14.19 Revivals through revelation – the Charismatic revival
In the later half of the 20th century, many evangelical church leaders and members embraced and experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in their own churches. Unlike the Pentecostal Revival which saw Spirit-filled members moving out of their churches, the Charismatic Revival was a renewal within the mainstream churches that had earlier rejected the move.
God raised many leaders within the evangelical churches to play important roles in the Charismatic Revival. One such person was Dennis Bennett, an Episcopalian rector who wrote the book Nine O’clock in the Morning. He heard about this new experience and started on a journey to find the answers. God used him and his book as a catalyst of the Charismatic Revival.
Dennis Bennett was a rector of a large conservative Episcopalian church in Los Angeles. In those days, the non-Pentecostal churches had little understanding of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. One day in 1959, Frank, a young Anglican priest who visited his home told him that a young couple in his church had received the baptism in the Spirit and even claimed to have spoken in tongues, whatever that was. Bennett said that they must be one of those mixed up people.
As Bennett tried to sidetrack the issue, Frank said, “I can’t just brush it away – I have to understand what is going on. I am supposed to be the spiritual leader of the church.” He challenged Bennett to meet them but Bennett didn’t want to get involved in this “emotionalism” business.
Due to Frank’s persistency, Bennett and his wife, Elberta, agreed to meet the couple. With suspicion and apprehension, he told the couple, John and Joan, “What’s it all about? What has happened to you people?” With glowing faces, they shared that they had received the baptism in the Spirit. He asked, “What does that mean?” They answered, “Just like in the Bible.” Bennett wrote:
It was a low blow! As a minister of the gospel – with 16 years’ experience and a graduate degree in theology from a well-known university, I was supposed to know what was in the Bible. Yet as John and Joan talked, I realized that there were some very important things I’d somehow missed.
After the meeting, Elberta said, “I don’t know what these people have but I want it!” Bennett realized he was spiritually dry and hungry deep inside. Could a lack of experience with the Holy Spirit be the reason why Christians today don’t show the same joy, power and assurance that we see in the New Testament? He decided to DO A RESEARCH on the Holy Spirit, which had up till then been a vague, theoretical Being to him.
It was the beginning of a journey to DISCOVER NEW REVELATIONS from the Word of God. He had to struggle to overcome his deep-rooted prejudices against tongues. He had been told by his professor in the seminary that it was emotionalism and offensive. After three months of researching, he said to John and Joan:
“Look here, I’ve been reading my Bible, my Prayer Book, my theological books, my church history, and as far as I can see, this experience you’re talking about is in them all. I want what you’ve got!”
After John and Joan prayed for him for about 20 minutes, he received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. He experienced the reality of God’s presence that he had hungered for. Elberta received shortly after and they began to enjoy a newfound intimacy with God. Though he kept his experience at a low profile, the fires of revival began to spread and many members of his church also experienced the baptism.
On 3rd April 1960, he announced publicly to his church that he had received the baptism in the Spirit and had spoken in tongues. He faced immediate opposition from a minority who did not understand this divine experience and he decided to resign as their rector. His controversial story was carried on TV, Time and Newsweek. Soon, he received numerous invitations to share his story both within and beyond his denomination. He also authored a number of books which became one of the catalysts of the Charismatic Revival. It all started with a REVELATION that came through researching the Bible.
(Reference: Nine O’clock in the Morning by Dennis Dennett, Bridge Publishing, Inc.)
God raised many leaders within the evangelical churches to play important roles in the Charismatic Revival. One such person was Dennis Bennett, an Episcopalian rector who wrote the book Nine O’clock in the Morning. He heard about this new experience and started on a journey to find the answers. God used him and his book as a catalyst of the Charismatic Revival.
Dennis Bennett was a rector of a large conservative Episcopalian church in Los Angeles. In those days, the non-Pentecostal churches had little understanding of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. One day in 1959, Frank, a young Anglican priest who visited his home told him that a young couple in his church had received the baptism in the Spirit and even claimed to have spoken in tongues, whatever that was. Bennett said that they must be one of those mixed up people.
As Bennett tried to sidetrack the issue, Frank said, “I can’t just brush it away – I have to understand what is going on. I am supposed to be the spiritual leader of the church.” He challenged Bennett to meet them but Bennett didn’t want to get involved in this “emotionalism” business.
Due to Frank’s persistency, Bennett and his wife, Elberta, agreed to meet the couple. With suspicion and apprehension, he told the couple, John and Joan, “What’s it all about? What has happened to you people?” With glowing faces, they shared that they had received the baptism in the Spirit. He asked, “What does that mean?” They answered, “Just like in the Bible.” Bennett wrote:
It was a low blow! As a minister of the gospel – with 16 years’ experience and a graduate degree in theology from a well-known university, I was supposed to know what was in the Bible. Yet as John and Joan talked, I realized that there were some very important things I’d somehow missed.
After the meeting, Elberta said, “I don’t know what these people have but I want it!” Bennett realized he was spiritually dry and hungry deep inside. Could a lack of experience with the Holy Spirit be the reason why Christians today don’t show the same joy, power and assurance that we see in the New Testament? He decided to DO A RESEARCH on the Holy Spirit, which had up till then been a vague, theoretical Being to him.
It was the beginning of a journey to DISCOVER NEW REVELATIONS from the Word of God. He had to struggle to overcome his deep-rooted prejudices against tongues. He had been told by his professor in the seminary that it was emotionalism and offensive. After three months of researching, he said to John and Joan:
“Look here, I’ve been reading my Bible, my Prayer Book, my theological books, my church history, and as far as I can see, this experience you’re talking about is in them all. I want what you’ve got!”
After John and Joan prayed for him for about 20 minutes, he received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. He experienced the reality of God’s presence that he had hungered for. Elberta received shortly after and they began to enjoy a newfound intimacy with God. Though he kept his experience at a low profile, the fires of revival began to spread and many members of his church also experienced the baptism.
On 3rd April 1960, he announced publicly to his church that he had received the baptism in the Spirit and had spoken in tongues. He faced immediate opposition from a minority who did not understand this divine experience and he decided to resign as their rector. His controversial story was carried on TV, Time and Newsweek. Soon, he received numerous invitations to share his story both within and beyond his denomination. He also authored a number of books which became one of the catalysts of the Charismatic Revival. It all started with a REVELATION that came through researching the Bible.
(Reference: Nine O’clock in the Morning by Dennis Dennett, Bridge Publishing, Inc.)
posted by Joshua Lye @ 11:08 PM
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