God Bless Her Majesty the Queen!

Dear Friends,

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; the
people He has chosen as His own inheritance.”
(Psalm 33:12)

God Bless Her Majesty the Queen!

It seems to me that, as every year passes, Her Majesty has become ever more forthright in proclaiming her Christian faith. In her latest Christmas broadcast, she has focused on the
theme of hope in the midst of adversity – Christian hope!

She said, “Finding hope in adversity is one of the themes of Christmas… Jesus was born into a world full of fear. The angels came to frightened shepherds with hope in
their voices: ‘Fear not’, they urged, ‘we bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour who is Christ
the Lord…’” “God sent into the world a unique person – neither a philosopher nor a general (important though they are) – but a Saviour, with the power to forgive.”
She added, “Forgiveness lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It can heal broken families, it can restore friendships and it can reconcile divided communities. It is in forgiveness that we feel the power of God’s love. In the last verse of this beautiful carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem, there’s a prayer:

O Holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us we pray
Cast out our sin
And enter in
Be born in us today

It is my prayer that on this Christmas day we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God through Christ our Lord,” she ended.

Then there was the Prime Minister’s speech to mark the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. David Cameron declared that, “Britain is a Christian country and we should not be afraid to say so.” He added, “The Bible has helped to give Britain a set of values… which make Britain what it is today… A return to Christian values could counter the country’s moral collapse.”

Earlier the Royal Mail issued its Christmas stamps including references from the Gospels. The verses declare: “thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins… and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

Is it possible that we are seeing a national change of mood, reflecting God’s reviving work in the heavens? Keep praying!

With loving greetings from all the Revival team,

Ian Milmine

St Paul’s Squatters – What would Jesus do?

Dear Friends,

“This day has salvation come to this house… For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
(Luke 19:9-10)

St Paul’s Squatters – What would Jesus do?

As I write this edition of the Prayer Bulletin, protestors camping outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London have been granted until the end of the year to remain, in exchange for a reduction in their numbers and a promise to move in the New Year. The Cathedral authorities seem to have been in some disarray as to how to handle this unexpected situation on their doorstep, but the question many have asked is, “What would Jesus do?” Others ask, “How would St Paul himself have confronted and made use of the situation?”

Jesus was always able to see beyond the apparent issues and would tackle the far deeper spiritual implications at stake; for certain He would not be inside the Cathedral trying to bolster up its lost tourist revenues. He would be outside speaking both to the protesters and to the bankers. He would be speaking loud and clear to those who make excessive profit from the financial system calling them to repentance (Luke 19:1-10). But He would also speak to the consciences of the protestors. Like them, Jesus sided with the poor and exploited; but, unlike them, He himself “became poor that, through His poverty, we might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

The Gospel is not about pointing a finger at others and highlighting their evil ways; it is about being made aware of the fact that we are “all sinners and fall short of the Glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). One simple point that the protesters perhaps forget is that – in a worldwide context – every one of them (even those on Benefits) belongs to the richest 1% of the world’s population! As for Paul, in similar fashion to his approach in Athens, he would no doubt have taken time to understand the situation and then begun to expose the many forms of idolatry that keep people (protesters included) from having a right relationship with the living God through Jesus. As a result, some would have come to faith (Acts 17:34)!

This is a world full of inequality. Protests may focus the national conscience but, ultimately, it is only the Gospel message that can change the hearts of both the modern-day “Zacchaeuses” and all others. I trust you will be encouraged, as you read this Bulletin, to see that God is still very much in the business of changing hearts.

With loving greetings from all the Revival team,

Ian Milmine

A Wake-up Call to God’s People!

Dearly Beloved Prayer Partners,

“O Lord let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name.”
(Nehemiah 1:11)
I am writing this edition of the Prayer Bulletin as stock markets tumble and we are hearing dire warnings of “double dip” recession. Sadly our malaise is not only financial – social, political and religious commentators are still trying to explain the violent and mindless rioting that hit so many of our English cities in August. Personally I feel the Prime Minister was pretty accurate in his analysis when he described the disorders as a ”wake-up call for our country”. He went on to say that there has been a “slow-motion moral collapse” in the UK:

“Irresponsibility, selfishness, behaving as if your choices have no consequences; children without fathers, schools without discipline, reward without effort, crime without punishment, and rights without responsibilities…” These, in David Cameron’s view, are some of the excesses of our permissive society that led to such extreme disorder. But, having reached this conclusion, will politicians do anything to radically alter the extraordinary selfishness of a society that believes it has a right to instant gratification no matter who is hurt in the process?

I hardly need say that the only real antidote to such moral collapse – to use Cameron’s own words – is for the fear of God to fall upon the nation. There is only one way in which this can happen: through an extraordinary effort of Gospel proclamation, together with intense and earnest prayer for revival. As the people of God, it befalls us to acknowledge our calling and stand in the gap for our land.

Many leaders are inviting God’s people in the UK to wake out of our sleep and rise up to intercede for this troubled nation. A National Night of Prayer has been proclaimed throughout the land, so that all who name Jesus as Lord might, with one accord, fervently seek God’s forgiveness, and pray for the restoration of righteousness in the land. This night of prayer will be held from midnight to 6 o’clock in the morning of Saturday 15th of October.
With God’s judgment upon our nation weighing on our hearts, isn’t it wonderful to hear of so many young people professing faith in Jesus at Soul Survivor (Day 29)? How encouraging also to read of many Muslims and Jews coming to a simple yet meaningful faith in Jesus (Days 5, 23, 25, 27 & 28). May God encourage us to persevere as we se what He does.

With loving greetings from all the Revival team,

Ian Milmine

God is Working His Purposes Out!

Dearly Beloved Prayer Partners,

“The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you; He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
(Zephaniah 3:17)

As I write this edition of the Prayer Bulletin, I cannot help but reflect on a number of stories that we are highlighting: Is the Asian Church really the future of Christianity? How deeply will the Gospel take hold in the Muslim heartland? How is it that some doctors can pray with their patients while others are forbidden from doing so? And, should the EU be allowed to dictate what individual nations write in their Constitutions?

Well, let’s consider… Contrary to the situation in the Western Church, what seems to characterise the Asian church today is an explosion of young people coming to Christ and then rapidly being discipled into positions of leadership! Explosive growth brings its dangers, obviously, but what is so encouraging is that these young converts are rapidly taking their faith into the marketplace and the mission field. Praise God!

With the outcome of the “Arab Spring” still uncertain, it may well be premature to expect the consolidation of democracy and equal rights for minorities (such as Christians) in these nations. But what we should pray for is that this will be an enormous opportunity for the Gospel – uncertainty always brings a hunger of heart; tiredness with what has gone before brings an openness to what is new. This has been happening now for a number of years in Iran where huge numbers of Muslims are coming to faith in Christ and “bearing His opprobrium.”

Then, what do you make of the story of Dr David (Day 11)? It seems to me that the best way to confront the institutional attitudes of today is to be as bold and forthright as you possibly can. For Dr David, prayer with his patients has become a natural part of his practice. Why should secular humanism be allowed to dictate the norms? Not so many
years ago prayer was a normal part of daily life in hospitals and other clinical environments.

Lastly, how dare the Council of Europe suggest that Hungary’s new Constitution “violates our common European values”! I salute the Hungarian people for boldly proclaiming God and the family as foundational to their Constitution. Let us pray earnestly for the people of Hungary that they may know and be blessed by
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

With loving greetings from all the Revival team,

Ian Milmine

A Tale of Two Men

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
(Ephesians 2:10)
A Tale of Two Men
As I write this edition of the Prayer Bulletin, the death of two well-know personalities has just been announced: one of them the infamous Osama Bin Laden, the other, the much-loved Reverend David Wilkerson.
I scarcely need to comment on the life of Bin Laden. The alleged mastermind behind the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York, in September 2001, has continued to inspire (and no doubt finance) evil destruction ever since. Far from being a martyr for the cause of Islam, he was a murderous assassin. What a sorry waste of human intelligence and creativity!
At the very opposite extreme is Pastor David Wilkerson. Most of us will remember reading – when we were that much younger – The Cross and the Switchblade, his extraordinary testimony of penetrating the fear-inspiring gangland of New York and rescuing so many lost souls from the clutches of Satan. We were inspired by what was almost a re-living of the Book of Acts in our time. His son, Gary Wilkerson, writes: “Dad’s 60-plus years of ministry have impacted the lives of those closest to him and extended to millions around the world,”
Thus one of these men has made an incredible impact for all eternity; he has stored up countless “treasures in heaven”, bringing the joy of new life in Christ, blessing and opportunity to so many. He has gone to hear the words of His Lord and Saviour: “Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of thy Lord.”
The other lived his life planning revenge, destruction and death. In so doing, he served his master, “who comes to steal, kill and destroy.” His only goal in life was to cause as much pain, death and suffering to as many as he possibly could! He is now facing the full force of God’s judgement upon him.
What a parable these two men’s lives are! They remind us that we are here to serve our Lord and Saviour and to enrich and bless the lives of others. As you read this edition of the Bulletin, I trust you will rejoice to see how God is raising His Church around the world to be the salt and light of this generation. Let us pray for many David Wilkerson’s who boldly face the call of the Gospel!

The Kingdom of God

“Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.”
(Isaiah 44:23)
The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ As I write this edition of the Prayer Bulletin I have been
recovering at home from an eye operation. This has allowed me to work accompanied by one of my great joys: listening to music – in this case – Handel’s oratorio Belshazzar, composed 2 years after Messiah in 1744.
The overriding theme is the futility of human empires, which fall as quickly as they have risen. The arrogance of the human heart has thus to concede that History is controlled totally and exclusively by the hand of Almighty God. Thus Cyrus of Persia was established as God’s instrument for the destruction of the cruel Babylonian Empire, and the restoration of Israel and Jerusalem.
Whilst enjoying this sublime music, I could not help but draw parallels with events that were unfolding in North Africa and the Middle East, where seemingly untouchable regimes were falling in a manner and with a speed that no pundit could have possibly predicted. Similarly the centre of economic, political and military gravity is, rapidly moving from the established West towards the Eastern nations of China, India and others.
How are we to respond to this unpredictable scenario? Clearly the only foundation we have to face this time of uncertainty is the reality that Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In one beautiful aria Cyrus, having heard from Daniel of Isaiah’s prophecy naming him as the restorer of Israel, exclaims: “Thus prostrate I confess, thou art the LORD, there is none other beside thee. Thou condescendest to call me thy shepherd and I will feed thy flock.” (see Isaiah 44:28). What a beautiful type of our Lord Jesus, “that great shepherd of the sheep…” (Hebrews 13:20). We can be fully confident in His eternal Lordship no matter how kingdoms rise or fall around us.
“Tell it out among the heathen, that the Lord is King,” are the words of another beautiful chorus in Belshazzar. Pray for our new evangelist, Glen Scrivener as he faces this great task.

Victor Pearce: Called Home by His Master

Dearly Beloved Prayer Partners,

“His lord said unto him: ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’” (Matthew 25:21)
Victor Pearce: Called Home by His Master

It is with great sadness that we inform our readers that Revival’s former Chief Executive, Preb. Dr. E.K. Victor Pearce, died in his home in Stoke-On-Trent, at the grand age of 97. His funeral was held on Thursday 19th August at St Thomas’ Church in Kidsgrove, Staffs. Victor was particularly loved and appreciated for his numerous radio programmes and publications on Science and the Bible in which he sought to vigorously defend Biblical truth from attacks in the media.

After receiving his theological training at the London College of Divinity, Victor became an honours graduate in Anthropology of London University and specialised in Prehistoric Archaeology at Oxford. He was ordained at Liverpool Cathedral at the start of the Second World War and became a curate there, also volunteering as an air raid warden. Then a vicar in Dorset was called up to fight and Victor had to cover for him.

It wasn’t long before a fellow clergyman recommended Victor for a parish of his own in South London. Then, in 1951, Victor was invited to Bucknall and Bagnall Parish, serving a huge catchment of 45,000. After 20 years at Bucknall, he was appointed vicar of St James Church in Audley. He was made a Prebendary of Lichfield Cathedral and later received a doctorate from Florida University.

It was at this time that he met evangelist Eric Hutchings and became very involved with the evangelistic outreach of the Hour of Revival. He served as a Trustee for a number of years, and became Chief Executive in 1982 after Dr. Hutchings sudden death.

An evangelist at heart, Victor was tireless in building up his church work and in pursuing his God-given task of defending the Faith. Yet he could speak at the level of the ordinary man and led many to faith in Christ. Countless more were led to Christ or affirmed in their walk through Victor’s broadcasts and publications. He will be remembered not only as a scholar but also as a very humble man of God, who would encourage rather than find fault. He has entered into the joy of his Lord!

With loving greetings from all the Revival team,

Ian Milmine

Prayer for Revival by Ian Milmine [36]

Revival prayers by Ian Milmine [36]

We are coming to the end of our series of talks on revival. What have we learnt throughout this series? Well, if God has quickened you to feel a greater urge to pray for revival I shall feel part of the job has been done. As we saw some weeks ago, the prayer of a Christian who sees the need in his own heart and the great need around him should be: “Lord, give me a hungry heart.” Jesus said, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 6:6). It is those who seek God with all their heart who find Him, Jeremiah tells us in chapter 29:13. It is in this seeking of God with all our hearts where a personal revival can begin.

The second important lesson that I hope has been brought home to your heart is the feeling of the need of the world of those who are unsaved around us. We were reminded that the shortest and yet one of the most powerful Scripture in the Bible is the one that simply says, “Jesus wept.” If God in human flesh wept, then we’ll also weep when we understand His heart. One of the trademarks of every time of true revival ever recorded is the gathering of people to weep in brokenness and repentance over their sins, and the blatant sin of the world around. Why? Because sin hurts the heart of God.

The third important lesson that I have tried to put across is that revival requires us to pay a price. The Holy Spirit will ask us to abandon sins, pastimes and practices that had seemed reasonably legitimate before His quickening of our souls. I know of no revival that hasn’t been accompanied by a deep sense of guilt, a repentance of sin, and a puting right of wrongs, followed by a wonderful experience of the peace that is available throught the precious blood of Jesus. The question is, do Christians today really want revival? Are they prepared to accept the alteration to their lives and daily routines that revival will surely bring? Or is this all too much for us comfortable XXi century Western Christians?

We have seen therefore that revival begins in the Church, by bringing backslidden Christians to repentance and a new beginning of obedience to God. And our challenge to God’s people, in the words of the apostle Paul is, “It is time to wake up from our slumber!”. Illustrations from people God used as instruments of revival sowed us that God can work revival through just one individual who is totally committed to Him, hungering for revival, and willing to pay the price in his or her obedience to the revival covenant.

And then we have seen the wonderful effects a revival can produce upon society at large – falling crime rates, abandonement of drunkennes, reconciliation among communities, and solution to the many social ills that our society today is unable to cope with; why? because they are primarily spiritual in nature.

Don’t you long for revival in our midst today? I do, and I trust this series has been helpful to you. God bless and revive us all!

Prayer for Revival by Ian Milmine [35]

Revival prayers by Ian Milmine [35]

I want to complete this series of talks on revival by taking a brief look at the kind of things that happen as a result of revival, that is, the effects of revival. In particular, looking at the effects of the Welsh revival of 1904, which are well documented. These effects go far beyond the realm of what may be seen as exclusively “spiritual”. For instance, the huge drop in the crime rate in some areas of Wales made the police and the courts almost redundant, as the prisons emptied. A correspondent for the Liverpool Daily Post reported in December 1904 that there had been no arrests for drunkenness since the revival had started. In the South Wales ports the magistrates were through with their daily business in a fraction of the usual time, private quarrels and assaults had become practically nil.

Bitter divisions in some communities were miraculously healed. For instance one of the South Wales mining journals of the time – The Iron and Coal Trades Review – tells of the bitter feuds that had existed between unionised and non-unionised miners – often they would refuse to share the same cage to descend down to the mines, and would only speak to each other in cursing. By 1905, however, the Journal tells how the revival put an end to this fighting, as these men met together for prayer, all joining in together. The same Journal refers to the loss of their drinking habits saying, “They go home at night sober men without touching a drop of beer or spirits, and, before commencing their work in the morning many of them join together in prayer.” The employers spoke highly of improved productivity.

One N.S.P.C.C. inspector spoke of the effect the revival had on the miss-treatment of children in the mining valleys of Glamorgan. Homes that he had under observation for some time, including some where he had contemplated prosecution, had undergone a complete transformation. He no longer had them under observation, and children were not only now well treated, but better cleaned and dressed. Whereas he had been forced to prosecute in his district at the rate of two a month, since the revival there had been no prosecutions.

To these wonderful effects on society that the Welsh revival had, can be added the loss of interest in worldly pleasures, including football match attendance, dance halls, public houses and the likes, many of which were forced to close. On the other hand, the Bible Society reported a tripling of the sale of Bibles in Wales. The repayment of long-standing debts by those who had been convicted by the Holy Spirit, the fostering of fellowship among denominations by exchange of pulpits and other means, where previously there had been discord and hostility, were other effects of the revival.

Thus, what legislation and organization throughout the years could not accomplish was achieved in a matter of weeks in many of the Welsh districts. Praise God, He can affect change in men’s hearts to such an extent that it affects the life of their whole community! O that we should again see a visitation of God such as occurred in Wales in the early 1900′s!

Let us earnestly pray to that end.  God bless and revive us all!

Prayer for Revival by Ian Milmine [34]

Revival prayers by Ian Milmine [34]

“Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” , are the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 85:6. Surely this needs to be the prayer of every godly man or woman who longs for the glory of God to be seen among His people. Jesus said He had come to give us life, and give it to the full. Yet so many Christians today appear to be quite happy to go around half empty, living their daily lives with no real care for the level of their spiritual petrol tanks. If we are ever to see once again an awakening of our nation to the reality of God’s power, [grace and holiness,] then we must begin by earnestly emulating the Psalmist in his prayer for our own revival.  [We must desire God's revival in our own hearts, and in our own local church fellowships first of all.]  Only then can we expect the fullness of which our Lord spoke, and only then can we expect it to spread like wildfire to others.

Are you praying for revival? Are you prepared to use the words of the Psalmist and to beseech God for His awakening and reviving touch? Don’t we long for the day when God’s people can rejoice in Him, as the Psalmist says? We want the happiness, the joy, the rejoicing with a carefree heart, but this fullness that the Lord Jesus spoke of requires first that we go to Him in earnest prayer for the revival of our souls. Every man or woman God has ever used has been a person of prayer. They have learned to agonize, to pour out their souls before the Lord, and to listen to Him as He responds. God’s reply may entail paying a price. There is always a price to pay for revival. It may be the sacrifice of time to spend more in prayer; it may be the sacrifice of certain things or habits or entertainments; it may be meeting together with certain people who God leads you to minister with; it may entail repentance of some sin, or the apology to someone you know you have harmed.

Recently, as I prayed for revival in my own life, the Holy Spirit lead me to write a letter to a Christian brother – it was a letter that should have been written many years ago. I could not feel peace until I got this done. As we begin praying for revival, the Lord will no doubt show us that there is a lot of clutter in our lives that stops Him from using us fully to His glory. It’s here where our revival has to start. And it is God’s glory that is at the heart of the matter, not our own often petty, selfish agendas. Our Lord tells us clearly to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto us”. If we seek [God's glory first and foremost, if we seek] a personal revival in order that our lives should be honouring to Him, then God will see to it that our hearts are filled with joy, and that all things needed are given to us day by day.

“Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee”, is the Psalmist’s heartfelt prayer. Let’s make it our own, and ask Him to help us to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit as He reveals to us the steps we need to take. I do trust these thoughts can help you to understand how to direct your own prayers for revival.

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