The Sound of Revival!

My first ever trip to Africa was life changing. I visited South Africa for two weeks. My host, a man called John, gave me an eye-opening missions trip. I ministered at his church in the suburbs of Johannesburg, a church that John G Lake had planted almost a hundred years before, and we visited the villages of the northern Transvaal (now known as Limpopo and Pretoria).

One of the most notable meetings was held in a marquee on a calm day. It was a hot day, and there was no wind to help clear the hot air from inside of the tent, until a lady in her seventees stood up to tell of her story of becoming a follower of Jesus. (I have this interview on video somewhere). 

As soon as this former Witch Doctor took the mic, a wind blew into the tent and swirled around, it was blowing the tent walls outward. I turned to John, because I knew it had to do with her testimony, and John simply said, "Yes, that is an angel" (we had talked about angels a lot before this). My eyes grew wider, my jaw dropped, and I was in awe of experiencing something I had never experienced before. I'm glad to say that I have experienced this several times since, but not as forceful as it was that day in August of 1998. When she finished speaking the wind left the tent. No more flapping tent walls, just back to normal. 

Over the years I think of that experience, and the role the supernatural plays when the name of Jesus is exalted. Even though we may not always hear it, there is a sound that is always going on in the Spirit realm. Creation hears it, but we are mostly deaf to this supernatural phenomenon. There is a place here in Wales, that I used to walk and pray at night a few times a week. I loved walking through the forest and on mountain paths at night to pray. Many times I would begin my prayer asking God, fervently, to open my ears to hear the "sound" that creation hears, so that I could join in. The verse is from one of my favorite Psalms,

Oh to hear another level of praise and worship that we have never heard, it would be a "new to us" sound, but it is a sound so familiar to the chamber of heaven, and the far reaches of His ever unfolding creation. I would cry out for "ears to hear", but still the "sound" was kept from me. He knows best.

However, and I am being careful here, there have only been a handful of times in my life when I have heard a different "sound" than the ones that frequent our Sunday morning gatherings, or other Christian events. It's what many call—The Sound of Revival. This sound is different to what we hear every Sunday. We know the sound of church services, we are familiar with them. We even like them. But this Sound of Revival is different, and I wonder if it a taste of that sound that Psalm 19 talks of, the one I long to hear. I heard it first at a Bible Week in the early 80's at a showground in the North of England, where thousands gathered for a week of worship and teaching. Even though I was young, I remember it. In fact, the locals called the Police to report a large choir singing in the early hours of the night, while everyone slept on the showground, angels causing trouble for us (lol). 

I heard it, in person, again in London in 1994, then at a similar Bible Week in Wales of that same year, and the year following, but not until May 2008, in Lakeland, Florida, did I hear it in person again. The Sound of Revival is a supernatural event that accompanies the grace of Revival. 

There is a video called "The night the angels sang", and it is a recording from the early days of the revival that started through the ministry of Rodney Howard Browne. He had tried to preach, but was so overcome by the Holy Spirit that he could not speak. Worship started to errupt across the building, just melody, no words, then you hear this constant sound of a heavenly choir sing for a long time. It's amazing!

From time to time, when I was pastoring in the States, the Holy Spirit would lead me to play the video of that service, instead of doing out regular worship time and sermon, we would just play that video. The presence of God would come sooooo powerfully that it marked us. Everyone who could get on their face was on their face. Only a few watched the video, the SOUND provoked us to be on our faces worshipping God, and weeping at His feet. The Sound of Revival has that affect on people. 

I've added a section of that video below, I hope you won't judge and criticise it, but embrace it. Just close your eyes and worship God. Sadly, if what happened on the Day of Pentecost would happen today, most of the church would reject it, this is the sad state that we are in today. 

We need that SOUND (Acts 2:2) in the land today, WALES NEEDS THAT SOUND!

Mwy Arglwydd...