** Jonathan Brennemann on all participating **

A pattern I see in the stories of many historical revivals... Revival starts with participation and ends with programs. Everyone spoke on the day of Pentecost. A study of the words the Bible uses in its instructions for Christian meetings shows that, "everyone, anyone, each one, whoever" are the people who are speaking. The Holy Spirit chooses to manifest God's grace through each member of Christ's body. Of the nine "grace-effects" in 1 Corinthians 12, 5 are explicitly speaking, and the other four also usually operate by speaking and understanding. If we fail to facilitate the participation of the body of Christ, we quench the Holy Spirit. I believe that if we DON'T have revival, it's because we are quenching the Holy Spirit rather than aligning with his priorities. William Seymour had a box over his head much of the time, and he facilitated the operation of the body of Christ rather than supplanting it. Same pattern in the Welsh revival, the Jesus people, etc... A spectator event is incompatible with the Bible's instructions for Christian fellowship.