The spiritual fire continues to burn

The spiritual inheritance of the revival of the Chinese church

Organized by Wang Shufei

In the history of the church for more than 2,000 years, God has caused many spiritual revivals in different places and times. Why did these revivals happen at that time and place?

From the above three passages, we can see seven key words: the time is fulfilled; the kingdom of God is near; repent and believe; the Holy Spirit descends; receive power; bear witness to the Lord; and pray persistently.

The great revivals of the British and American churches in modern times, the revival of the Chinese churches in the 20th century, especially the revival gatherings of Song Shangjie, all contain these seven important factors. They have been passed down continuously in different eras and regions.

1. The inheritance of the British and American revival movements in the 18th and 19th centuries

1. Jonathan Edwards (1703-1750)

In 1741, Edwards gave a very famous sermon: "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." He denounced people's sins and described the horror of hell and the situation of people being disciplined by God after committing sins. Many listeners involuntarily cried, confessed, and repented before God.

2. John Wesley (1703-1791)

The holiness movement advocated by John Wesley in the 18th century emphasized that "sanctification is perfect love, perfect love for God and for people." During that period, the church had many small families, and the whole church held all-night prayer meetings on Fridays. There is a daily morning prayer meeting so that people can become holy before God before going out to work. This morning prayer meeting influenced Britain, the United States, India and Korea at that time; Korean churches still maintain morning prayer meetings to this day.

3. The American Renaissance of 1857-1858

On September 23, 1857, the lunch prayer meeting at Fulton Street Church in New York City grew from 6 people to 20 people, and then to 4,000 people the next week! Such prayer meetings gradually became a major revival movement affecting the United States. The slogan at that time was "Stand up for Jesus." At the peak of this revival, nearly 50,000 people were coming to Christ every week in the United States. The message passed on is: everyone must repent and confess their sins before God and have their hearts broken; they must pay attention to personal holiness; they must care for their neighbors with love and uphold the justice of Christ in society. This wave of revival also spread to England.

4.spurgeon (Charles Spurgeon,1834-1892)

Spurgeon of the United Kingdom taught: "Holiness is a necessary factor for revival. A holy life is a journey. Holiness is continuous progress, quiet progress, never ending." He emphasized that holiness is a lifelong journey. The Pilgrim's Progress; holiness is a commitment to God, a way of life, and a necessary daily practice.

The impact of this message is far-reaching. During this wave of revival, Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) established the China Inland Mission in 1865; many people were willing to step out of their comfortable life circles and go to China for missionary work. Many Christians entered society, cared for the poor, and participated in the "Salvation Army" established in the same year.

2. The Welsh Renaissance in the early 20th century (1904-1905)

In Wales, southwest England, in the early 20th century, God inspired a young miner, Evan Roberts (1878-1951), to pray for the revival of Britain for more than ten years. One night, God gave him a very strong message. He cried out: "Oh, Lord, bend us! So that the world can be saved." (Lord, bend the church to save the world.) He shared this move with other miners. Sharing, they immediately started a prayer group in the mine.

The fire of prayer spreads and burns, and there are prayer groups at any time and anywhere. Women pray at home, believers pray in trains or trams, and whenever two or three people are together, they pray. Revival spread from churches into society, even bars closed, and many carriages could no longer move. In the past, horses had to be cursed and whipped to make them walk; now that the coachman has believed in the Lord and no longer curses, the horses no longer know how to walk.

The power of revival spread across the church and all walks of life, from the upper classes to the lowest levels of the people. In the three years from 1903 to 1906, nearly 500,000 British people came to the Lord! Not only Britain, revival also reached the United States and the British colonies. An estimated 5 million people around the world have turned to the Lord. The fire of revival also burned in China.

▲The fire of revival in Wales in the 1920s spread from Britain to all over the world, and millions of people were converted to the Lord.
(Image Source:https://www.bcwales.org/1904-welsh-revival)

▲Dora Yu was China’s first cross-cultural missionary and a pioneer of church revival in the 20th century.
(Image Source:https://wellsofgrace.com/biography/chinese/yu-dora.htm)

3. The flame of rejuvenation in modern China

1.Yu Cidu (1873-1931)

In 1896, Dr. Yu Cidu went to Korea as a missionary and was China's first cross-cultural missionary. In 1904, he returned to China and became a full-time evangelist. She was a pioneer in the revival of the Chinese church in the 20th century. Watchman Nee made the decision to believe in the Lord during her missionary meeting in Fuzhou. Later young preachers such as Wang Zai and Zhao Shiguang were all influenced by her.

The message given by God to Dora Yu's inheritance is the same as that of the revival movements over the years: pray without ceasing; deal with sin thoroughly; life is more important than gifts; obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The book "Outstanding Women in Church History" published by Overseas Campus Institutions records: After Dora Yu's sermon, many listeners burst into tears. "The Holy Spirit, who convicts of sin, came upon the congregation... One after another, all kinds of people went to seek out the person with whom they had had problems, with sincere repentance and deep humility towards one another... Tears shed Confess your sins to each other and seek forgiveness from one another." This is a very wonderful work of the Holy Spirit.

2.Jonathan Goforth, 1859-1936)

During this period, God also led spiritual revival in the northeast and northwest of China through John Go, a Canadian missionary to China. Ancient John once advised Hudson Taylor: "When you are serving in China, you must 'go forward on your knees.'" That is to say, walk the journey ahead through prayer. The inheritance brought about by this wave of revival is: public confession; praying and weeping together; silence.

During the Boxer Rebellion Incident in 1900, many family members of Chinese Christians who were killed were filled with resentment. After the revival movement, many families were able to say before God like Jesus Christ: "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they do."

3.1920-1949great renaissance

During the May Fourth Movement and the New Culture Movement in the 1920s, intellectuals had patriotic enthusiasm to save the nation. They want to use revolution to change China's system and culture and make China rich and powerful. During the same period, God raised up many young preachers to take the route of salvation, which is to preach the salvation of Jesus, change people’s hearts, and shine for the Lord in all walks of life through new creations. These people include Yu Cidu, Ji Zhiwen, Song Shangjie, Cai Sujuan, Shi Meiyu, Wang Zai, Wang Mingdao, Watchman Nee, Zhao Shiguang, etc.

The Awakening: Revival in China 1927-1937, written by Marie Monsen (1878-1962), a Norwegian missionary to China, describes the revivals in various parts of China in the decade from 1927 to 1937. Movement, too, begins through prayer and obedience to Christ. She is an actual participant and leader, so her writing is very detailed and profound.

4. Information passed down by Song Shangjie (1901-1944)

1.Sin and the Cross

In 1928, Song Shangjie began to preach full-time. God inspired him that every sermon must talk about human sin and the salvation of the cross: "The sermon cannot be separated from sin and denounce the sin in the church! Only when sin goes out can living water come in. Among the sins in the church, I am most concerned about them. "It's the sins of leaders and preachers." Song Shangjie's message is: denounce sins; repent of sins; correct sins.

From 1931 to 1933, he joined the Bethel Evangelistic Team and preached the same message about sin and the cross. Song Shangjie particularly emphasized the holiness of God. Many times during his sermons, he was inspired by the Holy Spirit and suddenly pointed at someone and said: "Brother, you are living a sinful life. You must be shot (humility)! You must repent!" God used him to make him Man cannot hide before the holiness of God. Someone asked him why his preaching was so powerful? He said: "Because I constantly confess and repent. I don't ask others to confess and repent. I confess and repent myself first." Preachers must become clean vessels before they can be used by the Lord.

▲In his sermons, Song Shangjie will definitely talk about human sin and the salvation of the cross, emphasizing true repentance.
(Image Source:https://www.krt.com.hk/post/22347/Kingdom 1 Minute-113-China’s Three Spiritual Giants/)

2.life turning around

In 1936, Song Shangjie went to Taiwan to host more than 20 days of gatherings. From May 1st to 8th, while preaching in Tainan, there was a 21-year-old Sister Xie Shou in the crowded synagogue. She was teaching native languages to female missionaries in a Christian school. She often asked three questions in her heart: "Why am I living in the world? Why am I a woman? What is the mission and purpose of my life?" During those few days of revival meetings, she clearly realized that God had allowed her to be born in the world. , because God wants to use her. God called her to be a good wife and mother, to educate her children according to God's will, using biblical principles and the examples of saints. In 1941, Xie Shou got married. The couple made an oath before God: "As for me and my family, we will definitely serve the Lord." This is the story of my parents. Their lives were turned around at the Song Shang Festival revival meeting, and their entire lives changed. Goals are clear and specific. During the 66 years of marriage, she raised eight children and saw her second and third generation descendants passing on their faith, many of whom became preachers serving God.

In 1970, I was called to start full-time ministry. My mother reminded me: "Can your ministry completely transform people's lives like Song Shangjie did?" I have never forgotten it.

3.Tanka prepares the heart

My mother recalled: Before the revival meeting on Song Shang Festival, some people came to the synagogue early, and the church sang revival short songs. These short songs are easy to understand and easy for participants to recite. Each short song is a brief message. After singing for one or two hours, my heart has already opened up. Song Shangjie came to the stage to preach. Many people were moved by the Holy Spirit from the beginning and confessed their sins and repented. "The cross, the cross, is my glory forever", "Sin goes out, living water comes in, by the grace of God", such short songs can be sung dozens of times in one night. During those seven nights in Tainan, nearly 4,000 people came to the stage to kneel down, confess their sins, cry bitterly, and repent. This is a scene that has been seen in revival gatherings throughout the ages, especially during the Song Shang Festival revival gatherings.

4.plea list

Song Shangjie emphasized that true repentance must be very detailed and specific, and cannot be general. He has a "list of confessions", such as "Do not worship idols". The list lists: worship Bodhisattva, worship Guan Gong, worship the Lord of the Earth, worship the God of Wealth... The leader reminded everyone to confess their sins one by one: "O God! Please forgive me for worshiping the Bodhisattva..." If you have not worshiped the Bodhisattva before, skip it. If so, plead guilty immediately. Next: "O God, please forgive me for worshiping the God of Wealth..." This is true for every confession. For example, the list of thefts includes: parents, school, government, company, neighbors... the list is very detailed. As long as you attend a confession and prayer meeting, you must go through every item. After such confession, the past sins are completely enlightened by the Holy Spirit and I dare not commit them again easily. This is one of the reasons why the spiritual revival movement initiated by Song Shangjie had far-reaching effects.

Summarize

"Prayer, confession, repentance, holiness, and the cross" are the messages that are emphasized and passed down in all revival gatherings at home and abroad in ancient and modern times. Revival historian J. Edwin Orr has two maxims: "Repentance is the prelude to revival." (Repentance is the prelude to revival.); "The church must first repent before revival." repent.).

In his book "Evangelical Awakenings in Eastern Asia," he said: "Tribulation is often preceded by revival, like a harvest before the destruction of farmland."

The laws of church history allow us to see that before suffering comes, God often uses great revivals to prepare people's hearts, causing many sinners to repent and convert, turning the lives of lukewarm Christians around, and purifying many preachers. God raises up a great revival and prepares His instruments to meet and bear the suffering.

The legacy of revival is inseparable from prayer. Prayer for revival can be an urgent, fierce cry; it can be a long-lasting, daily and natural plea; it can be a long-term, unremitting intercession behind the scenes.

May we all carry on the fire of revival. May we all become those who are called and tested by God in the flames of revival.

May God turn us over and change us; may God call more brothers and sisters to become vessels used by God here and now.

May the spiritual fire of revival continue to burn!

(This article is special information about the revival meeting to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the birth of Lord and Servant Song Shangjie. Please scan the QR code to watch the video online.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAldzZ7fRNU. )

Su WenfengPastor, grew up in a prosperous Christian family in Taiwan. He has been serving full-time ministry since 1970, serving as the editor-in-chief of Taiwan’s Campus Magazine and the president of Campus Study Press, and also participated in student ministry. He was the editor-in-chief of "Messenger" magazine, founded the "Overseas Campus" magazine, and is currently the chairman of the board of directors of Overseas Campus Organization (OCM).
Pastor Su graduated from the History Department of National Taiwan University and FTS Mission School in the United States. During his 50 years of teaching and training ministry, he was often invited to give lectures on topics such as church history, faith inheritance, and co-worker building. Lectures on "Chinese Church History" and "Church History" DVDs. Lectured 52 episodes of "This Week in Church History" and produced 24 episodes of "Outstanding Women in Church History" videos from 2019 to 2020, which will be published as a book in 2021.