Either there is a World revival or there isn’t?

After all it would be good to know, wouldn’t it? No other recent event has split the Christian world as the “Florida Outpouring” under Todd Bentley, followed by the brummie offshoot, the “Dudley Outpouring”. Resplendent with motto (Come and get some), slogans, (Let the Fire Fall) catchphrases (Bam!!) and desktop wallpaper, we appear to have a real 21st Century media-propagated (courtesy of God TV) phenomenon.

While the secular media, at least in the UK, has remained silent and unaware, the Christian world is split in two over the activities of the Illustrated Man in Lakeland, Florida, USA. Revival or deception? The jury is out.

Of course, from my cynical tone you are expecting a hatchet job, but I feel that would do a disservice to an issue that has already generated megabytes of polemical views. I have read much from both sides of the argument. On the one hand there has been evidence of healings and miracles, both at Lakeland (and in Dudley) and in homes worldwide, imparted through digital images by satellite or web. On the other hand there have been accusations of deception, either through innocent enthusiasm or even the implication of demonic influences, concentrating on the track record of the personalities involved. I am not going to add fuel to the fire, but rather make an obvious observation, the one made by the Rabbi Gamaliel.

For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." (Acts 5:38-39)

Yes, let’s wait and see what comes out of it. Let us judge it by its fruit. Let us, first, imagine …

150,000 people becoming Christians within six months, enough to make a real difference in society. Pubs in the area having to close down, magistrates courts being empty through a lack of crimes committed. The work-shy becoming enthusiastic in their occupations and swear-boxes being committed to the trash cans. The open public singing of hymns. People paying their bills at the first asking, paying back all they have borrowed.

Unrealistic, perhaps, but it did happen, as a result of the Welsh revival at the start of the 20th Century, an “Outpouring” that changed a whole nation. Yet, in a sermon given on May 10th by Jerame Nelson, one of the leaders of the Revival Fires ministry at Dudley, the current revival was going to be released to a National level and, in fulfillment of a prophecy given in the last Century by Smith Wrigglesworth, is going to be the biggest move of God the UK has ever seen!

The Welsh Revival changed a nation for the better. The Methodist revival, led by the Wesley brothers and Charles Whitfield, changed the World. The Dudley revival is going to have to make major inroads into our society to live up to its billing. Nelson remarked, “God has chosen this region as an epicenter of His glory – it must hit the streets!”

So, let’s give it a chance, after all it has been packing the Church since early May, bringing in thousands of Christians from all over the UK, each eager to grab the impartation and take it back to their home Churches.

It is too early to expect the “Dudley Outpouring” to have comparable effects on our Nation as earlier revivals, so let’s look at the streets of Dudley. There is a local paper the Dudley News, that publishes local news stories on the web. Today I read of a Tom Jones impersonator, two teens killed in a road smash and a controversy involving taxicab signs. Very soon I expect to read of unexpected healings, the increase of religious fervour and the singing of hymns at the local football stadium. When and only when that starts to happen, even in a small way, the jury remains out.

But, if the situation remains the same six months down the line then I would fully expect those at the centre of these “Outpourings” to admit that they were wrong and explain why they were wrong, to the thousands of Christians who believed that we were at the edge of a major revival in this country.

On the other hand, if our nation has truly been touched by the “Dudley Outpouring” then we can all rejoice and cynical old hacks like me can cheerfully eat their words.