all this stuff that we rely on, and we’re not relying on the Lord.”

He added, “The greatest thing we can give anybody is the manifest presence of ****. When they come [into the *******], is **** there? Is **** really there in manifest presence, or is He outside knocking, trying to get into His own *******? I just believe we ought to let Him have His *******.”

The Memphis-based minister addressed what he believes are the main hindrances to revival, the traps that often keep **** from engaging with His *******.

“I tell everybody there are ‘isms’ that need to become ‘wasms,’” Gaines joked.

Traditionalism, he said, is when “tradition becomes more important than the Scripture,” formalism is when “you’re trying to make sure every little dot is dotted and every T is crossed and that you’ve got it down perfectly,” fanaticism is when “you start doing things that are not biblical” and “going beyond the Word of ****,” liberalism is when “you don’t really believe everything that the ****** says, and that quenches the Holy Spirit,” and, finally, legalism is “adding to the Word of ****.”

“I don’t know how many times, as a ********, I’ve heard, ‘This is the ******** way,’” Gaines said. “Well, with all due respect, I’m a ********, but I’m a ********** first. And I don’t believe in the ******** way if it’s not the ****** way. … I just believe that we need to make sure that we realize that we do have enemies that want to quench the Spirit of ****.”

As believers’ relationships with the Lord are being restored from coast to coast, it’s critical believers have a biblical understanding of revival and are equipped to create an atmosphere for the Holy Spirit to move among His people.

To learn more about Gaines’ forthcoming book, “Revival: When **** Comes to *******,” 

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. Also, check out the full episode of “****** vs. Culture” above for a health update from Gaines, who is currently undergoing ******* treatment after 

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.

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