Bible Study with the Cincottis – Revival – 08/09/2026
Today’s Bible Study, Authored by Arthur Cincotti.
Listen to our Bible Study Discussion at: Revival Audio Podcast
Or watch the Video Zoom Session of our Study on YouTube:
Revival!
“Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in Your way.” Ps. 119:37
What is revival? I asked that question thirty years ago in a Promise Keepers men’s meeting at our local church. No one answered me then, but thirty years have given me many answers. Today we will try to distinguish which ones are accurate and true. Revival has become a sort of buzzword in many church settings. We cry out for it in prayer meetings and endorse it when something spectacular happens. Some churches have annual “spring revival” meetings. In others, revival can break out quite spontaneously. The longing for revival is typically stirred by a feeling of apathy and lethargy. We pine after times in the past when there was zeal in our faith. Those times were often marked by a rich sense of God’s presence, an outpouring of signs, wonders and miracles, and a frequency of answered prayer. A call for revival is, in essence, an admission that these characteristics are absent in the church, or in our personal lives. What can we do to conjure up God’s presence again?
The truth is that we can’t. God is not a genie in a bottle who shows up when we rub it just the right way. There are no tricks or potions that bring God flying in on the wings of an eagle, or formulas that stir Him up into a miracle-working frenzy. But there are principles woven into God’s word that attract His presence, and where His presence is, there is fullness of joy. (Ps. 16:11)
God is attentive to the needs and the welfare of His children. His desire is to fellowship with us as a loving father with his children. Sin and neglect on our part notoriously cause distance in that relationship. When the consequences of sin and neglect manifest, we suffer, and that suffering often drives us to seek God for answers, relief, and healing; that’s what we call revival.
The word “revival” is only used in Ezra 9:8: “And now for a little while grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage.” In this passage of Scripture, the people of Israel are returning to Jerusalem from their exile in Babylon. They have suffered the harsh consequences of generations of rebellion, but now, because of His mercy, He has opened the door of opportunity for them to return to the land that He promised to their forefathers. As the second wave of exiles returns, it becomes evident that many, including priests and Levites, have intermarried with pagan women. This news struck such grief in the heart of Ezra the scribe. “So when I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked out some of the hair of my head and beard, and sat down astonished.” Ez. 9:3. Imagine if anyone was so grief-stricken at what goes on in our culture. There are two kinds of sin: sin that can be forgiven and sin that must be repented of. The call goes out for the perpetrators to repent and separate themselves from their foreign wives. This is a pretty big commandment.
Whether this is a righteous act is debatable. God is steadfast in His word; He hates mixture, but He also hates divorce. The takeaway is that fidelity to God’s word is a consequence of revival, and repentance is its hallmark. It was necessary for the leaders to set an example and recognize that disobedience is the very thing that caused them to go into exile. There is such a thing, however, as overzealousness that leads to legalism, which is another form of bondage. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Mt. 9:13
We see many examples of revival in the OT. The Exodus was a revival. The Davidic kingdom was a revival. The reign of Hezekiah and of Josiah were periods of revival where fidelity to God’s word and repentance was evident and widespread. Josiah had a similar response to Ezra. “when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes.” II Kg. 22:11
There have been many examples of revival in the church era. The monastic movements were essentially revivals, though we don’t really think of them as such. There was the Reformation, the 1st and 2nd Great Awakening in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Fulton St. revival, which broke out at the North Dutch Reformed Church, on Fulton St. in NYC, 1857-1859; Azusa St. in California, 1906; the Welsh revival of 1910; Brownsville, FL. From Father’s Day of 1995-2000, Toronto Airport Fellowship, and many more.
The greatest revival ever to touch the earth was when God entered space and time in the form of Jesus Christ in order to demonstrate true righteousness, fellowship with us, and to rescue us from that which inhibits the first two. That revival was ushered in by John the Baptist who said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Mt. 3:2.
In all these examples we recognize some consistencies: brokenness, hardship, spiritual depravity, followed by zeal for God’s word and presence, repentance, signs that mark His presence, and renewal of intimacy. We can’t codify how this gets started. In the first chapter of Samuel, we see one very broken woman who just wants to have a baby with the man whom she loves. We read also, “the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.” I Sam. 2:36. Hannah cried out to the LORD in bitterness of heart, and the LORD heard her prayer and granted her request. That’s a revival! “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.” Ps. 34:18. Where are the brokenhearted in our generation who lament over more than our own circumstances?
Repentance is always a key element. Hannah decides to change things up. In her anguish, she makes a sacrificial vow to the LORD. “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life. I Sam. 1:11
She carries out her vow and ushers in a great era in the history of the people of Israel. One person’s faithfulness, similar to Mary, saying, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” Lk. 1:38
The sovereignty of God hovers over all these human events. When He finds an obedient and tender heart, He engages. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” II Ch. 16:9. At the onset of every revival, we typically see one person laying down their life in humble and sacrificial obedience.
It’s important to stress that something must be dead before it can be revived. If you put the paddles on a live person and shock them, you’ll kill them. Likewise, it is with the church and with us individually. As long as you think that you’re alive, and you’ve “got this”, you’re not a candidate for revival. The valley of dry bones, in Ez. 37, gives us a word picture of how the LORD works in revival. Brokenness is not the only ingredient, but realizing your brokenness, wickedness, baseness, and spiritual bankruptcy before crying out to God for rescue. Jesus says to the church in Sardis, “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” Rev. 3:1. Paul cries out, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Rm. 7:24
Finally, it should be noted that corporate revival is glorious and sought after, even as a means to personal revival, but personal revival is beautiful in the eyes of God, and available to all believers. Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Mt. 4:3. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you,” Mt. 6:33. Revival is the kingdom of God made manifest on earth; “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Mt. 6:10
That’s revival!!!
—–Join us for another Bible Study Next Week ——-
or
The MT4Christ247 audio podcast is available on YouTube, Apple, Amazon, Spotify, iHeartradio, Podbean, Audible, and many more podcast platforms!
Subscribe to The MT4Christ247 Channel on YouTube!
Email me at m.t.clark@mt4christ.com with any questions, or comments, or to inquire about our Christian Life Coaching or Prayer Ministry Services.
“The views, opinions, and commentary of this publication are those of the author, M.T. Clark, only, and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any of the photographers, artists, ministries, or other authors of the other works that may be included in this publication, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities the author may represent.”
Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship
Support MT 4 Christ Community Freedom Ministry!
To Give via Pay Pal Go to the MT4Christ Donations Page
Or Give Via Venmo or the Cash App by scanning the QR Code below:
Leave a Reply